Hyde Park Junior SchoolOfsted inspection, 13 Feb 2014

S c h o o l R e p o r t Hyde Park Junior School Hyde Park Road, Plymouth, PL3 4RH

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effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  Most groups of pupils achieve well over time as a result of consistently strong teaching.  Pupils make progress especially quickly in reading. This is because the school has carefully planned to make sure that every pupil develops both the necessary reading skills and their enjoyment of reading.  Teachers assess pupils’ work promptly, accurately and in detail across a range of subjects, helping pupils to make secure improvements and develop their understanding.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. They report that they feel safe at school. They also display positive attitudes to learning in class and behave consistently well around the school site.  Teachers and other staff provide a wide range of interesting activities for pupils both in lessons and at lunchtimes and after-school.  The headteacher and the governing body give a very high priority to making sure that all staff

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

have as many opportunities as possible to improve their leadership skills, including through working with other schools.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all pupils achieve as well in writing as they do in reading.  In a small minority of lessons, some pupils are not given enough challenge in the tasks offered. Not all staff are confident enough or have developed all the skills needed to use a wide range of different teaching techniques in mathematics.  The governing body are not provided frequently enough with clear, summary updates on how well pupils are currently achieving. This limits their ability to monitor progress in sufficient detail.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, 24 part-lessons were observed and inspectors listened to pupils reading. Meetings were held with senior leaders, including the headteacher; middle leaders; members of the governing body, including the Chair; and two groups of pupils. In addition, a telephone conversation took place with a local authority officer responsible for school improvement.  Inspectors looked at planning and self-evaluation documentation; assessment information and examples of pupils’ work; and a range of policy documents.  The views of 92 parents who responded to Parent View were taken into consideration. In addition, the views of the 28 staff who responded to the inspection questionnaire were analysed.

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Inspection team

Ken Bush, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Simon Bishop Additional Inspector Dianne Jones Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hyde Park Junior is larger than most primary schools.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average, and the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for specific groups, including those known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority) is well below the national average; this represents about one in twelve pupils in the school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school meets the government’s floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Hyde Park Junior is a designated National Support School. The headteacher is a National Leader of Education (NLE) and five other staff are Specialist Leaders who are involved in developing

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Information about this school

leadership and raising standards in other schools. The school is also a strategic partner of the Plymouth Teaching School.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and of achievement so that both are outstanding by ensuring that:  pupils achieve at least as well in writing as they do in reading  all staff, including teaching assistants, are confident and proficient in their ability to make good use of a wide range of different teaching methods in mathematics  pupils are stretched and challenged in all lessons as well as they are in the best currently provided  the governing body is able to increase the precision of its monitoring of the school’s work by being given more regular summary updates on how well pupils currently on roll are achieving.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The learning and progress made by most pupils is good. By the time that they leave the school in Year 6, the majority have attained results in English and in mathematics which are at least in line with national averages and in some cases significantly better.  Although results overall in the last academic year were not as high as in 2012, the inspection evidence seen in lessons and in pupils’ work shows clearly that rates of progress are accelerating, including for those pupils who will take their national tests this summer.  There are no significant variations in how well different groups of pupils achieve over time. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported and, consequently, progress at a broadly similar rate to their peers. The most able pupils, too, achieve well, notably in mathematics where in the 2013 national tests, 13% attained the highest available Level 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In both 2012 and 2013, the gaps in attainment between the small groups of Year 6 pupils supported through the pupil premium and other Year 6 pupils represented about three terms’ progress. These gaps are broadly similar to those found nationally. However, the impact of the school’s investment of their additional funding in one-to-one individual tuition is now being seen in the pupils currently on roll. Consequently, gaps are now narrowing more consistently as pupils move through the school.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium, along with other pupils, are clearly benefiting from the specific programmes designed to accelerate progress in reading. In a Year 4 reading session observed during the inspection, some pupils were seen successfully practising their comprehension skills, while others discussed with enthusiasm and enjoyment characters from a story they had read together. Most pupils are confident and fluent readers and are able to

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The achievement of pupils is good

describe in detail their favourite authors and stories.  Where pupils have gaps in their reading skills when they join the school in Year 3, teachers provide well-organised daily sessions in phonics (the sounds made by letters); this has had a marked effect in enabling these pupils to catch up as quickly as possible.  Writing skills are generally not as well developed as those in reading, as is reflected in recent national test results. This is because new teaching approaches to help pupils apply their skills in a range of subjects are not yet as firmly in place. However, the new literacy coordinator has made a strong start in ensuring that more consistently good outcomes are achieved.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good because it enables most pupils to achieve well. Teachers typically plan their lessons very carefully to ensure that pupils are clear about what skills, knowledge and understanding it is intended that they learn. Teachers also routinely keep a careful check on how well pupils have grasped the point of the lesson as it progresses and make adjustments accordingly.  Teachers use questioning skilfully both to test out pupils’ understanding and to encourage them to think more deeply about the work being undertaken. In an extremely effective Year 4 mathematics lesson seen during the inspection, the teacher used questioning exceptionally well to draw out from the pupils how far they had got in their understanding of the concept of equivalent fractions. When they then set to work applying this knowledge, the level of challenge was precisely right for each pupil and they made rapid gains in their understanding as a result.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a small minority of lessons, the level of challenge is not high enough to stretch pupils of all abilities and in these instances, the pace of learning varies too much; for some, the work is too easy, and for others, too difficult.  The teaching of mathematics is, in most respects, strong and improving, especially with regard to using and applying mathematical concepts. However, not all staff, including teaching assistants, are equally confident and proficient in using the full range of teaching methods needed to raise the standard higher still.  The standard of marking is consistently high in all subjects, which represents improvement since the previous inspection. As a result, pupils are knowledgeable about how to improve their work and it was evident in the detailed scrutiny undertaken by inspectors that most put this into practice. As with marking, the setting of purposeful and interesting homework makes a useful

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The quality of teaching is good

contribution to pupils’ good achievement.  The school rightly puts a high priority on making learning as enjoyable as possible and taking opportunities to promote pupils’ cultural development. In an excellent Year 6 dance lesson, boys and girls demonstrated an equally high level of creativity and physical control in performing routines based on ‘Bollywood’, linked to their studies in religious education. When questioned by the inspector, all were able to explain with considerable precision and maturity how their technique had progressed over several sessions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In most lessons, pupils are keen to participate and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning across a range of subjects and activities. They cooperate well with staff and with each other. They are well aware of the rewards and sanctions system and regard it as fair and effective.  Only very occasionally do pupils fail to settle quickly to their work. No disruptive behaviour was seen during the inspection and pupils report that it rarely occurs and, on those very few occasions when it does, is dealt with expediently by staff. School records show that exclusions from school are extremely uncommon.  Pupils behave sensibly when moving around the small school site between lessons and at lunchtimes; this was tested out to the full during the inspection as long spells of heavy rain kept the pupils inside for almost all of the time!  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are knowledgeable about

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

different forms of bullying, including those related to internet use and mobile phones. Pupils indicated to inspectors that while bullying incidents occur from time to time, they are confident in the ability of staff to manage these well.  Inspection evidence shows that where it is necessary to employ more extensive support for pupils with known behavioural problems, leaders make effective use of the school’s own specialist staff and also liaise productively with external agencies to maximise pupils’ chances of success at school.  A large majority of parents and staff consider that pupils behave well and are kept safe in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and other senior staff create a culture of high expectations at Hyde Park Junior School which is as evident in the vibrant displays and tidy classrooms as in the typically neat presentation of pupils’ work.  Although attainment over the past three years has not been as consistently high as at the time of the previous inspection, leaders are ensuring that both achievement and teaching are now improving.  Planning to secure improvement is robust and comprehensive, involving all staff and the governing body. Specific priorities are clearly identified each year and are closely aligned with regular and accurate analysis of the quality of teaching. Although there is ample information on how well pupils achieve, this is not routinely organised in a way that is user-friendly, particularly for the governing body.  The monitoring of teaching and pupils’ work, including marking, is well organised and systematic

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The leadership and management are good

and involves both senior and middle leaders; there are clear links to the well-coordinated arrangements for the management of staff performance. Middle leaders make an effective contribution to good teaching in the school.  Continuing professional development is given a high priority and extensive and productive use is made of the school’s many links with other schools and organisations both in Plymouth and beyond, especially to develop leadership skills. The headteacher actively promotes the sharing of good practice in her role as an NLE.  The curriculum contributes strongly to pupils’ good and improving achievement, as well as pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, especially through initiatives involving different subjects such as China Week and the Enterprise project.  The local authority provides useful ‘light touch’ support to the school through termly meetings.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body is an active and committed group who use high levels of educational and other professional expertise to provide effective support to the school. The school’s finances are well managed and they have ensured that additional funding such as the pupil premium has been used well to begin to close the achievement gap with other pupils. The primary school sport funding has also been creatively utilised to increase pupils’ opportunities for competitive sport within Plymouth and to help create a multi-use artificial sports pitch on the school site. Impact on pupils’ health and wellbeing is becoming increasingly evident.  Governors are broadly aware of the main strengths and areas for development in teaching and how performance management of staff is used. They have ensured that there is a good match between how well teachers are paid and how well pupils achieve.  Governors are knowledgeable about the school’s track record of achievement over the past

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The leadership and management are good

three years, but do not have enough regularly updated information about the progress of pupils currently on roll. This prevents them from monitoring in sufficient detail how effectively leaders are securing improvements in achievement for all groups of pupils across the school, including the expected attainment outcomes for the present Year 6.  Governors ensure that pupils are safe and that the school is a welcoming and harmonious community; equal opportunities are vigorously promoted.

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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 113274 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 441230

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 358 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Zoe Masters Headteacher Bernadette Evans Date of previous school inspection 2–3 March 2011 Telephone number 01752 225314 Fax number 01752 255315 Email address hyde.park.junior.school@plymouth.gov.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

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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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