Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Mary's and St John's

School report Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Mary’s and St John’s School Lane, Hindon, Wiltshire, SP3 6EA

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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

 The headteacher and governors have ensured that the school has maintained a good standard of education since its previous inspection and is improving.  The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum. Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Pupils enjoy school. They typically behave well in lessons and around the school. They say they feel safe and older pupils are kind and considerate to younger ones.  Teaching is good. It is particularly strong in the Key Stage 2 class where pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and respond enthusiastically to hard work.  All groups of pupils achieve well. Standards at the end of Year 6 in 2013 and 2014 are high in reading and mathematics, and above average in writing.  Disadvantaged pupils supported through additional funding achieve as well as other pupils nationally.  Effective early years provision enables children to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

make good progress during their Reception year.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 By the end of Year 1, the teaching of how letters and sounds are linked is not consistently effective.  In a minority of cases, the work pupils are given is too hard or too easy for them.  The checks leaders make to see if teaching is improving, are not firmly established. Inspection report: Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 15–16 October 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection six lessons were observed with the headteacher. The inspector listened to Key Stage 1 pupils reading, observed a reading lesson in the Key Stage 2 class and discussed reading with Year 6 pupils.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the special educational needs leader, members of the governing body and groups of pupils. In addition, the inspector visited the dining hall, the playground and the wild area. A telephone conversation took place with a school improvement adviser.  The inspector looked at planning and self-evaluation, improvement plans, assessment information, examples of pupils’ work and a range of policy documents.  The inspector took account of the 10 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as consulting informally with many parents before the start of the school day. The views of the six staff who responded to the inspection questionnaire were also analysed.

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Inspection team

Joyce Cox, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 15–16 October 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 Hindon is much smaller than most other primary schools.  Pupils are taught in two classes. Both are mixed-age classes, with the older class comprised of Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage attend part time for the first few weeks and then attend full time. They are taught as a distinct group in the mornings by a teaching assistant and join the Year 1 and Year 2 pupils in the afternoons.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  Two per cent of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported at school action. This is below the national average. Seven per cent of pupils are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs, which is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average. This is the additional government funding provided by the government to give extra support for pupils known to be eligible for

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Information about this school

free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  In the school grounds there is a nursery and a before- and after-school club run by a private provider. Both these provisions have a separate inspection.  Since the previous inspection there have been extensive staffing changes. The headteacher, who was previously the Key Stage 2 teacher, has been in post since September 2013 and the two class teachers have been in their current roles since January 2014. The headteacher teaches the Key Stage 2 class for two days each week.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching at Key Stage 1 in order to raise achievement by ensuring that:  phonics (linking letters and sounds) is consistently well taught so that by the end of Year 1 all pupils have a secure grasp of all the key early reading skills  all pupils are given work which is neither too easy nor too difficult.  Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by swiftly consolidating procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching. Inspection report: Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 15–16 October 2014 4 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 Above average standards at the end of Year 6 have been maintained, with the potential for further improvement strengthened. The new headteacher is ambitious for all pupils and staff and has brought a sharp clarity to checks on pupils’ progress and improvement planning. One parent commented, ‘This school needed a shake up and this headteacher is the one to do it.’  Clear and well-focused improvement planning is based on effective, regular tracking of the progress made by all groups of pupils in the school. Significant improvements have been made to staff’s understanding of information about pupils’ achievements and their ability to use it in planning their lessons. Through their responses to the inspection questionnaire, staff indicate that morale is high.  Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because although procedures to monitor the new teachers’ performance have begun they are not yet fully implemented across the school. As a result,

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The leadership and management are good

leaders are not always effective in providing additional support or challenge to all staff.  Equality of opportunity is promoted at all times and there have been no reported incidents of harassment in recent years because all staff are determined to foster good relationships and tackle discrimination.  The school uses additional government funding effectively to ensure that the most disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to their classmates.  The curriculum contributes well to pupils’ good achievement. Leaders have approached the task of introducing the new National Curriculum systematically, involving all staff. Pupils enjoy memorable learning experiences, such as visits to the Jurassic Coast and Wookey Hole Caves. Key Stage 2 pupils say they particularly like all the sports activities and also love learning to play the ukulele.  The school makes good use of its primary sport funding. This has been used to provide a wider range of

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The leadership and management are good

sports taught by a sports coach. In addition, extra indoor and outdoor equipment has been purchased, although Year 6 pupils say they would like some real goal posts instead of coats.  Links with parents are strong. Most parents who responded to Parent View, and those who were spoken to in the playground, are satisfied with the education being provided for their children.  The school improvement adviser provides support to the school through termly meetings and informative written reports.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have effective structures in place for undertaking all their statutory responsibilities. They bring to the school a range of skills that is well matched to the school’s needs. The governing body is well informed about all aspects of the school’s work. Members know how well various groups of pupils are progressing. For example, they know that pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 continues to compare very well with the attainment of pupils in similar schools nationally.  Governors visit the school regularly to observe pupils’ learning, talk to staff and also to support pupils with their reading. They know that most teaching is effective and set the headteacher’s annual targets for improvement. Governors are increasingly involved in evaluating staff’s performance, so that good teaching is rewarded and any underperformance, should it occur, is tackled swiftly and effectively. They

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The leadership and management are good

are aware of their duty to promote respect for people of all faiths, cultures and lifestyles, and to help to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.  Governors ensure that finances are managed well and understand how the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent and how it is helping to improve their achievement. They also monitor the use of the additional sport funding. Governors work closely with the headteacher to make sure the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet all current government requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Typically, they are polite, friendly and considerate towards each other. They are cooperative, settle to activities quickly and take pride in their work. Behaviour is not outstanding because, as the Year 6 pupils said, ‘There are a small number of younger pupils, who have behaviour problems, who mess around but not physical or anything, just not paying attention or talking when they should not.’  Relationships throughout the school are effective and based on mutual trust and respect. Break and lunchtime are harmonious because pupils thoroughly enjoy the extensive playground, field and wild areas. Inspection report: Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 15–16 October 2014 5 of 9

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Behaviour

They all bring old clothes and wellington boots so they can build dens and play football in all weather conditions, which boost their personal, physical and social skills.  The school’s very strong commitment to developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development means pupils are keen to learn about different people’s beliefs and have a good understanding and appreciation of British values. Pupils have a clear understanding of the importance of tolerance and respect for people who are different from themselves.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that there is no bullying and if it were to occur it would be dealt with effectively and quickly. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including those related to social media and text messaging.  Most parents and all staff who responded to the inspection questionnaire consider that pupils behave well and are kept safe in school.  Attendance is broadly average, and improving. Robust arrangements are in place to ensure that any absences which have not been immediately notified by parents are speedily followed up.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have worked well together to update the curriculum and to plan exciting topic work to engage and interest pupils. There are positive relationships between adults and pupils in all classes. Pupils settle quickly to tasks and are keen to complete them to a good standard.  Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. They work together well to challenge and support pupils’ learning. Older pupils, in particular, respond really well to these changes and take pride in their work.  Teaching is typically good. It is not yet outstanding because there are a few occasions in Key Stage 1 when lower-ability pupils are given work which is too hard for them or phonic worksheets that are confusing with too much print and detail. These tasks slow their learning.  Teachers provide pupils with with good opportunities to apply skills from literacy and mathematics that

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The quality of teaching is good

they have learnt in other lessons. For example, Key Stage 2 pupils use their literacy skills well to write about sedimentary rock and erosion after a field trip to Lulworth Cove.  Teachers’ marking consistently helps pupils to improve their work; this was evident in a detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work. Comments provide pupils with a clear indication of how they have achieved and what they need to do next. This helps them to understand how to improve their work and enables them to make good progress.  Teaching of disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those supported by the pupil premium is good, with additional support provided when needed. Tasks are accurately adapted to ensure pupils can fully access their learning and make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils

 The pupils’ differing skills on entry to the school across the very small year groups contribute to fluctuation in results at the end of Key Stage 1. Even so, the school sustains high attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading and mathematics, and above average in writing. This represents good achievement for all groups of pupils from their differing starting points.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. This is because their needs are carefully identified and plans are put in place so staff know how to help them develop their skills and understanding.  Additional government funding is used well to support individual pupils. For example, extra adult help enables eligible pupils to catch up any lost ground and achieve as well as their peers in school and nationally . Inspection evidence indicates that this group of pupils achieves as well as others in most year

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The achievement of pupils

groups of pupils in the school. Where any gaps exist they are closing rapidly.  Pupils supported by additional funding make similar progress to their classmates. The numbers of pupils are too few to compare their achievement in English and mathematics readily with others at the end of Key Stage 1 and Year 6. Eligible pupils attain as well as other pupils nationally. Gaps in attainment between eligible pupils and the others at the school are less than two terms and decreasing because of the effective use of additional help in lessons.  The most-able pupils also make good progress through the school. Their progress quickens in Key Stage 2, where pupils become more skilled at checking their work and understanding what they need to do to Inspection report: Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 15–16 October 2014 6 of 9

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The achievement of pupils

reach their targets. Year 6 pupils say their learning tasks are ‘challenging and interesting’. This is evident in the increasing proportion of pupils reaching the highest available levels in national tests.  By the end of Year 6, most pupils read fluently and can maturely discuss the techniques of various authors, such as Michael Morpurgo and Anne Fine. They thoughtfully explain their ideas and write imaginatively constructed sentences. They also achieve well in mathematics.  In Key Stage 1, results over the last few years have fluctuated. . Scores in the phonic screening check in Year 1 for each of the past two years have been below the national average. This indicates that not all pupils have gained a secure enough grasp of all the early reading skills; even though, most clearly catch up quickly as they progress through the school.

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The early years provision

 From starting points that are often below age-related expectations, most children typically make good progress. School assessments show that children with no additional needs achieve a good level of development on entry to Year 1. Children with complex language and behavioural difficulties, although achieving well, do not achieve a good level of development due to the severity of their needs.  This year’s Reception children are only just beginning to attend on a full-time basis. However, they have settled very quickly and happily. They are rapidly learning class routines and cooperate well with each other. This is due to the calm and caring approach of the teacher, together with a very well-planned classroom and exciting activities.  Children’s physical well-being, health and emotional development are very well provided for through careful and detailed assessment of each child’s abilities and needs. Children’s achievements are recorded

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The early years provision

in attractive ‘Learning Journeys’ which present a very detailed picture of children’s attainment in all their areas of learning. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning through contributions to the initial assessments when the children start at the school and through regular reports.  All children make very good progress in developing their personal and social skills. Even in the early stages of the year, children are happy to tidy up and collect resources. Parents are very confident that their children are happy, safe and secure.  The leadership of the early years provision is good. Early reading and mathematical skills are taught well. The leader plans and evaluates all aspects of the children’s learning herself. Checks on the quality of teaching by senior leaders are not yet fully established to ensure all the children are achieving their potential. Inspection report: Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 15–16 October 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: Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 15–16 October 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 126444 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 448572

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 42 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Bryson Headteacher Jackie Gunter Date of previous school inspection 27–28 April 2010 Telephone number 01747 820260 Fax number 01747 820260 Email address admin@hindonce.sch.wilts.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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