Hook-With-Warsash Church of England Academy

School report Hook-with-Warsash Church of England Academy Church Road, Warsash, Southampton, SO31 9GF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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 school benefits from strong leadership and very good direction from its headteacher and governors. The relentless drive for improvement ensures the school is well placed to improve further.  Current systems for monitoring teaching quality and pupils’ progress are comprehensive, rigorous and very effective. As a result, planning is very well targeted at addressing weaker aspects of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Pupils achieve well in all phases of the school. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is consistently much higher than in the majority of schools.  Effective support for pupils at risk of falling behind ensures they achieve as well as their classmates.  Teaching is good and is increasingly outstanding. The rate of pupils’ progress is accelerating.  Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. The promotion of spiritual, moral and social development is a strength. Older pupils are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

very mature and thoughtful young people who are well prepared for the future.  Governors are very well informed about teaching and pupils’ achievement. They are rigorous in their safeguarding duties. As a result, pupils feel very safe in school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching and learning are not yet consistently outstanding throughout the school.  Some aspects of writing and mathematics are not strong enough.  Some middle leaders are new to their roles. Not all are skilled at monitoring and supporting staff through the on-going checking of progress data.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors made 22 visits to lessons or parts of lessons, of which four were joint observations with the senior leaders. In addition, the inspection team made a number of other short visits to group or individual activities to help pupils at risk of falling behind to catch up.  A number of activities for physical education and sport were also observed. Inspectors heard a sample of pupils read and scrutinised a sample of pupils’ written work.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body, including the academy trusteees, and staff including senior and middle managers.  Inspectors took account of the 87 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and they spoke to a small number of parents bringing their children to school. Responses from the 20 staff questionnaires were analysed.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents, including the

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Information about this inspection

school’s records on current pupils’ progress, behaviour and attendance. Documents relating to planning and monitoring and safeguarding were looked at. Minutes of the meetings of governors, including the work of the academy trustees, were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Diane Wilkinson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Janice Williams Additional Inspector Christopher Crouch Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hook-with Warsash is a larger than average-sized primary school, with two classes in each year group. It converted to a Church of England academy in September 2012. When its predecessor school was inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be a good school overall.  The proportions of pupils with special educational needs supported by school action and also by school action plus or a statement of special educational needs are below the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including those who speak English as an additional language, is low.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is well below average. This funding is to provide extra support for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for children who are looked after.  Breakfast and after-school clubs are run by a private provider and are inspected separately.

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Information about this school

 There have been several changes in leadership this year due to retirement or promotion. The current headteacher was appointed in September 2013.  Since it became an academy, the school has established a wide range of partnerships with other schools and professionals, including outstanding schools and members of the National College of School Leadership.  The school is a University of Chichester partner school in Initial Teacher Training.  The school is part of a consortium working with other local schools to enhance the achievement of the most able pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement through ensuring that:  pupils’ spelling and use of punctuation are accurate  younger pupils become skilled at solving mathematical problems and investigations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the school’s marking policy is followed by all school staff, so that pupils fully understand how they can improve their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of middle leaders by developing strong monitoring and evaluation skills, including the ability to rigorously check pupils’ progress data.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment is well above average. By the end of Year 6, virtually all pupils reach the levels expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils likely to reach the higher Levels 5 and 6 has increased significantly this year. The school is well placed to maintain this improvement.  Children’s skills on entry to Reception are broadly at the level expected for this age. Effective teaching and a very well thought out curriculum ensure children make good progress. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development is improving rapidly. Attainment is above average by the end of the year.  By the time they enter Year 1, pupils already write interesting sentences, using their phonic (the sounds that letters make) knowledge to spell accurately. The quality of the language they use is built on very well from year to year. By Year 6, pupils’ writing is highly effective. Their autumn

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The achievement of pupils is good

poetry is very evocative in creating a sense of the season. Pupils’ work is sometimes marred by incorrect use of punctuation and inaccurate spelling.  Pupils develop very good calculation skills, using these well when working with measures or data. This enables Year 2 pupils to measure perimeters very accurately in both centimetres and metres. By Year 6, pupils have a very wide range of skills that help them to attain exceptionally well. Their calculation skills are especially good and they work confidently with different types of fractions, decimals and percentages and a wide range of measures and data.  Pupils in Years 5 and 6 very effectively carry out mathematical investigations and solve complex problems. This is less good in other year groups.  From Reception, pupils make excellent progress in acquiring phonic skills. Results in the Year 1 phonics screening check are consistently above average. By the end of Years 2 and 6,

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The achievement of pupils is good

attainment in reading is high. Most pupils reach at least the levels expected for their age and a high proportion exceed them.  Pupils develop a keen interest in reading and read widely and often. By Year 6, they are very skilled at picking up clues as to the plot and characters from the text. Excellent learning was observed during the inspection where pupils gained a very clear understanding of the setting from the opening lines of ‘The Tempest’.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well. Most reach at least the expected Level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics. This is also true of the very small proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including those who speak English as an additional language.  The school has focused on maximising the achievement of the most able pupils. As a result, there has been considerable improvement this year. They consistently achieve well and the

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The achievement of pupils is good

proportion likely to attain the higher Level 6 has risen significantly.  The small number of pupils who receive additional funding achieve well in both English and mathematics. They do as well as their peers.  The school is successfully closing the attainment gap between boys and girls, both of whom attain better than their peers nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school has raised its expectations of what pupils can achieve. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved well this year. Inadequate teaching has been eradicated and the proportion of outstanding teaching is increasing. However, there is still a variation in quality between year groups, so learning is not always outstanding.  Lesson planning is good and clearly identifies the expectations of good progress for pupils working at different levels.  Staff keep abreast of how well their pupils are learning by using a range of strategies. For example, they circulate during lessons, correcting errors and moving pupils on well when they have learnt quickly. Discussions are used effectively to help pupils understand and pupils are skilled at discussing work and supporting one another.  There is a well thought out marking scheme in place. However, not all staff apply this consistently. On too many occasions, marking does not indicate what pupils have achieved, nor

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The quality of teaching is good

what they should do to improve their learning.  Teachers generally manage behaviour well and lessons are rarely interrupted by poor behaviour. When lessons are highly challenging and interesting, learning moves at a swift pace and pupils achieve really well. Those pupils who are in danger of falling behind are well taught, both in lessons and in small group or individual activities. Skilled teaching assistants support pupils’ achievement well.  The most able pupils are very well taught, particularly in the older classes. This enables them to achieve well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Due to very strong support for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, pupils set high standards for themselves.  Older pupils are very supportive of others and their behaviour is often exemplary. This supports the very effective learning that takes place in these year groups. They are very mature and thoughtful young people who are very well prepared for future life.  A few pupils report that when lessons are not so interesting, they are sometimes distracted by others chatting, which slows their pace of learning. The school is very successful in improving the behaviour of those pupils who find consistently good behaviour difficult. Consequently this improves well over time.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school strongly promotes good relationships and non-tolerance of discrimination. Pupils report that bullying in most forms is

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

extremely rare and always dealt with swiftly and successfully.  Pupils enjoy school and rightly feel very safe there. Pupils are very secure in their knowledge of how to avoid hazards, including when using the internet.  Attendance levels are consistently above average and rising.  Most pupils get on well together. This supports effective paired and group work during lessons. Most play happily together at breaktimes, although some are less good at sorting out disagreements about football.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is a strong leader. She is especially skilled at enabling other senior and middle leaders to acquire and use their skills to support her drive for raising achievement. Despite a significant number of staff changes this year, the school is improving strongly.  Those middle leaders who are well established in the school play an effective role in supporting monitoring and improvement work. They successfully contribute to raising pupils’ achievement. Newer middle leaders have less impact on improvement areas because they are inexperienced and are not yet fully trained in their roles.  Teachers, including newly qualified staff, are well supported to help improve their practice. The school effectively supports the development of those training for a teaching career.  The school’s ability to raise achievement has been considerably strengthened by the wide range of rigorous monitoring procedures. These are carried out very effectively by senior staff and

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The leadership and management are good

governors. Accurate evaluation of monitoring information ensures the current development plan is very well focused on what still needs to improve.  The school closely monitors teaching and its impact on pupils’ achievement. This has driven forward improvement swiftly.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is given high priority in this Church of England academy. Pupils’ spiritual awareness is fostered exceptionally well. Their contribution to worship in the local church through music performances is very much valued by the community. Leaders and governors ensure pupils develop an understanding of, and empathy for, the range of cultures and religions in both the British and global society.  Staff and governors tailor the curriculum well to pupils’ specific needs and interests. This has a very positive impact on learning. Elements of local history associated with the First and Second World Wars have considerably heightened pupils’ awareness of global concerns. Year 6 pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

writing about life in the trenches is of exceptionally high quality.  Governors and leaders have been very proactive in seeking support, challenge and advice from very skilled leaders elsewhere. Inspection evidence indicates this supports development well and confirms the school’s ability to further improve.  The school works well with parents, most of whom are appreciative of its work. They enhance their children’s learning well through supporting homework, school activities and fundraising.  Excellent attention is given to the health and safety of pupils and all who work in the school. Safeguarding arrangements fully meet requirements. All policies and procedures are carried out rigorously.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has been very effective in organising and planning its work to include acting as academy trustees. There is a wide range of expertise amongst governors to support

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The leadership and management are good

and challenge the school in all aspects of its work. Governors are strongly committed to training, and to monitoring of the school’s work. As a result, they are very well informed about teaching quality and pupils’ progress. They are fully aware of the link between pupils’ progress and teachers’ progression up the pay scales when making pay awards. Teamwork with senior leaders is very well established. Value for money is carefully considered in the allocation of additional funding. This is allocated to extra staffing and activities for pupils. It is used effectively to ensure pupils achieve well. Funding to promote pupils’ well-being through physical education and sport is used especially well to enhance the quality of teaching, provide coaching from professionals and offer a wider range of sports activities. As a result, participation in and enjoyment of physical activity has increased and pupils achieve well in

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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 138719 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 444130

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 418 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Upward Headteacher Sara Willoughby Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01489 572393 Fax number 01489 570316 Email address admin@hookwithwarsash.co.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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