East Hanningfield Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: East Hanningfield Church of England Primary School The Tye, East Hanningfield, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8AE

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Outcome

East Hanningfield Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending the school. They are kind and respectful. East Hanningfield has a real sense of community. Together, staff and pupils ensure a friendly and happy atmosphere. The school’s vision of ‘shining a light’ is clear when talking to pupils about their experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well. Importantly, they are keen to learn. Staff recognise, and have high expectations of, pupils’ potential. Pupils have a range of opportunities that enable them to demonstrate their skills, both academically and through the wider development curriculum. These opportunities, both in school and beyond the local area, provide pupils with very fond memories of their school experience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the role they can play in helping others. This includes older pupils providing support to younger children when they start school. From navigating the lunch queue to ensuring they are safe on the play equipment, older pupils enjoy acting in this capacity. Younger pupils benefit from this. It improves their confidence and enables them to settle into school life quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

One parent’s view, shared by many others, was, ‘Staff are very supportive and always go the extra mile for the children so they can flourish and meet their potential to shine.’

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

The school typically has a curriculum that is well planned and sequenced. The curriculum has undergone significant change over the past 12 months. Where learning is most effective, pupils make links with what they have learned previously through effective questioning. Teachers use subject-specific vocabulary and expect pupils to do the same. 6 June 2024

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Generally, the checking of pupils’ knowledge is effective. Teachers have a good understanding of the progress pupils are making. In a small number of subjects, the curriculum documents are not as well sequenced or precise. This results in pupils having limited distinct knowledge and understanding of the subject. This limits the extent to which they are prepared for future lessons.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The expectations of pupils with SEND are the same as for other pupils. Leaders provide staff with detailed information on a regular basis. This supports them to adapt their lesson planning appropriately.

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Pupils talk positively about reading. They describe with real pride their current reading marathon to support the purchase of books for children in hospital. There is a focus on reading from the start of the Reception Year. The overwhelming majority of pupils progress well. However, the reading support that pupils receive is not always effective. Consequently, some pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Pupils have access to an effective personal, social, health and economic education curriculum. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online, be healthy and to behave appropriately. However, pupils have a much wider offer of opportunities to enhance their character. They talk positively about various extra-curricular clubs, including karate and basketball. The opportunities to visit museums, sing in the Royal Albert Hall and participate in residential visits all contribute to the sense of community within the school. In addition, pupils have the chance to act in a range of leadership roles, such as bronze ambassadors and eco-councillors. This work is instrumental in developing pupils’ confidence and self-esteem.

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The school has a calm atmosphere. Pupils behave well. In lessons, pupils concentrate on what they are learning. Children in the Reception Year sit quietly and listen carefully when the teacher is talking. During unstructured times, pupils play happily together, sharing the outdoor facilities well. They particularly like the pirate ship and gym equipment. Pupils attend school very regularly. Attendance levels are well above those of other primary schools nationally. As a result, pupils enjoy the high quality of education provided by the school.

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Pupils, staff and parents speak highly of the role of the school in the local community. Leaders engage well with stakeholders and have their support. The school is increasingly providing staff with training opportunities to develop their expertise; this is ongoing.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 Pupils typically have appropriate adult support to develop their reading ability and comprehension. However, this is not always effective. As a result, pupils do not always make as much progress as they could. The school should ensure that all staff have sufficient and appropriate training to enable them to deliver the existing reading scheme effectively.  In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not yet precisely defined or sufficiently well-sequenced. The expectations of the curriculum in these areas are not yet explicit. As a result, pupils do not always have the knowledge and skills required for future learning. The school must ensure that the curriculum in these areas is sufficiently planned and sequenced to enable pupils to understand and use subject matter more effectively.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2015.

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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.

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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). 6 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.easthanningfield.essex.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The head of school and executive headteacher have been in post since April 2023.  The school has a religious character and is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school was in March 2019.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the school’s senior leaders and governors. The lead inspector also held telephone conversations with representatives from the local authority and the Diocese of Chelmsford.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of 6 June 2024

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lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys, as well as interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Rockey, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alice Early Ofsted Inspector 6 June 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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