Hevingham Primary School

Hevingham Primary School New Road, Westgate, Norwich, NR10 5NH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teaching requires improvement. There is not enough good or outstanding teaching to enable all pupils to make good progress.  In some lessons, pupils are not given sufficiently demanding work, in others their errors and misunderstandings are not picked up quickly. The quality of teaching provided by adults other than teachers is inconsistent.  Pupils’ achievement requires improvement. Progress varies too much across the year groups and this has affected the standards pupils reach at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.  The progress made by pupils who need to catch up, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is too variable. The gap in attainment between the few pupils eligible for additional funding and all pupils is not closing fast enough.  Leadership and management require improvement. Although leaders visit lessons regularly, insufficient attention is placed on checking the quality of the teaching provided

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

by the adults who support teachers, and on how well all pupils are learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 The governing body and senior leaders demonstrate the drive and ambition required to improve the school further.  Good improvements have been made this year in tracking pupils’ progress and in the speed with which leaders take action to tackle underachievement.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and they feel safe and secure at school. Pupils say they enjoy school and their attendance is above average.  The school works effectively in partnership with Marsham Primary School and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was conducted at the same time as the inspection of Marsham Primary School. The inspector worked closely with the inspector at Marsham to ensure a consistency of approach across the two federated schools. In order for the inspections to run smoothly and to involve senior staff as closely as possible in the process, the lead inspectors for each school ensured that, where suitable, joint meetings were held with staff and the governing body.  The inspector visited 10 lessons, observing teaching in each class and for small numbers of pupils. Five observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector had meetings with pupils, staff and three members of the governing body, including the Chair of Governors. He also met a representative from the local authority to discuss the school’s performance.  The inspector looked at a range of evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation and

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Information about this inspection

development plans, attainment and progress information, teachers’ planning, performance monitoring reports and the school’s safeguarding arrangements. He also observed pupils’ behaviour and discussed this with pupils, looked at the work in pupils’ books and heard pupils from Years 1 and 2 reading.  The inspector took into account the 14 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the information on the views of parents provided by the school. He also met some parents informally at the end of the first day of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Rob McKeown, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school smaller than average-sized primary school has worked in partnership with nearby Marsham Primary since 2000.  The schools are federated, which means they have the same governing body but separate budgets. They share the same executive headteacher, assistant headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and subject leaders. There are numerous opportunities provided for pupils of both schools to learn and play together and share visits.  Pupils at Hevingham are taught in four mixed-age classes.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, children of service families and those known to be eligible for free school meals, is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a

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Information about this school

statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There has been a change of headteacher since the last inspection as well as several changes in the teaching and support staff. All classes have had a change of teacher in the last two years.  The school has gained the intermediate International Schools award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is always good or better by:  ensuring that able pupils have tasks that fit with their capabilities and stretch their thinking  checking that learning in lessons is successful and pupils’ errors are picked up quickly, and that teaching is adjusted to remedy misunderstandings  improving the consistency and quality of marking, particularly in mathematics, so that pupils know how, and have the time, to correct their errors  providing more training and guidance for the adults working alongside teachers to improve their subject knowledge and effectiveness when teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and boost achievement in English and mathematics by:  increasing rates of progress for pupils as they move through the school so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, do as well as they should  placing greater emphasis on boosting the progress made by pupils eligible to receive additional funding, so the gap between their attainment and other pupils closes rapidly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the impact of leadership and management on improving the quality of teaching by:  looking more closely at the quality of pupils’ learning and progress in lesson observations  regularly observing the teaching undertaken by the adults who work alongside teachers to ensure that it is always effective and contributes to pupils making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Despite better progress and higher standards in English last year and in mathematics the year before, the achievement of pupils who leave the school in Year 6 requires improvement. Pupils reach broadly average standards and this does not represent good achievement from their starting points. Past weaknesses in teaching have contributed to dips in progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s assessments show that children start school with skills and aptitudes that are broadly typical for their age, although the skills of individual children vary considerably. Most children make suitable progress in Reception and reach the expected level of development by the time they enter Year 1. Last year, attainment in mathematics was comparatively low. The staff have responded by providing more learning activities in mathematics this year.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards at the end of Year 2 are broadly average but have not improved since the last inspection and some pupils have not fulfilled their potential. Better teaching this year is resulting in pupils making more rapid progress, but attainment in Year 2 still lags behind where it should be. The work seen in lessons and pupils’ books indicate that standards in Year 6 this year remain broadly average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s tracking data shows the variability in attainment and progress across the year groups, including for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. It highlights the slow progress made by some pupils in the past but also some good improvements in the rates of progress from the start of this year.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Leaders have used the tracking data successfully to identify pupils who are not doing as well as they should, for example in mathematics and in writing. More and beneficial attention is being given to improving pupils’ writing skills, and to supporting pupils who lack confidence and understanding with calculation in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The schools’ tracking data show that the attainment gap between the few pupils known to be eligible for additional funding and their peers is not closing fast enough. There were not enough pupils known to be eligible for additional funding in 2012 to comment on their attainment in the national assessments.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most pupils read well by the time they leave the school in Year 6. Reading standards in Key Stage 1 have not been as strong. The results of the phonic screening check, which tests pupils’ understanding of the sounds that letters make, were below the national standard in 2012. Consequently, improvements have been introduced this year in Reception and Key Stage 1 in the daily teaching of phonics to strengthen pupils’ early reading skills. Pupils generally receive good guidance and support with their reading in school but some pupils do not practise their reading often enough at home.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Inconsistencies in the quality and continuity of teaching in the past have led to gaps in some pupils’ knowledge and understanding and contributed to their underachievement. Although leaders have secured improvements in teaching since the last inspection, these are still not leading to consistently good learning and progress for all pupils.  Although there was some good teaching seen during the inspection, reflecting pupils’ better progress this year, it is not good in every lesson or for all pupils. Very little teaching is outstanding. Where teaching requires improvement, it is because the work set is not hard enough to stretch more-able pupils and not enough attention is given to detecting and putting right the errors that pupils make in their work during lessons.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are also inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and guidance provided by the adults who work alongside teachers. On occasions, they lack the subject knowledge to ensure pupils’ learning is effective and some of the contributions they make when the teacher is teaching the whole class require improvement. In contrast, there are occasions when these adults have a positive influence on the quality of pupils’ learning, for example in supporting reading activities and in helping older pupils to gain confidence in tackling calculations in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The marking of pupils’ work has strengthened this year and teachers’ comments are contributing to bringing about improvements, particularly in pupils’ writing. Marking in mathematics is not as effective in showing pupils how they might improve their work or correct their mistakes. Evidence in some books indicates that pupils are not given time to respond to the comments that teachers make.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are some common strengths in teaching and these include the way teachers manage pupils well and plan lessons thoroughly. Where the teaching is most effective, the tasks pupils are given are exactly right for them, the pace of learning is good and pupils get the chance to discuss their ideas and reflect on how successful their learning has been. Good teaching also makes use of well-chosen resources to help pupils learn effectively.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching contributes positively towards pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to discuss ethical and moral issues and develop their thinking skills. Theme weeks provide opportunities to learn about other countries and cultures. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have many opportunities to learn outdoors by engaging in a broad range of interesting, practical activities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good and their attitudes to learning in lessons are almost always positive. Pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming to visitors. They get on well together and say they enjoy coming to school. Pupils cooperate well in lessons, working successfully in pairs and small groups. Most parents believe that behaviour is good and that the school manages it well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour around the school and outdoors is also good. Pupils play well together at break times, having plenty of space to play in and equipment to play with to ensure their play is purposeful. Staff set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and Year 6 pupils are able to explain the code of conduct expected and the consequences should their behaviour fall below it. One fixed-term exclusion was recorded in the last academic year.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe and secure in school and parents agree with this. Pupils learn about safety on water and road safety, and how to use the internet safely. They know what to do should they encounter any bullying and Year 6 pupils can explain the different forms of bullying, including those that involve prejudice. The school logs incidents that involve racism, bullying or unacceptable behaviour. A very small number of each has been recorded in the last year.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school employs a member of staff to run a successful nurture programme to help pupils to manage their own behaviour and make the most of their learning opportunities. Lessons in personal, social and health education and school assemblies contribute well to pupils’ all-round development, helping pupils to reflect on diversity, friendship and relationships. Adults, including the staff teaching Reception children, provide pupils with positive role models to help develop good early communication, personal and social skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average and a suitably demanding target has been set to maintain this level. Pupils are commended for their high levels of attendance and a close check is kept on the attendance of any pupils who may be away from school too much.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher and assistant headteacher have a successful working partnership, which provides continuity in leadership and management at Hevingham and Marsham. They have come through a period of considerable staff change and disruption which had slowed the pace of improving pupils’ standards and achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 In the last year, the pace of improvement has begun to pick up. The school’s development plan identifies the most important improvement priorities. There are also sharply focused plans that set out the actions being taken to strengthen the quality of teaching and identify targets for increasing pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There is a much more systematic approach this year to assessing and tracking pupils’ attainment and progress. Teachers now record their assessments in each half-term and meet with leaders to look at how well each individual pupil is doing. If slow progress is identified, then prompt action is now taken to tackle any gaps in learning pupils may have.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders undertake regular observations of lessons to check on the quality of teaching and pick out aspects that require improvement. These observations have concentrated on strengthening the key aspects of teaching but not enough on the success of, and impact on, pupils’ learning. Insufficient attention has also been given to checking the effectiveness of the teaching provided by adults who work alongside teachers.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Positive contributions are made in leadership and management by other key staff who coordinate the developments in English, mathematics and the support provided for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. This has resulted in improvements being made, for example, in giving pupils more precise targets to help them take the next steps in their learning, which are shared with parents.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has helped the school review to its overall effectiveness and provided guidance for leaders on improving standards in English and mathematics and the quality of teaching. The federated partnership between Hevingham and Marsham and the pooling of teaching expertise has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. There are also good links with other local schools.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The executive headteacher and deputy headteacher have introduced a system of termly ‘learning conversations’ between teachers and parents. These provide parents with detailed information on how well their child is doing and a chance to discuss the targets that have been set for next step improvements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are systematic in making sure that they carry out their legal duties, including the safe recruiting and vetting of staff. They know the school well and make appropriate use of their individual professional expertise in suggesting improvements and asking searching questions. They share a strong commitment to making sure that all groups of pupils have an equal chance to do well and there is no discrimination. Governors visit the school regularly and know what the performance information is telling them about pupils’ achievement compared to schools nationally. They have noted that pupils’ progress has dipped and have challenged leaders to take steps to secure improvement. They are aware of the quality of teaching and the strategies used for helping teachers to make further improvement, such as linking pay closely to pupils’ achievement, and how the school rewards good teaching and deals with any

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The leadership and management requires improvement

underperformance. They are not afraid to take tough decisions about staffing. They check on spending decisions carefully, including the use and impact of pupil premium funding.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 120817 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 412192

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 100 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Simmonds Headteacher Karen Hutchison Date of previous school inspection 17-18 June 2010 Telephone number 01603 754677 Fax number 01603 754677 Email address head@hevingham.norfolk.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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