Hatherop Church of England Primary School

Hatherop Church of England Primary School Hatherop, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 3NA

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well from their starting points. Their achievement in mathematics is improving rapidly.  Pupils’ attainment in reading has been significantly above average for some years.  Pupils’ good achievement is due to good teaching. There are a number of strengths in everyone’s practice, including the use of probing questions to extend pupils’ learning. Pupils say that ‘teachers try very hard to make learning fun and interactive’.  Teaching assistants play a key role in aiding pupils’ learning, particularly, although not exclusively, for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and children of Reception age.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are courteous and considerate and treat their peers and all adults with due respect.  Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are excellent. Pupils are keen and enthusiastic in class, and even young children were observed

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

concentrating for lengthy periods.  The quality of leadership and management is good. There is a very clear sense of purpose to school improvement, shared by all staff and governors. Monitoring of teaching and learning is effective in developing teachers’ practice and its impact on pupils’ achievement.  The governing body is extremely effective in supporting and challenging leaders and managers and is proactive in evaluating the school’s performance.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ achievement in writing is not as rapid as it is in reading and mathematics.  There is not yet sufficient outstanding teaching to maximise all pupils’ achievements, especially in writing.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited 12 lessons and three of these were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector held meetings with leaders and managers, staff, pupils and the Chair and Vice- Chair of the Governing Body. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met informally with parents and carers at the beginning and end of the school day and analysed the results of the 39 responses to Parent View, the Ofsted online survey.  The inspector observed the school’s work, and looked at its self-evaluation, development planning, and policies and procedures, including those relevant to keeping pupils safe.  The inspector evaluated the school’s information on the progress that pupils are making.

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Inspection team

John Eadie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hatherop Church of England Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are grouped into three classes, one for Reception and Year 1, one for Years 2, 3 and some pupils from Year 4, and one for the remaining pupils from Year 4 and those in Years 5 and 6. Pupils in Year 4 are taught separately in the mornings.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families) is much lower than average. There is currently one child of a service family but no children in the school are in the care of the local authority.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. There are a few pupils from other minority ethnic groups, but none speaks English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at

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Information about this school

school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or who have statements 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.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and accelerate pupils’ achievement in writing by:  developing their vocabulary so that pupils write in a lively and engaging style  putting in place strategies to improve spelling skills and the correct use of grammar  always moving learning on when ready and giving pupils time to respond to comments in marking in order to improve their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s attainment on entry to the school is variable, as is common with small schools, but is generally either below or in line with expectations for their age. Children make good progress in their Reception year and join Year 1 with skills above those expected, although there are still relative weaknesses in aspects of their literacy, mainly writing.  Good progress continues in Key Stage 1 and standards in reading are above average by the end of Year 2. This is due to the rapid development of pupils’ phonic knowledge (linking letters with the sounds they make) which improves over time. In the national phonics screening check in 2013 all pupils in Year 1 reached at least the expected standard. In 2012 three children missed the standard, but all of these attained it when they retook the check in 2013.  Pupils’ good progress is maintained throughout Key Stage 2 and by the time they leave at the

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The achievement of pupils is good

end of Year 6 their attainment is above average, strongly so in reading and mathematics. Pupils are enthusiastic readers and read widely. Standards in mathematics have risen sharply in the last year or two as a result of the school’s well judged actions and approaches to making improvement.  Pupils’ progress in writing, whilst still good, is not as rapid as in reading and mathematics, and this is a current area for development in the school. Pupils are not using a sufficiently wide range of vocabulary in their writing so it is not as lively and engaging as it could be. Similarly, although their skills of spelling and grammar are in line with the level expected for their age, further development of these skills would allow pupils to reach higher standards.  The school challenges the most able pupils well and this is reflected in the attainment of the highest Level 6 in the national assessments in Year 6 by some pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, particularly those supported at school action plus or who have statements of special educational needs, make at least as good progress as their classmates due to the careful planning for their progress and the well-targeted support they receive.  The pupil premium funding is used well to support individual pupils. There were not enough of these pupils in 2013 to compare their attainment in the assessments in Year 6 with their classmates. However, these pupils in all years are achieving at least as well as their peers.  The very few pupils from minority ethnic groups make the same good progress as their classmates.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and enables pupils to learn successfully and make good progress in English and mathematics. There is a remarkable consistency in the quality of teaching and uniform strengths. For instance, teachers are very good at using questioning to extend pupils’ learning. This is a key factor in pupils’ good achievement from Reception age onwards.  Pupils learn with enthusiasm and zeal. For example, in a lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils were planning biographies of a family member who had been involved in the Second World War and the teacher constantly probed their thinking skills through skilful questioning, which also deepened their knowledge and understanding.  Skilled teaching assistants play a very valuable role in aiding pupils’ learning. This is particularly effective when they are given responsibility for a specific group, so that the teacher is able to focus their attention elsewhere. For example, this approach enables Reception age children to

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The quality of teaching is good

build confidence and independence, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs to work effectively on personal targets, and everyone to enjoy learning at their own levels.  Teachers plan well for the range of ages and abilities in their classes. For instance, in a mathematics lesson for a small class of just 14 pupils from Year 4, work was provided at three different levels of challenge for the pupils and this helped them work at a brisk pace and achieve well.  In the best lessons, time is used purposefully from start to finish and pupils rise to the challenge by sustaining concentration and working diligently throughout. Occasionally, pupils are not moved on to the next task quickly enough and sometimes opportunities are missed to promote key vocabulary and this hampers rapid learning.  The system of setting targets for pupils’ next steps in learning is very effective. Pupils know these targets and are expected to check on their own success in addressing them. This

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The quality of teaching is good

involvement of pupils in their own learning helps them aim high and accelerates their progress. Teachers’ marking is very thorough and gives pupils clear pointers for improvement. Although time is often given for pupils to respond to this guidance, this is not always the case, particularly in writing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are exceptionally well behaved in and around the school. Parents and carers, governors and staff all agree that this is the norm. Pupils are well mannered and considerate and they relate very well to each other and to adults. For instance, at playtime, older pupils were seen playing with younger ones and boys with girls. Pupils identify that one of the best things about their school is ‘friendship’ and say that they ‘are all nice to each other’.  Pupils say they feel very safe and all parents and carers who responded to the online survey agree that their children are looked after very well. Pupils say that bullying is very rare, minor when it happens, and dealt with well. They told the inspector, ‘We don’t get bullying,’ and that it is ‘just friends falling out’. They have good knowledge of different types of bullying, being able to talk knowledgeably about racial prejudice, for instance. Discrimination of any kind is not

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

tolerated.  Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are exceptionally strong. Pupils are fully involved in taking responsibility for their own learning and this engages them and ensures that they concentrate well and persevere when tasks stretch them.  Most pupils are very punctual and attend well. The overall level of attendance, which is average, is adversely affected by the absences of a small, but significant, group of pupils who have lengthy absences because of medical conditions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads a strong team. High expectations and the drive for improvement are shared by all staff and governors and the teamwork ethic is very clear. As a member of staff said, ‘The sense of working as a team makes this a great school to teach in, as does the ‘can do’ attitude of all staff.’  Staff take on management roles effectively. For instance, the numeracy leader has planned and led the improvements reflected in the rising standards in mathematics and the literacy leader is currently driving forward developments in writing successfully.  The management of teachers’ performance is undertaken very effectively and both support and extend staff’s skills, and consequently pupils’ achievement. There is a strong and active group of local schools that combine staff development resources and share best practice, which are positive features in the good and improving quality of teaching.  There are strong partnerships with parents, who are extremely supportive. Parents and carers

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The leadership and management are good

expressed extremely positive views of the school when responding to the online survey and expressed no significant concerns. Those spoken to at the start of the school day were uniformly exceptionally positive about the school.  A determination to provide equality of opportunity is central to the school’s ethos and this is demonstrated in the way that pupils are prepared for their futures. For instance, the school is already planning to ease the route to secondary education for some who might find this difficult.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptionally strong. Pupils are provided with excellent opportunities to reflect on moral and social issues and their spiritual and cultural development is widened significantly through visits and visitors.  Funds are managed very carefully. Effective management is also demonstrated in the way that the funds provided for pupils eligible for the pupil premium are used. It is focused on the needs

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The leadership and management are good

of these pupils and is effective in improving their progress and access to the curriculum.  The curriculum provides well for the needs of the pupils. Pupils said that they particularly enjoy the topics and the way that teachers make lessons fun.  The new funding for physical education has been planned for extremely well and a significant amount has already been spent. Coaches have been brought in to work alongside teachers to enhance their skills so that the benefits are sustainable. These initiatives have benefited pupils’ health and well-being and pupils say that they particularly enjoy the wider range of sporting activities now available.  Safeguarding procedures are thorough and pupils are kept safe.  The local authority regards the school as being a light touch school, and therefore not in need of significant support. However, it says that the school is very proactive in seeking focused training

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The leadership and management are good

and support when necessary.  The governance of the school:  The governing body performs its role extremely effectively. Governors are acutely aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and have offered very strong support to management in the drive to improve. Their knowledge is based on first-hand experience as they are regular visitors to the school and each of these visits has a clear focus. Governors know how good teaching is and how the management of teachers’ performance has been used effectively to improve the quality of teaching. They have a very good understanding of data showing pupils’ progress and how pupils are doing compared to those nationally, including those eligible for the pupil premium. Governors’ strategic planning is demonstrated very well in the way that funds have been managed to restructure classes and enable the headteacher to focus on coaching and further improve the quality of teaching rather than

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The leadership and management are good

teach himself. Governors have carried out an audit of their skills and are proactive in seeking training and enhancing the skills of the governing body by co-opting expertise.

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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 115628 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 426813

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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 88 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Revd Craig Bishop Headteacher Samuel Bartholomew Date of previous school inspection 9 October 2008 Telephone number 01258 750318 Fax number 01258 750318 Email address admin@hatherop.gloucs.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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