Hazelbury Bryan Primary School

Hazelbury Bryan Community Primary School Droop, Hazelbury Bryan, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 2ED

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children join the Reception class with skills that are typical for their age. Through very effective teaching, they make good progress and are well prepared to move into Year 1.  The attainment of pupils at the end of Year 2 has risen over time and is now well above national averages in all subject areas.  Pupils make good progress during Key Stage 2 in reading and writing.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The behaviour of pupils is good and contributes well to their learning within school.  The school is very well led by the headteacher and is supported by an effective middle leadership team. Together, they have improved the school since the last inspection and have raised pupils’ achievement.  The curriculum engages the pupils and enables them to develop their skills in English and mathematics. It also supports the pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development very

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

effectively.  The governing body holds the school to account for the progress pupils make. Safeguarding arrangements are carefully reviewed.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ skills in mathematics are not as strong as in reading and writing. As a result, their achievement is not as good in this subject.  Pupils are not always given clear enough guidance that explains to them what they are expected to achieve in an activity and how they can improve their work further.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed parts of seven lessons and a whole school assembly led by the headteacher. Two of the lessons were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, the Vice Chair and the previous Chair of Governors, senior and middle leaders. The inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of pupils’ workbooks.  A wide range of documents was examined, including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress, as well as planning and documentation about checks on teaching, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  The inspector also took account of the 21 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hazelbury Bryan Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. It is situated in the hamlet of Droop in Dorset’s Hardy Country. Most of the pupils come from this or one of the other six hamlets that make up the village of Hazelbury Bryan. In recent years an increasing number of pupils have come from wider afield.  There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds attending the school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and those from service families) is a little lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

of pupils’ attainment and progress  There are been a considerable number of changes to the teaching staff in recent years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils’ achievement in mathematics is similar to that in English by providing opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in other subject areas.  Improve the quality of teaching further by ensuring that teachers:  provide their pupils with learning targets that are linked closely to the tasks they are currently working on and that explain to the pupils what they are expected to achieve, and let them know how they can improve their work as they are going along  give pupils clear written feedback across subjects that lets them know how to improve their work and then give the pupils the time to improve their work quickly, based on these comments.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Nearly all children join the Reception class from the school’s own pre-school with skills that are typical for their age. Within each year though there is a range of abilities within the group who are all supported well. Through effective teaching in both of the settings, the children progress well and a high proportion of them in 2013 reached a good level of development, which is well above the national average. They are well prepared for the move into Year 1.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 does show some variation over the last few years, but the underlying trend is upwards. Attainment in all subject areas in 2013 was significantly above the national averages. More able pupils are challenged, with the numbers of pupils attaining the highest levels also well above the national averages.  Pupils learn to read quickly through effective teaching of the sounds that letters make (phonics).

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The achievement of pupils is good

When presented with unfamiliar words, pupils can use their phonics knowledge well to blend the sounds together and build up the new words. In the national screening checks, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard is much higher than that seen nationally.  By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment has risen over time with improvements in writing linked to the work the school has put in to improve the quality of teaching in this area. Results took a dip in 2013 and the school can point to very specific issues within this group of pupils that caused the drop. The information the school has indicates that the results for the current year group should be much better and should return to the higher levels of the previous year.  The progress pupils make between key stages is at least good in reading and writing across the school. Pupils are able to practise and develop their skills in writing in other subject areas

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The achievement of pupils is good

alongside their work in English. They do not use mathematics as much in topic work and the school’s own information does show a slight lag in mathematics. This has been identified by the school, and highlighted by the local authority adviser, and is the focus of an action plan the school has developed to raise achievement.  The number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs across the school is small and the school works hard to ensure there is equality of opportunity and that they succeed. Through well-targeted support in class and in small group work, teachers and teaching assistants make sure that their progress is at least as good as that of other pupils. Progress information held by the school indicates that this is the case.  There is a small number of pupils eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium grant. These pupils are effectively supported in their learning and the school also provides

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The achievement of pupils is good

support if they have additional pastoral needs. This additional funding is carefully targeted and appropriately used to good effect. As a result, their progress is improving and gaps in attainment are closing across the school in both English and mathematics. In national assessments at the end of Year 6, pupils receiving additional support and who had been in school for a number of years were about two terms behind in English and three terms behind in mathematics compared to other pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good and has been effective in helping pupils make good progress from their different starting points. Staff changes have been managed well by the senior leaders to limit the impact on the learning of the pupils. The current teaching team is stronger and the progress pupils are now making is better.  Activities in lessons are engaging and interest the pupils. Teachers try to make the activities challenging for all pupils in the mixed year classes, but plan in support for those who may find the work difficult. More able pupils are challenged with activities that are a little different to those other pupils have, so they are extended and progress more rapidly.For example, in a Years 3/4 mathematics lesson, the more able were given a more complicated activity linked to using money. Teaching assistants help less able pupils very effectively. For example, in the same lesson calculations linked to receiving the correct change were supported by the teaching

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The quality of teaching is good

assistant organising a role play activity.  Teachers try to let pupils know what they want to them to learn in a lesson. However, different abilities of pupils are not given clear enough information about what they specifically have to produce at the end of a sequence of lessons and able pupils have very similar lesson targets to less able pupils. Pupils do not have sufficient information about what they are learning in order to monitor their own progress as they are going along.  Teachers’ marking is inconsistent between year groups. When it is good, pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve their work. When it is less effective they are not always provided with clear feedback on how to improve their work or given the time to make the corrections so mistakes will not be repeated.  The classrooms are bright and well resourced. Pupils’ work is valued and displayed for others to see, alongside helpful learning guides produced by the teachers which pupils can look at to help

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they are well looked after and are kept from harm. The school has provided them with a good range of opportunities to learn about personal safety from visitors coming into school, such as the police who discussed careful use of the internet with the pupils. They have also visited a road safety centre in Poole and have opportunities to receive Bikeability training.  The behaviour of pupils is good and contributes well to their learning within school. In lessons, pupils demonstrate interest in the activities and have opportunities to work in small groups to discuss ideas, or on more focused tasks with less monitoring by the adults in the class. That said, if pupils get stuck their teacher or teaching assistant is available to lend a hand. One pupil said, ‘The teachers never get cross if we get stuck.’  Around school, pupils are kind to one another. Bullying, according to the pupils, does not

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

happen, although some fall outs can occur. If they do, pupils make friends quickly and have peer mediators to help out, but they are rarely called into action. Pupils say that when new people join the school they make friends very quickly and one commented, ‘We don’t judge people.’  The relationships in class are very good, with the pupils happily working together and with the adults around them. With the school being so small, all pupils are well known to the staff and there is a real sense of a community within school.  Pupils are proud of their school and are keen to represent it in sporting competitions, for example in tag rugby where the school has enjoyed great success competing against much larger schools in the county and in regional competitions. Music is also well supported in school, with the pupils enjoying singing in assemblies and in the small school choir.  Attendance matches the national average and is improving. The school has worked hard over

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is very well led by the headteacher, who is ably supported by the assistant headteacher and early years leader. The school has acted on development points from the previous inspection and this has resulted in improved outcomes for pupils especially in writing. Through rigorous self-evaluation the senior leadership team has identified that raising achievement in mathematics is the next area for further development. The governing body is more active in reviewing the work of the school. There is good capacity for the school to improve further.  The headteacher has confidence in her middle leadership team and has given them a greater responsibility in monitoring and reviewing the progress pupils make and the quality of teaching in the school. Middle leaders demonstrate a good understanding of their roles and are influential as leaders in the school.  The local authority has provided good support to the school to help it improve and the

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The leadership and management are good

headteacher has worked closely with advisers to improve the quality of teaching and learning and, consequently, the outcomes for pupils. The school also works actively with other schools nearby to moderate pupils’ work to ensure that the assessment of pupils is accurate and teachers’ judgements are validated.  The curriculum is well organised and planned with staff working closely together to develop a creative and engaging programme of learning that interests and motivates the pupils. The school has used visits to places of interest effectively and has received visits from local people who have shared experiences, for example a relative of one of the children came to school to tell pupils about being evacuated in the Second World War. The school looks to enrich and widen the pupils’ understanding of the world and develop their appreciation of cultural and religious difference in the United Kingdom. Pupils learn to be tolerant and accepting of others through

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The leadership and management are good

their lessons and assemblies. Equality of opportunity is promoted and intolerance challenged.  The school has carried out an audit of the physical education (PE) provision in the school and has identified the need to develop teachers’ skills in delivering specific activities such as gymnastics. It has invested money from the primary sports funding grant to support an initiative with other schools in the area which draws on the expertise of a sports coordinator to provide training for staff. The school aims to bring in coaches to work with the pupils to increase participation rates and raise their skill levels in different activities. The plans have clear aims that can be reviewed by the school’s PE coordinator and the governing body.  The welfare of the pupils is ensured, with effective child protection and safeguarding procedures.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths of the school and the areas it

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The leadership and management are good

is working on to improve. The governors visit the school regularly to monitor different aspects of its work and have a good understanding of the quality of the teaching in the school from reports from the headteacher. The information the school has on the progress different groups of pupils make, including the small number who are eligible for pupil premium funding, is reviewed to ensure that any gaps in the attainment of pupils is closed quickly. The school is held to account for how well the pupils are doing and governors are well aware of the link between teacher salary progression and pupil outcomes. The financial position of the school is reviewed carefully and how the school uses specific resources, such as the primary sports funding grant. The safeguarding and child protection procedures are thoroughly reviewed each year.

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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 113669 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 431078

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 93 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julia Massey Headteacher Julie Sharpe Date of previous school inspection 14–15 March 2012 Telephone number 01258 817492 Fax number 01258 817175 Email address office@hazelbury.dorset.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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