Hornton Primary School

Hornton Primary School Church Lane, Hornton, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6BZ

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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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils enjoy coming to this small village school. They behave well and have positive attitudes to their learning. Attendance is similar to the national average.  Dedicated leadership by the headteacher drives school improvement. Staff share the aim of ensuring that all pupils receive a good quality of education.  Teaching is good. Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress is accurate. It enables staff to provide pupils with work of the right level of difficulty.  Pupils make strong progress. They obtain results at the end of Year 6 that compare favourably with the national average. Those who are most able do particularly well. Additional funding is used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to their peers.  Children in the early years make good progress. By the end of Reception, a higher proportion than found nationally reach a good level of development.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

development is enhanced through an engaging curriculum.  Parents are highly supportive. All who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire would recommend the school to another parent.  Those with governance responsibilities are very supportive of the school. They provide a good level of challenge to most aspects of school life. However, they do not check children’s progress in the Nursery, so they are not sure how pupils are progressing throughout the early years.  Progress in writing in Years 3 and 4 is not strong enough. Pupils do not get enough guidance to develop their handwriting, composition and spelling skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ progress in writing in Years 3 and 4 by providing clearer guidance on developing handwriting, composition and spelling skills.  Ensure that those responsible for governance monitor regularly the progress of children in the Nursery so that they have a clear overview of progress throughout the early years.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Within this happy village school there is an ethos of high expectations. The headteacher is dedicated to ensuring that the school continues to improve. He is well supported by a committed team of staff who help each pupil to do well, both academically and in their personal development.  Parents are pleased with the school. All who responded to the Ofsted survey would recommend the school to another parent. One parent summed up the views of many when they said,’ I love this school, it teaches and nurtures my children so well’.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well developed. The topic- based curriculum appeals to pupils’ interests. Leaders have ensured that pupils develop a good understanding of the rural area in which the school is located. Pupils visit local farms to learn about crops and livestock management. They were very excited about their upcoming visit to see some newly born lambs. In subjects such as science, pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

learn to consider the impact of different variables when conducting experiments. Pupils have the opportunity to perform classical drama, for example those in Years 5 and 6 enjoyed acting out the Shakespeare play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’.  Extra-curricular activities include a range of different clubs which enrich pupils’ learning. Trips as well as residential visits to an activity centre help to develop the skills of independence. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They learn about valuing diversity. The school’s aims of humility, perseverance and self-belief are well linked into teaching about British values.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively. Leaders ensure that funds are spent to help improve pupils’ abilities across a range of subjects. Senior leaders recently attended a conference on ways of maximising the use of the funding.  Additional funding for primary sports and physical education is used well to ensure that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

it increases pupils’ participation in a range of sporting activities. Funding for the small number of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is used effectively.  There are strong links between the schools within the Warriner Multi-Academy Trust. Staff meet regularly to share ideas. They are guided by the highly experienced chief executive of the trust.

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Governance of the school

 Both the board of directors and the local governing body provide a good level of challenge to the school. They carefully check the progress the school is making against the agreed priorities.  Aspects of governance that are highly effective include the rigorous checking of safeguarding procedures and the monitoring of finances.  Governors regularly check the progress that pupils are making in most year groups. However, they recognise that they have overlooked how children are progressing in the Nursery. As a result, they do not have a clear enough understanding about children’s progress across all of the early years provision.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Pupils say that they feel safe in the school. There are clear systems and procedures in place to ensure their safety. Staff have been well trained. They feel confident to contact a range of agencies, should the need arise.  Staff and parents who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaires all agree that pupils in this school are safe and well looked after.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders have improved the quality of teaching since the school converted to become an academy. Staff now provide work that enables most pupils to make good progress across a range of different subjects.  Teachers know what pupils can do and what they need to learn next. Staff use the school’s assessment system carefully to track each pupils’ progress. Any pupil who is falling behind is quickly given additional help and support to catch up.  Reading skills are developed effectively. Younger pupils use their phonics skills to read an increasing number of words. As they progress through the school pupils develop a love of reading. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors. Most key stage 2 pupils read with fluency and expression.  Writing skills in much of the school are well taught. Work seen in books shows that pupils have good opportunities to write in a range of subjects. For example, in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

geography in key stage 1, pupils had written about their research on the rainforest. Skills in handwriting, composition and spelling are not well developed and pupils make slower progress in Years 3 and 4.  Leaders have focused on ensuring that pupils’ mathematical skills are well developed. Staff now have strong subject knowledge due to the effective support of the subject leader. All pupils, including the most able, are given work that is suitably challenging. Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills are well developed across the school.  Learning support assistants make a significant contribution. They help pupils overcome any difficulties to accessing their learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  All staff work hard to develop pupils’ self-confidence. Pupils say that staff help them to understand that they can succeed in their learning, even when sometimes it seems too difficult.  Pupils know how to stay safe, such as when using the internet. Pupils are very aware of the need not to divulge personal information and never to speak to someone they do not know, when online. From the early years pupils learn about road safety and how to spot potential hazards when out in the countryside.  The breakfast and after-school clubs are well attended and provide a calm start and end to the day.  Pupils have a good understanding about the different forms of bullying. They say that there is no bullying at this school, only the occasional minor disagreement. Pupils confirm that teachers are very quick to sort out any problems.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are polite and well mannered towards each other. Pupils say that ‘the school is like a family and we all take care of each other’.  In lessons pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They listen carefully to the teacher and are quick to follow the tasks that have been set. Books are neat and well presented.  Attendance is similar to the national average. The school has good links with parents and carers and often reminds them of the need for their children to attend regularly.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils typically make good progress. At the end of key stage 2 pupils reach standards that compare favourably with the national average. Evidence in pupils’ books and the school’s own data show that this continues to be the case for current pupils.  Those who are most able do well. In 2017 in key stage 2, the percentage of pupils reaching the higher standard was similar to the national average in mathematics and above the national average in both reading and writing. Current most-able pupils achieve well because teachers provide work that challenges them.  Leaders have recently introduced an effective system to monitor the academic and social progress of disadvantaged pupils. Already this is having a beneficial impact and some pupils are making particularly strong progress as a result.  The results of the Year 1 phonics screening checks have been below average in the last two years. Leaders have worked hard to improve pupils’ progress in this subject. A

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Outcomes for pupils Good

newly introduced phonics assessment system is having a positive impact. Current pupils are doing well. The vast majority are on track to reach the expected standard by the end of Year 1.  In key stage 1, pupils typically reach standards that are similar to the national average. Evidence from checking pupils’ books shows that current pupils are continuing to make strong progress, particularly in writing. A few pupils are already achieving the end-of- Year 2 age-related expectations.  Pupils make particularly strong progress in their reading, writing and mathematics in Years 5 and 6. This is because staff know the needs of the pupils well. Those who need additional help and support are given careful guidance.

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Early years provision Good

 Experienced staff go to great lengths to ensure that children settle quickly into the bright and attractive early years classroom. Parents praise the way that staff provide such a caring and nurturing environment. They say that their children feel safe and really enjoy coming to school.  The majority of pupil enter the Nursery with skills, knowledge and understanding that are typical or above for their age. Children make good progress because they take part in activities that develop their curiosity and interest.  The provision for two-year-olds is effective. Staff understand their emotional and social needs and provide a calm, friendly and reassuring atmosphere. There is a cosy area for young children to rest should they need to during the day.  Children continue to make good progress in Reception. Teachers plan purposeful activities that are fun and stimulating to enquiring minds.  The curriculum is vibrant. For example, regular forest-school activities give children a

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Early years provision Good

good understanding of nature, such as the animals that live in the woods. In phonics, most children develop an understanding of letters and the sounds they make.  Staff are accurate in their assessments of children’s skills and abilities. They monitor carefully the progress that is made. Records show that most Reception children can count accurately. A few most-able children have started to learn addition, subtraction and division.  Children behave well; even the very youngest sit and listen attentively to their teacher. They play well together and share equipment sensibly. Staff are ever-attentive to meeting the needs of the children in their care. One example of this is the recently introduced extended lunchtime. This enables children to eat when they are hungry.  Leadership of the early years is determined to provide a good start to children’s education. Teaching is effective. By the end of Reception, a higher percentage than

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Early years provision Good

found nationally reach a good level of development. This ensures that children are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

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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 Board of directors

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School details

Email address office.2001@hornton.oxon.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Hornton Primary School is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. In August 2015 the school converted to become an academy within the Warriner Multi-Academy Trust. There are five schools in the trust, a secondary school and four primary schools. The management of the trust consists of a chief executive, who is also the headteacher of the secondary school, and a board of directors. Their role is to oversee the strategic direction of all of the schools. A local governing body is responsible for aspects related to the day-to-day running of this school, these include monitoring the quality of teaching and learning.  Early years provision consists of a Nursery and a Reception class. In the Nursery there are 28 children on roll, including provision for two-year-olds. Almost all attend part time. The Reception class is full time and there are currently nine children on roll.  From Year 1 pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes, including a key stage 1 class,

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Information about this school

a Years 3 and 4 class and a Years 5 and 6 class.  There is a lower than average proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium.  There are very few pupils in the school who have SEN and/or disabilities.  The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club.  When the predecessor school, Horton Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in September 2013, its overall effectiveness was judged to require improvement.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum standards expected nationally for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Accompanied by senior leaders, the inspector observed pupils’ learning in all classes. They conducted a detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work and listened to some pupils in Year 2 and 6 read.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through informal discussions at the end of the school day. The 24 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were also considered.  Meetings were held with senior leaders and staff. There was a meeting with members of the local governing body and the directors of the trust, including the Chief Executive. The inspector considered the 12 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  A range of documentation was examined, including the school’s development plan and its self-evaluation. Policies and records related to safeguarding and information about pupils’ behaviour, progress and attendance were checked.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector 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

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 .

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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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