Hatherley Infant School

Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher has made a very significant contribution to driving school improvement in the school. She has raised the aspirations for all pupils and staff. This has led to improvements in the quality of teaching and rates of pupil progress that are impressive.  Pupils make good, and sometimes outstanding, progress in reading, writing and mathematics from low starting points.  Pupils learn well in lessons. They respond to the very positive learning environment created by teaching which captivates and interests them.  Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is outstanding. Pupils are proud of their school and say that they feel safe there. They have outstanding attitudes to learning.  Disabled pupils and those have special educational needs and those supported by the additional funding make the same good, and on occasions outstanding, progress as other pupils.  Parents and staff are very positive about the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school. They praise the school’s commitment to keeping their children safe and happy at school.  The support for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The well-being of every child is at the heart of everything the school does and, as a result, pupils’ behaviour and relationships with teachers and other pupils are outstanding.  Safeguarding procedures are highly effective and, as a result, pupils and parents are confident in the school’s safe environment.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not yet enough outstanding teaching. At times, work is not always hard enough, especially for the more able pupils.  Although progress is at least good, there was a dip in attainment last year.  The quality of marking in pupils’ books does not always help pupils to improve their work.  The work of the governors is not always systematic or linked closely enough to the school priorities.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 22 lessons, one of these was a joint observation with the headteacher. Pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime was also evaluated.  Meetings were held in school with the senior staff, governors, pupils and a representative from the local authority.  The views of the 23 parents who responded to the Parent View survey, together with those expressed in a parent survey undertaken by the school, were taken into account, as well as opinions gathered through discussions with parents on the playground. The inspectors also received and considered 16 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including: national assessment data and the school’s own assessments; the school’s evaluation of its work; procedures for the management of teachers’ performance; the school development plan; the sport funding premium action plan; the additional funding action plan; and samples of pupils’

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Information about this inspection

work. They also listened to a sample of pupils read.  Inspectors scrutinised the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and the records relating to this.

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Inspection team

Michelle Pickering, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Patricia Wright Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average-sized infant school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported by school action is significantly above the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is similar to the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for additional funding known as pupil premium provided for looked after children is similar to the national average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is slightly higher than average.  The percentage of pupils from an ethnic minority background is much higher than the national average.  The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  There is a children’s centre which operates from a building on the school site and is inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that standards at the end of Year 2 rise by ensuring:  all pupils complete work at the right level of difficulty so that they make even better progress  all marking is of high quality and helps pupils to understand exactly what they must do to improve.  Fully develop the role of the governing body in planning for development and checking the school’s performance.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are generally well below those expected for their age. As a result of consistently good, and sometimes outstanding teaching, children make good progress during this early stage of their education.  Many children enter Year 1 with skills that are below what would be expected for their age. Pupils make very good progress in Key Stage 1. By the end of Year 2, in 2013, their attainment was average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The results of the national reading screening check in Year 1 in 2013 were below national figures. However, the results for 2014 are significantly higher than the national results for 2013.  Standards in 2013 were not as high as they have been in previous years. This was as a result of the headteacher’s prompt action to change assessment processes to reflect pupils’ attainment more accurately. More able pupils make at least good progress. Evidence seen in pupils’ work

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The achievement of pupils is good

during the inspection shows that, due to accurate assessments, their attainment is now rising quickly.  Current information on achievement in Year 2 shows that pupils’ progress is at least good and often outstanding. Attainment is likely to be below expected levels for 2014 in writing and mathematics and above in reading. This is because the pupils have a low starting point and assessments have previously been too generous.  Current information on achievement in Year 1 shows that pupils’ progress is at least good, and sometimes outstanding. Attainment is on track to be above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is at least good. In the current Year 2 classes over two thirds of these pupils have made the progress expected in reading, writing and mathematics from their individual starting points. Over a third

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The achievement of pupils is good

of these pupils made rapid progress in writing and mathematics.  The pupils supported by additional funds make good progress. The school has effectively used this funding to support pupils’ learning and close the gap so that these pupils are only two terms behind all other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those whose first language is not English make at least the same good progress as their peers, and in some cases outstanding progress.  Pupils across the school are making rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This progress is clearly demonstrated in the work that children complete.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work, progress and school checks show teaching is typically good, and sometimes outstanding in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.  Work is marked frequently. However, feedback does not always give pupils enough guidance on exactly what they must do to move to the next level.  Occasionally, the work set for pupils is not at the right level and this can slow their progress. In particular, the work set for the most able does not always stretch and challenge these pupils.  The relationships between adults and children are very positive and contribute to the positive climate for learning.  Where teachers have high expectations pupils strive to meet these expectations. However, this is not always the case. When one child was asked if the work was hard enough he responded, ‘Extremely not. We want a challenge.’  Progress is now tracked carefully and accurately by the school. This, together with inspection

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The quality of teaching is good

evidence of pupils’ work, shows that all year groups are now making at least good progress throughout the school and an increasing proportion are making outstanding progress.  Where learning is the strongest, teachers plan work related to what pupils know, understand and can do, and additional adults are used to give extra guidance where it is needed. This ensures that all pupils are engaged in their learning and make at least good progress.  Pupils enjoy reading and listening to stories because the school ensures that pupils read widely and listen to stories regularly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding, both in classrooms and around school. Pupils demonstrate pride in their school in the way they look after their classrooms and how they uphold the school uniform policy.  During the inspection the inspectors observed the good manners of the pupils and how polite they were to adults and to each other. The school has been working hard to establish the values which result in caring and responsible learners. The outstanding attitudes of pupils’ impacts directly on their learning in the classroom where strong relationships between staff and pupils are the bedrock of this caring school. Low-level disruption in lessons is extremely rare. Pupils’ contribution to school life, for example as ‘buddies’ on the playground, school councillors and Eco Councillors, is exemplary.  The school works very effectively to ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

development is a major strength. The pupils take part in International Week and Global Arts week and learn about the diversity of backgrounds of other pupils at the school. For example, some pupils were able to talk knowledgeably about Mexico as they had studied it during International Week. They knew about the history of the country and could speak some basic Spanish phrases; they also knew why Mexicans speak Spanish. One child was keen to know if the inspector thought that Australians speak English properly.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils have a very good awareness of how to stay safe on the internet. The children were able to explain how they use the ‘dolphin’ on the screen to know they are in a safe place. The school is very effective in helping these young pupils to take responsibility for their own safety. This was impressive for children of this age.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils report that bullying is not tolerated. Pupils were also able to talk about who in school they can go to if they have any concerns or worries, in the full knowledge that it would be dealt with seriously and promptly. The school has a policy called ‘Helping Hand’, where pupils name five people who would help them.  The school has had no permanent exclusions in the last three years and two fixed term exclusions for pupils who are now receiving very specific support.  In discussions, inspectors learned from pupils that they ‘loved school’; this is supported by the increased attendance rates over the last three years. The school has a rigorous approach to monitoring attendance and punctuality and is very proud of the increases in attendance rates. This is a positive reflection on the leaders of the school in the persistent use of effective strategies to tackle absence.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders lead the school well. Leaders at all levels care about their school and have detailed plans to achieve their high ambitions for pupils. The values of the school are reflected in their sense of purpose, their caring, their high standards and their drive and commitment.  The results from the staff survey show that the staff are very committed to the leaders of the school and recognise all the hard work that the current leaders have undertaken.  All aspects of safeguarding are met to keep pupils safe. The school makes sure that all pupils are given equal opportunities and that discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The local authority has been supportive of both the headteacher and governing body and has provided suitable training when requested. The local authority recognises the huge amount of work the headteacher has done at the school. The school’s progress is checked by the local

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The leadership and management are good

authority.  Self-evaluation systems, which include observations of learning in lessons, analysis of planning and regular consultations with pupils and parents, are thorough and this means that areas of strength and weakness are identified accurately. Where any weakness is spotted, measures are put quickly into place to address them. An example of this is the programme implemented to improve how pupils learn their sounds and the impressive increases in the proportion of pupils passing the phonics screening check in 2014.  Arrangements for managing teachers’ performance are in place. Teachers have performance targets linked to the progress of the pupils they teach and to the school’s priorities. Teachers value the bespoke support and training they are given and this has helped to raise the quality of teaching in school.  The pupils develop well socially, morally, spiritually and culturally. For example, they have

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The leadership and management are good

opportunities to take part in a range of clubs and activities. Pupils are involved in positions of responsibility. The school council is involved in decision making and problem solving, for example looking at solutions because playtime equipment kept getting lost. It runs the Toy Tombola at the summer fete and the Eco Group is considering ways of being more earth friendly in school. Pupils also take part in a range of religious celebrations that reflect the diversity of the school and the local community. They fundraise for a range of charities.  The school has appropriate plans to ensure that it makes best value for money from the government’s new sport funding through the promotion of sport, physical education and healthy lifestyles, and a staff coaching programme. Pupils are enthusiastic about the additional opportunities this has created for them. Year 1 hockey skills have improved earlier than in

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The leadership and management are good

previous years. Some pupils have been ‘talent spotted’ and signposted to clubs in the town to support their further development. Balancing skills of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have also markedly improved.  Safeguarding arrangements fully meet with government requirements and the policies and procedures, including those for child protection and vetting of staff, are of high quality. Policies are clearly displayed on the school’s website.  Responses to Parent View and the results from surveys with parents were very positive about the school, the headteacher and the support given to their children. The majority of parents who expressed a view would recommend the school to others.  The governance of the school:  Governors work hard and are very conscientious. They are visible in school and have a good understanding about the strengths in teaching. They have knowledge of how well the school

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The leadership and management are good

performs and have demonstrated that they will challenge the leadership of the school to be accountable. They check that the headteacher is setting appropriate performance targets for teachers, rewarding good teachers and challenging underperformance. Governors organise a training programme to enable them to further their roles. Governors know how the school is performing in relation to other schools and have used this knowledge to question the headteacher and to impact on decisions they make about spending money. Governors have been fully involved in decisions about how the school spends the pupil premium additional funding, for example training staff to deliver a focused phonics programme, and also review the spending to see if the focus needs to change. However, governors are not always systematic or strategic enough in the approach to their work and this can limit the strength of their work.

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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 115484 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 443750

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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 Infant School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 173 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Judy Cera Headteacher Julie Gardener Date of previous school inspection 16–17 June 2009 Telephone number 01452 522027 Fax number 01452 307600 Email address admin@hatherley-inf.gloucs.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 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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