Hylands Primary School

Hylands Primary School Granger Way, Romford RM11 2RU

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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 is determined that everyone should strive for excellence, and achieve their full potential, as reflected in the school mission statement, ‘only my best will do’.  Leaders make sure that the quality of teaching and pupil achievement continue to improve at a rapid rate. They monitor teaching and learning accurately. Leaders use this information to improve the performance of both teachers and pupils still further.  The quality of teaching is good. As a result, pupils enjoy their learning and make good progress across the school.  The early years foundation stage has improved significantly over the last two years. Children achieve well in all areas of learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Strong relationships and effective support for their welfare result in confident and mature learners. Pupils are proud to be members of Hylands Primary School. They value everything the school offers them.

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This is a good school

 Safeguarding procedures make sure that pupils are kept very safe from all potential dangers.  Governors are well informed and provide leaders with effective support and challenge. They systemically gather parents’ views and know there are high levels of parental satisfaction.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Plans for improvement do not have measurable targets based on pupils’ achievement or the quality of teaching. As a result, progress is not consistently rapid within subjects and across year groups.  Middle leaders are not held fully to account for their areas of responsibility, including the quality of teaching and pupil achievement.  Teachers do not always assess pupils’ current levels of understanding in lessons. Consequently, some pupils complete work they can already do. This prevents them from making rapid progress.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their mathematical and literacy skills across the curriculum.  Guidance to pupils on how to improve their work varies in quality across the school. School report

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching to speed up learning and progress even more by: – assessing pupils’ understanding in lessons more effectively so that learning is moved on at a faster pace when pupils know and can do the work – enabling pupils to apply their skills and knowledge on their own, as soon as they understand what they are expected to learn in lessons – providing more opportunities for writing and mathematics to be applied and extended in other subjects – securing consistency in the quality of feedback and guidance to pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the quality of leadership and management by: – ensuring that middle leaders are made fully responsible for the quality of teaching and achievement, including providing tailored support through coaching and mentoring – making sure that plans for improvement, including the pupil premium plan, have measurable targets based on the current achievement of different groups of pupils and the quality of teaching.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher quickly assessed what the school’s priorities are and has put in place effective strategies to secure further improvement. She has also redeployed some staff to maximise the impact of their work to drive sustained development.  She is aided in this task by a determined deputy headteacher whose responsibility is to strengthen the provision for vulnerable groups, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils who speak English as an additional language, and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The capacity of middle leaders has also been boosted with new leaders for mathematics and physical education (PE). A new special educational needs leader, who officially starts in the autumn term, has already begun work with leaders, to strengthen further teaching and learning for this group of pupils.  Procedures for managing the performance of all staff have been reviewed. Teachers are given team

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

targets based on recent performance of the year group that they teach. This means that there is a concerted effort to raise pupils’ achievement even further. Staff are only rewarded when targets are met and pupils make good or better rates of progress.  A new assessment system for tracking pupils’ attainment and progress enables leaders to pinpoint precisely the achievement of significant groups. Information enables leaders to quickly spot any potential underachievement, and boost pupils’ progress through interventions. The tracker also provides vital information about any gaps in the teaching of key skills on a termly basis, thereby enabling teachers to teach all the key objectives in the national curriculum. It also provides an overview of how well pupils are learning, including those pupils who have exceeded the national age-related expectation for their year group. Most assessments have been internally and externally moderated by the local authority to secure

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

accuracy.  The leadership of teaching and learning is good. Joint observations with inspectors demonstrate that leaders have a good understanding of the effectiveness of teaching, including what teachers need to work on next to improve their practice. Their judgements have been also been externally validated by the local authority.  Senior and middle leaders use all evidence available, including regular checks on the quality of teaching, work in pupils’ books and pupil achievement information, to identify any concerns and to support teachers when needed. Professional development and training are also closely aligned to the school priorities.  Middle leaders are effective. Those new to post are well supported by other leaders to develop their expertise as quickly as possible. As a result, achievement in all subjects, including English and mathematics, is good. They monitor their areas of responsibility well, providing vital information about the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

school’s performance, as well as giving informal support and advice to their colleagues. However, they do not have time allocated for coaching and mentoring their colleagues on a formal basis to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment still further. Their improvement plans are not sufficiently focused on improving these aspects and there are no measurable targets to hold them to account for their work.  Leaders and governors use any additional funds to good effect. They have ensured that the primary sport funding is well used. Some of this funding has enabled the school to be part of a local authority’s PE and sports programme. This gives pupils access to high-quality specialist teachers, to engage in different activities such as fencing and golf, and to compete with other local schools in a variety of different activities. The new PE teacher has galvanised the school community and parents to be more active and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

healthy. Staff have increased their teaching skills and confidence through training and support from the PE leader. A points system enables staff to target less-active pupils, who are encouraged to join sporting clubs. Similarly, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have access to a wide range of sporting activities, including their own specialist activities, such as curling and boccia.  The leadership of inclusion and pastoral support is good and improving, including the use of the pupil premium funding. By auditing provision, including the effectiveness of interventions, leaders are now better placed to make sure that only the most effective strategies are used to secure maximum impact on pupils’ progress. New approaches are boosting pupils’ progress in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics. The appointment of the pupil premium teacher has strengthened the school’s ability to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

monitor and evaluate even more sharply the effectiveness of these strategies. Nevertheless, the improvement plan does not have measurable targets to make sure that gaps between this group of pupils and others closes quickly in all year groups. The recent appointment of a learning mentor is also proving to be successful in engaging and supporting potentially vulnerable families and pupils.  The curriculum provides an appropriate balance of subjects that meet the needs of all pupils. It is carefully planned across all key stages and covers all the required areas of learning. Consequently, pupils are able to build on their prior learning. There are numerous extra-curricular activities for pupils to engage in which further promote their enjoyment and love of learning.  Leaders and governors are firmly committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

school because it is promoted very well. British values are threaded through the curriculum and the ethos of the school. Respect and tolerance are reinforced through strong relationships and high-quality displays.  Most parents are very positive about the work of the school. Several parents and grandparents were eager to convey to inspectors their appreciation of how leaders and staff help and support their children.  The governance of the school – The governing body is effective. Members of the governing body contribute a range of skills that allows them to offer good levels of support and challenge to leaders. Governors make regular visits to the school, which are focused on the school’s priorities. They attend professional training to help them evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and to monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures. – They have an accurate understanding of assessment information, as they attended the training for the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

new tracking system. They monitor the performance of pupils closely. They say that as a result of this, and the open and transparent discussions they have with the headteacher, they feel better informed about the school’s effectiveness. – The governors check how much difference the additional premium funding is making to the outcomes of eligible pupils. However, the lack of measurable targets to close existing gaps between these pupils, their peers and all pupils nationally means that they are not able to hold leaders fully to account for their work. – Since the school’s last full inspection, when the school’s overall effectiveness was judged to require improvement, officers from the local authority have kept a close watch on the school’s progress and performance. They have provided effective support and challenge for leaders, including governors.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and meet all statutory requirements. Recruitment

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

systems are highly effective, as demonstrated by the exemplary single central record of employment checks and the induction process, which is carefully monitored to make sure that everyone is up to speed on child protection issues. Staff receive regular training to ensure that they maintain a high degree of awareness about child protection issues. Training has included updates on how to recognise and combat extremism and radicalisation. Procedures are robustly monitored by leaders and governors.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers work well together to secure consistency in planning and equality of opportunity for all pupils across each year group. Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and as a result, learning proceeds in a calm and purposeful manner.  The school’s assessments and pupils’ work demonstrate that over time pupils make consistently good progress in all subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers have good subject knowledge. They explain things very clearly, using technical language well to enable pupils to understand key features of writing, including grammatical rules and mathematical strategies.  Reading and writing skills, including phonics (letters and the sounds that they make), are taught effectively. Pupils write in meaningful situations, which motivates them to apply their writing skills with proficiency in many different styles. Year 2 write persuasively to the headteacher about the conservation

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

of bees and their desire to keep a beehive, in order to save the declining population of bees.  Some teachers are adept at breaking down learning into small steps in writing. These are used well by both pupils and teachers to check progress in lessons and between lessons. These teachers are skilled in identifying strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ work. They provide clear guidance on what pupils need to work on next, which in turn encourages pupils to be reflective about their work. However, not all teachers are as proficient at this. As a consequence, this prevents all pupils from making accelerated progress.  The teaching of mathematics is good, with a broad coverage of mathematical topics over the year. Increasingly, pupils are encouraged to develop their reasoning skills. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to apply and deepen their learning in other subjects. Likewise, grammar,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

punctuation and spelling are not consistently reinforced in other subjects other than in English.  Pupils’ learning is supported effectively, through a variety of strategies. Teachers explain and model learning well, using visualisers to reinforce key concepts. Teaching assistants are also well deployed to both support and guide pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who find learning difficult, both in class and in small groups outside. However, there are some instances when pupils are ready to get on with their work, but instead sit patiently and listen to sometimes overly long explanations. This slows progress down, particularly for the most-able pupils, in both writing and mathematics.  Teachers pitch their questions to ensure that pupils of all abilities can answer. They expect pupils to complete a good amount of work in the time they allocate and to present their work well. Recent

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

challenge boxes in mathematics in all classes are beginning to encourage pupils to think hard about their learning. However, teachers do not always probe pupils’ understanding in lessons, which results in some pupils completing work they can already do. As a result, their learning is not moved on at a fast enough pace.  The school continually seeks to improve and is currently piloting a scheme to improve provision for those pupils who speak English as an additional language. Those pupils new to English have tailored programmes to improve language acquisition and to develop their reading and writing skills. Some parents are using this electronic programme at home to develop their children’s fluency still further.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are confident, articulate and respectful. They have good attitudes to their learning and are keen to do their very best.  They are exceptionally proud of the school and are very loyal as a result. Older pupils told inspectors that ‘I have been helped to learn new things…and everyone is encouraged to live their dreams…’ Nevertheless, the pupil survey confirms that almost one in two pupils feel that there are occasions when the work they are given is too easy.  Pupils’ physical and emotional welfare are met well through the caring and inclusive ethos of the school, the strong and supportive relationships and the curriculum. The learning mentor provides support and guidance for potentially vulnerable families and pupils. Senior leaders meet regularly to discuss any pupils causing concern. They seek advice from external agencies, and work closely with them in order to protect

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Personal development and welfare

pupils from all potential dangers.  Pupils know how to keep safe, including when online. They say that there is some bullying but that it is dealt with quickly by adults.  Pupils’ citizenship qualities are developed well through a variety of roles and responsibilities across school. Being school councillors, advocates and sports leaders encourages pupils to look after younger pupils and to be mature and caring individuals.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They work diligently and cooperate well in lessons. Their conduct in lessons and at breaktimes is admirable. This is because all adults implement the school behaviour policy consistently. Pupils enjoy being rewarded for their effort and good behaviour, and try even harder.  On the very rare occasions where the school has used exclusion for poor behaviour, every support network is used to ensure that pupils are successful when they return to school.  Attendance is improving and is now broadly average. The school has implemented effective systems to increase levels of attendance and to identify the support required for any pupils and their families who show signs of poor attendance, including pupils with often complex learning and medical needs.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The rising trend in 2015 has been sustained at the end of the early years foundation stage. In 2016, almost four out of five children achieved a good level of development. From typically average starting points, this represents good achievement.  The school’s information demonstrates that all groups of pupils are making at least expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils making more than expected progress is growing, but there some differences in some subjects and year groups, because pupils are not always challenged to think hard about their work in order to speed their progress up.  Standards in Year 6 in 2016 were in line with the unvalidated national averages in all key subjects. As there are currently no national figures for average attainment at the end of Year 2, it is not possible to make a comparison with national standards. However, the proportion of pupils achieving age-related

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Outcomes for pupils are good

expectations for each year group as outlined in the national curriculum key objectives, including Year 2, demonstrates that attainment across the school is least in line with national expectation. Given the higher standards and expectations of the new curriculum, this demonstrates good achievement from previous average starting points.  In 2015, the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and all pupils in school was wide in all core subjects. School information confirms that attainment gaps are beginning to close between these two groups now. This is especially so in Years 1, 5 and 6. Nonetheless, this group need to make sustained rapid progress in order for them to them to catch up with their peers. Recent work, including using more effective strategies to boost progress, is securing stronger outcomes. However, plans to make sure that the gap closes quickly lack measurable targets. This means that leaders, including governors, are not fully

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Outcomes for pupils are good

confident that the use of the additional funding is having maximum effect.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive the additional help they need to extend their vocabulary and to develop fluency. This enables them to access knowledge skills and understanding across the curriculum.  The most-able pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, they are not always sufficiently challenged to work hard and to make rapid progress, in both writing and mathematics.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are now making better progress. The impact of the revised programmes to support their learning is securing good progress in line with all other pupils.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching and learning in this phase. She regularly checks on the quality of provision and uses this information to inform the type and depth of professional development for staff, as well as to close any achievement gaps between groups. This has had a clear effect on boys’ achievement. They talk, read and write enthusiastically, as do the girls, because topics ignite their interest and fascinations. As a result, the gap that existed in 2015 between boys and girls is closing rapidly in literacy.  Training and strong team work has also secured consistency of approach by adults. All adults are skilled in intervening in children’s learning to extend their vocabulary and to develop key skills in children’s play. As a result of free movement between the three classes in both the nursery and reception classes, adults work seamlessly across the two year groups, supporting and intervening in children’s work. As a result,

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Early years provision is good

every opportunity is taken to maximise children’s learning.  Older children are effective role models for the younger children. Consequently, children learn and play cooperatively together, in a harmonious and secure environment. Children have good levels of concentration and persevere well to complete their tasks.  Assessments are ongoing and accurately capture children’s achievements. This information is used well to plan children’s next steps and to keep up a good pace of learning and progress.  Expectations have been raised. Phonics is now taught systematically and effectively to support all children’s literacy skills. Children sound out words accurately and confidently when they read and write.  Safeguarding is effective and ensures that children are happy and confident. They are keen to try out new activities, to explore on their own and to interact with each other cooperatively.

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School details

Unique reference number 102276 Local authority Havering Inspection number 10011881

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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 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 471 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Louise Prideaux Headteacher Linda Horgan Telephone number 01708 743704 Website www.hylands.havering.dbprimary.com Email address office@hylands.havering.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8–9 May 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those 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 and/or disabilities is below the national average.  Just over half of the pupils are of White British heritage. The rest are from a wide range of different ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is broadly in line with the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school meets the requirements for the publication of specified information on its website.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2015.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in lessons across all year groups, including in the early years. Most of these were joint observations with school leaders. The work in pupils’ books was evaluated during observations. Pupils’ progress and attainment was judged from an extensive book scrutiny. Inspectors also scrutinised the school’s achievement information. Inspectors also heard children read.  Discussions were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with several middle leaders and members of the governing body, including the chair and vice chair. A meeting was also held with a local authority representative. Inspectors also met with several groups of pupils and spoke to them informally throughout the inspection.  Inspectors considered 87 parental views expressed through Ofsted’s online Parent View survey. Inspectors also spoke to a number of parents at the start of the school day and examined the school’s

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Information about this inspection

latest parent survey.  Inspectors reviewed the 43 staff questionnaires returned during the inspection.  The inspection team also looked at records relating to behaviour and attendance, and considered documents used by leaders to monitor and evaluate the school’s work. A review of safeguarding records was also undertaken.

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Inspection team

Mary Hinds, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Danvir Visvanathan Ofsted Inspector Keith Tysoe 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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