Hilltop Primary School

Hilltop Primary School Hilltop Road, Frindsbury, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4QN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Achievement is not good enough over time, particularly in mathematics in Key Stage 2. Until recently, targets were not ambitious enough.  Teaching is not consistently good in all year groups because the pace of lessons and the work given to more-able pupils are not consistently challenging in all classes.  Teachers do not always use opportunities in different subjects to assess and give precise guidance for pupils to develop good writing skills.  Not all staff are skilled at asking questions that help pupils to make extended answers or in reshaping tasks to help all pupils understand new work.  Work is regularly marked but not in sufficient detail, so that pupils do not have clear ideas about the steps necessary to reach the next level.  The middle leadership team is not yet trained to fully support the headteacher in checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.

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The school has the following strengths:

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage children make good progress across all areas of learning as a result of good teaching.  Progress in Key Stage 1, particularly in reading and writing, is also good because the teaching of phonics (the linking of letters and sounds) is well focused.  Governors are very committed to school improvement and now set targets for more rapid pupil progress and there are some very recent improvements to rates of progress.  Behaviour is good. Pupils enjoy school and their families are confident that they are happy and feel safe.  Provision in the school for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong, with high levels of enjoyment of clubs and special events. Inspection report : Hilltop Primary School, 14–15 November 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Three inspectors observed 20 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 15 teachers. Additional observations were made at breakfast club, break time, lunchtime and an assembly.  One lesson was observed jointly with the headteacher. An inspector also made visits, including one with the deputy headteacher, to a series of parts of lessons to observe the challenges set for more-able pupils. A further series of visits to short parts of lessons was made with the SENCo to consider the support in class for pupils with special educational needs.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body, school leaders and subject leaders. A telephone discussion was held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 63 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as views communicated during discussions with parents and carers and two letters received

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Information about this inspection

during the inspection. The views of the staff were gathered through meetings and 29 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and examined the work in pupils’ books.  The school’s own attainment records for the current as well as previous academic years were checked in addition to published information on pupils’ achievement. Planning and monitoring documents, records relating to pupils’ safety and welfare, including the school’s single central record of checks on staff and attendance records, were also examined.

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Inspection team

Patricia MacLachlan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Bill James Additional Inspector Jill Thewlis Additional Inspector Inspection report : Hilltop Primary School, 14–15 November 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 Hilltop Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school. The Early Years Foundation Stage is provided in two Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium (extra money provided by the government for pupils including those eligible for free school meals) is well below the national average.  A very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage with a small number from Indian, African and Other White heritage groups. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is very much lower than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also in line with the national average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum standards for pupils’

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Information about this school

attainment and progress expected by the government.  The school has received the additional government sports funding.  The school, since the last inspection, has experienced some changes of senior staff. The headteacher was newly appointed in September 2012. A new coordinator for special educational needs took up her post this September.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 To improve teaching so that all is at least good, by:  making sure that marking is consistent across all years and subjects so that pupils receive clear feedback on the next steps required to make progress to higher levels and have enough time to respond to teachers’ marking and record improvements to their answers in their books  setting tasks that are more precisely matched to the needs of more-able pupils, particularly in mathematics, so that they have longer-term challenges that require independent investigations, deeper thinking and more detailed explanations  taking more opportunities in subjects other than English to give pupils advice on how to write answers that meet their personal literacy targets.  Improve the leadership and management of teaching by:  enlisting the most skilled teachers to model for all adults the ways in which frequent and probing questions can help to assess understanding and then reshape tasks if necessary for

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

pupils who need more time to understand new ideas  continuing to monitor teachers’ planning to make sure that tasks for the pupils who are capable of making faster progress incorporate open-ended challenges that will help them to attain higher levels  offering additional training for middle and subject leaders so that they are better equipped to check that teachers’ planning includes challenging targets for pupils and that teaching is resulting in more rapid progress, particularly in mathematics. Inspection report : Hilltop Primary School, 14–15 November 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement is not good because it is inconsistent across different year groups. Progress in mathematics by the end of Year 6, especially for more-able pupils, has been below expectation in recent years. Attainment and progress in reading by the end of Year 6, on the other hand, are good, but this is not yet matched by consistent performance in writing. However, spelling and grammar scores in Year 6 were significantly above the national average in 2013.  In Key Stage 1 pupils are now making more rapid progress and in 2013 attained significantly better than the levels of attainment expected nationally in reading and writing by the end of Year 2. On the other hand, slightly fewer Year 1 pupils reached the required standard in the phonics check than the national expectation.  Systems have been strengthened for moderating teacher assessments. Progress information on all pupils is now checked regularly by the headteacher, who expects additional support to be

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

provided for any pupils who are falling behind.  In the lower Key Stage 2 year groups, recent reports show that progress is generally improving in reading, writing and mathematics.  Achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good because most children join the school with skills that are slightly below age-related expectations. With carefully planned teaching, they leave the Reception classes with levels of communication, language and literacy that are in line with, or above, the national expectations.  The extra money provided through the pupil premium initiative is used for a range of booster sessions for pupils in the target group. As a result, pupils in receipt of the premium, particularly those in Years 3 and 4, have narrowed the gap between their English and mathematics scores and those of their classmates. Pupils in receipt of the premium in Years 5 and 6 are currently at least nine months behind their peers in their scores for mathematics and writing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs currently on roll and those from minority ethnic backgrounds make broadly the same progress as their classmates because the system of checking their progress has been strengthened.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it has not promoted consistently good progress, especially in mathematics and among more-able pupils, as a result of historic weakness in planning and assessment.  The school’s own evaluation of the quality of teaching shows that some in the past has had a negative impact on pupils’ performance; for example not enough has been done to promote English skills in the teaching of other subjects. Teaching has now improved, particularly in the younger year groups. This is improving pupils’ achievement, but pupils are not yet making good progress over time in all years and subjects.  When the pace is brisk, pupils are fully engaged. For example in a Year 5 lesson pupils were focused because they had a limited time to discuss tasks that asked them to apply knowledge of extreme weather gained in geography lessons to a United Kingdom scenario. Because the teacher questioned them frequently, pupils were able to evaluate the usefulness of their advice

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

and devise well-written emergency news flashes for keeping safe in floods or storms. However, not all teachers maintain such a rigorous pace nor question so skilfully and they do not consistently give pupils sufficient opportunity to work independently. Consequently pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Pupils who find the work difficult receive carefully focused support in class to make progress. However, the pupils who are capable of making more rapid progress are often set tasks that are not hard enough nor linked precisely enough to the criteria for higher attainment levels. Headers ‘14–15’  Marking is done frequently, and some teachers give useful written advice. However, many pupils need more time and guidance to revise their work properly. Other pupils correct their work but are nonetheless unclear about how to reach the next level.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Adults skilfully exploit the children’s

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

interests in a letter from Baby Bear with his photograph of a footprint for example, by posing stimulating questions to encourage the children’s creative thinking and good use of vocabulary.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They want to live up to their teachers’ expectations and they value the recognition and rewards that come from behaving well. Pupils of all ages work very cooperatively with each other. Behaviour is good rather than outstanding because pupils’ attitudes to learning are not exemplary across all classes.  Pupils feel well looked after by the adults around them and say that they enjoy taking on responsibilities like book organisation or messenger duties. Well-mannered, courteous behaviour is typical because the pupils want to live up to the school’s values of polite and respectful conduct exemplified in their ‘Pride’ code.  Pupils understand what bullying means, believe that the number of incidents has declined and speak of the ways in which help from adults is forthcoming if there is any unkind behaviour. Pupils themselves are proud of acting as buddies to help and comfort the youngest children.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good awareness of personal safety, including cyber safety and road safety, because it is well covered in lessons and assemblies.  A good range of well-attended sports teams including netball and table tennis, along with use of the school’s own swimming pool, helps to promote a healthy lifestyle.  Attendance has improved and is now above average because effective strategies are persistently used to reduce absences in families that find it difficult to maintain good attendance.  Parents and carers believe that the school provides a safe and caring environment and inspectors agree. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are very pleased with the activities and clubs that have been provided for them.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management are not good because, despite setting more ambitious targets and steering improvements in the quality of teaching, leaders have not yet fully reversed weaknesses in achievement, particularly in the upper years of Key Stage 2.  The energetic headteacher and his newly extended leadership team have begun to raise the standard of teaching. This has had some recent and positive impact on pupils’ progress but as the team’s own monitoring shows, not yet consistently across the school.  Subject leaders are helping colleagues to increase their expertise in assessment at the end of Key Stage 1. However they are not yet steering a consistent marking policy or checking that pupils are clear about the precise steps necessary to improve their work, nor are they checking that more-able pupils are set challenging tasks in all subjects.  The school’s self-evaluation shows that leaders have accurately identified the areas requiring

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The leadership and management require improvement

improvement, indicating the school’s capacity to improve. Staff are unanimously supportive of the drive for improvement.  The headteacher has introduced a robust and detailed system for monitoring performance and uses the Teachers’ Standards for teachers’ review. The system makes sure that only those teachers who meet required standards move up the salary scale. He has not shied away from difficult conversations about teaching performance when these were necessary.  Strong encouragement of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is planned in the Headers ‘14–15’ curriculum. Pupils have time for reflection in assemblies and express moral viewpoints in their contributions to these occasions. Singing is a strength of collective worship and this builds upon the good instrumental training afforded by the school’s music curriculum. Opportunities to perform as Tudors and ancient Greeks or to participate in workshops on India widen cultural

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The leadership and management require improvement

horizons. The wide range of well-attended clubs and eagerly anticipated residential visits builds social confidence.  Management of the Early Years Foundation Stage shows a good understanding of, and support for, progress at this age and arrangements for transition from home or nursery to school are sensitively handled.  Safeguarding systems meet statutory requirements and very detailed policies are systematically reviewed. Leaders promote equal opportunities and are assiduous in tackling any discrimination that may arise.  Coherent plans for the purchase of new equipment and training staff to use it have been made using the additional government sports funding. This is to further improve the healthy lifestyles promoted by the currently oversubscribed sports clubs.  The local authority assists the school with governor training and by reviewing the impact of the school’s progress towards improvement targets during visits to the headteacher.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school  The committed governing body has reorganised itself in order to better understand and monitor the standards of achievement and teaching in the school. Governors have an understanding of how pupils are performing compared with national standards because they use the data dashboard reports and have organised training from the local authority in tracking pupils’ progress in the school compared with national figures. Governors understand the link between teachers’ pay progression and their pupils’ progress because they have revised the appraisal policy and receive summaries of teachers’ performance from the headteacher. Checks are made that the pupil premium funds are spent on the intended groups because the school leadership reports on the impact on attainment made by the funds. Oversight of safeguarding is systematic and the governing body takes a strategic role by checking the school development plans drawn up by the headteacher. Individual governors

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The leadership and management require improvement

also support the school with activities such as regular sessions listening to readers. Inspection report : Hilltop Primary School, 14–15 November 2013 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report : Hilltop Primary School, 14–15 November 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 118473 Local authority Medway Inspection number 426603

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 426 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Tester Headteacher Gavin Evans Date of previous school inspection 8–9 December 2008 Telephone number 01634 710312 Fax number 01634 294924 Email address office@hilltop.medway.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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