Hammond School

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

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Mrs Lee Parsons Executive Headteacher Hammond School Badger Drive Lightwater Surrey GU18 5TS

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Short inspection of Hammond School

Following my visit to the school on 4 October 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 your predecessor school was judged to be good in November 2011.

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Short inspection of Hammond School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. There have been several changes to the school’s leadership in the past year, including your appointment as headteacher in September 2018 and, also, that of your new deputy headteacher. Both you and your deputy headteacher are firmly committed to building upon the school’s previous successes. You have already introduced new ideas as well as developing the school’s existing strengths. For example, you have restructured the leadership team and introduced year group leaders to ensure that there are clearer lines of communication and responsibility. Another successful change has been giving parents access to a footpath running between the federated infant and junior schools. As a result, parents say that local traffic congestion has been greatly reduced.

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Short inspection of Hammond School

Pupils are enthusiastic about their school. They speak excitedly about the wide range of activities they are involved in, and say they enjoy school. They are particularly keen to explain about the ‘expanding horizons’ initiative, which gives them the opportunity to study subjects outside the curriculum. For example, they can study aboriginal art or become a film critic. Pupils also appreciate the responsibilities they are given. During the inspection, I was met in every classroom by a pupil who has responsibility to meet and greet visitors. These pupils spoke confidently about their learning and were keen to show me their work. However, when talking with pupils, several felt that the tasks they are given are not always challenging enough. Both you and your predecessor headteachers have addressed the last inspection’s recommendations about developing the role of subject leaders to improve aspects of teaching and learning. The leadership team has introduced measures to develop

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Short inspection of Hammond School

the role of middle leaders further. Subject and year leaders now have regular opportunities to work together to moderate teachers’ assessments across the federation and the wider multi-academy trust (MAT). This has led to an increase in teachers’ confidence and accuracy when assessing pupils’ work. As a result, assessment information is more secure than in the past.

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Short inspection of Hammond School

Since the previous inspection, priority has also been given to improving the quality of teaching across the school. Opportunities for coaching, visits to other schools and the sharing of resources across the MAT have developed teachers’ skills. The school’s monitoring records, lesson observations, interviews with pupils and work in pupils’ books indicate that the quality of teaching has improved over time. However, you are keen to further develop the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that lessons more readily engage and inspire pupils.

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Short inspection of Hammond School

Nearly all pupils who enter the school in Year 3 have attained at least the expected standard, with many attaining greater depth at the end of Year 2. Leaders have identified that some of these pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, do not make enough progress by the time they leave school at the end of Year 6. The present leadership team has started to address this issue, for example, by ensuring greater accuracy in the tracking of pupils’ progress.

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Short inspection of Hammond School

The school’s strategy board and the MAT offer effective support and challenge to the school. They have an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses, and regularly challenge leaders. For example, they recently sought information about the steps leaders are taking to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, at the school.

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Short inspection of Hammond School

You have ensured that the school’s safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Records are detailed and of good quality. Appropriate recruitment checks are made on new members of staff. Regular safeguarding training and information updates are given to all staff. Safeguarding arrangements are checked thoroughly by the MAT to ensure that they are effective.

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Short inspection of Hammond School

Nearly all parents who responded to the Ofsted parent survey, Parent View, agree that their children are safe, happy and well looked after at school. Pupils also agree with this view. They say that they feel safe in school and talk knowledgeably about internet safety. Pupils say that bullying is rare and that any incidents are quickly addressed by adults at school. Attendance is above the national average.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, we looked closely at specific aspects of the school’s provision, including: the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements; the progress made by pupils entering key stage 2 with attainment at least at the expected standard; the progress of disadvantaged pupils; the progress of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities; and whether the curriculum is broad, balanced and accessible to all.  A very high proportion of pupils have achieved at the expected standard or at greater depth by the end of key stage 1. However, not all pupils make good progress and fulfil their potential. The unvalidated results for the end of key stage 2 mathematics in 2018 show that only just over three quarters of this cohort reached the expected standard. Leaders are aware of this dip and have already taken action to address it. Their response includes the introduction of a new mathematics scheme to provide many more opportunities for pupils to

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Inspection findings

improve their mathematical reasoning skills. Leaders are ensuring that pupils now have appropriately challenging tasks to develop skills and deepen their understanding.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils at your school, although rising, is still well below the national average. As the number of disadvantaged pupils is small in most year groups, it is difficult to compare their performance with other pupils nationally. Until recently, the progress made by disadvantaged pupils has been weaker than that of other pupils at the school. However, since the appointment of the new deputy headteacher, the approach to meeting their needs has changed. There is already evidence in pupils’ workbooks and the school’s own progress information to show that current disadvantaged pupils are now making much stronger progress. They are rapidly closing the gap that existed between themselves and others. Pupil premium funding is used effectively to ensure that

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Inspection findings

they receive appropriate support and play a full and active role in school.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities at your school has been steadily rising over the past two years. Leaders have identified that many of these pupils suffer from anxiety and, as a result, have introduced well-being lessons into the curriculum. Weekly yoga and mindfulness lessons are now being offered. Pupils told me that they quite often use some of the breathing exercises as it helps them to feel ‘calm inside’. The newly appointed deputy headteacher has considerable experience in meeting the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. She has already introduced a range of measures to ensure that this group of pupils are fully included in all curriculum activities and that most of their learning takes place in their own classrooms. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are carefully monitored. The school’s progress information and work

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Inspection findings

in books confirm that this group are making good progress from their various starting points.  The wide and varied curriculum is a strength of the school. The breadth and balance of subjects taught is good and provides pupils with opportunities to learn in a variety of ways. Music teaching is a notable strength. All pupils have the opportunity to learn to play a range of instruments and say that they thoroughly enjoy this. Leaders have ensured that subjects are not taught in isolation and that there are opportunities to practise skills across the curriculum. For example, learning in mathematics is applied in science and design and technology lessons. The introduction of well-being lessons as well as the termly opportunity to study a subject outside the standard curriculum are just two examples of the way leaders ensure that pupils have wide and varied learning experiences. In addition, there are many extra-curricular activities available to pupils, ranging

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Inspection findings

from sports clubs, such as lacrosse and ultimate frisbee, to drama and robotics clubs. These are well-attended and appreciated by pupils.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 pupils make stronger progress so that standards are even higher by the end of key stage 2  teaching is further developed so that learning tasks routinely engage, challenge and inspire pupils  the progress of disadvantaged pupils strengthens to close the gap with other pupils nationally, particularly in writing and mathematics.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Surrey. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you and your deputy headteacher at several points during the day to discuss the school’s effectiveness. Together, we observed learning in each year group and looked at pupils’ work. I met with two representatives of the multi-academy trust and held a telephone conversation with the chair of the school’s strategy board. I met formally with a group of teachers and a group of pupils.

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Information about the inspection

I reviewed a wide range of documentation, including: safeguarding policies and procedures; the school’s own information about pupils’ performance; attendance records; and behaviour logs. I considered nine responses from staff to Ofsted’s confidential online survey, and 53 responses from parents to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View, including 41 free-text comments. I also spoke to several parents before school. In addition, I took account of 219 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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