Hawthorn Primary School

Hawthorn Primary School Hawthorn Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham B44 8QR

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher, senior leaders and the governing body have created a culture where all staff are encouraged to work together to improve outcomes for pupils. As a result, the school has improved well since its last inspection.  Pupils, irrespective of background or ability, get on and learn well with each other. This helps them develop a good understanding of British values.  Leaders and staff have developed and implemented a curriculum which motivates pupils well in their learning. They have ensured that teaching and outcomes continue to improve. Both are now good.  Teaching is good. Teachers and teaching assistants use their strong subject knowledge and effective questioning to develop pupils’ learning in all subjects.  Pupils of all abilities, including those with disabilities or who have complex needs, make good progress in all subjects.  Disadvantaged pupils, and those who need to catch up with their classmates, make the

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This is a good school

strongest progress of any group due to the additional teaching they receive.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is effective due to the consistent application of their agreed policy.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are very well cared for and are kept very safe. They know how their school ensures that they feel safe.  Pupils’ behaviour around school is good and they show positive attitudes to learning. Such attitudes contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The early years is well led. Children make good progress in all areas of learning due to the good teaching they receive.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always set sufficiently demanding work in mathematics, particularly for the most- able pupils.  Pupils, especially those with more advanced skills, do not always use accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling in their writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and accelerate progress, especially for the most-able pupils, by ensuring that: teachers provide more challenging mathematical activities for pupils to work on in their lessons pupils use accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling skills consistently in their writing.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The school has improved since the last inspection. The headteacher and governors are ambitious for the school to improve further. They have created a positive atmosphere where staff work well together. As a result, pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well.  Senior and subject leaders have implemented processes which enable them to gain a more accurate view of how well staff and pupils are performing. These improvements in monitoring, and their knowledge of pupils’ progress, have better informed their discussions with staff. This has led to pupils of all ability groups making good progress, including those with complex needs.  Teachers value leaders’ discussion about their performance as it provides them with a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve and how to achieve this. For example, they have evaluated the extent to which marking and feedback contribute to pupils’ progress. All teachers continue

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to improve their practice.  Leaders who have responsibility for particular aspects of the school, including the early years and provision for hearing impaired pupils, have fully developed and implemented recent changes to the National Curriculum. They work well in teams, which ensures that key skills are taught in the relevant classes. Leaders are now working closely with other schools to develop their assessment arrangements so that they better reflect new national requirements.  Leaders ensure the curriculum places a firm emphasis on encouraging and enabling pupils to develop a secure understanding of the importance of valuing each other’s opinions. This is seen in pupils’ discussions as they talk about how they care for each other, with examples seen in the newly implemented provision for two- and three-year-olds. Sign language is a feature of the school. This enables pupils with hearing impairment to join in with discussions. This contributes well towards pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  All leaders and staff ensure that pupils tolerate and respect people who have different faiths or no faith. Strong relationships between staff and pupils, including those seen with staff supporting pupils with hearing impairments, lead to pupils feeling very safe and secure in school. Discrimination does not occur. Leaders make sure pupils are taught values such as democracy, and have an equal opportunity to succeed. Pupils say they are proud of their school, valuing the friendships they develop. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Effective leadership of the provision for disabled pupils, and those who have special educational needs, results in these pupils making good progress in their reading, writing and mathematics work. Senior leaders ensure that teachers and teaching assistants know what individual pupils need to do to make

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

better progress and carry out regular reviews to check how well they are progressing. If pupils are not making the desired progress, then changes are made to the programmes of support.  The school uses its pupil premium funding effectively. More time has been given to specific leadership roles. For example, the leader for pastoral care ensures that this group of pupils attend well. As a result, disadvantaged pupils’ attendance has improved. Senior leaders ensure staff understand the specific needs of individual pupils then provide support by funding extra hours for staff to work with pupils at the end of the school day. This ensures that this group of pupils make at least good progress.  The school has made very effective use of its primary school physical education and sport funding. It has met its aims of providing pupils with more competitive opportunities and increasing the participation of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils who previously were reluctant to play sport. Different groups are now playing sport more often and are more positive about physical education. For example, more girls play football than previously. Pupils with complex needs talk about being far more confident taking part in sporting activities, such as gymnastics. This shows that the funding has helped improve physical education at Hawthorn.  The local authority has been effective in supporting the school since the last inspection, as it has provided specific support to help leaders deliver their school improvement priorities. It recognises the positive changes made by the school since the last inspection.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school Governors have played an important role in improving the school since the last inspection. As a result of a review of their effectiveness, the Chair has ensured that governors acquire specific skills. These skills have been used to ensure that the school is held to account well. Governors question leaders about aspects of school performance then check that the information provided is accurate. For example, governors listen to the headteacher’s views about teachers’ performance then check this by referring to their own knowledge. They use this information to make decisions about pay awards and reward only good teaching with increases in salary. Governors have ensured staff have been given the opportunity to develop leadership skills. For example, they have provided funding to enable subject leaders to attend relevant training which has led to improved monitoring of teachers’ and pupils’ performance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Governors each have specific roles, including being linked to individual classes. They visit the school regularly and check that pupils are continuing to perform well by talking with pupils about their learning and looking at work in their books. Governors also ensure the pupil premium is used effectively to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. As a result, governors have a good understanding of the performance of the school.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Senior leaders ensure all staff and governors are familiar with, and are secure in applying, safeguarding processes. All relevant policies are kept up to date and reviewed in light of local and national guidance. This helps to ensure that safeguarding practices are strong.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 When developing the curriculum, staff took pupils’ views on board. Pupils said they wanted to better understand why they were learning about certain topics. As a result, teachers now ensure that pupils understand the purpose of their learning. For example, in Year 6, pupils were keen to investigate number patterns as they knew this would help them in tackling number problems in the future. Staff were skilful in asking questions which supported pupils in developing their own strategies.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together. They ensure that pupils receive the support they need during lessons. Staff have secure subject knowledge and use this to ask questions skilfully in order to check and develop pupils’ understanding.  Pupils enjoy their learning and consequently show positive attitudes. This, coupled with teachers’ high expectations of how pupils should present their work, leads to pupils displaying their work neatly. For

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

example, pupils use joined handwriting consistently well in their books in all subjects.  Adults manage pupils’ behaviour well. Routines are well established at all times of the school day. This results in orderly classrooms where pupils can concentrate on learning. Positive relationships are seen throughout the school and, consequently, pupils get on sensibly and enjoy learning. Such relationships are seen in the recently implemented daily provision for two- and three-year-olds. During these sessions, staff ensure children play and learn well with each other. This is because they observe children’s interactions, intervening only when they know it will help improve their dialogue.  The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have complex special educational needs is effective. This is because all relevant staff know precisely what these pupils need to do to make good progress. Pupils enjoy this teaching and, as a result, look forward to their small-group sessions. This is best seen in the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

teaching of pupils with hearing impairments.  Teachers ensure that disadvantaged pupils make at least good progress in all subjects. They do this by providing detailed feedback to pupils about their learning. They ask questions which make pupils think for themselves. Extra teaching is provided for pupils who need to catch up with their peers. This is effective as pupils make better progress as a result.  Reading is taught well. Teachers and teaching assistants use their strong subject knowledge to support pupils effectively in developing early reading skills. Teachers in the early years and in Key Stage 1 use information about how well children can already read to challenge them well when learning phonics (letters and the sounds they make). Children secure these skills quickly. Good practice is maintained through Key Stage 2, where pupils enjoy reading in a range of subjects.  Pupils’ writing has improved well, particularly from the start of this academic year. Pupils use teachers’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

marking comments to help them make improvements. However, despite pupils learning specific grammar, punctuation and spelling skills well, they do not consistently apply these skills in their writing. This means that pupils do not control their writing as well as they might, for example by using a range of punctuation to convey their ideas accurately. This is most notably seen in the writing of the most-able pupils.  Mathematics is taught well to all ability groups. Pupils’ books show they currently make good progress, responding well to guidance provided by their teachers. Teaching of mathematics is not yet outstanding as pupils, particularly the most able, are not always set challenging enough tasks. When teachers do set appropriately demanding tasks, pupils thrive on the harder work. They make faster progress when they have to think harder earlier in their lessons.  Homework is set regularly and most pupils complete the tasks set. Pupils’ development in early reading is

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

strengthened with regular support from parents who read with their children at home.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. This is because there are clear strategies in place to support any pupil in need. All staff know what to do to ensure pupils receive the best support possible.  School leaders ensure that procedures designed to keep pupils safe and secure are very effective. Governors vigilantly check that school leaders ensure pupils are safe. Pupils are very aware of how to keep themselves safe, for example they talk with clear understanding about the dangers of using the internet.  Leaders recognise the importance of children’s welfare by ensuring all policies, including those relating to child protection, are reviewed as necessary and kept up to date. Staff understand the importance of these policies and make sure they know procedures to follow precisely when required. All staff working with pupils are checked to ensure they are suitable to carry out their roles.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils are courteous, friendly and supportive of their classmates. They collaborate very well, showing consideration and respect for people’s different views. They demonstrate a mature knowledge of different cultures and faiths. This helps to ensure that the school promotes equality very effectively.  Different groups of pupils are supported effectively in their learning. For example, strong partnerships with external agencies, such as those with expertise in complex speech and language matters, enable disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to make good progress.  Pupils are articulate when they talk about their understanding of British values, such as democracy and the rule of law. They know where examples can be seen around school, for example in school council elections and meetings.  Pupils enjoy attending the daily breakfast club, which provides a safe, caring environment.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils move carefully around the school building and play well with each other on the playground. Most parents express positive views about the behaviour in the school and value the strong relationships that exist between their children and staff.  Pupils’ eagerness to learn and ask questions begins in the early years and continues through every year group. Staff in the early years ask children probing questions about their understanding of topics, which helps to develop enquiring minds. The experiences they receive motivate them well.  Despite recent improvement in attendance, current attendance rates remain below the national average. School leaders and staff responsible for improving attendance are rigorous in their day-to-day work. For example, staff now have dedicated time to follow up every pupil absence each morning, challenging the reasons given for non-attendance. Teachers expect and reward good attendance. The vast majority of

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Behaviour

parents and pupils understand the importance of this.  Bullying is very rare and, when it does occur, staff deal with it quickly and effectively. Pupils have a very good understanding of bullying and how it can take different forms, such as cyber bullying. Staff are extremely vigilant both in classrooms and around school, which helps ensure that discrimination does not occur.  Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning. This is best seen when they are challenged with work that is well matched to their ability. Such challenge motivates pupils and this contributes greatly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Most children start in Nursery and Reception with skills and understanding that are broadly typical, or lower, for their age. A majority of children enter the early years with less well-developed skills in communication and language than other areas of learning. They make good progress, due to the good teaching they receive. Over the last two years, a higher proportion of children, when compared with national figures, reached a good level of development across all areas of learning. This means they are well prepared for the Year 1 curriculum.  Pupils of all ethnic backgrounds currently make good progress through Key Stages 1 and 2. This leads to pupils attaining well at the end of each year, which means that they are well prepared for the challenges in the next academic year.  In recent years, pupils attained low standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they left the school. As a result, pupils were not well prepared for their secondary education. Pupils leaving last

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Outcomes for pupils are good

year made fast progress in their final two years at Hawthorn. However, this progress was not rapid enough to make up for lost time, due to weaker teaching earlier in the school.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils shows improvement in 2015, when compared with the progress of their classmates. However, by the time this group of pupils left the school their attainment was low when compared with other pupils nationally. In reading, their attainment was approximately two terms behind. In writing, mathematics and grammar, it was three terms behind. When compared with the attainment of their classmates, disadvantaged pupils’ results were better. In all subjects they were approximately two terms ahead. Disadvantaged pupils are now progressing at least as well as their classmates.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make consistently good progress in all subjects. This is due to effective leadership, management and teaching of this group of pupils. This

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Outcomes for pupils are good

includes those who attend the resources base for pupils who have hearing impairment. These pupils receive excellent provision for their specific needs. Pupils’ progress is closely monitored, with plans adapted and changes made to the work where this is needed.  Pupils in every year group make good progress in reading. In the past two years, Year 1 pupils have attained above-average results in the phonics screening check. Current Year 1 pupils are on track to attain similar results this year. Pupils enjoy their reading and are well motivated in every year group.  Although progress in writing is good across the school, pupils do not use their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills consistently well when they write. This results in pupils making less rapid progress as they do not practise and embed these skills in their writing.  Pupils’ attainment in mathematics is similar to that in writing. Progress is best seen when teachers set

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Outcomes for pupils are good

tasks which demand that pupils think hard. For example, in Year 2, pupils were asked to find the difference between numbers using a variety of strategies to work out the calculations. Teachers were then able to ask pupils more challenging questions, responding to pupils’ higher-level work.  The most-able pupils currently make good progress in all subjects. They are attaining higher levels than previously as they have made this progress for a longer period of time. Where the work is appropriately challenging, progress accelerates. This is not always the case in writing and mathematics.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years is well led and managed. The early years team ensure that all groups of children, including those who are disadvantaged, make good progress. They have a clear vision for further improvement.  Teachers, ably supported by teaching assistants, accurately assess children’s skills and understanding when they arrive in the Nursery and Reception classes. They closely check children’s ongoing progress and adapt planning accordingly. Staff are skilled in probing children’s understanding. For example, in a Reception lesson children were asked questions about their understanding of insects and their habitats. They were then encouraged to explore their ideas through different activities.  Governors and senior leaders have implemented effective provision for two- and three-year-old children. Children are safe; learning and playing in an environment well suited to the needs of this age group. Staff

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Early years provision is good

work effectively with parents and gain a good understanding of how children play and learn in the home.  Children learn, and are well taught, across a wide range of subjects. As a result of such good teaching, children of all abilities make good progress through the early years in all areas of learning, and are well prepared for Year 1. Staff support any child experiencing difficulties in their learning effectively, for example by engaging with external services quickly. These include agencies that specialise in complex needs, such as aspects relating to autism.  Staff support children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well in all early years classes. They encourage children to express their opinions and choices freely. Activities are designed which encourage children to discuss their ideas and then provide time for further exploration.  Children behave well and know how to stay safe. They understand adults’ expectations and make sure

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Early years provision is good

they live up to them. Parents talk about how their children are happy in school.

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School details

Unique reference number 103214 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10002521

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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 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 230 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Poulton Headteacher Kate Stone Telephone number 0121 464 3891 Website www.hawthornprimaryschool.co.u k Email address enquiry@hawthorn.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 28 November 2013

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Information about this school

 Hawthorn is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children in the early years are taught in three classes. Children below statutory school age are taught in two part-time classes. These children are taught in single age groups, one with two- and three-year-olds and the other with three- and four-year-olds. The full-time Reception class teaches children who are four and five years of age.  The majority of pupils are White British. Twelve other ethnic backgrounds are represented in the school, most notably Pakistani and Bangladeshi.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well above average.  Pupils from schools in the local authority currently access the specialist-resourced provision for pupils with

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Information about this school

special educational needs. The resourced provision caters for 24 full-time pupils who are severe to profoundly deaf.  Early years provision for two- and three-year-olds was introduced in September 2015.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 17 lessons, two of which were observed with senior leaders.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their reading and listened to them read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors, staff and a local authority adviser.  The 18 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire were taken into account. Inspectors also spoke with parents and carers.  The views expressed in questionnaires returned by 33 members of the school staff were considered.  Inspectors observed the work of the school, looking at a range of documentation written to support school improvement.  Inspectors examined work in pupils’ books.  The school’s child protection and safeguarding procedures were scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Jeremy Bird, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Michael Onyon Ofsted Inspector Hilary Ward 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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