Hemsby Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hemsby Primary School School Loke, Hemsby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR29 4LH

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Outcome

Hemsby Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a good-quality education in their time in this school. Learning to read and write is highly prioritised. Pupils are taught early reading skills well. They develop good writing skills, learning letter shapes alongside what they sound like. As pupils move through the school, teachers share a love of reading with pupils. Pupils enjoy acting out stories and writing their own versions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a broad curriculum in place, engaging pupils in a variety of topics and developing their knowledge. Due to changes in leadership, there are some subjects where leaders are not sure how well things are taught. There is some inconsistency in the mathematics curriculum across the school. However, there is strong teaching throughout the school. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a wide range of activities beyond English, mathematics and science. The younger pupils make regular use of the ‘maze’, a woodland area. There are lots of visits out of school, and visitors who come in.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are well behaved, polite, work hard and play well with their peers. Those who show excellent attitudes are rewarded with ‘good egg’ badges. The oldest pupils take on a range of responsibilities at playtime and in assemblies. There are a few pupils who do struggle to control their own behaviour. When incidents do take place, they are dealt with quickly and appropriately. A range of support in class and from the nurture team helps support pupils who need the extra help for their behaviour and emotional needs.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teaching is of a good standard throughout the school. This is because teachers know the pupils in their classes well. They adapt what they do to meet pupils’ needs and/or challenge them further.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The teaching of reading is a strength. Teachers demonstrate a real love of books to the 15–16 October 2019

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pupils in their care. They teach phonics well, and include writing letters that match the sounds, right from the start of Reception. Any pupils at risk of falling behind are helped to catch up. Books are celebrated, for example, on Tuesdays, when pupils move around the school to a room of their choice to hear a classic book read by a teacher. There is a well- stocked fiction library. Pupils are motivated by the quizzes they complete about the books they have read.

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Pupils’ writing is encouraged by the use of carefully chosen stories and texts in English lessons. These link closely to other subjects where possible. Retelling stories using actions and drama helps motivate pupils to write their own versions.

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Mathematics teaching meets all requirements of the national curriculum. Teachers give pupils regular opportunities to develop quick-fire recall and mental agility with numbers. They revisit previous learning to help it stick in pupils’ minds. However, there is not a consistent agreement in place through the whole school on methods or models used. This means that pupils have to adapt to slightly different ways of working as they move through the school.

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The curriculum beyond English and mathematics is extremely well mapped out for Reception through to Year 6. Pupils are able to build on their learning from one year to the next. There are many activities that enhance the curriculum across the school. Pupils visit places close to home, for example the woodland area, the nearby beach or farm, and also have many trips further afield and visitors who come in to school.

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Pupils are well behaved. Most have excellent self-control. For example, when coming in at the end of break or going to the reading activities on Tuesdays, they all move around the school at the same time with no direction from adults. Behaviour at this time is excellent. There are a few pupils who struggle to control their emotional reactions to situations. They are well supported by the adults and any incidents are dealt with rapidly. There is very little bullying and pupils are confident that adults sort out any problems appropriately.

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The school is in a period of transition between leaders. Currently, it is led by an interim headteacher and an acting deputy headteacher. They have kept the school stable. Staff feel exceptionally well supported. They are working really well as a team to keep the education that pupils receive of a good standard. As a result of changes, some subject leaders do not yet know what teaching and learning looks like for their subjects.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well provided for. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is relatively new to the role, but is accessing a strong support network from local colleagues and specialist advisers to develop confidence and knowledge about SEND. Planning for pupils is on an individual basis. They are well supported in class and by additional interventions as needed.

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Children receive a warm nurturing start to their school lives in the nursery. It is child centred and the particular needs of two-year olds are well catered for. Adults encourage children to develop appropriate independence skills and focus on developing spoken language. The Nursery and the Reception classes are working closer together than in the 15–16 October 2019

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past. There is still work to be done in terms of creating a curriculum that brings Nursery into the whole learning journey through the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

New leaders are responsible for safeguarding arrangements and have quickly developed their own skills in having oversight of this across the school. They seek advice from external agencies where needed. Staff are very clear on what they need to do if they have a concern about pupils. Regular updates are shared with staff on any potential risks to pupils as a whole group or individuals.

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Safeguarding

Governors keep themselves updated on safeguarding issues and attend regular training. They ensure that leaders have undertaken all appropriate checks on adults in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of mathematics clearly matches the national curriculum in terms of content and increasing depth and/or challenge. However, there are several different schemes of work, together with varied systems for developing fluency in number work across the school. Greater consistency in terms of models used and type of materials chosen would support pupils to build on previous learning as they move from class to class.  For all subjects (other than mathematics), there are detailed and coherent plans in place, used to map out what pupils should be learning in each class. Some subject leaders do not yet have the skills or opportunities to assure themselves about the quality of learning in classes across the school. It would further improve pupils’ progression if these leaders plan support and training for teachers more effectively.  The curriculum in Reception to Year 6 does not yet extend down to the nursery.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Including the nursery as a core part of the school’s overall learning journey for pupils should enhance children’s early learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately. 15–16 October 2019

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This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Hemsby Primary School to be good on 15–16 March 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 15–16 October 2019

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Martin White (interim headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15–16 March 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average primary school.  Nursery provision provides for two sessions a day of 20 children in each, from age two.  The school has created its own nurture provision that runs in conjunction with the main classes.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 As part of this inspection, the inspector met with the interim headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher, subject leaders and the SENCo. The inspector met with groups of teachers and pupils, met with members of the governing body and the local authority school adviser.  Reading, mathematics, and science were considered in depth as part of this inspection. The inspector spoke to subject leaders, visited lessons, undertook work scrutinies, met with teachers and pupils to understand the quality of education.  To inspect the school’s safeguarding arrangements, the inspector spoke to the designated safeguarding lead, members of staff, parents, governing body members and 15–16 October 2019

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pupils. The inspector checked the single central record and a sample of safeguarding records.  The inspector observed playtimes and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 15–16 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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