Hassell Primary School

Inspection of Hassell Primary School Barracks Road, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 1LF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 3 and 4 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and children in the early years love coming to school. This is a happy place where pupils learn to be kind and considerate of each other. They are confident that staff care about them and will keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of behaviour which pupils understand and strive to achieve. They appreciate the rewards they can earn for kindness and helping others as well as for trying their best in lessons. Those who sometimes struggle to meet expectations are sensitively supported. As a result, there is no disruption of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils quickly become resilient learners who know that mistakes help them to learn more. They are confident to offer their views and opinions and are encouraged to do so. Those who need extra help are identified and supported rapidly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop a wider understanding of the world around them. Pupils can choose from a range of interesting clubs, which are very well attended. The many visitors and trips are carefully selected to support pupils’ learning and extend their experience of the world, which prepares them well for their next steps. Every pupil spoken to said they were proud to belong to this school.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for all, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Learning is carefully organised and broken down into small steps so that pupils build on what they know and remember to meet the planned end points.

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better?

Pupils with SEND are well supported. Teachers know them very well and are alert to their needs. In addition, pupil passports ensure that all teachers know which strategies work best. As a result, these pupils progress alongside their classmates.

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better?

Assessment is purposeful and designed to provide teachers with the information they need to identify where plans may need to be adapted or learning revisited. The use of ‘live marking’ in lessons means that teachers quickly recognise where pupils may have gaps or misconceptions. Teachers are skilled at adapting teaching in response.

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better?

The school has ensured that all teachers have access to appropriate training so that subject knowledge is assured. This is particularly evident in the expertise developed in early reading since the last inspection. Teachers explain concepts and introduce new learning clearly and carefully, ensuring a focus on subject-specific vocabulary development.

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better?

Reading is a priority. Pupils love to read and to listen to stories. Story time is a daily feature for every year group. Classroom library corners, reading champions, reading 3 and 4 October 2023

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buddies and rewards for reading at home are all popular with pupils, who are keen to talk about their diverse reading choices. The youngest children are eager to become readers themselves and the vast majority learn how to read quickly. However, a small number of in-year entries to the school in early years and key stage 1 need significant additional support to be able to make progress in reading in a new language. The school has identified this and is making appropriate provision. The focus on engaging parents so that they can support the process of learning to read is beginning to have a positive impact. Leaders know that this needs to continue apace.

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Good behaviour is seen as the responsibility of all. The emphasis on rewards rather than sanctions is paying dividends. From early years, children know the routines and expectations. Pupils’ love of learning is apparent in every classroom. They get on well with one another and show a mature understanding of respect and tolerance in practice. Most pupils attend well because they want to be at school. However, there are a small number who are absent too often. Leaders are persistent in their attempts to support parents to get their children into school and there are signs of improvement.

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The personal development programme is wide ranging and creative. Pupils know what the fundamental British values are and older pupils are beginning to link these to their own experiences. There are many and varied opportunities for all pupils to learn about the wider world and the different beliefs, cultures, religions and lifestyles that abound. The focus on developing respect, kindness and consideration is well understood by pupils and frequently demonstrated in their interactions with others.

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School leaders and governors work collaboratively to achieve the best they can for children and pupils. Governors known the school well and offer support and challenge appropriately.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They say that their workload and well-being are important to leaders. They are well-supported if they choose to undertake additional training and qualifications.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Small groups of pupils join the early years and key stage 1 at different times during the academic year. These pupils sometimes have different experiences of education. In these cases, they need additional support, particularly to ensure that they attend well and learn to read as quickly as possible. The school should 3 and 4 October 2023

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ensure continued engagement with parents to provide them with the means to support the school’s work in early reading and attendance.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 3 and 4 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, staff and pupils. The lead inspector held a meeting with the chair of the governing body.  Deep dives in reading, mathematics and design and technology were completed. These included discussions with subject leaders and teachers, visits to lessons 3 and 4 October 2023

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and scrutiny of pupils’ work. Inspectors also met with pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects.  Inspectors also reviewed the personal, social and health education curriculum plan, spoke with the leaders for personal development and observed part of an assembly.  Inspectors observed behaviour in classrooms, around the school and when pupils arrived and left the school. Inspectors also spoke to parents.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school and their self-evaluation of the school’s work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils, and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Mel Ford, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rob Bourdon-Pierre Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 October 2023

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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