Hilderthorpe Primary School

Hilderthorpe Primary School Shaftesbury Road, Bridlington, East Yorkshire, YO15 3PP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils’ progress between Years 1 and 6 is not yet consistently good in reading, writing and mathematics. Not enough pupils are making better than expected progress.  Over time standards at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 have been below the national average, particularly in reading in Key Stage 2.  Teaching over time has not been good enough to address the legacy of underachievement and ensure that pupils make consistently good progress.  Senior leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching are not sufficiently rigorous and focused on improving pupils’ learning.  Not all teachers are setting high enough expectations for pupils’ achievement, particularly the most able.  The newly formed leadership team have not had enough time to ensure that improvements are sustained and lead to improved teaching and achievement over time.  In Key Stage 2 pupils do not read widely enough, and have too little experience of different types of reading material. There is

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

insufficient focus on improving pupils’ use of spoken English.

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The school has the following strengths

 The recently appointed headteacher, supported by the deputy headteacher, has added drive and impetus to the improvements and has a clear understanding of what the school needs to do to improve further. As a result standards are rising.  Governors have recently reviewed the way they work and are now having a greater impact in supporting the school in its drive to raise standards.  There are good relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils behave well, are keen to learn and feel valued and safe.  Children settle well and make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Strong links have been developed with parents and attendance has improved considerably. The number of exclusions has declined.  Achievement in writing has improved.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons or parts of lessons, five of which were joint observations with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and a middle leader, and also reviewed the work in pupils’ books. In addition, the inspectors made a few short visits to observe pupils in small-group support sessions, and also heard pupils from Year 2 and Year 4 read. A Key Stage 1 and a whole-school assembly were also observed.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, staff, representatives of the governing body, a local authority representative and a number of parents.  Inspectors spoke informally to pupils in lessons and around the school, as well as having two more formal meetings with groups of pupils from Key Stages 1 and 2.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documents including: the school’s own information about pupils’ progress; planning; the monitoring of learning and

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Information about this inspection

teachers’ performance; organisation of the curriculum; records relating to behaviour and attendance; safeguarding information; and the minutes of governing body meetings.  Inspectors also took account of the 16 responses to the online survey (Parent View), 74 responses to the school’s parent survey (July 2014), a letter from a parent and 35 responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Peter Bailey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Derek Pattinson Additional Inspector Robert Jones Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hilderthorpe is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is extremely small.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil-premium funding, which is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority, is above average.  The proportion of pupils who move into or out of the school, other than at the usual times is above average.  The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of a part-time Nursery and Reception classes.  In 2013 the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has previously been led by local authority directed support through an acting headteacher and part time seconded executive headteacher. In September 2013, a new headteacher was appointed.  Since the last inspection an external review of governance has been undertaken.  The school runs a breakfast club for its pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils’ progress speeds up and attainment is raised by:  ensuring that all staff have consistently high expectations for learning so that all pupils learn at a faster rate  ensuring that the development of pupils’ language and literacy skills has a high and consistent focus in all the subjects taught in school  ensuring that teachers’ planning takes into account the need to provide for and challenge the most able, in order to boost their learning  increasing the range of opportunities in Key Stage 2 for pupils to read in school and provide a wider range of texts to further their enjoyment and love of reading.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by :  improving the systems for monitoring the quality of teaching by focusing more closely on the progress of pupils and on the usefulness of teachers’ targets  promoting further the potential of subject and phase leaders in supporting school improvement by ensuring they have more opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching, identify outstanding practice and share this to help develop teaching skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 By the end of Key Stage 2, the standards reached by pupils in 2013 were well below those found nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Although there is evidence of strong improvements in progress and attainment, the outcomes for the current Year 6 remain below the national average, particularly in reading.  In Years 1 to 6, pupils’ progress from their different starting points has been variable and is not yet consistently good. This is because the quality of teaching has not been consistently good or better.  Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and the Reception classes owing to the high quality of provision, and they make good progress. The majority of children join the school with skills and understanding below and frequently well below those typical for their age, particularly in communication and language and personal development. By the time they move to Year 1, their skills are much closer to those typical for this age.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards at the end of Key Stage1 have been consistently rising over the last three years, but owing to their low starting points, have been significantly below the national average in all subjects. In the current Year 2 the rate of progress has accelerated and pupils’ outcomes for 2014 are much closer to national expectations for reading and mathematics, although still below in writing.  Improved and effective teaching of phonics (understanding letters and the sounds they make) in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is helping to improve pupils’ reading skills. In 2014, in the Year 1 national phonics check, an above-average proportion of pupils reached the expected level, which was a marked improvement on the previous year. Younger pupils enjoy reading and read regularly at home. They use their skills well to work out unfamiliar words. However, this is not sustained in Key Stage 2 where progress and outcomes in reading are not

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

as strong as in writing and mathematics.  Evidence from a range of inspection activities shows that progress and attainment are improving. An increasing number of pupils are making and exceeding the progress expected of them, especially in writing. In Key Stage 2 however, this is not consistent across all year groups, and in particular in reading.  The school has introduced a more structured approach to the teaching of writing and, as a result, standards have improved across the school. Pupils are more aware of what they need to do to write in different styles and are developing a greater understanding of aspects of punctuation and grammar. However, methods introduced across the school to improve pupils’ spoken language are not used well enough or consistently by all teachers and so pupils are not increasing the range of their vocabulary.  Not all teachers are setting high enough expectations for pupils’ achievement. As a result, over

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

time, not enough of the most able pupils have gone on to achieve higher levels. The school has recently introduced interventions in order to provide more challenge for the most able pupils but this has not yet had time to show an impact.  Pupils supported by pupil-premium funding, including those eligible for free school meals, at the end of Year 6 in 2013, were, on average, half a year behind the others in all subjects. The school introduced more interventions in order to speed up progress and now data in school indicates that they are currently making similar rates of progress in English and mathematics to those of their classmates. The gap in attainment is reducing. This indicates the school’s commitment to equal opportunities, though the full impact of these initiatives is yet to be felt.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs have well-planned support and make good progress towards their personal learning targets, and outcomes for them are now broadly

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has not been good enough over a period of time for pupils to make consistently good progress. Although teaching has improved, and there is clear evidence of more good teaching in school over the past year, particularly in writing, there is still a legacy of weaker teaching that has adversely affected pupils’ progress and attainment.  Pupils make slower progress where teachers expect too little of them, both in their work rate and in the difficulty of tasks they are given.  In Key Stage 2, pupils make slower progress in reading, and a consistent approach to providing opportunities for increasing progress and furthering enjoyment of reading has not yet been established.  Opportunities are missed to develop as fully as possible pupils’ language and literacy skills in other subjects by consistently correcting grammatical errors in pupils’ verbal responses and reinforcing key vocabulary.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching is typically good and children make good progress

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

from levels that are below those which are usual for their age. Activities are well matched to the children’s needs and interests.  Teachers’ planning and the tasks pupils are given to do are generally well focused on what they need to learn because they are closely linked to clear statements for each level of learning. However, planning does not always provide well enough for the more able pupils who sometimes have to wait too long, after successfully completing their tasks, for further instructions.  Pupils are given good information about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve further.  The quality of marking and feedback to pupils in Years 1 to 6 has improved considerably and is consistently applied across subjects and year groups. It is highly effective in ensuring that pupils have clear guidance on how to improve their work, and that pupils respond to the comments and improve their work.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants are highly effective in delivering focused interventions and supporting pupils’ learning. They question pupils carefully, encouraging them to stay motivated and really think about their learning and about the answers they give.  Relationships are strong and help pupils’ learning in the classroom. Classrooms are orderly, well organised and attractive. Imaginative displays inspire pupils to learn. Good relationships and the use of praise are strong features in lessons and most pupils are keen to do well. The pupils say that things have improved and that teachers now make their lessons interesting and use a wide range of resources to help them learn.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  There has been a considerable transformation in pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning, helping them to make improved progress in lessons. Pupils are polite, well mannered and show respect for each other and adults. The school has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and an ethos that has a very positive impact on all aspects of the school’s work.  Pupils, staff, and parents are unanimous in their view that attitudes to school, conduct and behaviour have improved significantly.  The new leadership team prioritised improving behaviour, revising the behaviour policy and providing staff training to ensure consistency. The work has been extremely effective with an impact on all areas of the school. Pupils speak positively of how its ‘good to be green’, the school’s system for identifying pupils who behave well. The policy is well understood, valued and consistently applied by all staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Well developed support, provided by a highly skilled pastoral team, is in place for pupils who experience social or emotional difficulties. The impact of these actions is evidenced by the significant reduction in the number of incidents recorded, and exclusions in the last 12 months.  The school council is becoming increasingly active in giving pupils a say in school matters.  The breakfast club is well attended and gives those who use it a good start to the school day.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils report that they feel very safe in school. They have a clear understanding of the different types of bullying and say there is very little bullying in school. When it does occur they have the confidence in the staff to deal with it quickly. They have a good understanding of risk, supported well by the school’s input on personal and internet safety.  The school has worked hard to improve attendance, which is now in line with the national

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

average. Attendance for this academic year continues this upward trend. The number of pupils who are absent regularly has dramatically reduced and is now well below the national average.  In their responses to the inspection questionnaires, all staff, and an overwhelming majority of parents, agree that pupils are happy, well behaved and safe in school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although school leaders have established good behaviour throughout the school and secured improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ attainment, particularly in writing, leadership and management are still judged to require improvement because the actions taken to address identified weaknesses have not yet resulted in raising pupils’ achievement, and raising the overall quality of teaching to at least good.  Leaders undertake regular checks on the quality of teaching. However, they do not focus their observations sharply enough on the pupils’ learning and progress, and so guidance to teachers on how to improve does not always provide the necessary support.  The recently appointed headteacher, ably supported by the deputy headteacher, has enhanced the improving situation in the school and displays an unrelenting and passionate determination to steer the school in the right direction. She has established a shared purpose among staff to

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The leadership and management requires improvement

making every effort to continue improvement. Senior leaders have the confidence of the local authority, parents, pupils and staff in their ability to drive the school forward.  The local authority is fully aware of the difficulties the school has previously faced and has given an appropriate level of support during the period of transitional leadership and the appointment of the new headteacher, ensuring that the school is now on the road to becoming a good school.  The school’s view of itself is realistic. Senior leaders’ evaluation of teaching is accurate. Improved performance management is bringing an increasingly close link between teachers’ performance and pay progress. However, some of the teachers’ targets are not sufficiently specific and furthermore do not relate to their individual roles and areas of responsibility.  The middle leadership team is relatively new and inexperienced. The roles and responsibilities of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

phase and subject leaders have not yet fully developed. There is not enough delegation of responsibility, involvement in conducting lesson observations and sharing of good practice to enable them to make a greater contribution to school improvement and to raise pupils’ achievement further.  Pupils’ progress is carefully tracked enabling support to be targeted to where it is most needed and further improve pupil progress.  The curriculum appropriately promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and is enriched by a wide range of activities and extra clubs. A highly skilled pastoral team helps support individual pupils’ social and emotional development.  School leaders have successfully developed mutually supportive relationships with parents, especially in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They speak extremely positively of the staff, saying that they are approachable and know

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The leadership and management requires improvement

individual pupils well. During the inspection, 73 parents attended an open afternoon, and in conversation with inspectors strongly reinforced their positive views of the school.  Leaders use the primary school sport funding well to enhance sports provision. It has been used to increase the scope of sports activities available to pupils during and after school, to provide pupils with the opportunity to be coached by a sports specialist and to offer training to develop teachers’ expertise. A wide range of sporting opportunities are available to pupils after school. These are well attended and contribute to the pupils’ health and well-being.  All staff that completed the staff questionnaire were extremely supportive of the school’s leadership. One teacher commented, ‘The school is moving forward, teachers are valued, well supported and morale is getting stronger. In my opinion huge strides have been made in the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

past year.’  Policies and procedures for safeguarding meet statutory requirements and are managed effectively. The knowledge and skills of staff are kept up-to-date through regular and rigorous training.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is extremely supportive of the school and committed to its success. Since the last full inspection there have been several changes in the governing body. The current governors bring considerable skills and expertise to the role. They are knowledgeable and ensure that the school is on a pathway to improvement. They are fully involved in evaluating the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and development planning. They have undertaken training and are increasingly effective in holding the school to account. They are determined to tackle the weaker aspects of the school quickly. Governors now evaluate the quality of teaching and know how teachers are rewarded for their effectiveness. Governors have a clear

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The leadership and management requires improvement

understanding of the school’s finances, including sport funding, and are aware of the impact of decisions about the use of pupil-premium funding and how gaps in pupils’ achievement are closing. The governing body ensures that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.

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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 135700 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 442299

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 339 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr P Evans Headteacher Mrs K A Carlisle Date of previous school inspection 27 February 2013 Telephone number 01262 672475 Fax number 01262 604227 Email address hilderthorpe.primary@eastriding.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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