Hatherley Infant School

Inspection of Hatherley Infant School Hatherley Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL1 4PW

p.1

Inspection dates: 20 and 21 October 2021

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 20 and 21 October 2021

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get along well together and enjoy their time at this happy and friendly school. Many pupils describe Hatherley Infants as ‘one big team’. Leaders and staff ensure that it is a safe and welcoming place to learn.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils live up to these in all they do. They enjoy moving up the ‘reach for the stars’ behaviour chart for their hard work and sensible choices. Pupils say that bullying does not happen. They are clear about the difference between bullying and minor falling out with friends.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders place a strong emphasis on supporting pupils’ personal development. For example, in assembly, pupils learn about ways to keep healthy and become responsible members of the community. Pupils are proud of their certificates and trophies for upholding the school’s values.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes to the school’s leadership. This has slowed the journey of improvement. Leaders are constructing a more ambitious and coherent curriculum, especially in English and mathematics. However, the quality of education is not yet good enough. Leaders are at the early stages of implementing some curriculum plans in the wider curriculum.

p.2

better?

The new executive headteacher has quickly gained the respect and trust of staff. Alongside other senior leaders and governors, he is putting in place the right systems to improve the quality of education. This is beginning to make a positive difference. Staff appreciate the ongoing support and training from leaders, which has boosted their morale.

p.2

better?

Leaders have recently introduced and revised curriculum plans in some subjects, such as computing and geography. They have now considered the sequencing of knowledge and skills in each subject. Until recently, teachers have not been clear what they want pupils to know and remember. As a result, pupils have gaps in their learning in a few subjects and struggle to remember what they have learned in the past.

p.2

better?

Staff use assessment effectively in English and mathematics. They check closely how well pupils are getting on and provide extra help when they need it. In other subjects, such as physical education (PE), plans to assess what pupils know and can do are new. Therefore, leaders do not fully understand how well pupils learn across all subjects.

p.2

better?

Staff focus on developing children’s spoken language and listening skills from the moment they start in pre-school. Children enjoy joining in with stories and rhymes, such as ‘Humpty Dumpty’. In the Reception class, children get off to a strong start 20 and 21 October 2021

p.2

3

learning phonics. They can blend sounds into simple words and read these with growing accuracy and confidence. The assistant headteacher has trained staff to teach the phonics programme with greater rigour and consistency. In Years 1 and 2, staff support pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge to catch up quickly. As a result of leaders’ actions, pupils are developing a love of reading.

p.3

3

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has worked with staff to identify pupils who need extra help. Adults adapt the support and resources for pupils with the most complex needs increasingly well. This is helping them to become more resilient and independent. However, despite leaders’ best efforts, a significant minority of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and many disadvantaged pupils, do not attend as regularly as they should. This means they miss out on learning the important parts of the curriculum.

p.3

3

Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils conduct themselves sensibly in class, during breakfast club and around the school. In lessons, pupils respond well to teachers’ instructions, such as ‘magnet eyes’ and ‘listening ears’. Disruption to learning is rare.

p.3

3

Pupils gain essential knowledge about how to keep physically healthy. For example, children in Reception know how to brush their teeth and what foods they should eat to stay healthy. Leaders place a strong emphasis on teaching pupils how to respect others. In Year 2, pupils spoke of the importance of respecting different faiths and cultures. Pupils are growing into responsible young citizens.

p.3

3

Governors are committed to the school and the local community. They share the ambitions of school leaders. Governors recognise the positive impact that strong leadership and attendance can have on pupils’ learning. They provide effective challenge and support to school leaders. Governors are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, ensure there are strong systems in place to keep pupils safe. Staff recruitment procedures are robust. Leaders record pre-employment checks on the school’ single central record. The executive headteacher has trained all staff in how to spot signs of concern in pupils. Staff are knowledgeable about what to do if pupils are at risk. Leaders are quick to provide pastoral support to pupils and families where needed.

p.3

Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils are informed about ways to stay safe in school and at home. They know about road safety and the school’s ‘SMART’ code for managing online risks. 20 and 21 October 2021

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers are in the process of implementing new curriculum plans in some subjects. Pupils have gaps in their learning in a few areas. Leaders need to embed the curriculum so that pupils know more and remember more in each subject as they progress through the school.  Leaders are developing the use of assessment in subjects other than English and mathematics. As many systems are recent, not all subject leaders have a detailed enough understanding of how well pupils learn the curriculum. Leaders need to secure the use of assessment, so they know how well pupils are learning over time.  Pupils’ attendance, especially for disadvantaged pupils and a minority of pupils with SEND, remains low. Too many of these pupils miss out on essential learning. Leaders, including governors, need to continue to work with parents to reduce persistent absence and instil the importance of regular attendance.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 20 and 21 October 2021

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10200972 Type of school Infant

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 23–24 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 There have been several leadership changes since the previous inspection. The executive headteacher took up post in June 2021. A new SENCo was appointed in September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has an on-site pre-school provision. It is managed by the governing body.  There is a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation. 20 and 21 October 2021

p.5

6

 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, senior leaders, three governors and the local authority performance adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PE and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  An inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.  An inspector met with the SENCo to consider the quality of provision for pupils with SEND.  An inspector met with designated safeguarding leaders to consider the school’s work to safeguard pupils. Inspectors talked to pupils, staff and governors about safe working practices.  Inspectors considered two responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View,

p.6

6

and 14 responses to the staff survey. An inspector spoke informally to parents at the start of the school day.

p.6

Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Hester Millsop Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 October 2021

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7