Hope Primary School

Hope Primary School Edale Road, Hope, Hope Valley, S33 6ZF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  The headteacher leads by example in the classroom and works closely with other staff to continually improve teaching and learning.  Pupils have opportunities to voice their opinions about school life and are proud of their contribution to the school’s improvement.  Pupils of all ages make good progress and, by the time they leave the school, most pupils reach standards that are above those expected for their age.  Pupils feel safe and secure because they are taught how to keep themselves safe and how to manage risky situations.  Teachers ensure that the pupils are clear about what they need to do next. They help pupils to support each other in improving their work. Their marking is consistently good.  The school has worked closely with outside agencies and parents so that levels of attendance and punctuality have improved.  In lessons, most pupils apply themselves well and work hard. They work together well which

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

makes the atmosphere in school positive and harmonious.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The large teaching commitment of the headteacher means that there is little time for the headteacher to visit and work with other schools.  In some lessons, the work is it too easy for some pupils and too hard for others.  Occasionally, some pupils have difficulty sustaining concentration and become distracted which slows their learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six lessons, one of which was observed jointly with the headteacher. She also made short visits to the classrooms with the headteacher to review the school’s work in support of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The inspector spoke informally to parents as they brought their children to school. There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, for these to be considered. Responses to the school’s own questionnaire for parents were analysed, as were responses to the school’s questionnaire for pupils.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, subject leaders, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed the work of the school and examined pupils’ books. She also heard pupils from Key Stage 1 reading.  A range of documents was considered. These included the school’s own data and monitoring of

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Information about this inspection

how well pupils are achieving, checks on the quality of teaching, planning documents, and records relating to behaviour and attendance. The school’s system and policies relating to safeguarding were also taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Christine Merrick, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. Numbers in each year group are sometimes very low, for instance, there were only four pupils in Year 6 in 2013.  Pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes each morning, one for children from the Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils from Key Stage 1, and two for pupils in Key Stage 2. In the afternoons the two Key Stage 2 classes are taught together.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, which in this school provides funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, is well below average.  Most pupils are of White British origin and, in 2013, all pupils spoke English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is smaller than average. The proportion of pupils who are supported at school

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Information about this school

action plus is above average. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by:  providing work in all lessons that stretches all pupils so that they have work that is neither too easy nor too hard.  making sure that all pupils sustain their concentration and are fully engaged.  Create a better balance between the headteacher’s teaching and leadership and management time so that the school benefits from opportunities to visit and work with other schools.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The small number of pupils in each year group makes comparisons with national data difficult. The school keeps very careful track of each pupil’s progress and these data show that pupils make good progress in all year groups. This is because pupils generally apply themselves well to their work and try hard.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Information collected when children start school in Reception shows that their skills, knowledge and understanding are often below the levels expected for their age. They make good progress and reach at least average standards by the end of Key Stage 1. Except for a slight dip in 2012, standards in reading have been above average for the last five years. Standards in writing and mathematics have been more variable, but were above average in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 2. Results have varied over the last three years, but were well above the national average in 2013. Most pupils in Year 6 are working at levels above those expected for their age in reading and writing, and some are over a year ahead of expectations in mathematics. They are well prepared for their move to secondary school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they are given effective additional support which is carefully tailored to their specific needs. This includes a range of activities from touch-typing tuition and coordination work for children with physical difficulties, to additional teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) or focused groups for mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils often work with older pupils which challenges them well. They are also expected to explain their thinking to others, which helps them clarify and rethink their own ideas. As a result, the most able pupils perform well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The teaching of phonics is well organised and pupils in the Reception Year and Key Stage 1 use their growing knowledge to work out words when reading and make good attempts at spelling in their writing. By Year 6, pupils read widely. This is reflected in their choice of material in the library, which includes magazines, newspapers and periodicals they have chosen to include as well as fiction and non-fiction books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The very small group of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding are as successful as their classmates in all subjects including English and mathematics. This is because the funding ensures that they are able to work in small groups with individual attention and their achievements are regularly checked.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching is good overall and there are aspects of teachers’ work that are particularly strong. For instance, marking is used very effectively in all classes to make sure that pupils understand how well they are doing and what they need to do next.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pupils are generally well motivated to learn. They have individual targets and clear criteria which they use regularly to check how successful they have been and which enable them to support each other.  During lessons, teachers check how well pupils are doing and adjust their teaching accordingly. This means that pupils’ misunderstandings are addressed quickly. For example, in a phonics lesson for pupils in the Reception Year and Key Stage 1, the teacher identified that a group of pupils was struggling with the task they had been set. She gathered them on the carpet quickly and provided them with an additional demonstration that helped them to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading, writing and mathematics are taught effectively. For instance, in a mathematics lesson for Years 3 and 4, pupils worked enthusiastically on word problems together. The use of technology was incorporated well in a lesson for Years 5 and 6 on persuasive writing, in which the pupils planned their writing and then typed, edited and published their work in the computer suite.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers involve pupils in creating displays in the classrooms and corridors to make their learning visible to others. Pupils’ work is very evident in posters relating to behaviour expectations and in displays illustrating work in progress. Pupils are proud of this and are keen to point out what they have done. It also means that they take care of their surroundings and models on display in the corridor are well looked after.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers insist on hard work and good behaviour and they maintain a brisk pace, which results in pupils remaining focused and engaged throughout their lessons. Occasionally, some pupils lose concentration, become more restless and do not work as well as they could, because the work they have been given is too easy for some and too hard for others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most pupils apply themselves well in lessons so that classrooms are often quiet, purposeful places in which to learn. Teachers reinforce the positive values of the school. Pupils are taught how to work well together and to recognise and respect each other’s feelings. For example, in a lesson in Key Stage 1, pupils worked on ways of dealing with conflict and finding resolutions to difficult situations.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that bullying is rare and recognise different types of bullying such as cyber-bullying. They are confident that they know how to get help. One pupil, for example, explained how she had done this and how pleased she was that the problem had been solved quickly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. They are provided with lessons on how to keep themselves safe in risky situations, such as the Bikeability and Scooter training to keep them safe on the roads. They take their responsibility as ‘buddies’ seriously. At lunchtimes and at break, they play together well and their thoughtfulness is celebrated and rewarded in assemblies.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school council is strong and pupils are able to voice their opinions about school life very well. For instance, they organised the fund-raising events for ‘Sports Relief’ day and gathered recommendations that resulted in the reorganisation of the library area. The pupils also requested that they should be taught Spanish as well as French, so this has been incorporated into the curriculum. The strong community feel to the school is evident in the number of helpers in school and pupils’ involvement in village activities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There are a very small number of pupils who do not always behave as well as they might or work as diligently as they should. The school generally works well with these pupils so that they make progress. However, teachers do not always make sure that these pupils, who find it difficult to settle to work, stay engaged and do not disrupt lessons.  Attendance has been low at times, partly because the school has a number of children with medical conditions that have resulted in longer absences. The school has worked closely with outside agencies to make sure that parents understand the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. Parents have responded well and attendance has improved so that most pupils’ attendance is now at least average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and subject leaders work closely together to check the levels of achievement and the quality of teaching. They know the school well and understand what they need to do to improve further. There are areas that they have worked on that have had a substantial impact; for instance, the introduction of specific meetings to discuss pupils’ progress has meant a much more targeted and focused approach to interventions if pupils are in danger of falling behind.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides a good role model for teachers through her own work in the classroom. She supports further development through working together with staff and enabling them to observe each other’s practice. She encourages staff, whether teaching or non-teaching, to continue their own learning by gaining additional qualifications. As a result, the staff in the school are a strong, knowledgeable team.

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The leadership and management are good

 The systems for checking how well teachers are working are well developed. They are linked directly to the school’s priorities and to teachers’ own evaluations of their success in supporting good levels of progress. If any underperformance is identified, staff are challenged, supported and given encouragement to make sure that teaching remains good or better.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s curriculum is interesting and motivating for the pupils and there are many activities, clubs, visits and visitors to enhance it further. Information and communication technology is used well throughout school. The staff use topics to bring different subjects together and make the use of literacy and numeracy meaningful and relevant.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided good support to the school, particularly through joint observations with the headteacher to validate her judgements on teaching and learning. There is a regular visit to check progress data with the school as part of the authority’s core service.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a heavy teaching commitment which means that there is less time to give to her leadership and management responsibilities. This restricts her capacity to visit and work with other schools and, as a result, the school does not benefit from a wider exchange of ideas.

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The leadership and management are good

 Effective use is made of the primary school sports funding to expand the range of activities in which pupils take part. In addition to this, the appointment of a physical education specialist has raised the knowledge and skills of all staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching in school and understand and question the data that the headteacher shares with them. As they have a number of new members, they have conducted an audit of their skills and put training in place to ensure that they fulfil all their responsibilities to the best of their ability. They work with an external advisor to check the work of the headteacher and have a good understanding of the process in place to check the work of the staff and to link their performance to pay. They ensure that all requirements for safeguarding are in place, and the appropriate training has been completed.

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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 112566 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 440520

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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 Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 49 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Bishop Headteacher Samantha Fisher Date of previous school inspection 24 January 2011 Telephone number 01433 620541 Fax number 01433 620541 Email address enquiries@hope.derbyshire.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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