Norton-sub-Hamdon Church of England Primary School

Norton-sub-Hamdon Church of England Primary School New Road, Norton-sub-Hamdon, TA14 6SF

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well from their different starting points.  Improvements in teaching and the use of assessment have led to above-average standards in writing, in line with those of reading and mathematics.  Teachers have high expectations of the progress pupils are capable of making and make sure lessons are interesting so that pupils learn well.  Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning.  There is a stimulating range of activities that enhance pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills across different subjects.  All pupils enjoy school and take part in lessons with enthusiasm.  Pupils are very respectful to each other and to their teachers. They have positive attitudes to their learning.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and that bullying is rare and that any incidents are dealt with effectively.  A strong leadership team, including efficient

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

governance, is effectively committed to improvement.  Leaders’ efforts to improve attainment and progress, especially in writing, have worked well. Leaders have a clear idea of what pupils need to do to improve their skills further.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start to their education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Teachers’ marking does not consistently provide enough information about how well pupils achieve, how to improve their work or what the next steps in learning are.  Sometimes teachers spend too much time talking rather than engaging pupils in their own learning or independent work.  Sometimes teachers’ questioning is not searching enough and pupils do not have the opportunities to discuss their understanding and knowledge of what they are learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven teachers teach 12 lessons, of which four were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, several short visits were made to lessons including a number of small groups of pupils being taught by teaching assistants. An assembly was also visited.  Pupils were heard to read from both Year 2 and Year 6. Lunch and break times were used to talk to pupils around the school and a meeting was also held with school council representatives.  The inspector spoke to the Chair of the Governing Body, members of the school management team and a representative of the local authority. These meetings included discussions about the analysis of data, documented information and records provided by the school, including records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching and the tracking of pupils’ progress, as well as documents relating to safeguarding children.  The start of the school day was used to meet with some parents and carers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector took account of the responses of 32 parents and carers to the online Parent View questionnaire, evidence collected by the school and the 11 questionnaires completed by school staff.

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Inspection team

Sarah Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Norton-sub-Hamdon is a smaller than average-sized primary school. It is federated with West Chinnock Primary School and the headteacher and governors lead both schools.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for specific groups including those known to be eligible for free school meals, is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school offers a number of after-school activities which include country dancing , photography and sporting fixtures.  The school has a number of recent awards, including Healthy Schools Award, and is very proud

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Information about this school

of its sporting achievements within the county.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of the teaching so that more of it is outstanding, by making sure that teachers:  consistently show pupils how well they are doing and how to improve when marking their work, and set out the next steps in their learning  pace lessons so that pupils have enough time to work by themselves  use questioning more effectively to assess what pupils understand and to extend their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress from broadly typical starting points. Progress is now rapidly improving in writing as this has been a focus of the school’s work. Progress is good because teaching is good and pupils enjoy learning and meeting new, challenging work.  Gaps in writing, which were evident in the 2012 national tests, have been closed, with the school adopting a rigorous approach to writing across the school and with some pupils now making more than expected progress.  Learning in lessons is usually good. Pupils work together well. They treat each other’s views with respect, help each other and discuss ideas with their ‘talk partner’. Occasionally progress slows when they are not actively involved in their own learning, or when they are not clear about how well they are doing and how to improve their work.  Pupils have opportunities to develop good literacy skills because writing, reading and speaking

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The achievement of pupils is good

activities are included in most subjects.  Pupils’ writing is good, and work displayed in classrooms and corridors is of good quality. Pupils use a wide vocabulary, accurate grammar, and words that connect separate ideas together to make complex sentences.  Pupils read well. They use phonics (linking sounds to letters) effectively and like the fact that this helps them read awkward words. They use their reading skills well to support their research. This was evident in a Year 5/6 project on the 1960s when pupils gathered evidence to make comparisons between life in the 1960s and today.  Pupils have good skills in mathematics. They calculate accurately and decide what mathematical procedures they need to use to solve a problem and show their working for mathematical problems accurately in their books.  The more-able pupils make good progress because teachers and teaching assistants usually make sure work is sufficiently demanding and tailored to their particular needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Less-able pupils and those who have special educational needs make good and improving progress. Sensitive, well-organised support from teachers usually enables these pupils to gain confidence in their own ability and promotes their learning well.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium make good progress because of effective support from teachers. In the 2012 national tests pupils known to be eligible for free school meals performed as well as the others in the school and there were no gaps in their attainment in English or mathematics.  Children in the Reception class make good progress, particularly in developing good literacy skills. They are quick to settle into the welcoming safe environment and make good progress over time. Consequently they meet the expected levels of development by the time they start Year 1. There is daily communication with home. Parents and carers say they appreciate the

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The achievement of pupils is good

opportunity to sit and work with their children at the start of each day.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In all teaching, assessment information is used well to make sure that the work is carefully matched to pupils’ differing abilities. Teachers provide a wide range of interesting and demanding activities that motivate pupils to become involved in their learning and to achieve well.  Teamwork throughout the school is excellent. Teachers keep support staff very well informed and there is a high level of professionalism among the staff. Teachers are keen to learn from one another and the headteacher and senior leadership team are highly effective role models who have helped teachers improve their teaching to become good or better.  Teachers have good subject knowledge, which they use effectively to provide a wide range of activities that promote pupils’ skills well in literacy and numeracy. For example, in Year 1/2 in an art lesson on Monet there was evidence of creativity and effective use of language to

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The quality of teaching is good

support pupils’ understanding.  While questioning is often searching, and makes sure that most pupils have opportunities to express their own ideas and to develop their understanding, this is not always the case. Occasionally questioning is not used well enough to involve all pupils in discussing what they are learning, and to make sure they have a good understanding of the task.  Pupils enjoy topic work, which links subjects together. A pupil speaking about an Egyptian project said, ‘Topics help you learn together.’  At times, pupils are directed too strongly, so do not learn to work by themselves. In these instances they seek further support either from the teacher or each other before trying to do the work independently.  Teachers regularly check the progress made by pupils with special educational needs and adjust their work so that they make good progress. Teaching assistants make a valuable

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The quality of teaching is good

contribution to learning by supporting pupils in lessons and in small groups that are withdrawn from classes for particular help. They question, prompt and provide specific resources when required, and enable these pupils to work well by themselves and with other pupils.  The school has recently changed how teachers mark work, and new approaches are not fully secure. There are times when teachers do not make clear how pupils are making progress or how they should improve their work.  Relationships are warm, friendly and supportive. Teachers encourage pupils to work with each other and to discuss their ideas. This helps pupils learn to tolerate and accept each other’s opinions and promotes their moral, social and cultural development effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are enthusiastic about learning and work hard. Their behaviour is usually good and sometimes outstanding. This was endorsed by the parents and carers spoken to during the inspection and from Parent View. Staff also agreed that behaviour was good and that pupils were consistently polite.  Pupils have good social skills and support each other to enhance each other’s learning.  Pupils spoken to said they enjoy school, that teachers helped them learn well and lessons were interesting.  Teachers set a good example of how to respect each other and this contributes to good relationships between pupils, respect for others and celebrating each other’s achievement and success.  Pupils say they feel exceptionally safe and this is supported by their parents’ and carers’ views. Their knowledge of internet safety is excellent. Pupils have a good understanding of the different kinds of bullying and say any bullying is unusual. They feel confident that if anything did worry

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

them, teachers would sort it out quickly.  Pupils interviewed agreed that they enjoy school. The school council provides pupils with an opportunity to take an active role in decision-making at their school.  Attendance is above average, however some absence relates to holidays taken during term time. The school keeps up its efforts to make sure that attendance is good, and follows all unexplained absences quickly and works with pupils and families to make sure attendance remains above average for all.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides clear direction for the school’s improvement. All staff share her ambition and determination for success. School documentation accurately identifies what it needs to do to improve further and in particular how pupils’ progress should improve. The school’s self-evaluation is thorough and all areas identified are monitored regularly by the governors to make sure that staff achieve targets for improving their performance.  The headteacher is well supported by all staff and members of the governing body. Their ability and willingness to collaborate in bringing about improvement is clearly shown by the good progress in pupils’ achievement, especially in writing.  Detailed analysis of pupils’ performance is used to set challenging targets for improvement. Staff check each pupil’s progress carefully and this information is used to make sure no pupil falls behind in their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning, with teachers’ targets linked to raising pupils’ attainment and improving their progress, has led to good improvement in teaching since the last inspection. All staff know what they need to work on in order to achieve more outstanding evaluations of their work.  The school has developed good systems for checking pupils’ progress. This helps staff to see clearly which pupils need extra help to overcome any difficulties. As a result, intervention groups are set up to meet pupils’ needs. Staff work effectively to see there is no discrimination and that all pupils have equality of education.  The school works effectively with the local authority including receiving support to raise pupils’ attainment in literacy. The school works well with neighbouring schools when planning days for pupils to work together such as science and mathematics days.  The curriculum is well managed and provides a wide range of activities in response to pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

needs and interests. The development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy, and the creative approach to topic work, is promoted well across the curriculum. Good behaviour, tolerance and understanding of other people’s values and beliefs are secure in learning, and promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Norton-sub-Hamdon’s federation with West Chinnock has provided the headteacher with the opportunity to manage both schools effectively including joint planning and working cohesively to benefit all.  Parents and carers are pleased with the school. They say that it is well led and managed. They appreciate the ‘open-door policy’ and the opportunity to talk to class teachers on a daily basis.  The governance of the school:  The governing body gives a high level of challenge to the senior staff and is not afraid to ask searching questions about the effectiveness of the school, the community it serves and the

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The leadership and management are good

needs of the pupils, in relation to similar schools. It knows about the quality of teaching and how pupils achieve. The governing body is very clear on the targets for the school and how these can be met. Governors have a good understanding of the school including how teachers’ performance is managed, the implementation of the national Teachers’ Standards and how they affect salary progression. They know what is done to reward good teaching and to tackle any underperformance. The governors carefully monitor the school’s finances, including the use of the pupil premium and check the impact it has on pupils’ progress thoroughly. Governors make sure they are kept up to date with training to improve their effectiveness, especially when holding leaders to account.

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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 123818 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 413141

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 120 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joanne Gill Headteacher Kathy Foot Date of previous school inspection 16–17 June 2010 Telephone number 01935 881815 Fax number 01935 881920 Email address sch.256@educ.somerset.gov.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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