Hassell Primary School

Inspection of Hassell Primary School Barracks Road, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 1LF

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 2–3 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school, where they are well cared for. Pupils told us that they feel safe in school. They said that adults will always listen to any concerns they have. Pupils told us that bullying happens rarely but when it does, adults deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and move around the school sensibly. They are polite to each other and the adults they work with. Most pupils try their best and want to do well. The pupils we spoke to told us how much they look forward to the weekly celebration assemblies. They are proud of the certificates they receive for their efforts and achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to have extra responsibilities. They know that these roles make a difference for others. For example, play leaders make sure that no one is on their own at lunchtime. The school council made improvements to the local area by organising a community ‘litter pick’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want pupils to experience a broad and interesting curriculum. At the moment, pupils are not doing as well as they could be. This is because work is not matched well enough to what pupils need to learn next.

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better?

Leaders know that pupils are not achieving well enough. Plans to improve the curriculum are appropriate. Teachers know what they are expected to teach in each subject because of these plans. Subject leaders told us that some of these plans are new. They are not yet able to say how well the plans are being implemented throughout the school. Teachers understand what improvements need to be made and are fully supportive of leaders’ actions.

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better?

Leaders have not made sure that all teachers have the skills to teach reading well. The teaching of phonics does not enable some pupils to gain the skills they need to read fluently and with confidence. Pupils who struggle to read are not getting the help they need to catch up quickly enough. This means they are falling behind their classmates. However, leaders make sure that pupils are reading books that are matched to the sounds they already know.

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better?

In key stage 2, pupils enjoy reading books by a range of authors that teachers have matched to learning in English and topic work. At the moment, teachers’ plans for developing pupils’ reading and writing skills do not build well enough on what they already know. This means that some pupils, particularly those who struggle to read and write, do not make the progress they should.

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better?

The teaching of mathematics is getting better. Pupils have a good understanding of 2–3 October 2019

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calculation strategies. They have regular opportunities to practise these skills. Pupils have few opportunities to solve mathematical problems and explain their answers. Sometimes the work planned in mathematics is too easy. Some teachers need to develop their own subject knowledge so that they can plan more challenging work for all pupils.

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Leaders understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and share this information with teachers. Sometimes teachers do not use this information to adapt activities well enough. So, some pupils with SEND are not doing as well as they could.

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Leaders have made changes to how the early years groups are organised. At the moment, plans for learning do not build well enough on what children already know and can do. Some activities are not matched well enough to children’s needs. This means that some children are not challenged enough by activities. Sometimes children do not behave as well as they could because teachers have not made their expectations clear enough. This affects how well some children can learn. Children in the early years are happy and safe. Relationships between staff and children are warm. Teachers promote children’s personal development well. Staff encourage children to eat healthily, drink regularly and be kind to each other.

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Leaders ensure that pupils’ personal development is a priority. This is a strength of the school. Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to attend clubs linked to sports, the arts and languages. These clubs are well attended. Pupils are respectful of cultures and religions different to their own. They are adamant that everyone is welcome at their school regardless of ability, race or religion. Opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of some aspects of British values, for example individual liberty, are less well developed.

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Parents and carers are positive about the school. Parents told us that school staff are approachable and that their children are happy and safe at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular training about how to keep children safe. Staff understand how to report any concerns they have about a child’s welfare. Leaders respond quickly to concerns. They work well with the local authority and other agencies so that pupils get the help they need. Leaders ensure that the correct checks are completed before any members of staff start to work at the school. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe. This includes online safety, road safety and what makes safe relationships. The school works with the local police to talk about safety in the community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of reading is not meeting the needs of all pupils. Low-attaining pupils do not read with fluency and confidence. Staff who teach phonics should be suitably trained. Leaders also need to make sure that the support provided for the pupils who did not pass the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 is more closely matched to their needs so that they are able to catch up quickly.  There has been a decline in pupils’ progress in reading and writing in key stage 2. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for English is planned so that there are high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. Learning activities should be sequenced so that they build on pupils’ existing knowledge and skills so that all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes.  Pupils are not able to deepen their mathematical knowledge because they are given few opportunities to solve problems or to reason about their work. Leaders

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

should ensure that all staff have the necessary subject knowledge needed to plan a well-sequenced curriculum that provides opportunities for pupils to develop, practise and refine their skills.  The school offers a broad curriculum to pupils. Recent changes to the organisation of subjects are positive and reflect leaders’ high ambition for pupils. Leaders will need to check how well the curriculum is being implemented so that pupils are building knowledge that will support them with the next stage of their education.  There have been some significant changes to the organisation of the early years. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is adapted so that it meets the needs of all children and builds well on what they already know and can do.  Pupils have the opportunity to learn about some of the fundamental British values in detail. Leaders should continue to develop and deepen pupils’ understanding of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

each of these values to help to prepare pupils for their future lives in modern Britain.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 2–3 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111697 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 November 2015

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Information about this school

 A very small number of pupils who attend this school are above the registered age range. This is in response to specific educational needs.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, and the designated safeguarding leader, the deputy headteacher and the leader of the early years. The lead inspector also met with a member of the governing body.  Inspectors met with curriculum leaders and teachers in order to discuss the quality of education at the school.  Inspectors focused on reading, English, mathematics and music during this inspection. They also considered other subjects, including computing, science and history.  Inspectors visited lessons. Most of these visits were with curriculum leaders.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their learning and experiences at school. 2–3 October 2019

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Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in a range of subjects to see how well the curriculum is applied.  An inspector heard some pupils from key stages 1 and 2 read.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation provided by the school. They looked at the school’s website, school policies, curriculum documents, safeguarding information including checks that leaders make on staff prior to appointment, SEND records and published information about pupils’ performance.  Inspectors considered the 35 responses to Parent View and the 16 free-text responses. An inspector spoke to parents informally on the playground.  Inspectors considered the 11 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jo Evans, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gail Peyton Ofsted Inspector 2–3 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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