Hutchinson Memorial CofE First School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Hutchinson Memorial C of E First School Uttoxeter Road, Checkley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST10 4NB

p.1

Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a caring school. Adults teach pupils Christian values from when children start in Nursery. As a result, the relationships between adults and pupils are respectful. Pupils say that they enjoy school and are happy.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. These begin in Nursery. As a result, pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is very good. Pupils say that if children are unkind to each other, adults sort it out.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Adults plan learning activities that match pupils’ abilities and needs well. As a result, pupils engage well in lessons. Adults want all pupils to do the best they can. For them, this means pupils achieving well in their schoolwork as well as preparing to be good active citizens. Adults do this by teaching pupils how to behave responsibly, for example, by raising money for charity or by taking on roles such as sports captain.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a valued part of the community. There are strong links with the local church. Pupils celebrate Christian festivals such as harvest with services at the church. The school offers a range of activities beyond the classroom, including visits to Cadbury World and Shugborough Hall. Pupils value these experiences.

p.1

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

Leaders think carefully about the curriculum that pupils follow. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow a broad and balanced curriculum. Leaders continually review what is taught. As a result, they have introduced new schemes of work. In some subjects, such as mathematics, the changes are well developed. However, in other subjects such as music and computing, the curriculum is less well planned. Links are developing with other schools in the trust. This is to share 11 January 2022

p.1

2

subject expertise with teachers and help subject leaders in their new roles. In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that looking at how well subject leaders were leading their areas and considering how well the new schemes of work have been embedded across the curriculum may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

p.2

2

Children in Nursery get off to a good start. Adults plan learning to support children’s communication and language development, their personal, social and emotional development and their physical development. The teaching of reading begins in Nursery. Resources and activities support children’s learning well. For example, activities such as feeding a ‘polar bear’ by throwing beanbags into his mouth develop children’s physical skills. Adults then encourage children to write their name on the blackboard with their number of successful attempts. This helps to develop children’s writing and understanding of number. The effective use of resources for the teaching of early mathematics continues in Reception. For example, the use of the number washing line helps pupils to count on. However, at times, children do not have access to apparatus that would help them understand number. For example, inspectors observed children struggling with number

p.2

2

bonds from one to five without access to apparatus that would have helped.

p.2

2

Leaders give priority to reading. They promote a love of reading by planning the curriculum around a book each half term. Pupils in key stage 1 talk with enthusiasm about ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. They read every day. Pupils follow a planned reading programme. This begins in Nursery. Leaders check how well pupils are reading. When pupils are falling behind, leaders act quickly to give pupils extra help. As a result, pupils become confident readers.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND are given effective support. They have an individual learning plan that is checked regularly. Pupils who need extra support receive help from external agencies, including the educational psychologist. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

p.2

2

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, leaders have updated the religious education curriculum so that pupils learn about different faiths and religions as well as Christianity.

p.2

2

Leaders consider staff workload. Staff talk positively about how the new scheme of work in mathematics, for example, has helped to reduce the number of resources they need to produce. Staff value this support.

p.2

2

Trustees and governors are committed to the school. Minutes of governing body meetings show how they hold leaders to account for their work effectively. For example, they ask leaders to justify funding for different projects. Trustees’ help includes developing effective links between the schools within the trust to support the school in its further development of the curriculum.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 January 2022

p.2

3

Leaders take pupils’ welfare seriously. The trust has recently organised an external review of safeguarding. Identified areas for improvement from the review have been actioned. This has further strengthened the school’s procedures for reporting concerns.

p.3

3

Staff receive regular training. Leaders work closely with the local authority to keep up to date with any concerns in the local area. The school completes the appropriate checks on all adults who work at, or visit, the school.

p.3

3

Pupils are taught how to stay safe online through the curriculum. As a result, pupils say that they feel safe.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 New schemes of work have not been fully implemented in some subjects. Consequently, pupils may learn more effectively in some subjects than others. Leaders need to ensure that all schemes of work are embedded across the curriculum.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders have not yet had enough time to develop the appropriate skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their new role. Consequently, they are not able to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their subject area successfully. Senior leaders should support subject leaders in the development of their role to ensure that they have the appropriate skills and knowledge to be able to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their subject areas successfully.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Hutchinson Memorial C of E (A) First School, to be outstanding in July 2016.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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. 11 January 2022

p.3

4

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

p.4

4

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. 11 January 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10209035 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 Hutchinson Memorial C of E First School converted to become an academy school in January 2018. When its predecessor school, Hutchinson Memorial C of E (A) First School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school joined the Uttoxeter Learning Trust in January 2018. The trust consists of eight schools.  A Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools inspection to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a Church of England school took place in March 2011. The school’s next inspection has been delayed due to the COVID- 19 pandemic.  The school provides wraparound care.  The school does not use alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 11 January 2022

p.5

6

 The inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, staff, members of the governing body, including the chair, the chief executive officer and the chair of the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors talked to pupils at unstructured times during the day.  An inspector talked to parents at the end of the school day.  Inspectors evaluated a range of school documents and looked at information on the school’s website.  The lead inspector checked the single central record and the procedures for the recruitment of staff. She also met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead.

p.6

6

 An inspector considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

p.6

Inspection team

Lesley Yates, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Julie Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 11 January 2022

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