Hazel Community Primary School

Hazel Community Primary School Hazel Street, Leicester, LE2 7JN

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Progress, particularly in mathematics, is not consistently good and so not all pupils achieve as well as they could.  The quality of teaching is not good enough across the school. Teachers do not always adjust their teaching in lessons to match the needs of all pupils.  Pupils are not provided with regular opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills in mathematics.  Teachers often talk for too long at the start of lessons giving pupils fewer opportunities to take control of their learning.  In all year groups in Key Stage 1 and 2, teachers’ expectations regarding pupils’ progress and what they can achieve are often too low and work is pitched at the wrong level of difficulty.  Whilst leaders are successfully tackling the weaknesses in reading and writing, they have yet to make an impact on improving standards in mathematics and to secure consistently good or better teaching.  Governors have not challenged leaders

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

robustly enough on their plans for improvement.

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The school has the following strengths

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and so pupils from a low starting point make good progress.  The gap between pupils supported through the pupil premium and others has narrowed significantly in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils feel safe in school and, although attitudes to learning are not always good, other aspects of behaviour are good.  The headteacher, with support from staff, has made sure that teaching and achievement have improved since the previous inspection. She knows just what is needed to make this a good school.  The school is a cohesive community liked by parents and contributes well to pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 21 lessons, four of which were joint observations carried out with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. All classes were seen at least once.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils in Year 6, governors, a representative of the local authority and staff. Informal discussions took place with parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents including: the school’s own evaluation documents; plans for future developments; minutes of meetings of the governing body; attendance information; behaviour records; the school’s analysis of data on pupils’ progress; recent local authority evaluation of aspects of the school’s work.  Inspectors looked at the school’s website.  They analysed the 12 responses to Parent View (the online questionnaire) and a parent questionnaire that the school had undertaken this year.  32 responses were returned by members of staff and taken into account by inspectors.

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Inspection team

Michael Wintle, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gillian Bratley Additional Inspector Graham Marshall Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is well above the national average. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds and heritages.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is above average. In this school the pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or through a statement of educational need is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the expected minimum standards set for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school’s senior leadership team are well established and have been in post for a number of

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Information about this school

years.  Since the previous inspection there have been significant numbers of pupils arriving at the school speaking little or no English. The proportion now who speak English as an additional language is also well above average.  A relatively high number of pupils join or leave the school part way through their primary education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in Years 1 to 6 so that it is consistently good or better in order to boost pupils’ achievement by raising teachers’ expectations through:  teachers talking less so giving pupils the opportunities for taking charge of their own learning and building on pupils’ previous work and what they already know and can do  ensuring work is always challenging for all pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in mathematics by:  pupils having sufficient opportunities to apply their mathematical skills independently and at length across other subjects  providing more opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical knowledge to solve everyday problems in a range of situations  ensuring that teachers’ feedback in mathematics books is as effective as that in pupils’ literacy books and provides accurate next steps showing pupils how to make quicker progress  ensuring that more support activities are taking place in mathematics so that vulnerable pupils can make the progress that they already make in literacy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management in order to increase the pace of school improvement by:  ensuring the monitoring of learning is rigorous and the work of pupils and the progress that they make in lessons and in their books always accurately reflects the progress that they have made  ensuring that the governing body focuses more sharply on pupils’ achievement, especially in mathematics, in order to more effectively hold the school to account.  An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards in mathematics have been below average in recent years because pupils’ progress has not been as good as it should be. This means that they are not sufficiently prepared for their next stage of their education. Leaders of the school have worked hard on raising standards and this has been successful for reading and writing. However, their impact on improving mathematics has been limited.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment in mathematics is below average at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The high number of pupils joining or leaving the school part way through their learning can account for the fluctuations in overall achievement in mathematics in different classes and year groups. However, it is the inconsistency of teaching between Years 1 and 6 that causes pupils’ uneven learning and progress over time in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children start school with skills that are well below those typically expected for their age. They settle quickly in the Nursery and Reception and make a good start to their learning. Progress is good, especially in their personal and social development and in speaking and in communication and language.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Throughout the school pupils say that they enjoy reading and talk eagerly about their books. Progress is usually faster in reading and writing. By the time pupils leave school at the end of Year 6 attainment levels are broadly average for reading and above average for writing. Numbers of pupils attaining the higher levels in writing are growing and are now above average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The gaps in attainment, at the end of Key Stage 1, of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium compared to their peers is reducing and school data show that many pupils known to be eligible for this extra funding are among the school’s higher achievers and they outperform other pupils. An example of this is in reading where they outperformed their classmates by the equivalent of one year’s progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 At the end of Year 6, in 2013, pupils eligible for the pupil premium were three terms behind their classmates in English and mathematics. Current school data show that current pupils are on track to match the attainment of their classmates in reading, writing and in mathematics and in all year groups.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make progress at the same rate as their classmates in reading and writing. The support programmes to help individuals or small groups, for example with their reading, are often taught well to ensure pupils keep up with their peers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Strategies to help pupils maintain their progress are less successful in mathematics because identification of pupils’ needs is slower and strategies less numerous. As a result, the progress that pupils with special educational needs make in mathematics slows as they work their way through the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the most recent national check on children’s ability to link letters and sounds they make (phonics) which is carried out at the end of Year 1, pupils performed close to that typically seen nationally, although the performance of girls was stronger than boys. Progress in 2013 was also better than the previous year. Assessment data confirm that pupils who have been at the school for a long period of time make good progress in learning to read.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has not been good enough over time to prevent standards and progress in mathematics declining. Teaching is too variable. In too many cases teachers set tasks that are either the same or similar for all pupils. This means that work is easy for some and too hard for others. Some teachers do not expect enough of the most able in mathematics. This explains why not enough pupils reach beyond the expected standards in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In some lessons, there is a good balance between time spent as a whole class listening to the teacher and asking questions, and time for pupils to work on their own or in small groups. However, there are times when teachers fail to give enough important opportunities for pupils to take control of their own learning and work independently and at pace.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. This is because they are not regularly set problems which make them think more deeply about mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ marking often gives praise where it is due. It is better in literacy books than in pupils’ mathematics books. In literacy, teacher’s comments support the pupils making next steps in their learning. This is less evident in their mathematic books because teachers do not precisely inform pupils how they can improve.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is best where the pace is brisk and teachers inspire pupils of all abilities. A mathematics lesson, for example, in lower Key Stage 2 set off at a storming pace. Pupils were totally engrossed in recognising equivalent fractions. Teaching was exciting and challenging pupils to work together to find the right answers. Timed, competitive exercises in matching fraction cards to make a whole number thoroughly enthused boys and girls who set about their work with great excitement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Very well-planned activities in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the good teaching ensure children are learning effectively and acquiring literacy and communication skills well. This prepares them well for their start in Year 1.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils have good opportunities to write across different subjects. Work completed by upper Key Stage 2 on World War 2 and living in an air raid shelter displayed on the school’s ‘writing progression wall’ used persuasive writing text well and celebrated pupils’ work. In mathematics there are fewer opportunities to link their mathematical skills across other subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils are confident in their use of information and communication technology during lessons. Evidence on inspection confirmed that the use of devices such as computers is having a good impact on pupils writing and across other subjects such as history.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers and teaching assistants provide effective support to those pupils who join the school part way through their primary education.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not always good enough in lessons to help them make good progress. When lessons do not grab pupils’ attention either because it was too difficult or too easy, pupils’ interest wanes and a number became distracted and chatted to their friends. This then had a negative impact on the learning within the lesson.  Inspectors saw examples of pupils working hard in lessons with their teachers and teaching assistants. This is because the work they were given was challenging and the learning was pitched at the right level.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Staff generally have positive views of behaviour. Most pupils work and play together sensibly. A few say that some pupils are silly sometimes especially in the playground and in some lessons and this spoils things for others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Good pastoral care creates a welcoming climate in the school. Parents are generally supportive of the work done by different members of staff and understand the need for them to help their children at home and for pupils to attend school regularly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils form good relationships with staff and this encourages them to seek help if they need it. Consequently, they feel safe and well cared for.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Most parents are positive about behaviour. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and say that when it happens staff treat it seriously and it is normally quickly stopped. They are aware of the potential dangers of cyber bullying and other issues associated with the use of the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance is now broadly average over time. It has improved this school year through the school efforts to promote good attendance. Most pupils arrive on time because they say they generally like school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders at all levels, including subject, have not yet ensured that all pupils make good progress as a result of consistently good teaching across the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher’s strong leadership has moved the school forward since the previous inspection. Achievement, especially in reading and writing, aspects of teaching and the curriculum have all improved. However, the pace of improvement has not been fast enough to make this a good school yet.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Morale is high in the school and team spirit strong. The relationship between the headteacher and the deputy headteacher is especially strong. All staff are committed to continued improvement. Professional development, informed by robust systems to set targets for staff, is given great emphasis. For example, it has helped to improve teaching through regular checks. However, checks on the quality of teaching do not yet clearly focus on how well teachers help pupils make good progress, especially in mathematics.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school’s evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses are generally accurate. During lesson observations with inspectors the quality was also judged accurately by the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Strong leadership in Early Years Foundation Stage is giving added impetus to more children achieving a good level of development before they enter Year1.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Inclusion is good. The school is experiencing high numbers of pupils new to English and the school works well with parents by encouraging them to support their child’s learning, for example, by developing strong home/school reading records that pupils say help them improve their reading.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils’ personal development is nurtured very effectively and they are robustly safeguarded.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Overall, the curriculum has breadth and is well enriched by good opportunities for physical education, sport and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Pupils are enthused by these opportunities. The physical education and sports grant is helping to offer greater opportunities through the appointment of a sports coach, which has allowed the school to experience increasing amounts of competitive sport such as gymnastics.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school is working hard and with increasing success to ensure that every pupil has an equal opportunity to reach his or her full potential and that there is no discrimination. It has been successful in closing the gap between standards reached by pupils supported by the pupil premium and their classmates. Leaders realise that there is work to be done, especially on raising the attainment and progress in mathematics.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has an accurate view of the school. It provides valuable staff training and effective support in evaluating the school’s performance and identifying areas of development.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are committed to the school and the community. They attend relevant training to meet current safeguarding requirements. The Chair of Governors knows the strengths and areas that the school needs to develop. They willingly give up much of their time to support the school and this has enabled the school to redevelop its own website. The governing body has arrangements to ensure that pay awards are linked to teachers’ performance and that the procedures to measure teacher’s performance are thorough. They are not shy in making difficult decisions. While governors have learnt to interpret data on pupils’ attainment and progress, they are dependent upon school leaders for critical evaluations of data and this does not always enable them to question closely and challenge leaders where standards are not high enough, for example in mathematics and where pupils’ progress is not as good as 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 120071 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 424993

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 311 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Randall Headteacher Gillian Blatherwick Date of previous school inspection 15 November 2011 Telephone number 0116 233 8411 Fax number 0116 233 4591 Email address office@hazel.leicester.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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