Hinton St George Church of England Primary School

Hinton St George Church of England First School West Street, Hinton St George, Somerset, TA17 8SA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 All groups of pupils achieve well. Attainment is above average in Key Stages 1 and 2, because most pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils benefit from teaching that is consistently good. Teachers are particularly effective in ensuring that work gains the pupils’ interest and encourages them to succeed.  Reading is taught well so that pupils quickly become fluent readers and develop good comprehension skills.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children make a good start to school in the Reception class and progress well because of the effective teaching.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and enjoy all that the school has to offer. They behave well and say that they feel very safe because the school provides a secure place to learn.  Over the past year, the governors have taken effective steps to secure the school’s future by forming a partnership with another local school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

They have been very successful in maintaining the confidence of parents.  Already, the new headteacher has galvanised the staff team to make improvements to teaching in order to raise pupils’ achievement still further.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and appreciate the opportunities to become involved in their children’s learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not high enough. On occasions, pupils do not have clear enough guidance from the teachers' marking on how to make improvements to their work.  Leaders’ checks on the difference that teaching is making do not focus sharply enough on how well different groups of pupils learn.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed a range of teaching across the school in a variety of subjects, including several observations with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of short visits to classrooms, the dining hall and the playground.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body, the school’s leaders and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 20 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as consulting informally with parents before the start of the school day. She took account of the five responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents including the school’s improvement plans. She examined information on pupils’ current progress, the governing body minutes and the plans for the use of the school sports fund.  The inspector heard pupils reading, talked to them in lessons and evaluated samples of their

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Information about this inspection

work.  During this inspection, the inspector asked additional questions designed to ascertain the school’s view of the impact and effectiveness of local authority services to support school improvement for children looked after, those known to be eligible for free school meals and the most-able pupils. This information contributed to work being carried out by Ofsted to assess the use, quality and impact of support services.

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Inspection team

Sandra Woodman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hinton St George is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Recently, the number of classes was reduced to two. Both are mixed-age with the older class comprised of Years 2, 3 and 4.  The very large majority of pupils come from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below average. This is the additional government funding provided to give extra support for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority. Currently, there are no children who are looked after in the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs on the school roll is below average.  Recently, the school has formed an informal partnership with Greenfylde First School. The associate headteacher took up his post in September 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by ensuring that teachers’ marking enables pupils to know how they can make effective improvements to their work to speed up their progress.  Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by making sure that all leaders, including governors, evaluate the quality of teaching in terms of the difference it makes to the attainment and progress of different groups of pupils, including those of varying abilities.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in the leadership and staffing of the school. The positive steps taken by governors to broker a partnership with a local first school has secured good leadership for the school.  The new headteacher has instilled a sense of strong ambition and brought a sharper clarity to checks on how well the school is doing and improvement planning. The recently introduced strategy for presentation in pupils’ books is resulting in improvements to their work.  Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because leaders have not secured a high enough proportion of outstanding teaching. This has not enabled a few pupils to achieve as well as they should.  Leaders have not evaluated the quality of teaching precisely enough. This means that they are not clear about the impact of teaching on the achievement of different groups of pupils of differing abilities. As a

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The leadership and management are good

result they are less effective in providing additional support or challenge to staff.  Subject leaders have introduced some effective improvements to the way literacy and numeracy skills are taught. However, they do not check on the impact of improvements on the quality of teaching precisely enough. This means they are not as clear as they might be about the impact on different groups of pupils of varying abilities.  Teachers have targets for improving their performance. They know what constitutes good practice and how their pay progresses only when their targets are met.  Pupils’ learning experiences across a range of subjects are often memorable, such as in the geography field trip to Weymouth or the ‘Art in Action’ week. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through enrichment activities as well as in lessons. Activities such as choral singing in Wells cathedral and visits to a mosque help pupils gain a better understanding of life in modern Britain

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The leadership and management are good

and a tolerance of other faiths and traditions.  Engagement with parents is a strong aspect of the school’s work. Parents appreciate the availability of staff at the start and end of the school day. They say staff are very approachable and that there is very good communication about their children’s progress and development.  Checks on the use of the school sport fund show that more pupils are participating in a wider range of sporting activities and competitions. Staff are able to develop their skills alongside specialist coaches to help sustain these activities.  Equality of opportunity is promoted at all times and there have been no reported incidents of harassment in recent years. The school tailors its support well for those pupils supported by additional funding in order to raise their achievement.  All statutory requirements for safeguarding are met. School systems are managed efficiently and checked

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The leadership and management are good

regularly.  The local authority does not provide any specific support for this good school in relation to pupils supported by additional funding or the most-able pupils. However, governors have received effective training in developing their skills in areas such as understanding pupils’ performance data, safeguarding and financial management. They judge the support for the school in brokering a partnership with another school invaluable in helping to secure good leadership.  The governance of the school:  Governors have steered the school effectively through a time of considerable change, maintaining the high confidence of the parents in the process. They recognise the positive impact of the actions taken by the new headteacher since forming the school’s partnership. They increase their knowledge and skills through appropriate training. This enables them to challenge the school’s leaders more effectively

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The leadership and management are good

for the quality of teaching and pupils' progress. They check regularly on the school’s work for themselves. However, these checks are not as informative as they might be as they do not focus precisely enough on the diference that teaching makes to the learning and progress of different groups of pupils. Governors know how the performance of staff is managed and how support is provided to develop good practice. They are fully aware of the way teachers’ pay is aligned to good performance and how this links to pay progression.  Governors manage their budget effectively, including the use of additional funds to support eligible pupils and sports development. They know how the funds are allocated and the impact they are having on pupils’ achievement and physical health.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Typically, they are polite, friendly and considerate of each other. They are very cooperative, settle to work well and are take great pride in their work.  Relationships throughout the school are effective and secure. The school is successful in fostering good relations and tackling discrimination. The playground is a harmonious place because pupils make good use of the stimulating range of play equipment.  Behaviour is not outstanding because of the occasional lapses in concentration when a few pupils fidget and waste some time when they are unsure how to improve their work.  Pupils enjoy taking on roles and responsibilities such as play leaders and ‘gate keeper’. They respond well to the behaviour management system. They appreciate the range of rewards for their behaviour and efforts such as the headteacher’s award.  Pupils, their parents and the school staff are positive about standards of behaviour. The school’s records

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

show that instances of poor behaviour are very infrequent with no exclusions in recent years. The very few pupils who have behavioural needs have benefited from carefully planned support, which has developed their confidence as learners.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel very safe in school. All the parents who completed the online questionnaire or who spoke to the inspector agree.  Pupils are clear that bullying and derogatory or aggressive language are extremely rare. They are aware of what constitutes bullying and know about some of the forms this can take, such as cyber-bullying. They have some strategies for keeping themselves safe, especially when using the computer.  Attendance has improved and is now above average. Punctuality to school is good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good. It is not yet outstanding as, on occasions, teachers’ marking does not give clear enough guidance for pupils on how to make improvements to their work. As a result, pupils do not always make as much progress as they should.  Overall, pupils, including the most able, learn effectively because teachers devise purposeful learning activities that interest them and motivate them to succeed. For example, in a Year 1 lesson, pupils were engrossed in their work about Percy the Park Keeper, expressing his thoughts and feelings in their own words. This inspired them to persevere and write to good standards.  Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of pupils’ learning and their behaviour. They work together well to challenge and support pupils’ learning. Pupils respond well to these challenges and take pride in their work.  Teachers plan activities carefully and use their subject knowledge well. They ensure that generally, they

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The quality of teaching is good

set tasks at the correct level and build on pupils’ previous knowledge and understanding. The wider spread of ages and abilities created by the reduction to two classes is being managed well by staff.  Teachers give clear explanations and question skilfully so that pupils learn quickly and develop their understanding well. They check on learning during lessons, often adapting the activities to speed up progress. The new marking system tells pupils clearly how well they are doing.  Teachers develop pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy well. Pupils have good opportunities to practise and apply these skills in different subjects.  Teachers have already benefited from working with others from the partner school to ensure that their assessments are accurate and that good practice is shared.  Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in helping pupils overcome any difficulties. The work that is

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The quality of teaching is good

set for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and pupils supported by additional funding, is well targeted. This ensures that they make good progress.

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is good

 Achievement is good for all groups of pupils. Standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics are above average in all subjects in both Key Stage 1 and 2. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for the next step in their education.  Pupils are well motivated and find the learning activities interesting. They are usually clear about the purpose of their learning and try hard to be successful.  They like the way teachers’ marking helps them to know how well they are doing. They delight in using their ‘polishing pens’ to make corrections to their work. Sometimes, they are not clear enough about how to improve their work and this limits progress.  The most-able pupils attain well-above-average standards. Overall, they make good progress as their work is usually challenging and requires them to apply their knowledge and skills well.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make at least the expected progress as a result

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is good

of the effective help they receive.  Pupils supported by additional funding are making similar progress to their classmates. The numbers of pupils are too few to compare their attainment in English and mathematics with others at the end of Key Stage 1 and Year 4. However, the gaps in attainment are less than two terms and decreasing because of the effective extra help they are given.  The greater emphasis the school has put on the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is helping pupils to become fluent readers more quickly. This is ensuring that more pupils pass the Year 1 phonics check than previously. Older pupils speak confidently about different authors, with a clear understanding of what they have read.  Greater numbers of pupils are taking part in a wider range of sports and competitions, supported by the school sport funding. The have improved their performance in sports such as archery and gymnastics.

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is good

 Most children join the school with the skills that are typical for their age, with some that are above expectations. They make good progress, especially in reading. They start Year 1 as confident learners, that have the skills and understanding expected for their age, though some exceed these.  Teaching is of good quality. Work is planned carefully to ensure that children enjoy their learning and achieve well. Disabled children and those with special educational needs are nurtured well and make progress generally in line with others. The most-able children benefit from access to more challenging activities.  There is a good balance of activities that arise from the children’s interests and those directed by the adults. The adults check children’s learning very precisely and adjust the learning to better suit their needs.  Children are enthusiastic learners who show curiosity and delight in learning, and behave themselves well.

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is good

They are developing a good awareness of their personal hygiene and how to keep themselves safe indoors and out.  Leadership and management are good. Staff are well trained and, as a result, children make good progress. However, checks on the quality of teaching are not yet precise enough to ensure all children are challenged sufficiently.  Parents are closely involved in school and are kept well informed about their children’s progress through good communication with the staff.

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 123762 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 448541

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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 4–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 43 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jonathan Kerr Executive Headteacher Claire Oaten Date of previous school inspection 5–6 May 2010 Telephone number 01460 72653 Fax number 01460 72653 Email address office@hinton-st-george.somerset.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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