Harestock Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Jackie Sankey Headteacher Harestock Primary School Bramshaw Close Harestock Winchester Hampshire SO22 6LU

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 30 January 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in March 2013.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have created a culture in which all children feel valued and cared for. Your ‘learning tree’ values, such as resilience, honesty, respect and tolerance, are embedded effectively into your curriculum. These help pupils by giving them the strategies to become more confident and effective learners.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

You have improved teaching by providing effective support for your staff. As a result, pupils across the school make good progress in their learning. Staff value the useful training they have received, which they believe has improved how they teach mathematics in particular.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

The curriculum provides an interesting range of learning opportunities. Pupils take pride in their work, because teachers encourage them to check and improve it. Leaders’ focus on improving writing across the curriculum has strengthened the quality of pupils’ work, particularly in key stage 2. Pupils are motivated by the engaging themes and are keen to learn. Their attitudes to learning are positive and behaviour is good.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

However, most-able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged in foundation subjects such as science, history and geography. Pupils’ development of subject- specific skills is not consistent across the school, for example in developing pupils’ knowledge of a fair test in science or their understanding of different sources of evidence in history. You and your leaders have identified the need to strengthen the assessment of the wider curriculum to ensure that the progression in learning is clearer.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

The last inspection recognised the school’s many strengths, particularly the strong relationships between staff and pupils. It also identified a need for learning to move at a suitable pace and for pupils to be given work at the right level of difficulty. Another recommendation was for leaders to focus more precisely on the impact of their actions on pupils’ learning and to use assessment information more consistently to increase rates of progress for pupils with parents in the armed forces or who are eligible for free school meals. Leaders have addressed these areas effectively so that:

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

 pupils are challenged more in lessons to move their learning on at a suitable pace  teachers now use assessment information more effectively to plan work that focuses on what pupils need to learn  the work of leaders focuses more on the impact it has on improving pupils’ progress and attainment  the progress of pupils with parents in the armed forces or who are eligible for free school meals is improving.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

You and your governors have an ambitious vision for ‘pupils to become confident and motivated; enabling all to reach their full potential as responsible citizens skilled for the 21 st Century’. Your meticulous approach to identifying the school’s development priorities has ensured that new strategies have been implemented effectively. Teachers plan lessons effectively in mathematics to challenge and deepen pupils’ learning. The majority of pupils now make at least the rate of progress that the school expects. The proportion of pupils across the school attaining the expected standard in mathematics is increasing.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

You have correctly identified that disadvantaged pupils need to increase their progress further to help them catch up with their peers. The support you give to these pupils is more precisely focused on reducing their gaps in learning. You and your leaders now track the impact of interventions more rigorously and adjust them if they do not lead to rapid improvement. Your inclusion team has rigorously monitored the attendance of disadvantaged pupils, ensuring that they attend school more regularly.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

Safeguarding arrangements are highly effective. Leaders keep comprehensive records and carefully track any concern raised by staff. The designated safeguarding leader keeps detailed chronologies of evidence and takes swift action when pupils need help.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

Pupils feel safe and are happy in the school. Parents and carers are satisfied with how the school cares for their children. The school’s curriculum includes a range of different opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, key stage 2 pupils made their own road safety films to help younger pupils understand how to stay safe on the road. Pupils also know how to use the internet safely. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils are supervised carefully during breaks, when they play together sensibly and safely.

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Short inspection of Harestock Primary School

Staff receive regular and useful training in safeguarding. They discuss pupils’ safety and the needs of vulnerable children so that staff remain vigilant. Leaders work effectively with external agencies to keep children safe. Governors monitor safeguarding arrangements robustly to ensure that the correct procedures are being followed. This includes an annual safeguarding audit and regular checks on the single central register.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, we agreed to focus on the following areas: – how well leaders have improved teaching since the last inspection – how effectively leaders have ensured that disadvantaged pupils make the progress that they should – how well leaders have increased the progress that pupils make in mathematics – how well leaders provide a broad and balanced curriculum which helps to prepare pupils for their next steps in education and for life in modern Britain.  Teachers’ knowledge and skills have improved through high-quality training. This has improved their teaching, particularly in mathematics. Teachers use questioning to probe learning and check pupils’ understanding effectively. They model how to use different strategies well, which helps pupils to apply their knowledge more effectively in different contexts. Teaching is adapted to address gaps in pupils’ understanding and to provide additional challenge to move

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Inspection findings

learning on. Teachers revisit the new vocabulary introduced in lessons to ensure that pupils know what it means. Learning support assistants are proactive in supporting pupils who need help to improve.  Leaders and governors monitor the progress of disadvantaged pupils rigorously. This enables them to identify quickly any pupil who is at risk of falling behind and take swift action to address this. The impact of support given to pupils is now tracked more closely and is accelerating their progress. Disadvantaged pupils participate well in lessons and produce high-quality work. Teachers provide additional support and challenge which moves pupils’ learning on more quickly. Pupils who have parents in the armed forces make good progress and attain well across the school. The progress of pupils entitled to free school meals is improving across the school. This is helping them to catch up with their peers.

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Inspection findings

 Improved approaches to teaching led to a sharp rise in attainment in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 in 2017. However, leaders recognised that more work was needed to accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics further. Your leaders, with support from the local authority, have effectively implemented a new teaching programme in mathematics. This has helped pupils to master mathematical skills in greater depth. As a result, progress and attainment in mathematics are improving across the school. Pupils reason well and provide clear explanations of their answers. Teachers plan more opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge and practise their skills through problem solving. For example, pupils used their knowledge of equivalent fractions to solve problems.  The school’s values are embedded into the curriculum and make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development and well-being. For example, one

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Inspection findings

teacher developed pupils’ understanding of mindfulness through skilful questioning and discussion. The curriculum is also enriched through visits and themed days or weeks, such as European languages day or a visit to The Living Rainforest. Pupils enjoy these events, because they give them a practical context for their learning.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development opportunities are promoted effectively through the curriculum. For example, some pupils learned to develop thoughtful arguments as they debated the implications and impact of tourism in St Lucia. Pupils take on different responsibilities around the school, for instance as play leaders, school councillors and young interpreters. These roles help them to become better citizens and learners.  Pupils’ understanding of British values is also embedded across the curriculum. For example, the clear code of conduct ensures that pupils understand the

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Inspection findings

school rules and behave well. The annual visit to the Houses of Parliament by Year 6 pupils gives them a better understanding of the rule of law and democracy. School values are also reinforced through assemblies which reward pupils who are displaying the value of the week. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage in education through transition visits to new classes or new schools.  Work in subjects such as science, history and geography is not routinely hard enough for the most able pupils. The progression and development of skills in these subjects are often not clear and assessment of them is in its early stages.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  the most able pupils are challenged more effectively in foundation subjects  assessment in the foundation subjects is developed further so that the progression in learning is more precise. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, other leaders, pupils and members of the governing body and spoke to your local authority improvement adviser. With you and your deputy headteacher, I visited all classes and scrutinised a range of pupils’ work. I took account of 14 staff responses to the online questionnaire. I also considered 51 responses by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. I observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and around the school. I spoke to a number of parents at the beginning of the school day. I analysed a range of the school’s documentation, including information about pupils’ achievement, the school development plan and a range of policies and procedures, including those for safeguarding. We also discussed your own evaluation of the school’s effectiveness.

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