Hayfield Lane Primary School

Hayfield Lane Primary School Hayfield Lane, Auckley, Doncaster DN9 3NB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress is not consistently good in every subject and all classes. This uneven progress results in pupils not achieving as well as they could by the end of Year 6.  Pupils in upper Key Stage 2 have significant gaps in their knowledge and skills from previously weak teaching. Their basic skills in literacy and numeracy are not sufficiently secure to achieve well in their writing and mathematics.  The effectiveness of teaching is too variable. Not enough of it is good or outstanding to secure higher outcomes for pupils at the end of Year 6.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough in upper Key Stage 2. The most-able pupils are not challenged sufficiently in their learning.  Assessment is not used sufficiently well to challenge pupils appropriately in all lessons.  Questions that that deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not routine in every lesson.  There is insufficient work in pupils’ science and

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This is a school that requires improvement

topic books to show that they are working at a sufficiently good rate to extend their knowledge and skills effectively.  Pupils with disabilities and pupils who have special educational needs make variable progress because the support they receive is variable in quality.  The few pupils who present challenging behaviour and miss too much school do not make the progress they could by the end of Year 6.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher has high expectations of staff and is driving school improvement effectively. Weak teaching is being tackled with rigour.  Leaders, including subject leaders and governors, are leading developments in their areas of responsibility well. This gives the school good capacity to improve further.  More pupils are now making faster progress, particularly in the early years and Key Stage 1.  Reading is a strength of the school and standards in reading are above average at the end of Year 6.  Children in the early years make a flying start to their learning because provision for them is good.  Pupils who are disadvantaged make good progress because they receive good support.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They enjoy learning, try hard, feel safe and are well looked after at school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Attendance has improved and is currently above average. Persistent absence is declining steadily.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure teaching is consistently good or better in every subject and that all pupils make good progress by teachers: planning activities that are accurately matched to pupils’ different abilities so that they build successfully on what they already know and can do challenging the most-able pupils sufficiently so that they can achieve higher levels in their learning having higher expectations of all pupils in their written work, and checking more closely that pupils apply their basic skills of literacy and numeracy accurately in all their written work asking pupils questions that deepen their knowledge and understanding to strengthen their learning providing the highest quality of support to pupils who need additional help in their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in writing, mathematics and other subjects by ensuring that: teachers’ planning in upper Key Stage 2 addresses urgently the gaps in pupils’ learning from previously weak teaching so that more pupils make the progress they are capable of in mathematics and writing in mathematics and other subjects, pupils tackle problem-solving methodically and show that they understand their work through more confidence in their reasoning skills pupils are challenged more in science and other subjects and have sufficient opportunities to design their own investigations and conduct research to support their learning pupils work more productively in their written work and apply their previous learning confidently when tackling new work.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has led school improvement effectively since the previous inspection and is very clear about where further improvements are needed to secure good outcomes for all pupils. Many of the weakness identified in the previous inspection are being addressed successfully.  Whilst still too variable, teaching has improved and is good in many classes. Many teachers are still relatively new to the school and recent changes in assessment procedures are still being embedded in order to realise the full impact of improvements, especially for pupils in upper Key Stage 2. However, as a result of the school’s good leadership, teamwork among staff is very strong and expectations generally are high of pupils and staff.  Staff and governors are very ambitious for the pupils and their high aspirations are underpinning the good progress that is emerging. Leaders have created a positive climate for learning and pupils’ work is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

celebrated effectively through attractive displays. Incidents of poor behaviour have reduced significantly and attendance has risen to above the national average this year.  All leaders, including subject and phase leaders, monitor their areas of responsibility rigorously. They check that through improvements in teaching, more pupils are making the progress they should. While gaps in learning still remain, particularly in upper Key Stage 2 classes as a result of weak teaching in the past, pupil progress is accelerating because progress checks identify early where pupils are at risk of falling behind. Additional support is initiated quickly to help them catch up, thus ensuring that the promotion of equality of opportunity is successful.  Senior leaders model good leadership skills and other leaders follow their good example, thus increasing the school’s capacity to improve further. All leaders are involved in monitoring teaching and learning and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are increasingly more accountable for their areas of responsibility. For example, the strong focus on improving pupils’ reading in the last two years has resulted in this now being a strength. Good leadership of early years has led to children making a flying start to their learning.  Staff are held to account for the progress their pupils make and performance management is used effectively to set challenging pupil progress targets. Staff know that pay awards are linked to their achieving these targets. They have access to good training opportunities and receive appropriate guidance and support to develop their skills so that more pupils make good progress.  The curriculum engages most pupils effectively in their learning. Visits and visitors enrich their experiences and extend their knowledge and understanding of the world and their role as young citizens. Whilst the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are covered appropriately, pupils are not always reminded

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

sufficiently to apply these skills accurately in their workbooks. The most-able pupils do not always have the right level of work to achieve more, particularly in science and topic work.  Pupils have many good opportunities to develop their understanding of life in Britain and the wider world. Through various subjects, pupils explore diverse social and cultural traditions and understand well that differences should be valued. The school opens as a church on Sundays and pupils who attend say how much they enjoy this experience. Pupils reflect on global issues such as terrorism, climate change and public security as they discuss topical news items. As one pupil said, ‘We should respect people who are different to us but nobody has the right to hurt others’.  The budget for supporting disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to provide additional support, including from other agencies, for vulnerable pupils and their families. Family learning is a school priority and many

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils and parents benefit from the caring support the school provides. The breakfast club offers a healthy start for those who want it and trips enrich pupils’ experiences.  The school uses its primary physical education and sports funding well to provide a wide range of sporting activities. Teachers increase their skills by working alongside external sports coaches to extend provision and participate in local competitions. Pupils say that clubs such as those for football, tag rugby, acrobatics and basketball are full because they are fun. They are very aware that sports help you to keep fit and healthy.  The local authority monitors the school’s performance closely. It challenges leaders effectively and advises on the actions required to improve outcomes for pupils of all abilities and backgrounds. The local authority also provides external support for a few pupils who present highly challenging behaviour.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Parents who responded to the online Parent View questionnaire and sent in texts to express their views are overwhelmingly positive about the impact the headteacher has had in the last two years.  The governance of the school Governors are very passionate and ambitious for the school and the local community. They want pupils to achieve the best they can, and have supported and challenged leaders effectively since the previous inspection. They monitor pupil progress closely and check that the impact of actions accelerate the progress pupils make so that they achieve well. Governors have worked with senior leaders in taking tough decisions to improve the quality of teaching and to ensure that pay awards are linked to teachers’ performance. Governors understand their responsibility to monitor the impact of specific funding for physical education and sports as well as the pupil premium and know that pupils are achieving more as a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

result. Governors also ensure that parents are kept fully informed and involved in school developments.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff training for safeguarding is up to date and the school works very closely with parents to ensure that their children are safe at school and at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Although teaching is improving strongly, it is still not consistently good in every subject and every class. This variability is limiting the overall progress pupils make. Pupils in upper Key Stage 2, who are still making up lost ground due to weak teaching in the past, are not achieving as well as they could.  Planning does not always take sufficient account of assessment to set the right level of work for pupils of differing abilities, but particularly the most able. Work in pupils’ books shows that too often, in literacy, science and other subjects, all pupils undertake the same tasks initially before the most able move on to harder work. There is limited evidence to indicate that the most able are challenged, for example, in designing their own investigations in science or conducting research to extend their learning in history.  Questioning that deepens and consolidates pupils’ learning is not always routine in all classes and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

expectations are not always high enough. Pupils sometimes produce too little in their recorded work to show that they have understood new learning well or applied confidently what they have done previously. For example, pupils in a Year 3 history lesson were introduced to the term ‘excavation’ as they studied pictures of a burial ground. However, they struggled to explain the term and how it relates to historical investigation. Similarly, pupils in Year 6 did not understand fully the political, social and economic impact of the railway, showing their limited ability to infer information.  Lower ability pupils generally receive effective support to help them make good progress. Occasionally, where this support is not timely or of high quality, a few who have specific individual needs do not achieve well. Conversely, the support for disadvantaged pupils is generally good, and intensive, small- group work results in these pupils achieving well. Many of these pupils make better progress than their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

classmates because the work they do is matched well to their specific needs.  Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support small groups and individuals. The pupils they support often make good gains and achieve well. A few of the pupils who have complex behavioural issues and who miss too much school do not always make the progress they should. However, staff manage behaviour well, with pupils disengaging, inattentive or passive only when teaching is less than good.  When pupils complete written tasks, not all teachers give sufficient reminders to apply grammar, punctuation and spelling accurately. While these skills are taught well, and most pupils work accurately, many continue to make simple errors in the use of capitals, full stops and other punctuation as late as Year 6. Teachers do not always pick this up, so the work does not improve quickly. In mathematics, teachers encourage pupils to always set their calculations out correctly so that they can check their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

answers efficiently. Most do so, but a few make errors because they are not as methodical as they might be because they have not mastered fully the steps they need to take to solve problems systematically.  The school has just introduced revised assessment procedures for the new curriculum. The information is generally reliable and shows that too few pupils are working above age-related levels, particularly in upper Key Stage 2. Planning requires improvement so that pupils build successfully on what they already know and understand and that they revisit learning at a deeper level as they progress through the school.  The teaching of reading is good and standards are above average and rising steadily. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is good from the early years onwards and the strong focus on novel studies is inspiring pupils to read more. Older pupils who have not had this level of phonics

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

teaching when they were in Key Stage 1, particularly those who are lower attaining, are not always as confident when facing unfamiliar vocabulary and so sometimes struggle to make sense of their reading.  The most effective learning occurs when teachers provide high levels of challenge in the work they set, for example as in the Year 6 mathematics lesson on problem-solving. In this lesson, pupils were encouraged to think, reason out their answers and explain their methodology with confidence. Pupils enjoy being challenged and produce their best work when they understand what they are learning and what is expected of them to complete their work successfully.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. In the warm, welcoming environment, pupils feel safe and well looked after. Care arrangements are good and every effort is made to support their emotional and social needs so that they grow in confidence and self-esteem.  Pupils appoint school councillors and playground peacemakers and engage in decision making to benefit others. They learn about the democratic process by voting for these post-holders. In the dining hall, older pupils look after younger ones and pupils of all ages help each other in lessons.  Pupils are kind and considerate to others, being particularly mindful of those who have special needs and need sensitive handling. They work with others sensibly in lessons and play amicably in the playground, being careful to avoid accidents and mishaps. Altercations do occur but are few and are promptly dealt

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Personal development and welfare

with by staff. Pupils are confident that staff will help them if they are worried or upset at school or at home.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying. They know that social media sites and chat rooms can pose dangers and that bullying can occur on mobile phones. Pupils know about ‘stranger danger’, know not to go anywhere with strangers and to tell their parents or teachers if they are worried. They say that name-calling does occur occasionally but that teachers sort out such incidents quickly.  Pupils try hard with their work. They want to do well but occasionally lose interest when the work does not challenge them appropriately or they are unsure what is required of them. They say they like school because they like learning new things and they like their teachers and friends. They are particularly excited about the books they read and the many trips they go on for different subjects.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils are eager to join sports clubs, because they say, ‘they help you keep fit’. Pupils learn about religions and diversity through assemblies and class discussions. They know the importance of treating others with respect and tolerance. Topics such as Africa and outer space widen pupils’ horizons effectively.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils understand the school’s systems for managing behaviour and know they will be asked to make the right choices if issues arise. They explain that, ‘It is not good if you get moved down the ladder!’ Where lapses in behaviour occur, staff address these promptly. Pupils know what is expected of them and most behave well. A few who have severe behavioural issues are supported well, with external agencies involved where necessary. Exclusion rates are down considerably as a result.  Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are eager to get on with their work, trying their best even when their work is not sufficiently interesting or challenging or they are unclear as to what they need to do.  Pupils’ attendance has improved and is now above the national average. Pupils want to be at school and most attend regularly. The level of persistent absence has declined as a result. Despite the school’s best

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Behaviour

efforts, a few are poor attenders and this hampers the progress they make.  Parents, pupils and staff all indicate that behaviour has improved significantly in the last year and that the occasional lapses are generally down to one or two pupils who have considerable behavioural issues.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Progress has started to accelerate across the school and an increased proportion of pupils now make better than expected progress. This is particularly so in the early years and Key Stage 1 where pupils have not experienced the weak teaching upper Key Stage 2 pupils have in the past. With improvements in teaching and higher expectations of pupils, progress is rising but it is still not consistently good in every class and every subject and so requires improvement.  Given children’s lower than typical starting points in the nursery, all children make good progress. In 2015, a significantly higher than average proportion of children exceeded good levels of development. Up until this year, children’s skills and abilities on entry to Year 1 had been below average.  In the national tests and assessments in 2015, standards at the end of Year 2 were broadly average. At the end of Year 6, standards in reading were just above average. Standards were broadly average for

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

writing and mathematics. The proportion making the expected progress has increased slightly since the previous inspection and current pupils are on track to achieve well this year, particularly at the end of Key Stage 1. Too few pupils are working at above age-related levels in writing and mathematics in Key Stage 2 because pupils in Years 5 and 6 are still making up lost ground from slow progress in the past.  The level of challenge for the most-able pupils at Key Stage 2 has not been sufficiently high to help them achieve more in writing, mathematics and other subjects. Good support is in place to increase progress for current pupils in Year 6 so that they can catch up on lost ground quickly and achieve well.  Pupils with disabilities and those who have special educational needs make variable progress depending on their level of disability and need. Where they are supported and challenged well, they make good

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

progress, but with teaching currently being too variable, not all of these pupils make good progress. A small number are absent too frequently to make the progress they could if they were at school more regularly.  Disadvantaged pupils make good progress. At the end of Year 6 in 2015, their attainment was at least in line with other pupils in the school in reading, writing and mathematics, and some achieved more than their classmates. This is because they receive good support through activities that are matched accurately to their needs. They were also in line with all pupils nationally in their reading, writing and mathematics. Gaps in achievement are closed successfully by the end of Year 6. The school makes effective use of its additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils.  Attainment in reading was just above the national average at the end of both key stages in 2015. With improvements in the teaching of phonics throughout the school and a strong focus on reading in every

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

class, standards in reading are rising quickly. The Year 1 phonics screening assessment check shows that in 2015, pupils in Year 1 achieved above the national average, a marked improvement on previous years. Pupils are on track to achieve well in reading this year, and with this rapid improvement in reading, standards in writing are beginning to rise.  Standards in writing are not as high as in reading because strategies to improve writing have not yet taken full effect, particularly at Key Stage 2. Furthermore, not all pupils apply their basic skills in literacy accurately enough to achieve well in their writing in English or in other subjects. Errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation limit their overall achievement.  Pupils’ attainment in mathematics is hampered by the legacy of weak teaching in the past, resulting in considerable gaps in pupils’ understanding of problem-solving and calculation skills. With an increased

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

focus on problem-solving and reasoning skills and more time devoted to increase pupils’ confidence in using a range of methods to solve problems, pupils are beginning to make better progress.

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Early years provision is good

 Children start in the nursery with knowledge and skills that are lower than is typical for their age in almost all areas of learning, but particularly so in their literacy and numeracy skills, and their personal and social and physical development. Those that start school in Reception classes are closer to being in line with the levels expected for their age.  Children settle quickly and are eager to learn. They make good progress in the nursery because teaching is good. Staff plan activities that encourage children to grow and flourish in an environment that is challenging and inviting. At the end of Nursery, most are working at the levels expected for their age.  Children continue to make good progress in the Reception classes. Those who have not benefited from the good experiences offered in the nursery quickly catch up and achieve well. There has been a steady increase in the numbers of children attaining good levels of development since the previous inspection

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Early years provision is good

and there is strong evidence that progress is accelerating.  At the end of the Reception in 2015, a very high number of children attained good levels of development in all areas of learning and were prepared well for Year 1. Their reading skills were particularly strong because the teaching of letters and the sounds they make is very good.  The leadership of the early years is good. The leader is driving up the quality of teaching and the curriculum children experience, making sure that children have good opportunities to learn and explore on their own as well as spending good-quality time with adults who steer their learning.  Teamwork among the early years staff is good and planning is thorough. Staff assess children carefully and note where any need additional support to progress successfully. Parents are kept well informed about what their children are learning at school so that they can reinforce learning at home. Parents are

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Early years provision is good

encouraged to engage in various activities and workshops at school so that they can help their children more effectively. These good links between home and school are enabling more children to make good progress.  Children who have specific additional needs are identified early and receive the support they need to settle quickly and learn effectively. Parents are alerted immediately if any concerns or issues arise.  Children make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They take turns, for example, when sounding out their phonics or sharing toys. They help each other get ready to play outside and wait sensibly for those who are less confident. They listen with anticipation and delight to stories, eager to recount these later with their own embellishments. They play safely and sensibly when left to explore and learn on their own, willing to try new tasks, and knowing that support is to hand if they are

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Early years provision is good

unsure.  Staff ensure that all children try all activities regularly. These activities include writing, reading and number tasks and children respond well under direction. For example, they understand terminology, such as ‘more than’ and ‘less than’, to carry out simple calculations and they are encouraged to think and reason their answers rather than just guessing. On occasions, in their free choice time, a few children prefer to select options that avoid these more challenging areas but staff intervene and steer learning effectively.  The outdoor area is attractive and inviting because it is spacious, well resourced and modified continually to keep it interesting and enticing. Children enjoy opportunities to extend their physical skills, for example, by climbing, using wheeled toys, role play and exploring the world around them in all weathers.  Children are looked after well, kept safe and form trusting relationships. They enjoy school and behave

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Early years provision is good

well. They like working with adults and try their best. Occasional lapses do occur, particularly among those who are less proficient at managing their own learning, but such lapses are managed well.

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School details

Unique reference number 106746 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 10002159

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School details

This inspection 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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kath Lister Headteacher Louise Tempest Telephone number 01302 770427 Website www.hayfieldlane.org Email address office@hayfieldlane.doncaster.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19 November 2013

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  Children in the early years attend part time in the Nursery class and full time in the Reception class.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils from a minority ethnic background is below average.  The proportion of pupils moving in and out of the school at other than the start of early years is above average.  The proportion of pupils with disabilities and those who have special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils deemed disadvantaged and supported through the pupil premium is above average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding provided to support disadvantaged pupils, including those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.)  In 2015, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Almost all the teachers are new to the school since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning throughout the school. Three observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher and the early years leader. In addition, the inspectors scrutinised pupils’ workbooks and listened to them read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and its vice-chair and one other governor, the headteacher, senior and middle leaders and subject leaders. The inspectors also had a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, information on current pupils’ progress, and planning and monitoring documentation. Inspectors scrutinised the spending of funding for disadvantaged pupils and primary school sports funding. Records relating to behaviour and attendance, as well as documents relating to

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding, were also taken into consideration.  Inspectors considered the 43 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and the 86 parents who expressed their views via text message to Ofsted.  The inspectors also took account of the 37 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaires and talked to staff during the inspection about their views of the school.  As the school was unable to access the online pupil survey, inspectors took account of the views expressed by a number of pupils during the inspection and the school’s own survey of pupils’ views.

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Inspection team

Rajinder Harrison, Lead Inspector Ofsted Inspector Nicola Shipman Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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