Hungerford Primary School

Hungerford Primary School 1 Fairview Road, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0TB

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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 Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.  Not enough pupils make good progress, especially in Key Stage 2, because not enough teaching is good or better.  Pupils do not get enough opportunities to write at length in English or solve problems in mathematics.  The work teachers set in some lessons is sometimes too easy or too hard.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is not good enough, especially where teaching is not sufficiently challenging or exciting.  Teachers do not always ask questions that enable pupils to explain and develop further their learning.  Marking does not always show pupils how to improve, and teachers do not check carefully enough that advice is acted on and that work presented is tidy.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage children are not always moved on to new learning quickly enough.  Those responsible for subjects or year groups do not check the quality of teaching and learning regularly to ensure that progress is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

consistently good or better.  Information on how well pupils learn has not been used to show the school’s performance clearly enough.  Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching do not focus sharply on how well different groups are learning and ensure weaknesses identified are resolved quickly.  Over time, the governing body has not ensured that the school is held fully to account and that pupil premium money is spent carefully enough to improve quickly pupils’ achievements.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils are polite and courteous and enjoy school. Attendance is high.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 make good progress.  The school improvement plan is focused on the correct priorities and progress is improving.  Relationships between pupils and all adults are strong and pupils are keen to please.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 26 lessons or parts of lessons. Several lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher. The headteacher and senior leaders also joined the inspectors in reviewing pupils’ written work. The inspectors also observed pupils being taught in small groups and listened to pupils from different year groups reading.  Discussions were held with a range of pupils, the headteacher and other senior leaders, members of the governing body and the school improvement adviser.  The inspectors took account of 38 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View) and responses to the staff questionnaire.  Discussions were held with a small number of parents at the beginning of the school day.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including the school’s data about pupils’ current progress. In addition, the inspectors looked at documents relating to safeguarding, governance, behaviour and attendance.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked at a range of other evidence, including displays, the school’s website and evidence representing the school’s wider achievements beyond the classroom.

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Inspection team

Sonja Joseph, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila Rowan Additional inspector Colin Lower Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an above average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is average. This is additional government funding for particular groups, such as pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care and children from service families.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school has a breakfast and after-school club which is managed by the governors.  There have been significant changes in senior leadership, including a high number of interim and

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Information about this school

acting headteachers, since the last inspection. There has also been high staff turnover and some long-term absences. A new headteacher was appointed in January 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improving the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better, especially in Key Stage 2, by ensuring that:  teachers set work at the right level of difficulty to ensure all pupils, especially the more able, make the best progress possible  children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are moved on to new learning quickly so that they have more time to find things out for themselves  all marking shows pupils how to improve their work and teachers check more regularly that pupils act on their advice  questioning is used skilfully to help pupils explain and think hard about their learning so that they make more rapid progress  teaching engages and motivates pupils so that they always sustain good behaviour in lessons and do not lose focus.  Improve progress in literacy and numeracy by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy skills to solve problems in mathematics lessons and during work in other subjects

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 making sure that where appropriate pupils have regular, planned opportunities to practise writing at length, in all subjects  providing more opportunities for pupils to explore the meaning of words  ensuring all targets for reading show pupils how to improve to the next level.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:  checks on the school’s work are summarised more sharply and consistently, to provide a more accurate picture of how well the school is doing and where improvements need to be made  checks on the quality of teaching and learning are fully focused on how well different groups of pupils learn, identifying weaknesses and resolving them quickly  those leaders in charge of subjects or year groups regularly check the quality of teaching and learning in their areas to ensure progress for all pupils is consistently good or outstanding  governors use information about how well the school is doing more effectively, particularly the use of pupil premium and sports funding, so that they can challenge the school’s performance to ensure all pupils achieve well and increase their participation in school activities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ rates of progress vary between year groups, classes and subjects, particularly in Key Stage 2, because teaching is not consistently good.  Progress in mathematics is not fast enough to ensure all pupils achieve well because there are not enough opportunities for pupils to use and apply their skills across all subjects to solve problems. Recent quicker progress partly stems from the much more effective use of information about pupils’ progress. Any pupils falling behind receive good extra help, which is checked and changed if it is not working.  Not enough pupils reach the higher levels in reading because pupils’ skills in understanding and interpreting what they read are underdeveloped. Pupils do not always know how to improve their reading.  Some of the more able pupils make slower progress when teachers set work that does not challenge their learning and is too easy. For some less able pupils, work is too hard and progress

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

slows.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage do not always learn well when they are not moved on to new learning quickly enough Where progress is faster, children develop confidence well and persevere when working with an adult or independently, because adults are caring and have established clear routines.  The progress of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is similarly as inconsistent as that of their peers. In 2013, they were about four terms behind their classmates in reading and writing and two years behind in mathematics. The school has recognised this gap and there is now a sharper focus on raising pupils’ achievement through more targeted interventions in English and mathematics, which is speeding up progress and closing the gaps with their classmates. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and directly reflects the unevenness in the quality of teaching.  Primary schools sports funding has been used appropriately to provide specialist training to staff and to provide a wider range of competitive sport. Pupils enjoy taking part in sporting activities and have a good understanding of how sport contributes to a healthy lifestyle.  In Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress and achieve well. In reading, they tackle unfamiliar words well because they have a good understanding of letters and their sounds (phonics). This has resulted in above national levels of achievement in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 for two consecutive years.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There is not enough good teaching to ensure that pupils make good progress and achieve well over time.  Where teaching is less effective, the work set is either too hard for the less able or too easy for the more able pupils. As a result, some pupils lose interest and concentration and their progress slows.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage the pace of learning slows, when teachers do not move on those children who understand their work to new learning quickly enough, particularly the most able.  Occasionally, adults do not take enough advantage of the opportunities that arise to develop children’s basic language skills and deepen their understanding through, for example, skilful questioning.  In the teaching of mathematics, pupils’ progress sometimes slows because pupils do not have enough opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills to solve problems.  In writing, there are not yet enough opportunities for pupils to write at greater length or to use

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

their writing skills in different subjects. This limits them progressing to higher levels. Teachers do not always insist work is neat.  Marking, although regular, is not consistently good across the school. It does not always provide pupils with enough guidance to help them to improve their skills and achieve well. Occasionally, teachers do not check pupils’ responses to their comments and some pupils continue to make the same mistakes.  Phonics is being taught increasingly well. This is having a positive impact in Key Stage 1, on pupils’ ability to sound and read words. However, pupils’ ability to understand what they read is less evident, when adults begin to explore the meaning of words with them, or question them about what a piece of text might infer.  Teaching assistants provide a good level of support to the pupils that they work with in small groups or in a one-to-one situation. However, they are not always as effectively deployed when

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

the teacher is introducing the lesson.  Where teaching is stronger, teachers are lively and engaging, plan lessons well and promote high expectations. They use skilful questioning to probe the understanding of all pupils, with time for pupils to respond and explain their understanding. This was evident in a Year 2 literacy lesson where lively discussion and debate about ‘why aliens should come to earth’ ensured that pupils made rapid progress in their understanding of persuasive language.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because, in some lessons, pupils do not concentrate well, are less enthusiastic to learn and engage in off-task chatter. This happens when work set is too hard or too easy. In these instances, their pace of learning slows. Where teaching is good, pupils remain engaged and make rapid gains.  Relationships between staff and pupils are good. Teachers and pupils treat each other with respect. Pupils are polite and are well mannered in lessons, as they move around the school and at break times. Pupils say that they all get on well together for most of the time.  The breakfast club provides a calm and welcoming start to the school day for those pupils who attend and makes a very positive contribution to overall attendance, which has improved and is currently well above with the national average.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils have a developing awareness of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

risk and know how to keep themselves safe in different circumstances, including staying safe on the computer and in relation to fire and road traffic. They say they feel safe in school because bullying of any kind is rare and that adults respond quickly if they have any concerns. Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms bullying can take.  Pupils respond well to opportunities to take on responsibility. Through their roles as school councillors and lunchtime helpers, they develop self-confidence and make positive contributions to the school community. For example, pupils told inspectors that the school council changed how the playground is used and has made break times ‘more fun and interesting’.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Frequent changes to school leadership, high staff turnover and staff absence have slowed the drive for improvement and the school has not sustained previous good outcomes.  Leaders have not checked the performance of teachers rigorously enough to ensure that areas of weakness identified sufficiently focus on how well different groups of students learn and are resolved quickly. As a result, the quality of teaching still varies across the school.  Plans and systems that ensure increases in teachers’ pay are linked with improving teaching and raising pupils’ achievement are not yet fully up and running in order to hold staff fully to account for pupils’ achievement.  Those leaders in charge of subjects or year groups have not had enough opportunities to check the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of work to make sure that pupils make at least good progress. This limits their ability to drive improvements in their areas.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 All leaders, including governors, now have a more realistic understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and suitable plans to improve the school further. They recognise that checks on the school’s work must be summarised more sharply and consistently, to provide a more accurate picture of how well the school is doing and where improvements need to be made.  Over time, the use of pupil premium funding has not been targeted appropriately to ensure that it has a measureable and positive impact upon the progress of all pupils for whom it is intended. School leaders have taken action to address this but it is too soon for these improvements to be fully evident in pupils’ progress.  The local authority has not provided timely and effective support, until fairly recently, to effect brisk change. It is now more effective and matched carefully to the needs of the school. It has enlisted a Local Leader in Education to help review key aspects of school performance and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

training. Their regular monitoring visits have had a proven impact on supporting recent improvements in the quality of teaching.  The enthusiasm, drive, determination and resilience of senior leaders and increasingly the new headteacher have ensured that the weakest teaching has been tackled vigorously and considerably reduced. Information on how well pupils learn is more accurate. The proportion of good teaching is improving. Consequently, pupils’ progress is improving. These successes reveal the school’s capacity to improve.  National sports funding for primary schools has been spent suitably, for example in employing a new sports coaches to train staff and increase the range of competitive sport. However, procedures for checking its impact on pupils’ physical skills and well-being are not yet fully developed.  The curriculum broadly meets the needs and abilities of pupils, although there are insufficient

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The leadership and management requires improvement

opportunities across subjects to develop individual literacy and numeracy skills. A wide range of trips, visits, sporting events and clubs promotes well pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Discrimination, in any form, is not tolerated in the school. All pupils have full access to the range of opportunities that the school provides. However, not all pupils are receiving consistently good teaching.  Safeguarding procedures meet requirements. The school works effectively with families and partners to improve the safety of children whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body brings a wide range of skills and experience. The governors support the school well. They are aware that they have not challenged enough the information about pupils’ progress presented to them, and how it relates to current inconsistencies in teaching. They have supported senior leaders in using the pupil premium to provide additional support to help pupils improve their skills in English and mathematics but they have not asked challenging enough questions about how much this is improving pupils’ progress. They also use the sports premium to increase sporting opportunities but have not checked closely enough whether this has led to an increase in pupils’ participation in physical exercise. Governors are working closely with the senior leadership team and local authority and have undertaken a range of training to secure improvements. They are looking more closely at the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school’s performance data and are asking more searching questions as they compare the school’s results with local and national data. They have ensured that teachers’ salaries are now more clearly linked to improvements in pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. Governors manage the school’s budget well so that there is no deficit. They have ensured that all of the requirements for safeguarding are met.

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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 109816 Local authority West Berkshire Inspection number 431449

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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 405 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Neale Marney Headteacher Gerry Heaton Date of previous school inspection 8 May 2009 Telephone number 01488 682230 Fax number 01488 682231 Email address headteacher@hungerford.w-berks.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 whenand 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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