Castle Hill Primary School

School report Castle Hill Primary School

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.  The overall quality of teaching is outstanding. Pupils enjoy being really challenged by their work.  Pupils read confidently and with a very good understanding, using their phonics’ (letters and the sounds they make) skills when reading unfamiliar words.  The provision in the early years is extremely well planned. Children have access to a wide range of activities and experiences to ensure they are especially well prepared for Year 1.  Pupils behave very well at all times. They have excellent attitudes to learning.  Pupils are caring and thoughtful towards each other and adults. They consider how others feel both in and out of lessons. As a result, pupils feel very safe in the school.  The variety of subjects taught in the school is described by the pupils as exciting, capturing their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

interest and their love of learning in all areas.  Teaching assistants play a valuable role in supporting pupils’ learning in lessons, to ensure all pupils make rapid progress.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very strong and prepares pupils exceptionally well for the future.  A new system for assessing pupils’ skills and understanding has recently been introduced. Teaching staff are still learning how to apply it confidently.  Parents support the school and appreciate the involvement they have in many aspects of their children’s school experience.  The headteacher is highly ambitious for the school and is very well supported by managers and governors who work together to move the school from strength to strength.  Governors have an excellent understanding of the school’s priorities. They are regularly involved in school life and provide challenge to maintain the high standards.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of 18 lessons, taught by 11 teachers. Six of these were jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors observed small groups of pupils taught by teaching assistants.  Inspectors observed two assemblies and the Reception class Nativity play for parents.  Inspectors heard pupils from Years 2 and 6 reading and also held meetings with two groups of pupils, including the school council.  Inspectors were shown around the school by a group of pupils who spoke about their learning.  Inspectors spoke to three governors, including the Chair, a representative from the local authority, the school’s improvement partner and staff, including senior and middle leaders. The inspectors also had informal discussions with parents at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documents and records relating to behaviour, attendance and the safeguarding

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Information about this inspection

of children. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s arrangements for spending, including the additional funding for sports and the pupil premium.  Inspectors took account of the 23 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and responses to the staff questionnaire from 25 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Sarah Jones, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.  A tenth of pupils are identified as disabled or with special educational needs. This is below average.  Just under a quarter of pupils are supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding which supports pupils known to be eligible for free school meals). This is just below average.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Early years provision comprises of a Reception class of children who attend full time.  The school is part of the Gloucestershire School Partnership Group. This is a group of local schools that works with and supports each other to help raise standards.  The school provides a breakfast club that is managed by the governing body. The school also provides a number of after-school clubs which include gymnastics, football and homework clubs.

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Information about this school

 The school holds the Eco Schools Bronze Award, Forest Schools and Emotionally Intelligent Schools and Academies Forum Award.  Busy Bees is a pre-school setting on the school site. This is privately run and subject to a separate inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all staff are confident in the new approach to assess pupils’ skills and understanding.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 School leaders have high aspirations for the school. The headteacher, with support from staff and governors, makes sure that pupils’ achievement and personal development are outstanding.  School leaders have created a culture whereby everybody wants to be successful in their teaching and in their learning.  The headteacher works with other school leaders within the Gloucestershire School Partnership Group to share ideas and develop good practice. The partnership has also given subject leaders the opportunity to work with teachers in other schools.  There are excellent systems to track the progress pupils make. Senior and middle leaders are very aware of how well pupils are doing, and any pupils who fall behind are quickly identified for additional support. Teachers make good use of this information to inform their planning for different groups of pupils to ensure they make outstanding progress. The school has recently introduced a new system for assessing

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The leadership and management are outstanding

pupils’ skills and understanding. Teachers are still getting used to this new system.  Middle leaders have a very good understanding of their areas of responsibility and key priorities. They regularly check the quality of the teaching and learning and encourage staff to share ideas for further improvement.  The range of subjects taught in the school is outstanding. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their work and speak with passion about their learning and the opportunities they have. Pupils in Year 3 and 4 have enjoyed learning about the Stone Age in their topic, ‘Rocking through the Ages’. This included a visit to the historic stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire, the creation of cave paintings and clay pots, and cooking outside. These activities helped to develop pupils’ understanding of this period in history.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is at the heart of the school’s work, with examples both in

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and out of lessons. Pupils spoke about their regular fundraising for a child they sponsor in Mozambique. They have a good understanding of the different religions they have learnt about through visits to local churches and mosques, as well as what they learn in class. Year 4 pupils had the opportunity to participate along with other pupils from local schools in a production at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham as part of Remembrance Day. These experiences, as well as working with pupils from other schools and links with the local secondary school, help prepare pupils very well for life in modern Britain.  The school’s ethos promotes equality of opportunity for all pupils; discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The parents support the school well, with many coming along to the Christmas Fayre during the inspection. Parents feel that they are kept well informed about their child’s progress. They appreciate the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

information sessions to help them to support their child at home. One parent commented that ‘communication could not be better’.  The school uses the pupil premium very effectively to support and meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils. The additional funding is used in a variety of ways. These include employing a parent support adviser to ensure pupils are ready to learn by identifying and dealing with problems that might prevent concentration and motivation. Funding is also used for extra support to help close the attainment gap in mathematics and English with other pupils.  The school works in partnership with the Ribston Hall High School to help develop further opportunities for pupils to engage in physical activities. The additional primary physical education and sport premium have been used to provide a coach to work alongside teachers to develop their skills in a range of different sporting activities. There are also more opportunities for pupils to participate in after-school clubs such as

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The leadership and management are outstanding

gymnastics and to engage in local competitions such as in football and tag rugby.  The school has received good support from the local authority. School leaders, teachers and governors have benefited from attending training provided by the local authority.  The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are very effective; they meet statutory requirements to ensure all pupils are well cared for.  The governance of the school:  Governors provide effective support and challenge which is based on an understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They have a clear understanding of the school’s performance in relation to that of similar schools. Governors regularly visit the school and listen to pupils read as well as accompany groups of pupils when they engage with ‘forest school’ activities. Governors set challenging targets for the headteacher and have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and the impact

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The leadership and management are outstanding

on pupils’ performance. They are clear about how performance can affect salary progression and what is being done to reward good teaching and tackle any underperformance. The governing body meets its statutory responsibilities, including those for safeguarding, and makes sure that school funds, including the pupil premium, are spent carefully to improve pupils’ achievement. Governors make sure they are kept up to date with training to improve their effectiveness, especially when holding leaders to account.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Attitudes to learning are exemplary.  Pupils constantly and conscientiously pursue a thirst for learning and truly enjoy their work, whether they are working individually, in groups or as a class as a whole. This attitude has a significant impact on the progress they make.  Pupils are welcoming and they show excellent conduct and manners at all times of the school day. They are happy to talk to visitors and have a lot of respect for each other and adults.  During a recent visit to the theatre, pupils were complimented on their excellent behaviour.  Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities both formally and informally. For example, older pupils care for younger pupils at break times and act as role models and offer guidance during assemblies. Governors have a good understanding of pupils’ views and of the work of the school council as pupils are invited to

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Behaviour

governors’ meetings to talk about their role as school council representatives.  The breakfast club provides pupils with a range of healthy foods and activities to start the day.  The attendance of pupils continues to be above average. A parent commented that even when her child is unwell she still wants to come to school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils are very aware of the impact negative behaviours can have on each other. They understand the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and say incidents of poor behaviour are very rare. The school’s records confirm this.  Pupils are aware of how to keep themselves safe and this includes when using the internet.  All parents who responded to Parent View agree that their children are happy, feel safe and are well cared for by the school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching inspires pupils to learn. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and use creative ways to engage pupils in their work.  Teaching assistants are well qualified and very aware of individual pupils’ needs. They support pupils extremely well. They work in variety of different ways, whether in class or in small groups, to ensure all pupils know exactly what they need to do to improve their work and to continue to make rapid progress.  Teachers and teaching assistants meet pupils’ needs very well through a range of approaches. They effectively question pupils to check their understanding. Any misunderstandings are identified quickly with additional support provided, where necessary.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy the subjects they study and can see how there are links to develop their numeracy and literacy skills. Pupils in Year 6 gave an example of their theme, ‘Trading Places’, and how much they

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

were enjoying reading Bitter Chocolate by Sally Grindley. Reading the book has helped pupils have a much better understanding of life on a cocoa plantation in West Africa.  Pupils are very positive about their teachers and how they help them to develop their learning. Pupils are confident to ask for help, but try to work through problems themselves if they can. A Year 3 pupil spoke about the five B’s, ‘brain, board, book, buddy, boss’ and the process he goes through to solve a problem before asking an adult.  Pupils enjoy reading and can explain how reading both fiction and non-fiction books helps to improve their writing as they have new ideas. Governors regularly come into school and listen to younger pupils read.  The teaching of mathematics is very effective. This was seen in a Year 5 lesson on fractions. Pupils were given time to think about their response to searching questions that checked their understanding.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils’ books show they are very proud of their work and present it neatly. Marking and feedback to pupils are supportive and pupils appreciate the comments and the chance to correct their errors before moving on. Teachers use a variety of different ways to ensure time is set aside for pupils to make the improvements.

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is outstanding

 Children start in Reception with a range of different skills for their age. They make rapid progress in all areas of learning.  Teachers are aware of the pupils’ needs and provide activities and support to help them continue throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 to achieve standards well above the national average.  The achievement of pupils at the end of Year 1 in the national screening check for reading has continued to improve, resulting in much higher-than-average results for the school. Their achievement means that they get off to an excellent start. They are able to read confidently with good understanding and use their phonics’ knowledge well when reading unfamiliar words.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to enjoy reading and they are very proud of the new library areas. Pupil librarians enjoy their responsibilities, which include listening to younger pupils read. Pupils enjoy reading a range of different authors and could name many they particularly enjoy.

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is outstanding

 The standards that pupils achieve at the end of Key Stage 1 are consistently well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics because pupils respond well to the high expectations of their teachers.  There continues to be an overall trend of improving attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. All pupils made the progress expected of them, and many exceeded this. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 in each subject is above the national average.  The most able pupils make excellent progress because they are challenged very well. Pupils say they like the challenges and the chance to work with each other to improve their work. Methods used to teach mathematics have been very successful, with a number of pupils achieving the highest Level 6 at the end of Year 6.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported extremely well. Their needs are

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is outstanding

quickly identified with targeted support given to ensure that they make the same rapid progress as their classmates.  The pupils supported by the pupil premium make similar outstanding progress or better than other pupils in the school. The attainment of eligible pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2014 was in line with the others in reading, writing and mathematics. When compared to other pupils nationally, they were at least one term ahead in reading and writing.  All pupils have the opportunity to widen their experiences. Pupils in Year 5 have recently had the chance to study the artist Frida Kahlo and produced some high-quality paintings. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are about to learn to play the ukulele.

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is outstanding

 The organisation and the management of early years are outstanding. There is a very good relationship between staff and parents to ensure children quickly settle into the routines in Reception. Parents appreciate the opportunity to ‘stay and play’ with children when they first start school.  Before children join Reception, staff visit them in their pre-school settings to ensure they have time to plan for their individual needs.  Children have free access to activities in the classroom and they make good use of the outdoor areas. They can use a range of different equipment to help develop their skills in a wide range of areas. These include problem solving as well as personal and social skills to help them understand the importance of sharing and taking turns.  Children start school with a range of different skills. All pupils make rapid progress and achieve a good level of development in all that they do, and they are very well prepared for Year 1.

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is outstanding

 Teaching in the Reception class is outstanding. Staff make the learning fun for the children and to support their development. During the inspection the role-play area was based on the North Pole, with snow and an igloo. Children showed their confidence during the Nativity play for parents. Children had learnt their lines well to retell the story of Christmas.  Children are supported very well in their early stages of learning to read. Teachers and teaching assistants teach phonics extremely well to support and build confidence in children to read new words.  Parents like the opportunity to see their children’s progress in their ‘learning journeys’, which are records of their achievement over time.  Behaviour is outstanding. Children are confident and play with each other well.  Safeguarding is effective, with risk assessments in place to ensure children are safe at all times.

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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 115569 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 449307

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karen Lee Headteacher Su Broadhurst Date of previous school inspection 13 January 2011 Telephone number 01452 863380 Fax number 01452 863380 Email address admin@castlehill.gloucs.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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