Hutton Henry CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Hutton Henry C of E (Controlled) Primary School Hutton Henry, Hartlepool, Cleveland, TS27 4RY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. They typically have attainment which is well above average by the end of Year 6 and make outstanding progress from their starting points.  Teaching is outstanding. Work is challenging and pitched at exactly the right level for all pupils. Pupils know exactly what skills they are learning, what they need to do to succeed and how they can improve their work.  Learning excites pupils, helps them see the links between subjects and offers them many chances to practise their skills in writing and mathematics. Pupils particularly enjoy art and design, history, science and drama.  However, some opportunities are missed to unlock pupils’ higher level skills of creativity in writing imaginatively and at length in English and other subjects.  Pupils’ behaviour is excellent; they say they feel extremely safe. They like the way they are friends with everyone in their small

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school.  The school offers excellent care and support and provides exceptionally well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Leadership by the headteacher is excellent. She is an outstanding teacher who has an extremely clear understanding of how pupils of all ages and abilities learn best. She has created high morale so that teachers and teaching assistants work highly effectively to improve pupils’ learning.  The headteacher and the governing body have an extremely clear understanding of the school’s strengths and relative weaknesses. They have acted decisively to improve the school after a period of instability in the leadership of the school.  They have improved teaching and re- established high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. They know exactly what needs to be done to make the school better still. Primary School , 25 March 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with staff, groups of pupils and the Chair of the Governing Body as well as two other governors. The inspectors also met with representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including the school’s improvement plan; the school’s data relating to pupils’ progress; the work in pupils’ books and the school’s documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning in four lessons taught by three teachers. They listened to groups of pupils in Years 1 and 2 read. In addition, the inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons.  The lead inspector conducted one lesson observation jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also observed the headteacher reporting back to the teacher on her findings regarding the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement in the lesson.  The inspectors took into account the 11 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also received one e-mail from parents.  Seven staff completed questionnaires and the responses were analysed.

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Inspection team

Gordon Potter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Anne Vernon Additional Inspector Primary School , 25 March 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  All pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is well below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school’s Year 6 class is too small to be measured against the government’s current floor standards. These set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.  There are morning-, lunchtime- and after-school clubs which are run by school staff and external coaches.  The headteacher has been in post since January 2014, having been acting headteacher from

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Information about this school

November 2012 during the unavoidable absence of the previous headteacher.  There are two classes: one for pupils in the Reception year and Years 1 and 2; and one for pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. The headteacher teaches in the class for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and 2 on a 0.4 basis. The teacher of the class for pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 is currently on maternity leave. Since January, this class has been taught by the teacher who had shared teaching with the headteacher in Reception, Years 1 and 2. A new teacher was appointed to the shared role in January.  During the inspection, pupils in Year 5 and 6 were out of school. Inspectors scrutinised the work in their books and spoke to them when they returned to school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Offer pupils even more opportunities to develop their imagination, creativity and writing skills by writing at length in English and other subjects. Primary School , 25 March 2014 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The abilities of different year groups vary in this very small school. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children make rapid progress from starting points that are typically below those expected for their age. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for their learning in Key Stage 1.  While there is some variability related to the abilities of different year groups, standards at the end of Year 2 are typically above average. There are too few pupils currently in Year 2 to make meaningful comparisons about their attainment without identifying them.  Standards at the end of Year 6 are typically well above average. In 2012 and 2013 standards dipped to average as a result of the varying abilities of the different year groups and because of some instability in the leadership of the school. Pupils currently in Year 6 are on track to attain standards that are above those expected for their age.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Work in pupils’ books and the school’s records indicate that pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are making excellent progress as a result of the outstanding teaching of reading, writing and mathematics that they receive.  While the proportions of pupils who are disabled, have special educational needs or are known to be eligible for the pupil premium are above average, they are few in number in this very small school. As a result, it is not possible to make meaningful comparisons about their attainment without identifying them.  Teachers and teaching assistants are very highly skilled at teaching and supporting these groups of pupils in their learning. As a result, they make the same excellent progress as other pupils in the school. This demonstrates that the school spends the pupil premium funding effectively and clearly shows the school’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities and tackling

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

discrimination.  In 2013 the most able pupils in Year 6 attained the higher levels in reading and mathematics. However, too few pupils attained the higher levels in writing. The school has addressed this by offering all groups of pupils more opportunities to write at length in English and other subjects. As a result, the most able pupils in Year 6 are making rapid progress. There is excellent teaching and they undertake work that helps them to increase their skills, deepen their knowledge and attain the higher levels.  However, there remain some missed opportunities to allow pupils to develop their imagination, creativity and writing skills which prevent attainment in writing being higher still.  Inspection evidence shows that progress in reading is excellent. This is the result of a consistent focus on reading. Pupils’ very clear knowledge of how letters are linked to sounds helps them to read words they are not used to. Pupils of all ages speak enthusiastically about the books and

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

authors they enjoy when reading in school and at home.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is excellent over time in reading, writing and mathematics in all classes and for all groups of pupils. Work is extremely well matched to the learning needs and interests of pupils of different ages and abilities and lessons move at a brisk pace. Pupils know exactly what skills they are learning, what they need to do to succeed and how they can improve their work. They are given time to answer challenging questions.  For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 were engaged in writing instructions about how they had made models of characters from The Minpins. They were clear about the skills they were learning and encouraged to talk about and plan their ideas. They were then helped to think about how they could improve their writing. As a result they made outstanding progress.  Similarly, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were helped to extend their understanding of how to solve word problems through deciding for themselves which mathematical skills to use. The work was

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

challenging, but they were able to understand the steps to take to succeed in their work. Even more challenging work in multiplying decimal fractions was given to them at appropriate times as their teacher checked their understanding. As a result, they made outstanding progress.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and pupils know how well they are learning. Pupils receive simple and clear advice about how they can improve their work and are given time to act upon that advice. As a result, they are making outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils say that behaviour is excellent in their lessons, around school, during assemblies and in the dinner hall. Inspectors agree. They enjoy their small school where they are all friends together. Older pupils look after younger children and members of the ‘sports committee’ help pupils play safely and enjoyably together.  Pupils show great respect for one another and are extremely polite to adults. They show maturity and enjoy taking on responsibilities well, especially as ‘playground friends' and ‘classroom champions’. They develop social skills through the many opportunities to learn together, in the sports activities they do with pupils from other schools and in the school clubs.  The school council helps to draw up school rules and discusses them and other health and safety issues with the governing body. It offers ideas to improve the playground and adapt school

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

rules.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents and pupils are certain that pupils are safe and happy in school and there are exemplary procedures to ensure that this is indeed the case, with all adults offering highly effective and sensitive care to pupils. Pupils know they can turn to adults for help and be certain that problems will be dealt with.  As a result, pupils feel extremely safe. They are very aware of different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying and homophobic bullying. They say that there is no bullying and that the only time pupils fall out is over football. Even here, they have agreed ways amongst themselves and with the headteacher to overcome the problem.  The very few pupils who find it difficult to behave well are exceptionally well managed by staff and their behaviour has improved rapidly. As a result, there have been no exclusions.  The school has worked effectively to improve attendance which is above average. This is

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

because pupils feel extremely safe and enjoy their lessons and because of the many exciting topics they study. For example, pupils in Key Stage 2 enthused about their performance of Romeo and Juliet in the local secondary school. They are very proud of their school, take care to present their work neatly and work extremely hard at all times.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher offers excellent leadership. She has had a remarkable impact on the school in the year she has been in post. She has a very clear view of its strengths and weaknesses and demands the highest standards. She has created strong teamwork and high morale through sensitive and encouraging leadership that involves all staff in school improvement.  As a result, all teachers and teaching assistants thrive on being responsible and accountable for pupils’ learning and achievement. The school is a calm and safe environment which allows focused and stimulating learning to take place and which enables teachers and pupils to flourish and give of their best.  The headteacher regularly checks the quality of teaching. She understands what constitutes good teaching and judges it accurately. She is extremely clear in her feedback to teachers who respect and welcome her advice and act upon it. This is closely linked to on-going training for

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The leadership and management are outstanding

teachers. As a result, teachers new to the school and to teaching in general, are helped to improve rapidly, and teaching across the school is excellent.  The headteacher has introduced clear procedures to use data to measure and evaluate pupils’ progress and ensures that other teachers have the same understanding. The school improvement plan has appropriate areas for development, specific targets for pupils’ attainment and there are clear procedures to check its impact regularly and systematically.  Salary progression has been used very well to improve teaching and raise standards because teachers are very clear that they will only be rewarded when their pupils have done as well as, or better than, they should have done.  The primary school sports funding has been used effectively to develop competitive sports, to use coaches to develop expertise in teaching physical education and to introduce new sports,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

such as fencing and dance. Although no physical education lessons were seen during the inspection, pupils say they enjoy their lessons and teachers welcome the focus on developing their own skills while working alongside the coaches. These are contributing well to pupils’ physical development and well-being.  While the school focuses on developing pupils’ basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, it also provides many opportunities for pupils to write and apply their mathematical skills across different subjects. However, some opportunities are missed to promote the pupils’ imagination and creativity in writing.  The curriculum builds on pupils’ enjoyment of history, art and design, science, drama and religious education and contributes extremely strongly to their highly developed spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.  The school welcomes the support and advice it receives from the local authority. This has helped

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The leadership and management are outstanding

to improve the quality of teaching and learning and provided clear advice on personnel issues.  The governance of the school:  Governors offer exceptionally effective support and rigorous challenge to the school. They have ensured that the school has improved. The Chair of the Governing Body offers clear, well informed leadership and all governors are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the school, using their professional expertise and organising their own training. They have clear systems to check closely the school development plan, the quality of teaching, the achievement of pupils and the curriculum. In addition they understand the arrangements to check the teachers’ performance and any rewards for good teaching. The budget is extremely well managed. As a result, there is a planned increase in the number of teachers and opportunities for new leadership roles. Governors receive clear information about how the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

pupil premium funding and the new primary school sport funding are allocated and are very knowledgeable about their impact. They ensure that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities for safeguarding. All staff have been vetted and are trained appropriately to keep pupils safe and free from harm. As a result, teaching, pupils’ achievement, behaviour and safety, and leadership and management are outstanding. Primary School , 25 March 2014 7 of 9

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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. Primary School , 25 March 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 114232 Local authority Durham Inspection number 431327

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 45 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nicola Bloomfield Headteacher Susan Gibbins Date of previous school inspection 6 July 2009 Telephone number 01429 836219 Fax number 01429 836219 Email address p3183.admin@durhamlearning.net 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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