Hindringham Church of England Primary School

Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Wells Road, Hindringham, Fakenham, NR21 0PL

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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

 The school is improving rapidly with the new leadership working effectively, supported by an active governing body.  Good-quality training and leaders’ regular checks on teaching have improved classroom practice and pupils’ achievement.  More accurate teacher assessment and better use of pupils’ data have brought about the necessary improvements in the quality of teaching.  Pupils feel safe in school and understand how to keep themselves safe. Parents are also confident their children are safe at school.  Behaviour is good in and around the school. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They concentrate in lessons and take a pride in their school .  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress in acquiring early learning skills so they have a good start to their education.  Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Older pupils are catching up on learning missed through weaker

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching in the past .  Pupils benefit from the lively curriculum taught through a wide range of topics, visitors to the school and trips. These broaden pupils’ experiences and contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The work for more-able pupils does not always make them think hard, especially in mathematics.  Teachers do not all insist on high enough standards in pupils’ handwriting and presentation in books.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) has not always ensured pupils use these skills consistently in their reading and writing. Inspection report: Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17–18 September 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed a range of teaching in both classes. All teachers were observed, nearly all jointly with the headteacher and/or deputy headteacher. Playtime and lunchtime were also observed.  Discussions were held with pupils, the headteacher and other staff, and representatives of the governing body and the local authority. The inspector also took account of the 14 staff questionnaires.  The inspector heard pupils read and checked work in pupils’ books.  School documents were considered, including: the school’s development plan, records of governing body meetings, and safeguarding policies and procedures. A close scrutiny was made of school data on pupils’ progress.  The 16 responses to the online Parent View survey were analysed and parents’ comments taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Karen Heath, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17–18 September 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  In April 2013, the school formally federated with three other primary schools to form the Pilgrim Federation. The schools share the same headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject and other leaders, and governing body.  Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes: Reception and Key Stage 1 in one class, and Key Stage 2 pupils in the other.  Nearly all pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average. A small number of pupils have statements of education, health and care plans.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are eligible for the pupil premium, is average.  The government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress, are not applicable because there was only a very small number of pupils in Year 6 in 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so pupils make faster progress by:  strengthening the teaching of phonics  providing work that makes pupils think hard, especially for the more-able pupils in mathematics  ensuring that teachers have consistently high expectations for pupils’ handwriting and the presentation of work. Inspection report: Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17–18 September 2014 4 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has made rapid improvement since the recent appointment of the headteacher and new deputy headteacher. They are well supported by strong subject and other leaders and an effective governing body. The drive to improve pupils’ achievement is conveyed clearly by all leaders, and this commitment is shared by all teaching and non-teaching staff. It is also supported by the views of parents who responded to Parent View, all of whom would recommend the school to others.

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The leadership and management are good

 The collaboration across the federation of four schools has resulted in the sharing good of practice and opportunities for appropriate training to improve the quality of teaching. Staff have responsibilities across the federation, which gives them a breadth of experience, and this benefits Hindringham. Pupils also speak highly of the federation partnership which has given them opportunities to meet other pupils through additional lessons, going on trips together and forming joint sports teams.

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The leadership and management are good

 The use of pupils’ assessment data to track progress and attainment has been a key driver to improving achievement. This is currently being revised in line with the new National Curriculum and the removal of National Curriculum levels. Gaps in pupils’ learning have been quickly identified. Consequently, pupils across the school are now making good progress, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. This is because these pupils have benefited from additional teaching or support in class. The progress of all pupils and the quality of teaching in lessons is monitored regularly by senior leaders and this is overseen by governors.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium funding is being used effectively to support groups and individuals. It has had a significant impact on the progress and achievement of eligible pupils throughout the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils speak highly of the new opportunities they have had as a result of the sporting coaches funded by the primary sports grant. Boys and girls benefit from high-quality coaching in a range of sports such as athletics, beach volleyball, swimming and basketball. The impact of this was observed during the inspection. Pupils were using their playtime to practise a range of skills they had been taught in these sessions. Collaboration between the federation of schools now means that pupils form joint sports teams to compete against other schools and these have enjoyed some success.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum which supports the spiritual, social cultural and moral development of the pupils and is helping to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Visits and visitors enrich the curriculum experience. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the different topics and subjects they enjoy and things they had learned; for example, about the Ancient Egyptians or modern Italy. One pupil described how they had had fun pretending to be Michelangelo in an art lesson and had to draw underneath a table: ‘We only had to draw upside down for 10 minutes; Michelangelo took four years to do the Sistine Chapel!’. Collective worship provides an opportunity for spiritual reflection, making pupils aware of world issues as well as current issues in British politics such as the Scottish referendum.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers and non-teaching staff have received support and training in the teaching of phonics but the impact is not yet consistently good. In pupils’ home-school books, parents are invited to help their children learn ‘tricky’ words, phonics or hear their child read. However, school information does not convey clearly enough what is expected from parents in order to maximise their impact in helping their children.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are effective and knowledgeable about the school. They are committed to driving improvement by supporting the school as well as holding it to account.  The amalgamation of four governing bodies formed into one has combined governors’ strengths, and the school is now well served by their knowledge and expertise. Governors have actively promoted collaborative working across the federation, bringing parents and pupils together to make improvements.  Governors actively monitor the school’s work, make regular visits and write evaluative reports. They have a good grasp of data and understand what it says about pupils’ progress. This enables them to challenge the headteacher and senior leaders when pupils are not achieving as well as they could. Inspection report: Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17–18 September 2014 5 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors track the use of pupil premium funding to ensure that it is improving the outcomes for these pupils so that any gaps in attainment are closed.  Governors have a good understanding of the impact of performance management to improve the quality of teaching but have not ensured a direct link making teachers’ pay rises dependent on their pupils’ progress.  Governors ensure that safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Pupils are keen to live up to the school’s vision of ‘playing our part to achieve excellence’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very clear about what kinds of behaviour is acceptable and what would happen if pupils misbehave. Pupils of different ages get on well together; older pupils take the initiative in taking care of the younger ones.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Although pupils have generally good attitudes to learning in all other respects, some of their work is not well presented and their handwriting is untidy.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance rates have fluctuated over the last three years. They have improved as a result of the robust action taken by school leaders in tackling pupils’ absences and explaining to parents the impact on pupils’ education if they are taken out of school for holidays during term time.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep the pupils safe and secure is good. Correct procedures are followed when appointing new staff. Visitors to school are issued with guidance on the safeguarding of pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe at school and are confident that the school deals effectively with bullying, even though incidents are rare. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and how the use of certain words could be offensive to others of a different culture or faith. They were able to discuss in detail the risks of cyber-bullying and talk about how the anti-bullying weeks in school have been used to help them resolve friendship issues.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Improved teaching is evident from the good progress pupils are making. The wide age range in each class is well catered for, either with additional adult support or by giving pupils different tasks to do.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers give clear explanations so pupils understand what is expected of them. The teachers regularly check that pupils know what they are doing and they provide effective support.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan lessons to engage pupils’ interests even when practising basic skills. In one lesson, pupils were writing speech in preparation for story writing. This gave pupils a meaningful purpose for a grammar and punctuation exercise so they could accurately write and punctuate conversations in their stories. This was something they were looking forward to doing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ensure that accurate vocabulary – for example, in mathematics – is used even with the youngest children. Questioning is used well to challenge pupils’ thinking. Younger pupils are encouraged to work things out for themselves or resolve difficulties and find solutions. However, in mathematics, pupils’ progress slows when some of the more-able pupils are given work that is too easy or when they repeat work they can already do.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking in books is good and teachers identify pupils’ next steps in learning. Pupils say this helps them to improve their work but the quality of presentation and handwriting varies from day to day because teachers do not always insist on high standards. Inspection report: Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17–18 September 2014 6 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonics is variable because not all staff working with smaller groups have the same high expectations. Consequently, pupils’ progress in phonics is patchy.

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is good

 With such small numbers in each year group, there is inevitably quite wide variation in pupils’ overall attainment from year to year. Nevertheless, for each individual, progress and achievement are good.

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is good

 In 2014, all pupils in Year 6 attained at least the expected level for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. More-able pupils achieved well in reading and writing but not quite as well in mathematics.

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is good

 Through Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is at least as good as their peers because the additional group work they receive is planned by the class teachers to fill in their gaps in learning. There were not enough Year 6 pupils in 2013 known to be eligible for pupil premium funding to comment on their attainment without the risk of identifying individuals.

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is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs in all year groups make good progress from their starting points because the specialist teacher has high expectations and sets work at the right level to help them succeed. This is further supported by additional adult input when they are in class.

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is good

 Pupils’ understanding of phonics lags behind their other key skills. This is because the teaching of phonics has not always prepared pupils in Year 1 to apply these skills well enough in their reading and writing.

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is good

 Children coming into the Reception class settle quickly into the mixed-age class because induction arrangements are good. The children’s language and social development are especially boosted by the opportunity to learn from the Year 1 pupils.

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is good

 Parents talk enthusiastically about staff being ‘passionate’ and welcoming. A number of parents of disabled children and those who have special educational needs say they have opted for Hindringham as their school of choice because they feel it offers a caring environment.

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is good

 Children achieve well. Assessments of pupils are made early on so that activities can be organised which promote good learning. For example, many of the children had yet to master an appropriate pencil grip and so, during the inspection, they were practising their fine motor skills using tweezers, enjoying picking up a variety of interesting objects. Others were working out simple mathematical problems, counting fruit and reinforcing their understanding of terms like ‘more than’ and ‘less than’, inspired by Eric Carle’s story of The Hungry Caterpillar.

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is good

 Teaching is good. Adults engage effectively with children, posing questions and helping children to respond in full sentences to encourage good communication and language skills. The classroom is a bright and stimulating place to learn and equipment is easily accessible for children so they can organise themselves to paint, build something from plastic bricks or take part in role play.

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is good

 The large outside area promotes all areas of learning, particularly physical development. Children use the area well for role play and exploring the willow tunnel on their bikes. Children at the early stages of forming new friendships learn to resolve disputes with the good guidance of the teacher prompting them to find solutions.

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is good

 Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. The designated leader is based at one of the federation schools and offers a good understanding about how young children learn. She teaches at Hindringham each week and supports the class teacher with planning. Inspection report: Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17–18 September 2014 7 of 9

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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. Inspection report: Hindringham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 17–18 September 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 121086 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 442037

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 44 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Burrows Headteacher Mary Dolan Date of previous school inspection 7–8 February 2013 Telephone number 01328 878323 Fax number 01328 878323 Email address head@hindringham.norfolk.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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