Hampton Primary School

Inspection of Hampton Primary School Fitzgerald Avenue, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 8NB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 10–11 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Hampton feel happy and safe. From the early years, pupils’ personal development is given a high priority. Pupils know and understand the school’s values of reflection, enjoyment, aspiration, collaboration, creativity, resilience, risk taking, expectations and independence. ‘Thrive’ days help pupils appreciate the importance of mental health.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn and play in a safe and secure environment. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and engagement in learning. As a result, pupils behave responsibly and calmly in lessons and around school. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They trust staff to sort out any bullying that may occasionally happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a wide range of extra-curricular activities. They enjoy taking part in the variety of after-school clubs on offer, especially gymnastics. Pupils also enjoy and value leadership responsibilities, such as representing the school as pupil ambassadors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly pleased with the school. One parent summed up the views of many with the comment: ‘My child is absolutely thriving at Hampton Primary School. The range of learning opportunities is fantastic. The school is playing an excellent part in developing my child as a person.’

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better?

Leaders, governors and staff have high aspirations for all pupils. They set the bar high, aiming to help pupils to learn that there are no limits to what they can accomplish. Consequently, pupils achieve well in national tests and assessments in English and mathematics.

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better?

Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in a range of subjects. Similarly, they take part in a range of activities outside the school day. All pupils can apply for positions of responsibility, such as school councillors. This includes pupils with SEND who take pride in carrying out these roles and contribute well to the school’s overall success.

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better?

Teachers benefit from the training that leaders organise for them. They have secure subject knowledge. They use this well to check pupils’ understanding so that they know what pupils can and cannot do.

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better?

The teaching of phonics is highly effective, both in Reception and key stage 1. Leaders make sure that children in the early years learn to read from the very start. Pupils’ reading books match their knowledge of letters and sounds accurately, enabling them to learn to read successfully. Teachers quickly spot if a child is unsure about the link between any letters and their sounds. When required, highly skilled staff support these children to catch up quickly. 10–11 March 2020

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Leaders foster a love of reading across the school. Teachers read to pupils every day. Pupils experience a range of genres and receive support from the school to access local libraries. Consequently, pupils enjoy reading and read frequently.

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The curriculum beyond English and mathematics ignites pupils’ interests and encourages them to learn. In science, there is a strong focus on practical work and carrying out exciting, memorable experiments. Newly appointed subject leaders have created plans that help teachers to ensure that pupils build on what they already know and understand. However, subject leaders have not yet had the opportunity to work with teachers to review how pupils learn in their subjects.

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Pupils’ personal development is exceptional. They trust staff and know they are there to help. Sensibly, leaders take a long-term view of promoting pupils’ social and emotional development. Pupils’ self-esteem and mental health is emphasised strongly. Over time, this has a positive impact on pupils’ well-being and attitudes to learning.

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Attendance has been a problem for the school in recent years. Leaders have made a concerted effort to address this. They provide support for families and liaise closely with local authorities. As a result, attendance has improved rapidly. However, this work needs to continue so that the attendance of a small minority of pupils improves further.

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Leadership of the early years is strong. Children get off to a flying start to their education. The learning environment is positively buzzing, full of smiling children, making friends happily and exploring new opportunities. Children relish the rich menu of activities on offer and enjoy talking to adults. Skilled staff are quick to respond to individual interests. For example, one child’s fascination with sea turtles was used to engage them successfully in a science activity.

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Leaders, including governors, know the school well. They work together effectively to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff are unanimously proud to work at Hampton Primary School, and rightly so.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that the procedures for recruiting staff are robust. Staff are vigilant and well trained in all aspects of safeguarding. They have an in- depth knowledge of every pupil. They fulfil their safeguarding duties robustly, challenging external services to provide the support necessary for their pupils and families when required.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have worked hard to make sure that vulnerable pupils are supported well. They have recently introduced a well-being initiative to encourage pupils to share 10–11 March 2020

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any concerns they may have. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although the foundation curriculum has been planned well, its implementation is recent. Leaders should make sure that all subjects are consistently embedded across the school and check that pupils are remembering the intended knowledge and skills over time.  Subject leaders receive appropriate support to develop the curriculum. However, in order to drive further improvement, these staff now need greater opportunities to check the quality of education in their subjects. This will ensure that pupils consistently build on their existing knowledge and skills across the curriculum.  Leaders work closely with pupils and families to emphasise the importance of attending school. This has brought about recent improvement in attendance. However, despite the school’s support, a minority of pupils are frequently absent. Leaders should maintain their focus on improving attendance, so that pupils fully benefit from the exciting and rich curriculum the school offers.

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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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Website www.hampton.kent.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who receive support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is higher than the national average.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.

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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

 We held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and support staff.  We evaluated the quality of education by looking in detail at the teaching of reading, mathematics, science and history. We discussed the curriculum design 10–11 March 2020

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with senior and middle leaders, carried out lesson visits, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers, from the lessons visited, about the curriculum.  We checked safeguarding, including speaking with governors, leaders, staff, parents and pupils about safety. We checked a range of school’s policies and procedures, as well as leaders’ records of checks on the suitability of staff to work in the school.  We met with four governors, including the chair of governors, to discuss how they hold leaders to account for the work of the school.  We reviewed 58 staff responses to the Ofsted survey. We also met with pupils and staff to discuss their views about the school.  We took account of 101 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, and the additional 71 free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Emma Sanderson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Wibroe Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 2020

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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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