Hinguar Community Primary School

Hinguar Community Primary School New Garrison Road, Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea SS3 9FE

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

This is a good school

 Senior leaders have a relentless focus on promoting improvement. They work well together as a team and have created a school where pupils can achieve both academically and personally. Pupils develop into confident young people who have a desire to take responsibility for themselves and others.  The quality of teaching is consistently good. Teachers have high expectations and provide pupils with exciting learning activities.  Pupils make good progress in a range of subjects. By the end of Year 6, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average.  Early years provision is good. Children engage enthusiastically in their learning, making good progress. They are well prepared for Year 1.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability is good.  The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They are polite, articulate and very respectful towards one another and adults. They are very proud of their

p.1

This is a good school

school.  The work to keep pupils safe is outstanding. All pupils feel very safe and know how to keep themselves safe.  The rich and vibrant curriculum, along with the impressive range of trips and activities, provide very well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Governors know the school well and provide a high level of support and challenge. The school is well placed to improve further.  Communication with parents is excellent. There is a strong partnership between parents and the school. Parents are highly supportive of the work of the school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching and progress of pupils in science are not yet consistently good across all year groups.  Pupils in key stage 1 are not always provided with work that challenges them, nor given enough opportunity to develop their writing skills.  The early years outdoor area is not used sufficiently to allow children to continue with their classroom learning outside.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the teaching of science in order to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding by providing sufficient opportunities to practise and develop scientific investigation skills.  Develop the outside area in early years so that it provides children with the same opportunities to continue with their language, mathematical and topic learning as the indoor area.  Further accelerate the progress of key stage 1 pupils, especially the most able, by: providing more opportunities for pupils to write at length providing more activities that deepen pupils’ understanding and knowledge.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher is passionate about ensuring that all pupils receive the best possible education. She is well supported by two assistant headteachers and the governing body. Together they make an effective team that reflects the school motto ‘Together we achieve’. Leaders are determined to continue to improve all aspects of the school until it becomes outstanding. All staff are supportive of the work of the leadership team.  The school’s own view of itself is accurate and based on rigorous monitoring of its work. Leaders make good use of the outcomes of monitoring to establish clear improvement priorities.  School leaders have created a calm and caring environment where each pupil is valued and listened to, and is able to join in all the opportunities the school offers. As a result, pupils are happy at school, enjoy learning and achieve good outcomes.  Teaching has improved since the last inspection because leaders use a wider range of information to

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

judge the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress. Staff are held to account for the quality of their teaching and supported to improve through coaching and good-quality training. All staff value the opportunities they have received to improve their teaching. Teaching is now typically good in all year groups.  Performance management procedures are robust. Staff targets are linked to pupils’ progress and whole- school improvements. Progress against targets is monitored throughout the year and pay awards are only granted when staff meet their targets.  School leaders meticulously track pupils’ progress. They meet weekly to review the progress of pupils and any who are falling behind with their learning receive targeted support. In addition, teachers regularly ensure that pupils who have not understood their learning in the morning receive support in the afternoon of the same day. These strategies ensure that pupils very quickly catch up with their learning.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Provision for pupils with special educational needs or disability is well led and managed. Regular checks on pupils’ progress ensure that they receive the specific support they require to make good progress. The special educational needs coordinator is tenacious in ensuring that pupils receive appropriate support from other agencies.  Leaders use the pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils well. It is used to provide specialist teaching and additional support, as well as ensuring that pupils have access to school trips and visits. Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress and the gap between their attainment and that of their classmates is closing.  Pupils follow a broad and balanced curriculum. The school is particularly strong in delivering the arts. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the music, dance and drama opportunities on offer in lessons and after school. Pupils also have the opportunity to study French, humanities, design technology and sport. These

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

subjects are often made more interesting through trips and activity days, for example visiting the beach, and the Tower of London, and first-aid workshops and creative writing days.  The social, moral and cultural development of pupils is carefully considered. A strong emphasis is placed on pupils understanding their heritage and that of other cultures. Opportunities to understand democracy and the rule of law are provided through the curriculum. Older pupils make decisions regarding school charities and the school’s eco-warriors help to keep the local nature reserve fit for wildlife. Cultural and spiritual diversity is supported by music and drama productions.  The primary physical education and sports funding is used to train staff in the delivery of high-quality sports lessons, and to provide equipment and access to sports competitions and activities. A local dance specialist provides a weekly club and workshop for all pupils. Older pupils participate in local dance

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

competitions and perform well, resulting in the school gaining gold in every event it enters. Pupils enjoy the competitive sporting opportunities. During the inspection, pupils were taking part in the borough swimming gala. Pupils appreciate the opportunity to participate in the many after-school clubs.  The school has worked in partnership with other local primary schools and the local authority. The local authority has provided a good balance between support and challenge and it has been particularly helpful in validating leaders’ judgements of the impact of their work. The local authority has confidence in the leadership of the school.  At the time of the last inspection, relationships between the school and parents were not strong. Leaders, especially governors, have listened to parents and worked with them at improving communications. The school’s website is very informative. Parents receive regular newsletters and texts and there is an active

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

parents’ forum that has its own social media site. Parents are now overwhelmingly supportive of the school and acknowledge the improved relationships between school and home. This was summed up by one parent who said, ‘Communication between the school and parents is excellent. They are consistently engaging parents’.  The governance of the school Governors know the school well and have an accurate understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. They understand their role. They have ensured that school leaders have had an appropriate level of challenge and support to make this a good school. Governors understand the school progress information and what it tells them about the achievement of different groups of pupils. They understand the impact of the sports and pupil premium funding on the outcomes of pupils. Governors have ensured that relationships between the school and parents have improved. A small

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

group of governors has been a driving force behind the current improvements. It has worked closely with both senior leaders and parents. Governors play a full part in the performance management cycle. They review anonymised targets set for staff to ensure that they align with school improvements. Governors ensure that pay awards are linked to staff meeting their targets and that appropriate measures are taken to address underperformance. The performance management of the headteacher is carried out rigorously. Governors ensure that they carry out their statutory duties, including safeguarding and finance. They can explain the rationale behind their decisions.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school ensures that all the appropriate checks are carried out on all members of staff, governors, volunteers and visitors to the school. No one is admitted to the school unless their identity has been

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

checked. All adults are provided with information about safeguarding pupils within the school.  The school’s website contains a wealth of information for parents on keeping children safe, especially when using the internet.  All staff have been appropriately trained according to the latest guidance on keeping children safe, including the risks of extremism, sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Governors have also been appropriately trained. Staff understand the procedures they should take if they have concerns about a child’s safety. The governors describe safeguarding as being ‘the thread that runs through the school. It is embedded practice’.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good.  Teachers create a secure learning environment where relationships between pupils and adults are very positive. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions and to learn from their mistakes. Pupils say that they like their teachers.  Teachers plan lessons that engage pupils in their learning because the activities are interesting and exciting. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were studying mathematics through their topic on Euro 2016. They were enjoying working out the differences in the capacity of the various stadiums and constructing data collection charts. The buzz of learning, praise from adults and interesting resources helped all pupils to do their best.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they have an enthusiasm for learning. They set work of an appropriate level of demand for the different groups of pupils. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

achievement and expect all pupils to take care with the presentation of their work.  Teachers utilise teaching assistants very well; they are well organised, they have good subject knowledge and have a good understanding of the needs of the pupils they support and so their work contributes well to the good progress pupils make. Teachers probe pupils’ understanding well through questions that challenge their learning.  Homework is set appropriately and either consolidates learning or prepares pupils for new learning. Pupils in Year 6 enjoy having the opportunity to choose their homework task according to the level of difficulty. They explained that the tasks range from ‘mild chilli to ‘red-hot chilli’. Pupils say that they rarely choose the ‘mild chilli’ task.  Staff follow the school’s marking and feedback policy consistently. This means that pupils understand how well they have achieved and what they need to do to improve their work.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Phonics (the link between sounds and letters) is well taught. Pupils are able to sound out unfamiliar words.  Reading is well taught and a love of reading is encouraged through the reading reward scheme where pupils collect bronze to gold star certificates according to the number of books they have read. Those pupils who read to the inspectors did so fluently and confidently and talked about their love of reading.  Mathematics teaching is strong. Basic skills are a feature of every lesson to ensure that pupils know their times tables and can work out simple calculations using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Pupils told the inspectors that they liked these sessions because ‘this helps us with the harder maths’. Mathematics lessons are lively because pupils are challenged and have the opportunity to face a range of interesting problems. When asked, a group of Year 4 pupils described mathematics lessons as ‘awesome’.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Pupils also use their mathematical skills in other subjects such as science and geography.  Teachers ensure that pupils have the basic skills to be able to write. They ensure that pupils have a good grasp of spelling, punctuation and grammar. In key stage 2, pupils have the opportunity to develop their writing skills in a range of other subjects. Expectations about the quality of writing are equally high as they are in English and make a valuable contribution to the development of writing.  In key stage 1, teachers do not always provide enough opportunities for pupils to develop their writing. On too many occasions, pupils complete worksheets which limit their opportunity for extended writing and do not provide enough opportunity to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding, especially the most able.  There is some inconsistency in the quality of science teaching. Not all teachers have high enough

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

expectations of pupils. Work provided is often worksheet based and does not provide pupils with the opportunity to develop their investigation skills in the subject.  The overwhelming majority of parents agree that teaching is good and that they are kept well informed about their child’s progress.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. One group of pupils told the inspectors that one of the best things about the school is that ‘it doesn’t matter if you are intellectually able or not, everyone in this school has the same opportunities’.  Pupils talk enthusiastically about the range of opportunities to take on positions of responsibility, from being responsible for the school’s guinea pigs to being head pupils. Pupils have to apply to be prefects and they told inspectors that this was important as ‘they will have to apply for jobs as they get older’. One of their roles is to organise charity events in the school. Prefects are very proud of their work.  Older pupils provide excellent role models for younger pupils. Year 6 pupils are eloquent when describing their roles in school. They work with the school to develop playtimes, and to support friendships, the

p.5

Personal development and welfare

environment and learning. They relish their leadership roles and take them very seriously. Younger pupils told inspectors that ‘Senior prefects make sure the school is safe. They help with clubs and help us if we are lonely’.  Pupils feel exceptionally safe in school. One group of pupils told the inspectors that the best thing about the school is how safe it is. Pupils have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and know what to do if they have a concern. Pupils also talk about how the school provides them with information about how to keep safe on the roads and by water, and the dangers of drugs and tobacco as part of their personal, social and health education lessons. Parents and staff agree that children are safe in school.  All of the pupils spoken to say that bullying does not happen. They say that pupils do fall out and can be unkind to one another but that this is very rare and pupils soon make friends again. Pupils say that they

p.5

Personal development and welfare

can talk to adults about any concerns they may have and they will be listened to. This was summed up by pupils in key stage 2 who said, ‘Teachers don’t have to care for us but they do. They treat us like their own children.’ A very large majority of parents agree that any bullying is dealt with effectively.  Pupils are taught how to make healthy lifestyle choices. In food technology lessons, they are taught how to eat healthily and to prepare simple dishes. Sports lessons encourage pupils to enjoy exercise and learn about the importance of fitness.  The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils’ empathy and tolerance of others mean that they get on very well together. They listen attentively to one another in class and cooperate extremely well.  The school works closely with external agencies and families to ensure that pupils who have special

p.6

Personal development and welfare

educational needs or disability receive the level of support they need. As a result, they make progress in all areas of school life. Parents are highly appreciative of this support. A typical comment from parents is ‘the care and attention provided for children and their families is outstanding’.

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  The school environment is calm and orderly because pupils’ behaviour in the classrooms, corridors and in the playground is impeccable. They line up promptly at the end of playtime and walk briskly to their lessons.  Pupils are polite and respectful towards one another and adults. They are proud of their school and confidently talked to the inspectors about their work and their school.  Pupils have very positive attitudes towards their learning because they enjoy learning. Pupils have mature attitudes and told inspectors that ‘Learning cannot always be fun. Sometimes you just have to learn things you might not enjoy because they are important for us to make progress’.  Pupils take pride in their work. Work in exercise books is neatly and carefully presented.  Pupils understand the school’s code of conduct and know that there are consequences if they move from

p.6

Behaviour

the ‘learning zone’ into the ‘warning zone’ because they are not behaving appropriately. Pupils say that their lessons are very rarely disrupted and the school’s behaviour records confirm this.  Pupils enjoy receiving awards for their work and behaviour. They wear their Hinguar stars with pride.  Attendance is above average; pupils enjoy coming to school.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils are good

 Since the last inspection, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 in all three subjects of reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was above average. The proportion gaining the higher Level 5 in 2015 was also above the national average. This represents good progress for most groups of pupils from their individual starting points. As a result, pupils are well prepared to start secondary school.  Progress information for pupils currently in the school indicates that pupils are continuing to make good progress in these subjects, especially in key stage 2.  As a result of well-tailored support, disadvantaged pupils make good progress and achieve well by the end of Year 6. For the last two years, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils reaching Level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics has been above average. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates is closing throughout the school and in some year groups it has closed completely.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils are good

 As a result of highly effective phonics teaching, the proportion of pupils reaching the threshold in the national screening check has been above average since the last inspection. Predictions for pupils currently in Year 1 indicate that pupils are on track to attain good results this year. Pupils enjoy reading and read with confidence and fluency.  The progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is good. By the time they leave key stage 2, these pupils have made at least expected progress and often exceptional progress from their individual starting points in all three subjects of reading, writing and mathematics.  The attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics has been broadly average for the last two years. The proportion gaining the higher Level 3 in reading and mathematics was above average in 2015. Writing is the weakest of the three subjects as the proportion of pupils attaining

p.6

Outcomes for pupils are good

Level 3 has been below average.  Historically, all most-able pupils have reached the expected Level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion reaching Level 5 has also been above average. The most able pupils currently in the school are continuing to make good progress. Work seen in pupils’ books indicates that they are given work that demands more of them, especially in key stage 2.  The interesting and varied curriculum, along with the provision for a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and visits, ensure that the achievement of pupils in most other subjects is good. Inspectors enjoyed watching pupils rehearse for their end-of-term production and observed some high-quality art work and written work displayed around the school. However, work in pupils’ science books indicates that pupils’ progress is variable and not as strong in other subjects. This is because they are not given the

p.7

Outcomes for pupils are good

opportunity to develop their understanding and knowledge through investigative work.

p.7

Early years provision is good

 Most children enter the Nursery and Reception classes with skills and knowledge typical for their age. During their time in the early years, children learn quickly and make good progress because adults match learning activities to the interests and needs of the children. As a result, the proportion of children leaving Reception with a good level of development has been above average for the last two years. Progress information indicates that the proportion reaching a good level of development will be high this year. Children are therefore well prepared for key stage 1.  Both Nursery and Reception staff work closely with parents to involve them in their child’s learning. Parents have the opportunity to visit the early years setting prior to when their child starts. The early years leader visits children who are not from the school’s nursery in their own setting and organises induction sessions for them. This enables the children to settle quickly into their new setting.

p.7

Early years provision is good

 Workshops are run for parents on topics such as starting school, phonics and writing skills. Parents who are unable to attend workshops can access the information from the school’s website. Parents are encouraged to suggest workshop topics. Regular newsletters and the home–school communication book keep parents up to date. Parents are encouraged to settle their children at the start of the school day. This provides an opportunity to talk to their child about their work and to adults. Parents spoken to say that they receive lots of information about their child and that they can ‘see their child in what staff say’.  Children learn in a stimulating environment. Rooms are bright, spacious and well resourced, providing many interesting opportunities for children to develop a range of skills.  Adults monitor the progress of children carefully. Where there are gaps in a child’s knowledge, adults provide extra support so that they quickly catch up. The interventions are timely and specific to the needs

p.7

Early years provision is good

of each child.  Teaching is good because teachers choose interesting activities that motivate the children. They have high expectations and set challenging activities. Reception children were very confident in acting out their stories of their visit to the beach. The audience listened attentively to the performance and then asked well-thought-out questions. This activity effectively develops children’s confidence to talk in front of others. Children say how much they enjoy this activity.  The school uses the funding effectively to support disadvantaged children. They make progress similar to that of their classmates.  Adults make good use of songs, actions and routines that encourage children to listen, join in and respond. This is effective in developing children’s listening and language skills, as well as making tidying up fun.  Children learn in a safe environment and are taught how to keep themselves safe. They are very well

p.7

Early years provision is good

behaved and have positive attitudes towards learning. They listen to one another and adults. They work and play well together, showing that they can take turns and share. Children develop high levels of independence and make choices about their learning.  The early years leader has successfully created good provision for children in both Nursery and Reception. She is passionate about continuing to improve the provision and has an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the area. Parents of early years children are very happy with the provision. Comments such as, ‘we love it here’ and ‘brilliant, very happy’ were typical from parents.  The early years outside area makes good provision for children’s physical development. It is used well and children enjoy the area. However, it is not set up with activities that extend children in other areas of their learning and development. For example, there are limited opportunities for children to continue with

p.7

Early years provision is good

their topic work and few opportunities for children to develop their language and mathematical skills outside.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 114772 Local authority Southend-on-Sea Inspection number 10011817

p.9

School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

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 207 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David George Headteacher Vivienne Stevens Telephone number 01702 292721 Website www.hinguarprimary.org Email office@hinguar.southend.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 21–22 May 2014

p.9

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and therefore supported through the pupil premium is average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below average.  The early years consists of children in the Nursery and Reception classes. Children attend the Nursery either full- or part time. All children attend the Reception class full time.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in each class. They visited 16 lessons, accompanied by senior leaders for three of them, to observe learning, and to talk to pupils about their work.  Inspectors, accompanied by senior leaders, looked closely at pupils’ work in each class across a range of subjects. They also made a number of short visits to lessons.  The inspectors listened to two small groups of pupils read and visited a school assembly.  The inspectors met formally with two groups of pupils from each year group to discuss their experience of life in the school. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally at break- and lunchtime.  The inspectors checked the school’s documentation on safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and the quality of teaching. They also looked at the school’s analysis of its own work, its improvement plan, and information about pupils’ progress and performance management.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, early years leader, special

p.10

Information about this inspection

educational needs coordinator and subject leaders. Discussions were also held with eight members of the governing body and with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took into account and considered the 158 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspectors also spoke to a number of parents informally at the start and end of the school day.  The views expressed in the questionnaire returned by 18 members of the school staff were also considered.

p.10

Inspection team

Caroline Pardy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Edel Gillespie 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 .

p.10

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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,

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11