Hopton Church of England Primary School

Hopton Church of England Primary School Coast Road, Hopton-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 9BT

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders and governors acted quickly and decisively to address the issues raised at the previous inspection.  Governors provide effective challenge and support for school leaders. They are ambitious for the school and committed to its further improvement.  Senior leaders have developed systematic, reliable procedures for checking and tracking pupils’ progress.  Staff morale is high. Teachers are motivated by the senior leaders’ enthusiasm to help every child achieve their best.  Leaders have successfully improved the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils make better progress, and attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 has risen. Pupils now achieve well across the school.  The teaching of phonics in Years 1 and 2 is good, so pupils reach above-average standards.  Teachers’ good subject knowledge and careful planning ensure that pupils engage in their learning with enthusiasm. In a few ‘topic’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

lessons the pace and level of challenge does not fully meet the needs of the pupils.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the effective support they receive.  Pupils behave well because that is what is expected of them at all times. There is a shared understanding that the school community is caring and respectful to all.  Relationships between pupils and teachers are good. Pupils enjoy school and want to do well.  Pupils have a clear understanding of what it means to be a good citizen. They speak knowledgeably of fundamental British values and appreciate living in a multicultural society. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school.  Children in the early years get a good start to their education. Teaching and leadership are good, which results in children making good progress.  In some classes, the most able disadvantaged

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils are given too few opportunities to deepen their mathematical understanding.  Inconsistent handwriting hampers the fluency and presentation of some pupils’ written work. When writing, not all pupils use grammar, spelling and punctuation with sufficient accuracy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teachers in all classes provide more support and challenge for pupils capable of achieving higher standards, so that outcomes for pupils rise further. In particular, make sure that: – the most able disadvantaged pupils have a variety of opportunities to deepen mathematical understanding – ‘topic’ work contains challenges that are related to the subject and not only literacy or numeracy.  Improve the teaching of writing and raise achievement in this subject to the highest levels by making sure that teachers: – have consistently high expectations of pupils’ handwriting and ensure that pupils develop a fluent, consistent handwriting style – insist on the accurate use of grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Hopton Church of England Primary has much improved since the previous inspection. This has been due to the tireless determination of the headteacher, other senior leaders and the governing body to raise standards and address the shortcomings identified at the last inspection.  The headteacher is ambitious for all pupils and believes that they should achieve as well as they can academically, while also developing a love of learning. This commitment and passion for improving the quality of education for all shines through. Teachers share in this vision and their enthusiasm makes the school an enjoyable place to learn.  Senior leaders know their school well. The strengths of the school and areas for improvement are clearly identified in the self-evaluation, which is accurate, open and reflective. Leaders identify any weaknesses in provision through regularly looking at pupils’ work, studying progress information and observing lessons. Leaders use this

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

information well to revise curriculum provision to better meet pupils’ needs. This is why, for example, the school had a science week to raise the subject’s profile and to address investigative work in more detail.  Staff appreciate the wide-ranging professional development programme and the support from school leaders. All are motivated to make sure there is continual improvement. Consistent application of policies, such as opportunities for extended writing, help pupils write frequently in a range of subjects.  The curriculum is varied and well designed to meet the needs of all pupils. For example, pupils benefit from learning two languages: Spanish and French. There are a number of ‘topic weeks’ where pupils are able to experience a variety of subjects including art. This helps to prepare pupils well for secondary school. Pupils are enthusiastic about all of their subjects and enjoyed sharing with inspectors details of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

what they had been studying. There is a variety of extra clubs that pupils can attend before, during and after school. Pupils spoke animatedly about gymnastics, football, dance and computing.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well established. There is a strong Christian ethos in the school and this promotes relationships based on mutual respect. Displays capture the key values of respect, perseverance and trust. Inspectors agree with parents that this is a welcoming and caring school. One parent commented, ‘There is a lovely community feel about the school’, and another said ‘I love how the children are greeted by name at the beginning of each day at the gate.’  When asked about British values, pupils explained to inspectors that all people should be respected regardless of religion or race. Members of the school council and ‘learning ambassadors’ are elected representatives. As a result, they can talk knowledgeably

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

about democracy and the voting process.  Improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils has a high profile in the school. Pupil premium funding has been used for additional staffing, interventions and enrichment. The funding has been used flexibly; for example, when an intervention has not worked, it has been replaced. Such an approach has secured significant impact: disadvantaged pupils are currently making similar progress to or better progress than other pupils across the school in mathematics. The attendance of this cohort of pupils has also improved so that it almost matches that of other pupils in the school.  The primary school physical education and sport funding is used well. Pupils benefit from specialist sports coaching and they find their sports lessons fun. Pupils of all ages recognise the value of physical activity as a part of being healthy. There are also many opportunities for pupils to be involved in a wide range of other sporting activities, both

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

within the school day and after school.  Funding for pupils who have special educational needs and /or disabilities has been used well to resource external support. This has ensured that the school meets all of its legal obligations as well as providing appropriate training and support for teaching assistants.  The school has received helpful support and challenge from the local authority. The school liaises with a number of neighbouring schools with regard to standards and checking the quality of assessment.

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Governance of the school

 Governance of the school has strengthened considerably since the previous inspection. Governors have shown a willingness to learn, not least from the review of governance they commissioned. As a result, governors are well trained, confident in their roles and determined to improve the quality of education that will lead to even better outcomes for pupils.  Governors are not complacent and want to be the best they can be for the good of all children at the school. For example, they appointed a school improvement board with the support of a school improvement consultant to ensure that they understood clearly the school’s performance information and asked searching questions of senior leaders. Governors know they need sharper scrutiny of the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Governors are highly visible in school due to their ‘deep dive’ days where they spend

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Governance of the school

the day on-site looking at particular issues or concerns. They speak frequently to parents and are responsive to their suggestions.  Governors do not shy away from making difficult decisions. For example, they have ensured that the school’s performance management arrangements only reward successful outcomes and leaders apply these rigorously. They have also carefully considered strategic decisions, such as selecting a multi-academy trust, which they believe best secures the future success of the school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors with responsibility for safeguarding ensure that all staff are up to date with the latest information and responsibility. This includes training in the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty to counter radicalisation, and in child protection. Safer recruiting guidelines are strictly followed.  The caring and nurturing culture which leaders have created ensures that pupils feel that staff are approachable. They have confidence in the school and believe it to be a safe environment. Staff know individual pupils and their families well, and have close and effective links with external agencies. The school has no hesitation in tackling safeguarding issues as and when they arise.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching has improved substantially since the previous inspection. Teachers have higher expectations of pupils. The introduction in all lessons of ‘chilli challenges’ where differing tasks are given according to their level of challenge has enthused pupils, who comment that they want to be able ‘to do the harder one’.  Teaching is characterised by very positive and respectful relationships between teachers and pupils. One pupil commented that he liked Hopton as ‘teachers are really kind’. This leads to the positive engagement of pupils in their learning. Pupils appreciate the different methods teachers use to help them learn. Another pupil commented that his teacher deliberately got things wrong on the board to show that mistakes can be made and it is okay to get it wrong sometimes.  The teaching of English has improved since the previous inspection. More consistent phonics teaching has strengthened pupils’ early reading skills and lifted the Year 1

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

phonics check results. Younger pupils read with some fluency and were able to sound out words they did not recognise. Older readers used expression and tone well when reading out loud. Teachers give pupils regular opportunities to read so that they can practise and improve their reading.  Teachers and teaching assistants provide good support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make good progress.  Mathematics is now taught well and pupils’ progress in the subject shows good improvement. Pupils are expected to talk about mathematics and use appropriate mathematical language to explain their thinking. This is helpful to them when they use their knowledge and understanding to solve problems. In most lessons, teachers enable pupils to explore mathematical problems to greater depth; however, the most able disadvantaged pupils lack the skills to access the more difficult problems straight

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

away. Too few opportunities are given to them to deepen their understanding.  Improvements in the curriculum mean pupils are more interested in writing than previously. They have more opportunity to practise. As a result pupils are writing in a variety of formats, are writing more and are writing at greater length. Several pieces of writing created by most-able pupils in a Year 5 class were of high quality. This was because the teacher was clear about how to write well using a variety of devices. One boy wrote about a ‘perilous journey’ and another girl wrote about the ‘rumble of the tsunami of people’. In some books from across the school, pupils have not yet mastered joining ideas so they lead fluently on from one another. There is also some inaccuracy with spelling, grammar and punctuation.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are not afraid to take risks and they say that they are encouraged to keep trying harder challenges. Year 3 pupils commented that if they get something wrong it will help them to improve their learning. Pupils are developing their independence when working so that they take the initiative more often in their learning.  Pupils are kind to each other. Pupils know what bullying is and say it rarely occurs. A few parents commented via Parent View that they did not think the school handled bullying well. Inspectors did not find evidence for this view. School records show leaders’ swift and thorough responses to any concerns.  Most parents who completed the online questionnaire feel that pupils are happy, safe and well behaved at school. A number of parents who spoke to inspectors at the school gate commented on how strong pastoral care is at the school. They felt staff are most

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Personal development and welfare

supportive of their child’s needs. Inspection evidence supported this view.  Pupils work and play well together. They respond well to adults, and are warm and welcoming to visitors. Pupils enjoy spending time with older people in the community at Christmas and are active in fund-raising for several charities.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most pupils behave well during lessons, playtimes and assemblies.  Pupils are of the opinion that behaviour is good and are confident that teachers will sort out problems should they arise.  Pupils behave well in the breakfast and after-school clubs. A good selection of breakfast options encourages pupils to make healthy choices. Pupils have a good understanding of ‘health and fitness for life’ as they learn about this topic through their lessons. Pupils are encouraged to take part in physical activities in the sports clubs and this contributes to their developing fitness as well as their independence and confidence.  Attendance for all groups is tracked carefully by senior leaders and is in line with the national average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is improving and is almost in line with that of their

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Behaviour

peers. Persistent absence has reduced as the school identifies patterns of absence quickly and takes action to support families. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and do not want to miss their lessons or time with their friends.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Stronger teaching is ensuring that pupils are now achieving much better outcomes than was the case at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils’ progress is now good in all subjects and key stages.  In 2016, a higher proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 than in other schools nationally. More pupils also achieved a higher standard in reading than in other schools nationally.  In Year 1, pupils build well on their early skills and knowledge. The proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in phonics has steadily increased since 2014 and is now above the national average. Standards attained in Year 2 phonics are also above the national average.  The most able pupils make similarly good progress to other groups. Their strength is writing which shows flair and accuracy. Almost all of the most able pupils attained

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Outcomes for pupils Good

greater depth in writing by the end of key stage 2.  In 2016, disadvantaged pupils at the end of Year 6 did not attain as well as other pupils in mathematics and in the spelling, punctuation and grammar tests. Decisive actions by school leaders and governors have addressed this fully for most pupils in mathematics. Pupil premium funding has been used well to help pupils catch up. The school’s current assessments show that differences have diminished. Not all of the most able disadvantaged pupils are securing greater depth in their understanding of mathematics. Pupils are catching up with their knowledge of spelling, punctuation and grammar through repeated exercises designed to reinforce accuracy.  Throughout the school, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because they benefit from effective support, often in small intervention groups. Teachers have high expectations of what they can achieve and

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Outcomes for pupils Good

encourage pupils not to give up; for example, one boy tried repeatedly to complete a mild ‘chilli’ challenge and was delighted when he was successful.  Work in pupils’ books shows that pupils typically make good progress in a range of subjects other than literacy and numeracy, including science, art, history and geography. Science work scrutinised by inspectors showed that older pupils are well prepared for undertaking scientific investigations when they join Year 7. In some subjects, deeper knowledge and understanding for the most able pupils is limited. This is due to ‘chilli’ challenges focusing on deepening or reinforcing literacy or numeracy knowledge and understanding rather than the subject they are studying.

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Early years provision Good

 Early years provision has improved substantially since the previous inspection. Children now benefit from a vibrant and stimulating environment in which to learn. Outdoor activities and the use of space are regularly refreshed to spark children’s curiosity. As a result, children are eager to learn and explore. This, coupled with high expectations by adults, makes sure that children thrive and enjoy a very positive start to school life.  Children are given every opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge. They do this through well-planned phonics and numeracy sessions, and through listening closely to explanations from their teacher and teaching assistants. Adults are not afraid to use more difficult language so children can hear more difficult words. They will then rephrase to ensure the meaning is clear. Children make good progress from their varied starting points. For the past three years the proportion of children reaching a

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Early years provision Good

good level of development has been in line with the national average. Disadvantaged children reach a good level of development that is above the national average. Children are well prepared and confident to start in Year 1.  Additional funding is used effectively to provide resources and support for disadvantaged children. Disadvantaged children make good or better progress and achieve well.  Teaching is good; activities are well designed. For example, in one lesson the teacher used a glove-puppet dragon to focus children’s attention. Children learned the letter ‘z’ very quickly as they were only allowed to give the dragon objects to eat that used the letter ‘z’. This progressed to children writing the letter and then forming words. Some pupils were able to write the words ‘zoo’, ‘zig’ and ‘zag’.  The early years leader has a clear view of the strengths of the provision and what could be improved further. Where actions have been taken to tackle issues, these have

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Early years provision Good

been successful. The early years leader is working on giving boys varied writing tasks away from a desk so that they want to practise writing more frequently.  Safeguarding is effective. Risk assessments are thorough and the classroom is a safe environment for children. Children’s behaviour is good and adults are quick to provide support to children to help them understand the importance of being polite and treating one another with respect. Children play and learn together well and are responsible with equipment and resources. They happily tidy away after themselves.  Liaison with parents is helpful. Parents feel well informed and well supported. Parents are encouraged to attend workshops via the café, where they can talk through ideas and guidance. One parent commented that as a result of attending a café session she had more ideas for making stories more enjoyable and exciting.

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School details

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

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School details

Appropriate authority The local authority

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School details

Email address head@hopton.norfolk.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–22 January 2015

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school is smaller than the average primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  Early years provision is provided in one full-time Reception class.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special education needs and/or disabilities is slightly above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported with a statement of special educational needs is in line with the national average.  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.  The school runs a breakfast club and a range of after-school clubs.  For the purposes of professional development, including monitoring and evaluation

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Information about this school

activities, the school works in partnership with another local primary school and the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all key stages of the school and in all classes. Several of the observations took place accompanied by the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Inspectors scrutinised many examples of pupils’ work. In addition, they heard pupils of different ability levels read. They observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and as they moved around the school.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders, representatives of the governing body and pupils. They analysed 59 responses on the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, and spoke with parents at the beginning of the day.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including: the school’s development plan; audit reports; policies and records related to safeguarding; records of pupils’ behaviour; the school’s information about pupils’ outcomes and attendance; and records of meetings of the governing body.  Inspectors also checked the school’s website and ensured that it meets the

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Information about this inspection

requirements on the publication of specified information.

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Inspection team

Liz Smith, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nick Templeton 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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