Hambleton Primary Academy

Hambleton Primary Academy Church Lane, Hambleton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 9BZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  In all key stages and in all years, pupils’ achievement is consistently outstanding. Pupils make excellent progress in their studies across the school and reach high standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave. They read widely, write creatively, listen intently and speak confidently. In addition, their calculation skills are exceptional and their accurate use of decimals and fractions to solve mathematical problems belies their years.  As a result of excellent support from the special educational needs coordinator and teaching assistants, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make outstanding progress and also reach high standards. Similarly, vulnerable pupils and also those known to be eligible for free school meals are supported exceptionally well by the learning mentor. As a result, they do equally as well as other pupils in the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The quality of teaching is outstanding in every area of the school. Teachers’ lesson planning is based closely on an accurate assessment of how well pupils are doing and classroom activities match pupils’ individual learning needs very closely indeed. Challenge is realistic and enables all pupils to reach the standards of which they capable.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility for their own progress and they thrive on the many opportunities they have, often using computers, to find things out for themselves. They enjoy the many opportunities they have to work as ‘talk partners’ and to help their classmates with their learning.  Pupils are very proud indeed of their school, of their classmates and of the adults who work with them. In their words, ‘We feel safe here because the grown-ups look after us and help us when we have problems.’ Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is impeccable and older pupils look after their younger

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

counterparts. Sport and music are important parts of school life and pupils also benefit from the many educational visits and visitors.  Although not yet fully embedded, the creative curriculum comprises activities which not only interest pupils but also allows them to acquire a wide range of subject-specific skills.  Leadership by example from the most talented headteacher and senior team has an excellent impact on all areas especially on teaching and achievement. It ensures that the school continues to improve and has the welfare, both personal and academic, of each individual pupil at its very heart.  Governors have an outstanding awareness of the school’s performance and hold the leadership to account with the utmost rigour.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 15 lessons or part-lessons. Every teacher was observed at least once and most were observed twice. Inspectors also visited a whole-school assembly.  Inspectors met with two groups of pupils, including members of the school council. They had meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors. They also had discussions with subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the learning mentor, teaching assistants and the senior leadership team.  Inspectors took account of 44 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and of 23 responses to the staff questionnaire. They also spoke informally with parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school at work and looked at pupils’ work, internal and external pupil progress and attainment data, school development planning and procedures to enable the

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Information about this inspection

school to gain an accurate view of its own performance. They also scrutinised the school’s records of support for pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable. In addition, they scrutinised documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Jim Kidd Lead inspector Additional Inspector Catherine Beeks Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are more boys than girls.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is below average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below that usually seen.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional funding given to the school by the government for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after) is low.  Most pupils are White British and there are very few from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is an active partner within the Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance. A privately-run

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Information about this school

Nursery operates on the school site. The Nursery is subject to a separate inspection and receives a separate report, which is available on the Ofsted website.  The school converted to become an academy on 3 February 2011. When its predecessor school, Hambleton Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Embed the creative curriculum, in order that it continues to provide the ideal balance between pupils’ enjoyment of their studies and their acquisition of subject-specific skills.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Although it can vary from year to year, children generally enter the Reception class with skills and knowledge which are broadly typical for their age. All groups of pupils make excellent progress as they move through school and reach high standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave. This represents outstanding achievement from their starting points.  Inspection evidence, including observation of lessons and the scrutiny of pupils’ exercise books and files, shows that this outstanding achievement is continuing. Pupils in the current Year 6 class, for example, are on track to reach and in many cases exceed their challenging targets for progress and attainment. The vast majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire are entirely satisfied with the progress their children are making.  Pupils are very keen to learn and recognise that reading is often the major foundation for their

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

work in other subjects. In Reception, children enjoy the use of ‘sound bingo’ and puppets when they are learning to match letters and sounds. In Year 1, they are enthused by the range of methods, music and dance, for example, which helps them understand full-, half- and quarter- turns. In Year 2, pupils rise to the high expectations of their teacher to use a range of alternative, more powerful vocabulary instead of just ‘said’ or ‘walked’.  This enjoyment of learning continues in Key Stage 2, as pupils in Year 3 are delighted to show visitors how they can set a scene for an adventure story they are writing. In Year 4, they are fascinated by the challenge to form sentences which illustrate personification and the use of similes. Pupils in Year 5 value the opportunities they have to support and challenge each other when they are considering whether Toad in ‘The Wind in the Willows’ was a victim or a villain. In

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

Year 6, pupils’ high reading skills support their learning in other subjects. This is reinforced and extended by the use of real-life situations and pupils set to work with a will when they are asked to use the internet to find the cheapest food possible for a summer barbecue.  Accurate identification of the needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs leads to focused support for them, often on an individual basis. As a result, these pupils make outstanding progress and reach high standards. Similarly, wise use of pupil premium funding, to employ a learning mentor and thus provide strong support for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, means that they, too, reach high standards in English and mathematics and achieve outstandingly well. There are no gaps between the performance of pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable and other pupils in the school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 ‘Our teachers make us think hard but also help us when we are stuck.’ This is a typical comment from pupils and demonstrates that the levels of challenge in the classroom are exactly what pupils need to help them make maximum progress. It also illustrates that classroom practice, from both teachers and support staff, ensures that pupils of all levels of ability are given the same opportunity to shine. Parents are of the same opinion, and all who responded to the online questionnaire are pleased with the teaching their children receive. During the inspection, outstanding teaching was seen in every class.  Teachers and teaching assistants recognise the many different ways in which pupils learn effectively and they provide activities which meet these individual learning needs. This supports the teaching of mathematics most effectively as pupils are encouraged to select a method of calculation that they find easy and this raises their confidence.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Excellent subject knowledge supports learning especially in English. Teachers very skilfully extend learning across subjects. In a Year 4 history lesson, for example, in which teaching was judged outstanding, pupils watched a film, and interpreted evidence based on pictures, discussed their ideas in pairs and also made notes from text read aloud by the teacher.  Teachers ensure that pupils are fully aware of the progress they are making during the lesson. They refer continuously to what the lesson is really about and to what pupils need to be able to do at the end. Pupils respond positively to this and are always concerned to try as hard as they can. In a Year 3 literacy lesson, for example, pupils were desperate to make sure that their work was good enough to be presented to the rest of the class in the final 10 minutes of the session.  Pupils are given many opportunities to find things out for themselves and they use computers

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

and the internet with confidence. They work extensively in pairs and in groups to support and challenge each other and they enjoy sharing their ideas with their classmates. They are also delighted when their peers answer difficult questions correctly.  The quality of marking is a major strength. Pupils’ work is marked regularly and accurately and teachers and teaching assistants give detailed advice on how pupils can improve their work. Targets for improvement are set after work has been marked and pupils also make comments on how hard each assignment was.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils quite naturally tell visitors, ‘We love our school and we are very happy here! Our teachers and teaching assistants respect us and we respect them.’ Indeed pupils have the highest regard for their classmates and for the adults who work with them. Their support, often through the most impressive school council, for a range of charities is a byword in the local community. Pupils are currently raising money for the Air Ambulance appeal.  Pupils feel safe in school because the adults are approachable and deal most effectively with any problems they may have. They also speak highly of how older pupils look after younger ones and how the ‘buddies’ make sure that no one is lonely at breaks or lunchtimes. Their understanding of how to deal with any worries they have is reinforced by the thought-provoking assemblies, with the message ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ and in which staff and pupils share their worries together. All parents who responded to the online questionnaire

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

believe their children are safe in school.  Pupils have an exceptionally strong awareness of the dangers of bullying and of how bullying can be stopped. They know about internet safety, cyber-bullying and also bullying based on prejudice. Their view is that bullying is rare and that, if it occurs, it is dealt with rapidly and effectively by staff.  Pupils’ behaviour around school and their engagement in lessons are excellent. They are most pleasant, very polite and exceptionally well mannered. They welcome visitors warmly to the school, open doors for them and are delighted to show them their work. They are very proud of the vibrant display of their work in classrooms and on corridors.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development outstandingly well. Pupils have a keen sense of right and wrong, are fully aware of cultures and religions which are different to their own and take part in a wide variety of cultural activities, including music and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

drama. They particularly enjoy the music keyboard tuition they all receive.  Attendance is consistently above average and pupils are invariably punctual to school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Staff have the highest regard for the headteacher and for the senior leadership team. They feel both challenged and supported and comment, ‘There is a real community ethos here, which is shared by children, parents and staff. The dedicated leadership wants the very best for every child. This is a wonderful place in which to work.’  Without doubt, the exceptional headteacher, supported to the full by a very well-qualified and talented senior team, has the highest ambitions for the school. Staff are held fully to account but are also supported to the hilt in their efforts to make sure that all pupils do as well as they can.  The continuous development of the curriculum is but one aspect of school life which shows that the leadership does not rest on its laurels. Leaders are fully aware that the creative curriculum needs to be fully embedded to ensure that pupils continue to benefit from an ideal balance

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The leadership and management are outstanding

between enjoyment and the acquisition of skills which are specific to each subject. Pupils speak highly of the wide range of extra-curricular activities, including music, drama and sport.  Staff performance appraisal is rigorous and leads to focused in-service training, often through the Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance, to promote the on-going improvement of teaching and learning.  The promotion of equality of opportunity is outstanding and the school rejects all forms of discrimination. Safeguarding and child protection policies and practice fully meet current requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors are actively involved in school life and visit lessons to check on the quality of teaching and on the progress pupils are making. They have an exceptional understanding of data and keep themselves fully informed about pupils’ progress and attainment. They oversee the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and liaise regularly

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The leadership and management are outstanding

with the special educational needs coordinator. They also meet with the learning mentor, in order to check on the impact of pupil premium funding. As a result, they are fully aware that pupils known to be eligible for free school meals are making the same outstanding progress as other pupils in the school.  Governors know the school exceptionally well including the quality of teaching. They ask searching questions of the leadership about all aspects of performance and make sure that staff only receive financial reward if they meet their classroom targets in relation to pupils’ progress. Governors are very proud to serve the school and are ever concerned to promote the well-being of all those connected with it.

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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 136365 Local authority Not applicable Inspection number 411825

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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 converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roger Cameron Principal Pamela Birch Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01253 700331 Fax number 01253 702492 Email address head@hambleton.lancs.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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