Hanwell Fields Community School

Hanwell Fields Community School Rotary Way, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 1ER

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Not enough leaders are accountable for the progress that pupils are making and some are not contributing to improving teaching.  There is a significant proportion of parents who have negative perceptions of the school because leaders have failed to engage with them well enough.  Teaching does not always challenge enough pupils and they sometimes work too slowly because they are not given time limits to complete work.  Records related to bullying and bad behaviour are not kept centrally and so leaders cannot easily check on trends and patterns in pupils’ behaviour.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 do not do well enough in mathematics because their presentation is poor, there is inconsistency in how they are taught how to calculate and there are not enough opportunities for them to solve problems.  Classes can sometimes be noisy and pupils misbehave and, on occasions, interfere with the learning of others. There is a lack of

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

understanding by parents and pupils as to how poor behaviour is dealt with.  Pupils are not given enough opportunity to check on the quality of their work and the progress they are making to enable them to set themselves targets as to how they can improve.

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The school has the following strengths

 The school responds well to families who need help enabling pupils to cope with sometimes difficult situations and continue to progress well at school.  Progress in reading is improving because of the good programmes that are in place to ensure pupils learn their letters and the sounds they make.  Progress in Nursery and Reception is good because children’s learning is well planned and adults provide good support and challenge.  The Trust and the local governing body have a good understanding of the school and are giving support in shaping plans for the future.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons, of which seven were joint observations with the headteacher and senior leaders. In addition, inspectors made a number of other short visits to lessons. They also looked at pupils’ books and observed other aspects of the school’s work.  Meetings were held with the Primary Director of the United Learning Trust, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor and teachers. Pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 took an inspector around the school. The inspectors also had discussions with three separate groups of pupils from Years 1 to 6 and spoke to them about their reading and listened to them read.  Inspectors took account of the 177 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), spoke to parents and carers on the school gate on both days of the inspection, considered three letters from parents and one from a Year 4 pupil, and made two telephone calls to parents. Inspectors

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Information about this inspection

reviewed 56 questionnaire responses from staff.  A number of documents were looked at, including the school’s own data relating to pupils’ achievement in the school year 2011/12 and since Septermber 2012, the school’s self-evaluation summary and school development plan, planning documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, policy documents and documents relating to safeguarding. The inspectors also looked at the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Martin Marsh, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alwyne Jolly Additional Inspector Kate Robertson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school and most pupils are of White British heritage.  One in five pupils is eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding which in this school supports pupils known to be eligible for free school meals). This is broadly average.  One in six pupils is disabled or has special educational needs and the pupils are supported through school action, which is above average. One in 10 is supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, which is also above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Hanwell Fields converted to become an academy school in March 2012. When its predecessor school, with the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good. The school is a member of United Learning.

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Information about this school

 In the year since it opened, eight members of staff have taken maternity leave, four of them teachers.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to at least good by:  setting pupils to work on activities more quickly and giving them clear time limits by which work must be completed  making sure that work set regularly challenges pupils of all abilities so it is not too hard or too easy  raising expectations of how pupils present their work, particularly in mathematics.  Raise achievement in mathematics, especially at Key Stage 2, by:  developing pupils’ ability to calculate in their heads and do written calculations more quickly  giving pupils problems to allow them to apply their calculation skills more frequently and so deepen their understanding  devising ways to involve pupils in checking on the quality of their work and the progress they are making.  Improve behaviour by:  making sure that incidents of bad behaviour are dealt with in a clearly understood and consistent way  recording all incidents of bad behaviour and bullying and checking regularly for patterns and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

trends  involving more pupils in how decisions that affect them are made  eliminating the low level disruption in some lessons.  Improve leadership and management by:  involving parents more about what is happening is school so that they develop a more favourable perception of the school  developing leaders’ use of information about how well pupils are doing so as to inform decisions as to how the school can plan for the future  developing the roles of key leaders so that they are more accountable for their area of responsibility and contribute more to improvements in teaching and learning.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress in mathematics is not fast enough, particularly in Years 3 and 4. This is because pupils are not taught how to calculate mentally quickly enough and this slows them down when they perform written calculations. There are also not enough opportunities for pupils to deepen their knowledge through applying their skills to problems.  Children enter Nursery with skills below those typical for their age, especially in their ability to speak and listen. There are lots of interesting things planned for them and adults challenge children well which means they make good progress. Pupils in Year 2 are on track to attain national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils in Year 6 are on track to attain above average in English and average in mathematics. This represents good progress to the end of Key Stage 1 and in English at Key Stage 2 but slower progress in mathematics in Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is similar to other pupils. Interventions to help pupils make more rapid progress with reading are very effective because they are very well structured. However, there is not enough done to quicken the progress of disabled and special educational needs pupils in mathematics, except in Year 2 where pupils are making rapid gains through a targeted programme taught by a specialist teacher funded from additional government funding.  Pupils are now benefiting from a systematic approach to teaching letters and the sounds they make (phonics) which is enabling them to make a good start to learning to read in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. The new phonics programme in Years 3 and 4 is benefiting pupils who are less confident readers and they are quickly catching up. Pupils enjoy reading and can read well by the time they leave the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The pupils known to be eligible for free school meals are 16 months ahead of other pupils in mathematics, but in line with other pupils in English, based on 2012 Key Stage 2 statutory tests. The school spends its funding on one-to-one support groups, particularly in Years 5 and 6, and part funding an additional teacher, which is helping to narrow the gap in English and mathematics. This shows the school is successful in promoting equality of opportunity for learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In some lessons teachers spend too long explaining things and so pupils do not get to work soon enough. When pupils are working on their own or in groups, there are times when they work too slowly because they are not set clear enough time limits as to when work is to be completed. As a consequence, work is sometimes unfinished.  Teachers plan for the different levels of ability in their classes, but sometimes it is not challenging enough. Teachers provide effective support to those pupils who are having difficulty. However, teachers do not always ask questions that will deepen pupils’ understanding and this hinders their progress.  Pupils have target sheets, but they are not referred to often enough by teachers, especially in mathematics. As a result, pupils cannot use them to assess the quality of their work or set themselves targets. Marking is thorough and time is given for pupils to respond to the comments

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

and answer questions.  While teachers have high expectations of pupils’ handwriting, the presentation in mathematics books is sometimes poor and pupils’ formation of numbers, setting out of calculations and drawings are not precise enough. This hinders their progress.  Additional adults make a good contribution to learning. They are well deployed by teachers and have an important role in ensuring that all pupils can access the lesson. When they are working with small groups or individuals, they are confident and knowledgeable, and enable pupils to learn well.  Pupils enjoy good relationships with their teachers. When asked to work in groups or in pairs they respond well. For example, a small group of Nursery children working with an additional adult were fascinated by the workings of a hand pump and how it could be used to force water down a gully to move a small boat. As a result, they developed some good understanding of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The pupils told the inspectors that the behaviour seen during the inspection was better than it typically is. Sometimes pupils are noisy and misbehave which interferes with their learning. They also said that some pupils can play roughly in the playground and that sometimes bad behaviour is not dealt with consistently.  The school’s recording of incidents of bad behaviour and bullying is not centralised and so leaders are not able to check on patterns and trends effectively enough. The pupils (who have a good understanding of what bullying is, including cyber bullying) and the parents and carers at the school gate cited several instances where bullying has occurred. The school has some pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour and does an effective job in helping them to improve. The school promotes good relations and tackles discrimination, but a lot of this work happens behind the scenes. So, parents and carers and pupils do not hear about the measures

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

the school takes and expressed concerns as to whether the consequences of bad behaviour are severe enough. Inspection evidence indicates that policies and procedures are working but that not enough is being done by the school to enable parents and pupils to understand them.  About a quarter of parents and carers who responded on Parent View felt their children were unhappy at school. However, the vast majority of the many parents and carers the inspectors spoke to on the school gate disagreed with this, as did the pupils the inspectors interviewed. Pupils are happy in lessons and around the school and are keen to talk about their work and what they do in school. One Year 4 pupil, excited about her school trip to Wales, wrote a letter to the inspectors saying how much she ‘missed her school during the holidays’ and that her teachers are ‘fun and make her smile’.  The school provides good support for families who are going through difficulties. The role of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

home school worker is pivotal to this process and provides good support for pupils and families. Several parents shared with the inspectors the lengths the school goes to to ensure that pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are supported and cared for, and so get the most out of what the school has to offer. One parent could not have been more pleased about the support given to her daughter who was a young carer and others talked glowingly about how the school supported children when there was bereavement in school.  Pupils value the opportunities they have to get involved in the school, for example through the school council. They would welcome more opportunities to be involved through, for instance, being playground buddies or being more involved in how decisions that affect them are made.  Attendance is average and pupils typically arrive for school on time.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 A significant minority of parents and carers who responded on Parent View had strong negative feelings about aspects of the school. Parents and carers on the school gate did not express the same level of concern and were generally very positive. Leadership and management do require improvement, but the level of concern expressed on Parent View does not reflect what the inspectors found. The school has failed to engage some parents about the work that it does and this has resulted in negative perceptions and a lack of understanding and trust.  Leaders at the school are starting to use the information about pupils’ performance to tackle specific areas of underachievement in Key Stage 2. There are leaders who are making decisions that are resulting in rapid gains in learning for pupils, for example in reading and writing. However, it is not clear who is accountable for checking that plans are working and not enough

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The leadership and management requires improvement

leaders are contributing to decisions that would result in improvements in teaching.  Standards have been maintained despite the high number of staff on maternity leave since the school became an academy. Improvements have been made in teaching programmes to ensure that pupils learn phonics systematically. There have also been improvements in how pupils are taught to write. This provides evidence that the school has the capacity to improve.  The school’s curriculum satisfactorily promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and pupils leave the school well prepared for the next stage in their education.  The school is acting well on the good advice given by the Trust, which is fully involved in shaping the future direction of the school.  The governance of the school:  The local governing body and the Trust are providing a good level of challenge to the school and are fully involved in making plans for the future. They understand the main strengths and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

areas for development and have an accurate view of achievement and the quality of teaching. Governors attend induction training and avail themselves of other opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills. The local governing body understands how the pupil premium is used and the impact it is having. The Trust has rigorous systems in place to ensure that pay rewards performance. The local governing body gives good support to the school in meeting safeguarding responsibilities, particularly regarding the safety of pupils and the appointment of staff, and the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet legal requirements.

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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 137910 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 412131

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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 Academy sponsor-led School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 314 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Lister Headteacher Jane Haggitt Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01295 709583 Fax number 01295 269979 Email address schooloffice@hanwellfields.org 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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