Hillview Primary School

Beechwood Avenue, Beechwood East, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 3HB

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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.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage thanks to well organised provision.  From Years 1 to 6, pupils achieve well and make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The pupils with a special need or disability make good progress as the adults who support them are well trained.  Teaching is good with some outstanding teaching observed during the inspection.  Teaching assistants are a real strength of the school as they are well prepared to deliver high-quality provision to pupils.  The new acting headteacher ensures that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of pupils’ development are very strong.  The new senior leadership team are effective. They have generated enthusiasm and commitment and ensure staff know the priority areas needed to make further improvements.  Behaviour is good as pupils are polite, well behaved and courteous. They have positive

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

attitudes and are keen to engage with adults. Cooperation is very good.  Safety is a huge strength of the school as there are thorough systems in place to safeguard children. The school is vigilant about procedures.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The most-able pupils do not make as much progress as they could in reading and mathematics.  Teachers do not always ensure pupils respond to their marking so that they improve their work even further.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 15 lessons and made a number of short visits to lessons. They listened to some pupils read in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6 and then asked them about their reading books. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) was observed in the Early Years Foundation Stage, in Year 1 and in Year 2.  Separate meetings were held with members of the governing body, staff, groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed information from 11 responses to the on-line parent questionnaire (Parent View).  They took account of the views of staff from eight questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including national assessment data, the school’s assessments, the school’s view of its own performance, curriculum information, pupils’ work and safeguarding documents.

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Inspection team

Jean Tarry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christine Addison Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hill View Primary School is a smaller than averaged-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is in line with the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  The school hosts many community activities throughout the year for pupils and parents in the

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Information about this school

local community.  The former headteacher retired in April 2014. There is now an advertisement on the website for a new headteacher. The assistant headteacher and the acting headteacher still have teaching commitments in Years 2 and 6 and they continue to lead and manage the school.  A pre-school playgroup and breakfast club are offered on the school site by independent providers; these provisions were inspected separately and their reports can be found on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and speed up the rate of progress for the most-able pupils in reading and mathematics by: - ensuring pupils develop more sophisticated reading skills across different subjects - ensuring pupils are consistently given challenging opportunities to practise their mathematical problem-solving skills across different subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to good or outstanding by ensuring teachers consistently get pupils to respond to their marking in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. They make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Some pupils make outstanding progress, especially in their writing. As a result, standards at the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics are in line with the national average. Current data indicates that standards are rising, with some pupils predicted to achieve the higher Level 6 in 2014.  Most children start school with skills in reading, writing and number that are below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in the Reception Year because teaching is well organised. Full account is taken of children’s varying abilities when planning group activities, such as when they learn about letters and the sounds they make (phonics).  Between Years 1 and 6, many pupils make sustained, good progress. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels at the end of Year 6 is high compared to pupils nationally in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

However, it is not as high in reading and mathematics.  In 2013, in the national check of pupils’ skills in phonics at the end of Years 1 and 2, a higher proportion of pupils than nationally reached the expected standard. The phonic skills of pupils in the school are developing well. There was a significant improvement from 2012 to 2013 because of effective staff training.  Pupils read widely and often enough to develop their reading skills at the expected rate and beyond. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading are in line with schools nationally. What is provided in Year 6 to improve reading is good and this results in good progress. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop reading skills across other subjects to achieve the higher levels at the end of Year 6.  In mathematics, although pupils do well, they do not do as well as they do in writing. Leaders do not have a tight enough grip on all the school’s assessment information to ensure that what is

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The achievement of pupils is good

provided is the best it can possibly be for all groups of pupils. Pupils do not have an opportunity to practise their skills in mathematical problem-solving activities across other subjects.  Those pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their peers thanks to the good support in school and the school’s effective partnerships with external agencies.  The pupil premium funding ensures that the pupils eligible for such funding, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, are making good progress. The gaps in attainment appear wide but often these pupils have a specific barrier to learning such as a special need. Therefore the standards they reach are often difficult to compare with others. Overall, the school makes sure all pupils have equal opportunities to do well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work in pupils’ books, particularly with pupils’ writing in Key Stage 2, confirms that the quality of teaching is typically good over time.  Work in lessons is planned through an accurate understanding of what pupils are able to do and so they learn well. However, an analysis of the gaps in the pupils’ mathematical and reading knowledge is not always reflected in the tasks that pupils are asked to do. Hence, work is not always hard enough to challenge pupils, particularly the most-able. Consequently, progress for this group of pupils slows down.  Further training and a school focus on the teaching of writing have made a significant difference to pupils’ learning since September 2013. The teaching of writing is now consistently good and sometimes outstanding, especially in Key Stage 2.  In Year 6, pupils were asked to work out multiplication problems using written methods. Because the teacher expected the best from pupils, they made outstanding progress as the

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The quality of teaching is good

activity really challenged them to make a whole host of difficult calculations. They enjoyed and achieved the challenge in their endeavour to get the problems correct.  In Year 3, pupils made good progress as they chose the right equipment to accurately measure playground markings. They were able to use their reading skills to solve mathematical problems to calculate how far someone had to travel.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and with celebratory comments. However, too often pupils are not given the opportunity to respond to comments in their books and so they do not learn from their mistakes.  The teaching assistants are very well trained and make a significant impact on pupils’ good learning because the help they give is well adapted to suit pupils’ needs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. However, the school does not really analysis the behaviour effectively and are unable to show the impact of their actions over time.  Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning and school life. The conduct around school is good. There is little low level disruption. Pupils are polite, keen to engage with adults and work cooperatively with each other. Relationships across the school are strong.  Classrooms are bright, safe and well cared for. Children are smart and take pride in their school. Pupils say bullying is dealt with effectively. It rarely happens, but when it does pupils have confidence in the school to help them. Pupils know what to do if this happens.  Pupils feel safe in and around school. Strong systems to safeguard pupils are a high priority. Awareness of safeguarding is very high and processes are good. Pupils learn about different

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

aspects of safeguarding such as internet and road safety.  Attendance is high compared to the national average and has been for the last two years. Persistent absence is low and punctuality is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school to learn and achieve.  Parents, staff and pupils agree that behaviour and safety are good. The pupils and staff are proud of their school. A member of the support staff said, ‘I enjoy working at this school as the staff are friendly, welcoming and supportive. The children are lovely.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The acting headteacher and assistant headteacher are driving improvement by ensuring that teachers concentrate on the progress pupils are making from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.  Senior leaders regularly assess pupils’ knowledge and skills. This means that the school’s data tracking pupils’ standards and progress are reliable. Meetings to discuss pupils’ progress are effective and result in good and better progress for pupils, especially in writing.  The quality of teaching is checked by the senior leadership team regularly and well. This has already led to improvements in teaching and has identified where further improvements are needed. Leaders hold staff to account for the progress of pupils and they link this well to any increase in pay. However, the middle leaders are not as involved in identifying where improvements can be made in their subject areas. Up to now there has been little effective focus

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The leadership and management are good

by them on improving the performance of the most-able in reading and mathematics. Senior leaders have identified this and are already taking steps to improve things.  School leaders regularly check how well additional funds are used. For example, pupil premium funding is used well to ensure those who are entitled to it do as well as others. Some of these pupils at the school also have additional needs.  The new primary school sports funding is being used to provide a wider range of sporting opportunities for pupils. The impact of this funding can be seen in how well pupils are doing. It is also being used to add to teachers’ skills in teaching physical education so that the benefits to pupils are long lasting, even when the funding stops in the future.  There are very effective partnerships with external agencies and this is helping to ensure those with special educational needs make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is a real strength of the school because it is well thought out, lively and keeps pupils keen to learn. The leaders ensure that pupils’ basic skills are developed well in addition to a strong focus on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness, which is often a strength.  The local authority provides light-touch support for the school because it is confident in the past and present leadership and management. The school leadership have taken the initiative with staff training and professional development. This has resulted in rapid and sustained improvement in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the last inspection.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear view of pupils’ achievement through their analysis of the results of national tests. They have a good grasp of what teaching in the school is like. Governors support the leaders in ensuring good appointments are made. They check that performance-

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The leadership and management are good

management systems are implemented effectively.  They ensure that the pupil premium funding is allocated to support the learning of those pupils for whom it is intended and have checked closely whether this support has been successful in narrowing the gap in the standards reached by these pupils compared with similar pupils nationally. Statutory duties are fulfilled and meet requirements. Governors ensure that pupils are treated equally and discrimination is not tolerated.

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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 111169 Local authority Halton Inspection number 444285

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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 192 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karl Ashton Headteacher Richard Jackson (Acting Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 12 October 2009 Telephone number 01928 714666 Fax number 01928 712304 Email address sec.hillview@halton.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 and 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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