Hurst Park Primary School

Hurst Park Primary School Hurst Road, West Molesey, Surrey, KT8 1QW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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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This is a good school

 Pupils make good progress and reach standards which are well above those seen nationally in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Pupils achieve well because teaching is consistently good.  Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good, with some outstanding teaching seen during the inspection. As a result, children make at least good progress.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and the vast majority of parents agree. Pupils enjoy learning, are well motivated and their behaviour is never less than good and sometimes exemplary.  Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have worked tirelessly since the school was placed in a category at the previous inspection, and have improved the school in many different and sustainable ways. This is particularly the case in ensuring that teaching is now never less than good.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching and, in some lessons, questioning does not always give teachers a clear picture of how much progress different groups are making.  Some parents justifiably would like more information about what is happening in school and feel that the school does not always respond quickly enough to their concerns. The inspection agreed that parents needed more help to understand some aspects of the school’s work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They visited 16 lessons.  Meetings were held with governors, staff, pupils, a small group of parents and a telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed other aspects of the school’s work including an assembly and playtimes. They looked at documents including plans for improvement, recent reviews of teaching, reports from the local authority, the school’s data for tracking pupils’ progress, work in pupils’ books, attendance records and the school’s documentation relating to safeguarding.  Account was taken of the 20 questionnaires completed by members of staff, the 66 responses from the on-line Parent View survey together with the views of parents who spoke to an inspector at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Gavin Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Bimla Thakur Additional Inspector Gillian Bosschaert Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This school is of average size. It has provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage in a Nursery and two Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average and the proportion speaking English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs, supported by school action, is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, which is additional funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or children of service families, is well below average.  The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school, other than at the normal times, is broadly

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Information about this school

average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The governing body manages the daily breakfast and after-school clubs.  At the last inspection significant improvement was required in leadership and management, teaching and pupils’ progress in writing in particular.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that more is outstanding by:  helping teachers to understand the differences between good and outstanding teaching  arranging for teachers to observe outstanding teaching in their own school and to visit other schools to see outstanding teaching  using high quality questioning more consistently to check the progress and extend learning of individuals and groups of learners during lessons.  Help parents understand more clearly the work of the school by:  providing more focused newsletters on particular aspects of the school’s work  encouraging parent-governors to meet, both formally and informally, with other parents in order to understand parents’ concerns or resolve misunderstandings.

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Inspection judgements

 Children start Nursery with skills, knowledge and experiences that are just below their age- related expectations. They enter Reception broadly average and make good progress so that they can confidently transfer to Year 1 with skills in communication, language and personal development at the expected level with 20% of them higher than this.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. They use their knowledge of the sounds that letters make (phonics) to attempt to spell or read new words. Last year pupils in Year 1 achieved well above average scores in the national reading check on phonics.  At Key Stage 2, in 2012 pupils exceeded the expected levels of attainment for their age in English and mathematics. The school’s own data, for the current Year 6, is equally positive and this is supported well by the inspection team’s lesson observations and scrutiny of work. Pupils are now achieving well, an improvement since the previous inspection.

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Inspection judgements

 All pupils in Year 6 were observed working at the expected Level 4 in English and mathematics, with about a third working at a level beyond this. The school has high expectations, supported by its own data, of these pupils achieving as well as their predecessors.  All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress. Nevertheless, achievement is not outstanding for all pupils as there are some minor variations from class to class.  Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including the small number who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning. This is because teachers and their assistants provide good support for them.  The achievement of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is good and in some cases outstanding. The pupil premium money is used to support eligible pupils with additional

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Inspection judgements

time with specialist assistants. As a result, these pupils have not only closed the gap on other pupils in English but have overtaken them in mathematics.  Pupils are clear about how well they are doing and targets and checklists help them to begin to assess their own work. Their ability to check how well they are doing for themselves is not completely established with consistency across the school.  Pupils communicate confidently because adults model how to listen and use language effectively. Much time in lessons is spent with pupils talking to their partners, rehearsing what they want to say and clarifying their learning.

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Inspection judgements

 Teaching is good overall because it enables pupils to make good progress and achieve well.  Lessons have a purposeful feel, with little need for constant reminders about behaviour, as pupils are keen to learn, well motivated and always well behaved.  In all lessons, careful planning is a key feature. Aims are clear and shared with pupils with interesting and meaningful activities maintaining pupils’ interests. These are adapted to suit the learning needs of all pupils and additional adults are deployed well to support learning. This is an improvement since the previous inspection.  In a few lessons, however, teachers do not question widely enough to ensure that all groups are making sufficient progress as the lesson proceeds. This applies particularly when pupils respond with their hands up and teachers select one pupil to answer and then move on.  Teachers carefully collect information on the progress pupils are making. They regularly

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Inspection judgements

discuss pupils’ progress with senior leaders so that if a pupil might underachieve, this is noted at an early stage and interventions are put in place to improve the situation.  Marking is generally good and has improved since the last inspection. Pupils are given time at the start of lessons to look at the comments made by their teachers on how they might improve, and in many cases respond to the suggestions made.  There is some outstanding teaching in the school. For example, in an excellent Year 6 lesson, pupils were inspired to use their imagination and writing skills to write using imagery and eloquent descriptive phrases. However, teachers do not always know the subtle differences between good and outstanding teaching and do not get enough opportunities to see excellent teaching taking place.

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Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good.

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Inspection judgements

 Pupils behave well in lessons. They are keen to learn and are usually well motivated. They are happy to share their learning with others. At times their behaviour in lessons is exemplary. This is often linked to the quality of teaching. In an outstanding Year 4 science lesson, the class teacher provided excellent opportunities for investigation, which pupils very readily accepted. Their enthusiasm and excitement were tangible and supported their learning extremely well. On the rare occasions where teachers do not make full use of questioning to draw pupils into discussion, pupils, although still well behaved, are less involved in their learning.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school and at playtimes is equally positive. Pupils are well supervised at break times and play well together at a range of activities. Lunchtime play is particularly enjoyable as the school provides a wide range of play activities for them.

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Inspection judgements

 Pupils say they feel very safe at school and although they know about different forms of bullying, they are quick to say that bullying is very rare. A small group of parents does not agree that this is the case. Inspectors find that the lack of opportunity for parents to meet with governors can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, for example in how well any concerns over bullying are handled.  The provision of a well-ordered and caring breakfast club does much to support the start of the day for a group of around 25 pupils. The after-school club gives pupils further opportunities to play with friends, use the computers or do homework.  Pupils take on a range of responsibilities, for example simply collecting and taking back the registers or taking an active role in the school council.  Pupils’ enjoyment of school is further seen in their above-average attendance figures.

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Inspection judgements

 The leadership and management of the school have improved considerably since the previous inspection and both are now good. The leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher is excellent and has been the driving force behind the rapid improvement. For example, teaching has improved markedly and pupils’ progress accelerated considerably.  Staff show a shared sense of commitment to continued improvement. Much has been done to improve and consolidate the quality of teaching, through checking on their performance and providing professional development.  Priorities for development rise from the school’s accurate examination of its activities. This is then documented in great detail in an excellently constructed school development plan. This enables the school to be very clear about its priorities and to keep up the pace of improvement with deadlines, milestones to check progress and very clear success criteria.

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Inspection judgements

 A new system for tracking the progress of pupils is in place and is used by all staff. It also gives senior leaders a very clear overview of the school’s progress towards its challenging targets.  The range of subjects offered to pupils is broad and has become increasingly more interesting as opportunities have been taken to link subjects together and ensure that pupils are able to use their English and numeracy skills through well-planned topics such as ‘Cities’ and work on the Romans, for example. Work in music, art and information and communication technology is of a high standard.  The school is aware that while the leadership of both English and mathematics is good, other subject leaders have not had sufficient opportunities to make similar progress in their roles. This is one reason why leadership and management overall are not yet outstanding.  Leaders make sure that everyone has an equal chance to do well. They have carefully used

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Inspection judgements

additional funding from the government to support the needs of those pupils eligible for support. Results of this work have been very positive.  Safeguarding procedures are secure. Checks on staff are made carefully and child-protection systems are good and training is up to date.  Teachers, who are good role models in the respect and care they show pupils, promote equality of opportunity well and any form of discrimination is not tolerated.  There is good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils reflect on moral issues, such as the environment, and learn about different cultures in lessons and in assemblies where their spiritual development is also provided for. More widely, the ethos of the school is clearly defined by its vision of community, creativity and challenge. As important are its core values of respect, a love of learning and excellence which are clearly

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Inspection judgements

evident in its work.  The local authority has played a strong part in supporting the school through a difficult time. It has provided a plan of action and has visited the school regularly to review progress. The strong leadership of the school, including the governing body, suggests that further improvements will be made.  The governance of the school:  The governing body made several important changes to its structure from the previous inspection. As a result it is now much more able to judge the quality of the school’s progress and play a more strategic part in developing the school’s future. It knows what is happening in the school and understands a range of data and evidence it receives. However, it is still in the position of receiving evidence rather than going out and seeking it and has yet to establish links with some parents which in some cases means parents do not know enough about how the school is being run. Nonetheless, it is able to challenge the leadership of the

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Inspection judgements

school and hold it to account for its actions, while agreeing to, and supporting, the school in achieving challenging targets for its pupils. It knows the ways that the school checks on the quality of teaching and approves how targets are set for staff. It understands that these are linked with the progress pupils’ make and which may be used to justify increases in salary. It oversees good systems for safeguarding pupils.

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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 125038 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 399718

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Johnson Headteacher Kim Divey Date of previous school inspection 23–24 January 2012 Telephone number 020 8979 1709 Fax number 020 8941 9756 Email address head@hurst-park.surrey.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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