Hempland Primary School

Inspection of Hempland Primary School Whitby Avenue, Stockton Lane, York, North Yorkshire YO31 1ET

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 19 and 20 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk very positively about their school. They describe their teachers as caring, and learning as fun. Pupils understand and apply the school values of respect, opportunity, ambition and resilience to all they do. These values are woven through the school curriculum. One pupil said: ‘If you can’t respect yourself, you can’t respect others.’ Pupils appreciate the need to show respect for different cultures, beliefs and faiths.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is generally good. The school is calm, and pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in school, on the internet and if using social media.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum planning is strong in many areas. The plans for early years children are not as detailed as the rest of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly inclusive with the addition of the deaf and hearing-impaired centre. Teachers’ planning across all subjects considers the adaptations needed for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to be successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported and enjoy working at Hempland.

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better?

The leadership team at the school are very new. There has been a high turnover of staff in recent years and a period of instability in the senior leadership team. The headteacher began leading the school in September 2021. An executive headteacher from the trust is supporting leadership.

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better?

Leaders have made rapid improvements during the last year to construct a well- planned and sequenced curriculum. Subject leaders have developed a curriculum that builds on what pupils have learned and prepares them for future learning. Subject leaders have considered how they can make links with other subjects. For example, in geography pupils learning about Greece made links with history by researching Ancient Greece and design and technology (DT) by designing and making a sandal.

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better?

Subject leaders are skilled and knowledgeable. They have sought support from external sources. For example, the leader of DT has joined the DT Association to access specialist advice and support to strengthen the school’s planning and resources. Subject leaders have led staff training to establish clear expectations and to share good practice. This has developed consistency in the delivery of the wider curriculum subjects. Teachers who are in the early stages of their careers are overwhelmingly positive about their professional development. 19 and 20 October 2021

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Reading has a high profile across the school. Every classroom has a dedicated reading area. Pupils read with fluency and use their phonics knowledge to sound out new words. Leaders have a ‘Book Buddy’ incentive scheme to encourage pupils to read at home. Leaders have recognised that their current phonics scheme is not fit for purpose. They are researching new programmes to introduce as soon as possible. This will be linked to a new assessment system. Pupils in key stage 2 who still need help to learn their phonics receive personalised teaching. This is enabling them to catch up. Younger pupils who are not keeping up with the school’s phonics programme receive weekly interventions. Leaders are confident this is enough to catch up by the end of the year. However, more regular interventions would ensure pupils catch up more quickly.

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The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) has been in role for one year. The SENDCo has ensured that teachers adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND. For example, one pupil who struggles to take part in physical education (PE) has the option to change in a different area and has the PE plan talked through with them before the lesson begins. Leaders work with the local authority to provide specialist teaching for pupils who are deaf or hearing impaired.

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Leaders have recently appointed a new key stage 1 and early years leader to strengthen the leadership team. Early years children are taught key skills in group times. They can practise and apply these in the indoor and outdoor environment. Leaders have a plan that maps out the areas for learning and development. However, leaders recognise that further work is needed to ensure this matches the detail of the curriculum plans of other subject leaders.

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The local governing committee (LGC) has appointed most of the governors since January 2021. They have valued the impact of the trust involvement in being able to develop leadership.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have given safeguarding training a high priority. There is a weekly staff bulletin that always includes a safeguarding update. The members of the LGC have all undertaken safeguarding training. The link governor for safeguarding regularly meets with leaders to discuss safeguarding. Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Leaders are rigorous in the checks they make when appointing new staff. Leaders recognised that staff needed training in how to record concerns on their electronic system. This took place in September 2021. On some occasions, records did not reflect the consistent language and detail expected by the leaders.

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 Leaders have not yet decided which validated scheme they want to use to teach phonics. Leaders should make this decision swiftly. Leaders should ensure staff are trained so the school has a consistent approach to teaching and assessing phonics.  Staff use an electronic system to record any incidents, for example incidents of bullying or discriminatory behaviour. Leaders have recently trained staff to record with greater accuracy. Leaders need to embed this practice. They should check that the language recorded reflects the school’s expectations.  The EYFS team has a long-term plan that maps out the seven areas of learning for the early years children. This plan is not as detailed as other curriculum plans for pupils in key stages 1 and 2. Leaders should develop the EYFS plan further to align it with the quality and detail of the curriculum planning elsewhere in the school.

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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.

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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. 19 and 20 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199325 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority Local Governing Committee

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School details

Chair of governing body Susanna Dale-Simmonds

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school was last inspected in 2006.  Since the last inspection, the school has become an academy converter. Pathfinder Multi-Academy Trust has worked with the school since August 2016.  The school has a deaf and hearing support centre on site. The Caddell Centre operates in collaboration with City of York specialist teachers to support pupils with hearing impairments.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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 and other leaders. Meetings were also held with representatives of the local governing committee and the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, geography and design and technology. For each deep dive, 19 and 20 October 2021

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inspectors met with curriculum leaders, spoke to pupils and teachers and looked at their work. Inspectors heard pupils read.  Inspectors examined safeguarding records, attendance figures, curriculum plans and policies.  The views of parents were sought through the 158 responses to Ofsted’s parents’ survey.  The views of staff were considered from meetings with staff and from the 39 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff.  The views of pupils were also considered from meetings and the 162 responses to Ofsted’s pupils’ survey.

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Smit Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 2021

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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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