Hemington Primary School

Hemington Primary School Main Street, Hemington, Derby, DE74 2RB

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Effective leadership and management have led to greatly improved teaching and achievement, especially in the last year.  Leaders, including governors, under the clear direction of the headteacher, are developing good systems to track pupils’ progress and check on the quality of teaching.  Achievement is good, especially in reading. By the end of Year 5, attainment is good in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers have received effective advice, support and training and this has helped them to improve their practice and hence pupils’ progress.  Teachers’ assessments are accurate and, in most cases, used carefully to give pupils appropriately demanding work. As a result, progress is good overall.  Well-planned provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage means they have a happy start to their time in Reception and make good progress.  Leaders have introduced an exciting curriculum, which meets the new national requirements, and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

strongly supports pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development and their enjoyment of lessons.  Pupils feel safe in school, and are confident that the adults and their friends will take care of them. They have very positive relationships with each other.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and their keenness to learn contributes well to their achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Aspects of teaching, which are strengths in most lessons, are occasionally weak in others.  Teachers do not always challenge moreable pupils sufficiently and do not always monitor pupils’ progress in lessons thoroughly.  Although the marking of pupils’ work is increasingly informative about what they have done well, it does not consistently show them how to improve.  The school has not fully implemented its new assessment arrangements, which are designed to reflect the requirements of the new curriculum.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed substantial parts of seven lessons, two as joint observations with the headteacher. The inspector and headteacher also made briefer visits to three lessons during a ‘learning walk’ to observe the breadth of the curriculum.  The inspector had discussions with groups of pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5, with staff and with representatives of the governing body. The inspector also chatted informally to many pupils, and heard several pupils in Years 1 and 5 reading. A representative of the local authority discussed the school’s effectiveness with the inspector.  The inspector took note of 29 replies to the online survey, Parent View, and reviewed the school’s own analysis of a survey of parental views undertaken. Replies to a questionnaire for staff were also considered.  A range of documentation was examined, including the school’s self-evaluation, results of assessments and information about keeping pupils safe.

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Information about this inspection

 Samples of pupils’ work from the last twelve months were scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Steven Hill, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than most primary schools.  There are three mixed-age classes, comprising a class of Reception children working with Year 1, a class of Year 2 and Year 3 pupils and a class of Year 4 and 5 pupils. There are no pupils in Year 6. All local schools send their children to the nearby college at the end of Year 5.  Almost all the pupils are White British. None speaks English as an additional language.  No pupils are supported by a statement of special educational needs or education, health or care plans.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is extra funding provided to support the education of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, or who are (or have been) looked after by the local authority.  The school runs a daily breakfast club for its own pupils.  There have been considerable changes in staffing since the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, so that achievement is outstanding, by ensuring that teachers consistently:  make regular checks on the progress of pupils in lessons and provide timely help to any who are confused  provide work for all pupils, particularly the more able, that challenges them to achieve even higher standards  mark pupils’ work so that they are shown clearly how to improve, and ensure that pupils act on their teachers’ advice.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Implement the new assessment systems as planned, continue to monitor the progress of individuals and groups and provide support to those who need it.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection, the headteacher has put together a new team who are working increasingly effectively together. They are strongly focused on the welfare and achievement of pupils and on ensuring that each individual makes good progress. A strong sense of common purpose has been successfully established by the headteacher, so that even when she was absent for a prolonged period, colleagues continued to make improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have made extensive and effective use of the expertise in the local authority and worked collaboratively with other local schools to help it to develop. In particular, staff have worked with colleagues to check that their assessments of pupils’ attainment are accurate and reliable.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have worked effectively to improve the reliability of teachers’ assessments and this has driven the improvements in teaching and progress. Assessment is now used much more accurately to check pupils’ achievement and to provide extra help to any individual pupils who are in danger of falling behind.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has developed a new assessment system, linked to the new national curriculum, and is well on its way to implementing it. It has not yet finalised details of how results can be organised and managed or decided how best to track and support the learning of different groups, such as those who are more able, as effectively as the previous system did. The school has rightly made this a priority.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers with additional responsibility have undertaken regular monitoring of teaching. This has enabled them to give staff clear advice, which has helped them improve their practice. Staff work together extremely well to share expertise and to raise standards. The information gained is used to set targets for teachers and provide any extra training needed. Leaders ensure that arrangements to check the performance of teachers are used well to reward good performance and address any issues.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leadership, including the governing body, now has a much clearer understanding of its own role than at the last inspection. This has enabled it to address issues, build on strengths,improve provision for pupils and so raise their achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum has been made more interesting and exciting for pupils over the last two years, and staff have now incorporated the changes required by the new national curriculum, without losing the elements that pupils say make learning ‘fun’. There is a good balance between subjects, with a proper emphasis given to reading, writing and mathematics. Provision strongly supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This ensures pupils develop a clear sense of values and consistently show respect and consideration for others. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 All three class teachers in the school undertake leadership roles and contribute well as a team to monitoring the school’s effectiveness. Their work in supporting the headteacher in driving improvements shows the school is well placed to continue to get better.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding procedures meet national requirements, and pupils and parents overwhelming say that the school is a safe and friendly environment.

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The leadership and management are good

 The support from the local authority in the last two years has been very effective. Expertise has been provided to help the school make improvements, particularly in assessing pupils’ progress. In addition, the local authority has funded much-needed improvements to the accommodation for the Early Years Foundation Stage, with positive effects on pupils’ experiences.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has greatly increased its effectiveness since the last inspection. Governors undertake their statutory duties conscientiously. They have ensured that the school has responded well to the challenges posed by the new curriculum and the implications for assessment, and make sure that key values such as tolerance and understanding of the beliefs of others are carefully promoted.  New procedures have given governors a very good insight into the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and improved their use of data to check on pupils’ progress. This enables them to challenge the school’s leaders effectively, and support them in making improvements. Governors ensure the arrangements for the performance management of staff, including the headteacher, meet requirements.  Money is spent thoughtfully and the impact of spending decisions checked carefully. For example, the

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The leadership and management are good

pupil premium money has been spent on academic support that is carefully matched to the needs of eligible pupils. Governors are fully aware of the impact of this on individual achievement. The funding has also been spent effectively on helping ensure that these pupils’ attendance has risen, and that they can all take a full part in different aspects of school life.  Funding to support pupils’ involvement in sports has been used well to provide new and wider experiences for pupils, and to extend staff expertise, so that provision continues to improve in the longer term.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has a marked impact on this. Pupils understand the need for rules and follow them conscientiously. Behaviour in lessons is often impeccable and this, together with their good concentration, helps them make good progress. Parents, staff, governors and pupils themselves are very positive about behaviour in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very keen to learn, work hard in class and persist with a task even if it is difficult. They are interested in their learning and think carefully about their work. They have excellent collaborative skills and, from Reception onwards, are able to discuss their work together sensibly,, share materials and reach decisions amicably.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ positive relationships with each other, as well as with adults, promote a positive ethos in the school. Pupils are thoughtful and mindful of the needs of others. They feel it is their responsibility to look after each other and show concern and care if anyone is upset. Older pupils recognise how important it is for them to be good role models for younger children.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Boys and girls from different age-groups and backgrounds get along well and play and work together happily. Pupils are tolerant of each other’s foibles, like to see that everyone is included in activities and respect each other’s views and feelings.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe and happy in school, enjoying both their social interactions and their lessons. They have a good understanding of keeping safe in different situations, and discuss safety issues animatedly, when talking about the dangers of fire, for example.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of bullying, including cyber-bullying for example, and distinguish sensibly between this and other misbehaviour. They say that there is occasionally ‘naughty’ behaviour, but say this never develops into bullying. One older pupil said that they all look out for each other so that no- one would be allowed to get away with bullying. They emphasised the importance of telling an adult if they were worried about things, and were confident that issues would be dealt with quickly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has gone up recently to be above average, and pupils value the recognition they receive for good attendance. Their enjoyment of school means they are keen to be there.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection, and achievement has risen as a result.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers manage classes well. Their expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour are high, and pupils work hard to fulfil these. Teachers explain ideas clearly, often using practical materials or the interactive whiteboards very effectively to illustrate and clarify key points of learning. Teachers make sure pupils understand precisely what each activity is designed to teach them, for example by modelling activities as necessary, so that pupils are clear about what to do and no time is wasted.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are very skilled in preparing activities that interest and engage pupils, as well as developing their skills and understanding systematically. This means that pupils are enthusiastic about learning and keen to succeed. Teachers develop pupils’ social skills, and their speaking and listening abilities, very well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers generally use assessment well to provide work that is neither too easy nor too hard for different groups, so that pupils generally make good progress. However, although the moreable pupils are given harder work, they show in discussion that they are capable of tackling even more difficult tasks. This means thattheir progress is not outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of skilled teaching assistants to help pupils learn and provide good support for pupils who find academic work difficult.. These pupils are given a good mix of challenge and support, and any problems they have are quickly spotted and dealt with.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All teachers and other adults monitor pupils’ progress in lessons, stepping in to help if pupils are ‘stuck’ or have misunderstood what is wanted, but the effectiveness of their interventions varies. Occasionally, particularly if there is just one adult in the room, misunderstandings are not picked up quickly enough, so progress is not as good as it could be. Pupils’ mistakes are not always identified or corrected, and the moreable are sometimes allowed to ‘coast’ and are not always moved on to the harder work they are capable of.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of the marking of pupils’ written work is inconsistent. All teachers acknowledge and praise what has been done well, and point out what elements of work are weaker. In the best practice, pupils are given clear advice for their next piece of work, asked to consider questions about how current work could be better, or given extra practice todevelop their understanding. However, this is not always the case, and pupils do not always respond to the advice they have been given. The school has identified this issue and staff are working together to ensure that marking is consistently effective.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement has improved since the last inspection, and all pupils now make good progress. The school’s assessments show that fluctuations and inconsistencies between classes and between subjects have largely been eliminated.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of the mostable pupils varies. They make good progress overall but, occasionally, are not challenged sufficiently by the work they are set. Consequently, their attainment, whilst good, is seldom outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 . On the whole, children enter the Reception class with attainment that is broadly typical for their age, but this varies from year to year and between individuals. Last year’s intake, for example, all made good progress from their individual starting points but overall results were slightly below the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are making good progress in phonics (how the letters in words represent different sounds) and pupils did well in the most recent national check of their phonic knowledge.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results of national assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 have fluctuated over time but have generally been average or above. However, school leaders identified some inaccuracies in previous results,which . made it difficult for the school to keep an accurate check on pupils’ progress as they moved through the school. Leaders worked closely with the local authority and other schools to rectify this issue and now have a clearer understanding of pupils’ starting points. ‘Year 2 results in 2014 were stronger in reading than in mathematics but broadly average overall. This represents good progress during Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 5 last year was above what is typical for their age. Work in their books shows they made good progress across the year in writing and mathematics, for example, many reaching standards that would be typical of pupils a year older. The school’s own tracking shows that this year group made good progress last year, as did pupils in Years 3 and 4.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By Year 5, pupils are competent, regular and keen readers, who display clear individual preferences for what they like to read. They make good use of their writing skills, in particular, in a range of subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in the light of their specific difficulties and their starting points. A programme of work, and extra help tailored to their specific needs, ensures that they are able to make good gains in their knowledge and understanding across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The very small number of pupils entitled to support from the pupil premium (more than half of whom currently have special educational needs) make good progress.. There were no such pupils in Year 2 last year and there is therefore no data available to show how well they are attaining relative to other pupils, either in the school or nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The work on display shows that pupils do well in a range of subjects. Their models of the Wooden Horse, for example, show good skills in design and technology. Music is a strength. Pupils’ singing is of good quality, and those in the eldest class showed good skills when performing with a range of percussion instruments during the inspection. Year 5 pupils report that they enjoyed the chance to play ukuleles last year, and are all looking forward to the opportunity to learn the clarinet this year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are keen on sport and take part with enthusiasm. Leaders have used sports funding well to improve the quality of teaching and to increase opportunities for pupils to take part in sport, even though the school lacks a hall or a playing field.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership in the Early Years setting is good. This ensures children feel safe and secure and settle quickly into the school’s routines. Last year, the provision was largely managed by the headteacher as the class teacher was new. She is now taking over the bulk of the work for leading the provision. This is being done efficiently.

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The early years provision is good

 Provision is good so that children, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress. The adults are skilled in ensuring that, within the context of accommodation shared with Year 1, the youngest children get their full entitlement, and benefit from the example of their older classmates.

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The early years provision is good

 The provision shares many of the strengths of the rest of the school. Children settle quickly and happily into the setting and its routines, and this is helped by the care and consideration shown to them by older pupils. They enjoy the many and varied activities provided, sometimes as a group and sometimes with the Year 1 children. They have good relationships with the adults and with other children.

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The early years provision is good

 The children are taught well by a teacher and a skilled teaching assistant, who rotate between the two year-groups. The outdoor area is used effectively to extend and enhance children’s learning, with adults often linking activities well to what is happening in class. There is a good balance between activities directed by the teacher and those chosen by children.

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The early years provision is good

 Assessment and record keeping are strong and ensure that activities are matched well to children’s interests and abilities.

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The early years provision is good

 Good systems are in place to take into account the views of parents and to inform them about how their children are doing.

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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 119934 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 431606

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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 4-10 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 55 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Bourke Headteacher Jane Siddons Date of previous school inspection 11 September 2012 Telephone number 01332 810447 Fax number 01332 810447 Email address o.office@hemington.leics.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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