Hempshill Hall Primary School

Hempshill Hall Primary School

Reporting inspector : Mrs Elizabeth Cole

p.1

Hempshill Hall Primary School

Dates of inspection: 22 – 25 November 1999

p.1

Hempshill Hall Primary School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

p.1

Hempshill Hall Primary School

Under the School Inspections Act 1996 the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address : Armstrong Road Hempshill Vale Nottingham NG6 7AT

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority : The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of Chair of Governors : Mrs Barbara Williams

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection : November 1994 Hempshill Hall Primary School - 4

p.3

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Elizabeth Cole Registered Inspector Under fives Attainment and progress; the quality of teaching; leadership and management Gillian Hoggard Lay Inspector Equal opportunities Attendance; pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; support, guidance and pupils’ welfare; partnership with parents and the community; staffing, learning resources and accommodation Sam Costello Mathematics; information technology; history; geography The efficiency of the school

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Maureen Walker English; design and technology; music; physical education Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development Pat Jackson Science; art; religious education Special educational needs; the curriculum and assessment

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

C ƒ BT Education Services London House 59-65 London Street READING Berkshire RG1 4EW

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Tel: 0118 952 3900 Fax: 0118 952 3904 E-mail: ukops@cfbt-hq.org.uk

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any comments, concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with David Banham, Senior Operations Manager at C ƒ BT Education Services. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Hempshill Hall Primary School - 5

p.4

Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 8 – 25 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 26 – 31 Attendance 32

p.5

Quality of education provided

Teaching 33 – 49 The curriculum and assessment 50 – 57 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 58 – 63 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 64 – 68 Partnership with parents and the community 69 – 77

p.5

The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 78 – 89 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 90 – 95 The efficiency of the school 96 – 101

p.5

PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 102 – 117

p.5

PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

English, mathematics and science 118 – 156

p.5

What the school does well

• . The Headteacher provides outstanding leadership. This underpins all of the school’s strengths and steers it resolutely on its course of continual improvement. • . The pupils’ attitudes to school and work and their standards of behaviour are excellent. Relationships between teachers and pupils and with each other are exceptionally high. • . High quality teaching exists in all parts of the school and this has a major impact on pupils’ good progress. Strategies for developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are very effective. • . Teachers assess pupils’ work very thoroughly and make excellent use of this information to plan future work to take their learning forward. • . Provision for children under five is very good. • . Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The support, guidance and pupils’ welfare is excellent. • . The school has established strong relationships with parents who make a very good contribution to the children’s

p.6

What the school does well

learning. • . The school is a highly efficient organisation, where financial planning and control, deployment of staff and school administration are all of very high quality.

p.6

Where the school has weaknesses

There are no key issues for action, however, the following weaknesses should be considered for inclusion in the governors’ action plan: I. In a few science lessons too many other activities are taking place at the same time. As a result pupils do not make as much progress as they might because of insufficient monitoring of their work. II.In aspects of teaching art.

p.6

Where the school has weaknesses

· This is a very good, highly effective school. The governors’ action plan will set out how the minor weaknesses will be tackled. The plan will be sent to all parents or guardians of pupils at the school.

p.6

How the school has improved since the last inspection

The school’s response to its last inspection has been very good. The Headteacher, governors and staff have worked hard to eliminate the previously identified weaknesses in improving the school’s systems and structures for monitoring the curriculum and for curriculum review. Assessment procedures are now very good , including the way the school uses assessment data to raise standards. The school now complies with the statutory requirement for a daily act of collective worship . Hempshill Hall is forward looking, has kept abreast of current developments and sought numerous opportunities to become involved in curriculum initiatives, locally and nationally. The school’s literacy and numeracy targets for 2002 are appropriately challenging. This is a school with clear insights into its strengths and weaknesses. It has an excellent capacity to improve even further. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 7 · Standards in subjects

p.6

How the school has improved since the last inspection

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1999 based on the National Curriculum tests:

p.7

Key

well above average A above average B English C A average C

p.7

Key

Mathematics C B below average D Science D C well below average E

p.7

Key

By the end of Key Stage 2, results are in line with schools nationally in English and mathematics; in science, results are marginally below. The English results represent the higher end of the average band; 76 per cent of pupils reach the expected Level 4 and above and of those, a third achieve the higher Level 5. In mathematics, 68 per cent of pupils reach the expected Level 4 and of those, almost half achieve the higher Level 5. Again, in science 77 per cent of pupils reach the expected Level 4 and of those, almost half achieve the higher Level 5. The proportion of pupils gaining the higher level has risen in the three core subjects since 1997. The 1999 results were at the higher end of the average band. Standards in information technology are well above average. In religious education, they are broadly in line with the expected Nottingham Agreed Syllabus.

p.7

Key

The school is doing better than average when compared to similar schools. The table shows results in English are well above average and in mathematics they are above average. In science they are broadly average although the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 has risen to above average. Attainment is now better than indicated by the most recent results. Inspection findings are consistent with this trend of improvement in examination results at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and science. ·

p.7

Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

English Very good Good Good Mathematics Very good Good Good Science Good Very good Information technology Good Good Very good Religious education Good Good Other subjects Very good Good Good

p.7

Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

Overall, the quality of teaching is good. All teaching is satisfactory or better and in 91 per cent of lessons, the teaching ranges between good, very good and excellent. In the remaining nine per cent it is satisfactory. Teaching is very good or excellent in 38 per cent of lessons at Key Stage 2, and in 46 per cent of lessons at Key Stage 1. Over the two key stages teaching is very good or excellent in 42 per cent of lessons. The teaching of children under five is very good. When the teaching of under fives is included, the percentage of very good and excellent teaching rises to 61 per cent. Teaching is consistent between year groups.

p.7

Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses . Hempshill Hall Primary School - 8

p.7

Other aspects of the school

Behaviour Excellent. Pupils are courteous and respectful to adults and each other. They apply themselves well to work, move around the school sensibly and play well together. Attendance Good. Better than the national average and pupils come to lessons on time. Ethos* Excellent. Pupils are valued, respected, cared for and loved. A strong sense of family is achieved. The school’s aims allow pupils to achieve happiness, harmony and success this success is evident in the commitment to high standards and in everything the school does. Leadership and management Very good. The leadership by the Headteacher is outstanding and she is totally committed to implementing the school’s aims and policies. The senior managers provide very effective support for the Headteacher and subject coordinators conduct their managerial responsibilities well. There are minor weaknesses in the monitoring of science and art. Governors support the school strongly.

p.8

Other aspects of the school

Curriculum Very good. It is rich, stimulating and challenging . Many varied, well-attended activities are provided before and after school. A few teachers attempt to implement too many other activities in science. Pupils with special educational needs Very good provision and integration of pupils. They have equal access to the curriculum and are given very good opportunities to succeed. Adult support helps them to make very good progress. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The quality of provision for pupils’ moral and social development is excellent. It provides pupils with a strong foundation for growing up and moving on to secondary school. Staffing, resources and accommodation Very good. A sufficient number of qualified teachers and support staff, who are well deployed. Excellent arrangements for professional development of staff. The accommodation is adequate and very well used, but space is limited. Plenty of

p.8

Other aspects of the school

high quality accessible resources. Value for money Although the school receives a higher than average income it gives good value for money.

p.8

Other aspects of the school

* Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards.

p.8

What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

III. The high standards of work. IV. The attitudes, values and behaviour promoted by the school. V. The very high quality of purposeful information they receive and very good two-way communication. VI. The overwhelming majority of children love coming to school. VII.A very small number of parents are not happy o school. VIII. A very small number of parents are unhappy

p.8

What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

Inspectors fully endorse parents’ positive views. The quality of schools meals is high and pupils also benefit considerably from the social atmosphere provided at lunchtime. Inspection evidence shows that homework is used well to support pupils’ attainment and progress. Nine out of ten parents are satisfied with the homework given. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 9

p.8

KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

There are no key issues for action, however, the following should be considered for inclusion in the governor’s action plan:

p.9

KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

IX.In science, reduce the number of other activities that take place at the same time and systematically monitor pupils’ work. Refer to paragraphs 18, 81 and 153.

p.9

KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

X. Improve the weaknesses identified in the teaching of art. Refer to paragraphs 42, 50, 81, 162, and 163. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 10

p.9

Characteristics of the school

1.Hempshill Hall is a county primary school situated approximately two miles to the north-west of the city of Nottingham. It is a large school compared with those of the same type nationally, catering for 315 full-time pupils between the ages of four and 11. Sixty-two part-time pupils between three and four years old attend the school’s nursery.

p.10

Characteristics of the school

2.Half the pupils live in local authority housing, and come from two council estates; the remainder from the immediate locality. Almost 24 per cent are entitled to free school meals; this percentage has increased considerably and is above the national average. A significant proportion of children are of mixed parentage and one parent families. In the early nineties, the school began to attract a considerable number of children from out of the locality area because of its high reputation; half of the school’s intake come from outside the area.

p.10

Characteristics of the school

3.About ten per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs; this is low compared with the national average. Five pupils have English as an additional language.

p.10

Characteristics of the school

4.Since the last inspection, the school accommodation has been converted to include a nursery which offers 50 places for admitting four year olds. When the children enter the nursery, the children’s attainment is below what might be expected. Children are full-time in the Nursery in the term in which they become five and enter school in the term following their fifth birthday. At the time of the inspection there were 81 children under the age of five.

p.10

Characteristics of the school

5.Full-time pupils are taught in 11 classes, the average class size being 24. About half the pupils are taught in single-age groups, the remainder in two year age groups. The school occupies one site.

p.10

Characteristics of the school

6.Statutory target setting for literacy and numeracy standards of 11 year olds in 2002 has been completed. The targets are based on information from statutory and non-statutory assessments and are realistic, but challenging. The school’s current priorities are to:

p.10

Characteristics of the school

• . continue to raise standards based upon the key issues of the previous inspection report; and

p.10

Characteristics of the school

• . extend staff development, specific areas of the curriculum, mentoring Initial Teacher Training (ITT) students, the development and training for non-teaching staff and students, including an end of year review and future planning.

p.10

Characteristics of the school

1.The school has a vision that all our children shall be happy, live in harmony and achieve success. The school works closely with parents and the family to develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values to enable pupils to take their place in society. The school’s mission statement is summarised in three words: Happy, Harmony, and Success. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 11 7. Key indicators

p.10

Attainment at Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 24 21 45

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 1

National Curriculum est/task results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 1

Number of pupils Boys 22 23 19 at NC Level 2 or Girls 18 17 20 above Total 40 40 39 Percentage at NC School 89 (84) 89 (87) 87 (87) Level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 1

Teacher assessments English Mathematics Science

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 1

Number of pupils Boys 22 19 19 at NC Level 2 or Girls 17 20 19 above Total 39 39 38 Percentage at NC School 87 (81) 87 (88) 84 (93) Level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 31 22 53

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 2

National Curriculum test results English Mathematics Science

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 2

Number of pupils Boys 20 17 18 at NC Level 4 or Girls 20 19 23 above Total 37 34 40 Percentage at NC School 76 (71) 68 (61) 77 (63) Level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (58) 78 (69)

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 2

Teacher assessments English Mathematics Science

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 2

Number of pupils Boys 19 18 23 at NC Level 4 or Girls 18 16 17 above Total 37 34 40 Percentage at NC School 70 ( 68 ) 64 ( 61 ) 76 ( 64 ) Level 4 or above National 68 ( 65 ) 69 ( 65 ) 75 ( 72 )

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 2

1 Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year

p.11

Attainment at Key Stage 2

2 Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Hempshill Hall Primary School - 12

p.11

Attendance

Percentage of half-days (sessions) % missed through absence for the Authorised School 4.8 latest complete reporting year absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.0 absence National comparative data 0.5

p.12

Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) Number during the previous year Fixed period 0 Permanent 0

p.12

Quality of teaching

Percentage of teaching observed which is : % Very good or better 61 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0 Hempshill Hall Primary School - 13 7. PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

p.12

Quality of teaching

7. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

p.13

Quality of teaching

2.Overall, attainment by the end of both key stages is above average. Attainment is above average in English, mathematics and science because of the close monitoring by the Headteacher and senior management team and high quality of teaching. By the end of Key Stage 2, attainment in information technology is well above average. In religious education, it is broadly in line expected by the Nottingham Agreed Syllabus. Attainment in the other subjects is not judged.

p.13

Quality of teaching

3.By the end of Key Stage 2, the National Curriculum test and assessment results for 1999 are in line with schools nationally in English, mathematics and very marginally below in science. The English results represent the higher end of the average band with three-quarters of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 and above and of those, a third achieving the higher Level 5. The proportion achieving Level 5 is well above the national average. In mathematics, just over two-thirds reach the average expected Level 4 and above and of those, almost half achieve the higher Level 5. The proportion achieving Level 5 is well above the national average. In science, three-quarters achieve the expected Level 4 and above, and of those, almost half reach the higher Level 5. The proportion of pupils gaining the higher Level 5 is well above the national average. The 1999 results were at the higher end of the average band. Attainment has risen in the three core subjects since 1997.

p.13

Quality of teaching

4.Attainment is now better than indicated by the most recent examination results. Taking Key Stage 2 test results together between 1996 and 1999 the results year on year are alike, although there was a slight dip in 1998 in mathematics and science. Since 1997 there has been an improvement in results, with a very significant improvement in the proportion of pupils reaching Level 5 in English, mathematics and science. In 1999 the highest proportion of pupils reached Level 5 in science. There is no significant difference in the performance between boys and girls, although girls are doing better than boys in English; this is consistent with the pattern found nationally. Inspection findings are consistent with this trend of improvement in examination results at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and science.

p.13

Quality of teaching

5.At the end of Key Stage 2, the school is doing better than average when compared to similar schools. The 1999 results in English are well above average and in mathematics they are above average. In science they are broadly average although the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 has risen to above average. Attainment is now better than indicated by the most recent results and again inspection findings are consistent with this trend of improvement in English, mathematics and science. Examples of this are the setting up of the target groups for pupils at Key Stage 2 to improve the standard of literacy, and the identification of the need to concentrate more on the investigative area of science.

p.13

Quality of teaching

6.Overall attainment at the end of both key stages in the three core subjects is now above average. Several significant factors explain why attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is now higher and why the present Year 6 pupils are doing better now than those in the previous year. Over the past three years the school’s strategy has been to raise attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in the core subjects. The first priority was to raise standards of literacy and this included setting up a literacy club. In the following year, literacy still remained a priority with the introduction of the National Literacy Hour; a second priority included a focus on numeracy. In 1999 the focus became science, together with the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. The school’s strategy is working well so far and standards are rising in English, mathematics and science.

p.13

Quality of teaching

7.In Year 6, attainment in science is now above average. The organisation, management and teaching are focusing on improving pupils’ scientific concepts and knowledge through a weekly science workshop. Year 6 pupils are also benefiting from specific target setting in the subject and the closer monitoring of attainment and progress by the senior managers. Again, the setting up of target groups for pupils at Key Stage 2 to concentrate more on the investigative area of science is raising standards.

p.13

Quality of teaching

8.In 1999, in the National Curriculum test and assessments at the end of Key Stage 1, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 and above was above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. In the teacher assessment in science the results are below average. A few pupils in Year 2 receive Hempshill Hall Primary School - 14 additional support for reading and writing and this is reflected in the very high proportion achieving well. Inspection evidence confirms the National Curriculum statutory test and assessment results for seven year olds in English, whilst attainment is now higher in mathematics and science. The reasons for these improvements are the same as those for Key Stage 2.

p.13

Quality of teaching

9.In comparison with similar schools, pupils in Key Stage 1 are attaining well above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. The school is very successful in teaching English. In the teacher assessment in science, results are broadly average, although inspection evidence shows attainment is now higher. In the last three years, there is little overall difference between the results of boys and girls although girls do better than boys in English. The school is aware of this and has taken steps to address the matter.

p.14

Quality of teaching

10.The Nursery is a recent addition to the school. Each term, children are admitted to the Nursery from the age of four on a part-time basis and attend full-time in the term in which they become five. They enter Reception in the term after their fifth birthday. On entry to the Nursery, the children’s attainment is below what might be expected. By the time they are five years old, children have made at least satisfactory progress because they are likely to reach all the Desirable Learning Outcomes. When they enter Reception, their attainment is broadly average.

p.14

Quality of teaching

11.In the Nursery, teaching is appropriately directed to promoting the pupils’ personal and social development, prior to focusing on language and literacy and mathematics. Children are increasing their use of vocabulary and learning how to use language to communicate effectively with adults. They can count to ten and beyond and several know numbers taken out of sequence. Most know the difference between bigger and smaller numbers up to six and some to ten. Good use is made of baseline assessment, both for those under five and those who become five during the last term before compulsory full-time schooling.

p.14

Quality of teaching

12.Throughout the school, pupils make good progress. Occasionally in science, too many other activities take place at the same time and as a result pupils do not make as much progress as they might because of insufficient monitoring of their work. In English progress is good. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have become good listeners and are confident to answer questions and express views and opinions in a range of contexts. They have gained a very good vocabulary with which to express themselves and have learnt how to participate in discussions and debates. The pupils express strongly held moral and social views using a wide range of new vocabulary, whilst listening and responding politely to opposing views from their friends. For example, in a discussion on how the use of money can affect people’s lives. By age 11, pupils read accurately, fluently and with good expression. They read increasingly complex texts, both fiction and non-fiction, and

p.14

Quality of teaching

show good understanding when discussing the plot, characters and ideas in these. Many pupils have progressed to more advanced reading skills such as scanning long reference texts to find specific information. Year 6 work completed earlier this term shows pupils writing their own viewpoints and alternative viewpoints about a piece of narrative text. Here, there is good use of paragraphs, speech marks, punctuation, drafting and very good awareness of the reader. This is above average. Progress in writing is good and sometimes very good. Pupils produce interesting accounts and stories that are organised into paragraphs. Their writing shows good progress in grammatical structure with a high degree of correct punctuation and spelling. They use their good knowledge of spelling rules to improve their vocabulary. The pupils’ spelling journal shows lists of appropriate spellings to be learnt at home over the term. This includes spellings for the lower attaining pupils of words with

p.14

Quality of teaching

a prefix and suffix. They have learned to plan their writing well and to re-order sentences to improve its quality. They can use connective words, which have more than one purpose, such as: on, under, besides. Work that is handwritten shows a neat, legible and joined style. Pupils also make good use of word-processing to compose, amend and present their writing.

p.14

Quality of teaching

13.The impact of both the Literacy Hour and the National Numeracy Strategy is very effective. The impact of literacy upon standards of spelling and punctuation, for example in humanities, science, and design and technology makes a positive contribution to work over the year as well as in lessons. In numeracy, the pupils show a good recall of facts and knowledge and understanding of number. A consistent approach is placed upon developing skills in numeracy, partly through mental arithmetic at the beginning of lessons.

p.14

Quality of teaching

14.In mathematics, progress is good at both key stages. This relates strongly to good teaching because the match of tasks to the needs of pupils and National Curriculum requirements is a major strength. Pupils use their knowledge of appropriate number operations, such as finding different ways of calculating square numbers to 144. They use correct mathematical vocabulary to explain how they reach a solution – both orally Hempshill Hall Primary School - 15 and in writing. The higher achievers in Year 6 can use accurately all four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using brackets and make good progress in using negative numbers to calculate a sum. In mental and other problem solving work, the good knowledge pupils have acquired about fractions and decimals, and measuring length, area, time and capacity, helps them to make greater progress in achieving correct answers. Work by Year 6 shows how pupils make good progress over the term, for example, in shape

p.14

Quality of teaching

space and measures, they investigate the volume of a cuboid and later go on to using decimals. Pupils’ progress in data handling is good, with several examples of the interpolation to extend decimal number ideas and also the use of the computer to interrogate numerical data into a range of graphical representations.

p.15

Quality of teaching

15.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have made good progress in science and developed good skills in experimental and investigative work. They know that tests must be fair and suggest ways to vary or control different factors to find answers to questions, such as: why objects have weight because of gravity. Pupils have secure knowledge and understanding of life processes, materials and physical phenomena. For example, following a visit to a sewage works, pupils were able to explain body waste. Pupils make careful predictions and record their work in different ways including charts, diagrams and written accounts. Work completed earlier in the term by Year 6 pupils shows their application of numeracy in science, for example, when calculating angles and degrees. This is good progress and above average attainment

p.15

Quality of teaching

16.By age 11, pupils have made very good progress in information technology. During Key Stage 1, there is a gradual build up of confidence, skills and understanding which culminates in the very good standards of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2. They use wordprocessing to compose texts on a range of subjects and have developed skills that allow them to organise their writing and create a variety of effects to enhance its presentation. For example, by altering the size, appearance and position of the font and by including pictures and decorative borders. Pupils’ progress has been enhanced by good opportunities to produce a wide range of different documents, extended accounts and stories. In data handling they have learned control technology skills, such as when they devised a series of instructions to make the computer turtle draw. Pupils’ research skills are enhanced by using a CD-ROM encyclopaedia and the Internet to find information to support their

p.15

Quality of teaching

work across a range of subjects. The pupils are competent and confident in using equipment such as digital cameras to record work and events in and around the school.

p.15

Quality of teaching

17.Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in English and science and good progress in mathematics as a result of the school’s good provision and its commitment to ensuring that all pupils have the opportunity to succeed and reach their potential. At Key Stage 1, the school’s accelerated reading and writing programmes are highly effective in promoting the progress of pupils who experience difficulties with literacy. Teachers are also vigilant in planning work that is well matched to pupils’ prior attainment and in allocating additional adult support during group or independent work. For example, in a mathematics lesson about place value, pupils take a full part in a card game to add up numbers. At Key Stage 2, the grouping of pupils for teaching according to their prior attainment is coupled with smaller teaching groups and increased adult support. This has a very positive impact on their progress. Indeed in these situations, many special needs pupils

p.15

Quality of teaching

are working successfully at the levels expected for their age.

p.15

Quality of teaching

18.At Key Stage 2 progress is very good in information technology and music. It is good in design and technology, humanities and physical education and satisfactory in art and religious education. In games, pupils have developed good knowledge of attack and defence tactics and good ball skills. By the end of Key Stage 1 progress is very good in music and physical education. The youngest pupils learn how to control their singing to represent different qualities. In Year 2 pupils’ attention to diction and breathing results in improved singing performances. Progress is good in design and technology and humanities, and satisfactory in art, information technology and religious education.

p.15

Quality of teaching

19.The good attainment and progress are a direct result of the high quality of teaching across the range of subjects and in all areas of the school. There are particularly significant features for this. Firstly, there is a carefully structured curriculum that ensures the work provided progressively builds upon what the pupils already know; secondly, teachers’ high expectations of what pupils can achieve, and thirdly, the excellent use made of assessment. This is a result of the high quality of leadership provided by the Headteacher. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 16

p.15

Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

20.Throughout the school pupils have excellent attitudes to their learning both in lessons and in their approach to homework. They are very interested in their work, highly motivated and very enthusiastic. When speaking to visitors they are confident and very willing to explain their work with pride. In lessons, they listen very attentively, show very good concentration and perseverance. This was evident in a design activity from which several problems emerged and needed a great deal of determination to search for a solution. In discussions, pupils of all ages are eager to take part, to answer questions and offer their point of view, listening well to the views of others. Pupils with special educational needs have very good attitudes to their learning and respond well to their work. Pupils enjoy their learning.

p.16

Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

21.Pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school is excellent. Pupils of all ages accept responsibility for their own actions and demonstrate very high standards of self-discipline and mutual respect. At the beginning of the day, pupils arrive promptly and greet their teachers in a friendly manner, exchanging news and messages. Younger pupils come into class sensibly, eager to begin the day’s work. Pupils at the Breakfast Club behave very well as they involve themselves in the activities prepared for them. At playtimes, pupils relate well to each other, play amicably and return to class quietly. At the end of the day they leave the school in an orderly manner or prepare enthusiastically for the After School Club.

p.16

Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

22.The consistent approach to discipline by all members of the school community is very supportive to pupils new to the school. There were no exclusions in the previous year, and this level is static. Pupils are extremely courteous. They are respectful to all of the adults working with them, considerate to each other and trustworthy in their actions as they move around the busy working environment. Pupils demonstrate a high level of respect for their own and other pupils’ property. Entering the hall for their music lesson, pupils wait quietly, although they are eager to begin and often leave softly singing the last song of the session. Pupils respond very well to the genuine praise and encouragement they receive and their high standard of behaviour continues to have the most positive impact on the quality of their learning.

p.16

Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

23.Pupils form excellent relationships with each other, their teachers and other adults working with them. They cooperate well in their learning. In group activities they wait for their turn, share materials, support and help each other, often commenting on the good work of others. Working together as critical friends, pupils in Year 4 help each other to improve their letters to the Children of the Rainforest. When working together searching for information using the computer, older pupils cooperate well, demonstrating mature, responsible attitudes as they share ideas. In a mathematics lesson, pupils quietly discuss their work on fractions with their partner until the time comes to report to the class when their response is one of enthusiasm.

p.16

Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

24.Pupils’ personal development is very good. They willingly offer to help their teachers, and conscientiously undertake responsibility for many small tasks in the classroom and around the school. Each day, older pupils show great care and consideration as they act as servers for the younger pupils at lunchtime. Many pupils are keen to be involved in the musical and sporting extracurricular activities, which can lead to pupils representing the school in sporting competitions or being invited to sing around the Christmas Tree at Bulwell village. Pupils show their concern for others through their support of the work of several charities. Each year the pupils, at their own instigation, support the Blue Peter Appeal, or the 24-hour Fast for Overseas Aid. The Shoe Box Appeal each Christmas is very well supported. Pudsey Bear biscuits made by the cooks are bought to help Children in Need. In aspects such as these, pupils make very positive contributions to the life of the community

p.16

Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

and show a good awareness of citizenship; they are a credit to their school and community. No racial dis- harmony was observed.

p.16

Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

25.Children under five quickly learn the simple rules and routines of school life and form friendly and trusting relationships with each other and the adults who teach them. They are developing very positive attitudes to school and learning and their attention span is increasing. These young children behave very well in lessons and during playtimes and are developing a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong.

p.16

Attendance

26.Attendance is good at 95.2 per cent, with authorised absence at 4.8 per cent and no unauthorised absence. Registers are filled in according to statutory requirements. Pupils attend school and lessons on time and lessons begin on time. The school has maintained the high standards noted at the time of the last inspection. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 17

p.16

Teaching

27.The quality of teaching is good. All teaching is satisfactory or better and in 91 per cent of lessons, it ranges between good, very good and excellent; the remaining nine per cent is satisfactory. Teaching is very good or excellent in 38 per cent of lessons at Key Stage 2, and in 46 per cent of lessons at Key Stage 1. When these figures are combined teaching is very good or excellent in 42 per cent of lessons. The teaching of children under five is very good or excellent in all lessons. When the quality of teaching in the Nursery is included with the other key stages, the percentage of very good and excellent teaching rises to 61 per cent.

p.17

Teaching

28.Across the school the allocation of teachers to year groups has been well matched. The quality of teaching is broadly consistent in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and this has a direct, positive impact on standards and the good, and often very good, progress pupils make.

p.17

Teaching

29.There is good teaching in all subjects. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is particularly strong because teachers have good knowledge of these subjects and have gained skill in teaching them in accordance with new initiatives such as the Literacy Hour and the National Numeracy Strategy. Although there was very little specific teaching of information technology, there is very good and excellent teaching at the end of Key Stage 2. All this has a positive impact on pupils’ standards in other subjects, such as science and music.

p.17

Teaching

30.The teaching of children under five is very good. Teachers and nursery nurses have a very good understanding of the distinctive learning needs of very young children, which is clearly reflected in their detailed planning and in their management of children. Lessons and activities are well prepared with significant thought given to providing tasks that are stimulating, have a real purpose and require the children to be actively involved in their learning. For example, children’s literacy, numeracy and creative development were promoted very well when they decorated biscuits, sorted frogs, made pizza and built a sound communication system.

p.17

Teaching

31.The teachers help children to adopt different roles such as car drivers, chefs and customers and encourage them to adapt their speech accordingly; this helps to develop the children’s spoken language and their creative use of language in role-play. Teachers speak to children in adult language to extend their vocabulary. Many opportunities are also provided for the children to explore real situations through first hand experience, such as the care and responsibility of small domestic animals.

p.17

Teaching

32.In the Nursery, the teacher and nursery nurses carefully monitor daily routines as well as teach children. There is a very good balance between activities directed by the teacher and those children choose for themselves. The latter encourage children’s independence and are well supported by the careful organisation of the classroom into different work areas. Resources are easily accessible for children to select for themselves; they are clearly labelled with words and pictures to support their choices. Teaching staff intervene purposefully in the activities, and successfully exploit the potential of play. For example, teachers and other staff play alongside the children, such as when making a telephone call, cooking a meal or being a police officer on duty. This helps children to express themselves orally and extend their vocabulary, so that they talk about reversing the remote-controlled car, rather than say ‘going backwards’. In these and other contexts, very good use is

p.17

Teaching

made of opportunities to assess children’s knowledge, skills and understanding, the information then being used to reinforce and plan new work. From the carefully planned activities to the variety of informal routines and incidental happenings, the Nursery staff take every opportunity to promote children’s learning. This high quality teaching for all children under five enables them to make a very good start to their education and prepares them very well for the National Curriculum.

p.17

Teaching

33.At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good and there is some excellent teaching of English, science, music and information technology. At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is good and there is some very good teaching of literacy. The impact of such high quality teaching is consistently evident throughout the school, for example, in the progress pupils make in attaining the higher levels in the National Curriculum, such as in English and information technology.

p.17

Teaching

34.At both key stages teachers have high expectations of the pupils. Indeed, this ethos of high expectations is one that pervades the entire school and there are numerous examples of teachers planning and teaching work Hempshill Hall Primary School - 18 that is pitched at a level above that which is generally expected for the pupils’ ages. For example, Year 1 learn about the use and purposes of a candle. They make a simple prediction, write down what they observe, measure and record, and describe how materials change as they are heated or cooled and then explain what happened. This lesson worked well because the planning was very clear and the objectives measurable.

p.17

Teaching

35.Teachers’ own knowledge and understanding of the different subjects of the National Curriculum are good and frequently very good. This is the result of their hard work, dedication and commitment to improving their own standards of teaching and it is also an outcome of the school’s very good arrangements for the professional development of its staff. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in the clear and detailed explanations and instructions they provide for pupils, the perceptive and penetrating questions they ask them and the technical vocabulary they use and promote. For example, in a Year 4 lesson the teacher extended the pupils’ understanding of Viking settlements, by teaching them to work out how to build a house in a location with access to basic needs like water, fuel and food.

p.18

Teaching

36.Teachers make good use of a wide range of teaching methods and different forms of organisation to get the best from their pupils. They are highly successful at combining creative and imaginative teaching methods with more formal explanation and whole-class teaching methods, such as in literacy. There are minor weaknesses in teaching art, which do not provide sufficient depth to parts of the curriculum. Occasionally there is insufficient emphasis on developing artistic knowledge, skills and understanding.

p.18

Teaching

37.There is a combination of very good direct teaching to the whole class, explaining new ideas, and reiterating key learning points. What pupils learn is constantly assessed. Teachers make provision for pupils to work collaboratively in pairs, groups, or individually, so that they can practise skills or extend learning in various ways. For example, in a Year 2/3 outdoor games lesson, the teacher focuses on the pupils’ ability to manipulate their legs to pass a ball with increasing accuracy. Throughout lessons, teachers move among the different groups and spend productive time questioning and explaining further, demonstrating skills and encouraging pupils to talk about their work. All this helps to extend the pupils’ learning and provide teachers with valuable information about what the pupils know, understand and can do.

p.18

Teaching

38.Another important feature of the teaching, and one that is particularly effective in promoting pupils’ excellent behaviour and attitudes to work, is the outstanding relationship between teachers and pupils. Teachers clearly like and respect their pupils and a very good rapport exists between them with humour often being used by teachers to promote hard work and effort from the pupils.

p.18

Teaching

39.Pupils are taught in mixed ability classes but organised into several different groups. The teachers group pupils according to their prior attainment and this arrangement is highly effective in promoting pupils’ progress. They set a range of harder or easier tasks for each learning objective in each activity. This form of organisation is generally very well managed with no loss of learning time, even when pupils move to different subject activities. In this way, teachers match work precisely to pupils’ specific needs, adapting work to challenge the higher and lower attainers within these groups. These strategies relate to different ways in which to achieve the same answer, such as in numeracy. This ranges from Reception pupils counting forwards and backwards to five and the use of simple addition, to testing older pupils’ knowledge of angles using much larger numbers. This stemmed from a previous lesson involving programming a floor robot to follow a set

p.18

Teaching

route. The teachers are skilful in managing time, such as for different components of the Literacy Hour. They provide numerous opportunities to teach literacy and numeracy in other subjects. Parents speak highly of this feature of teaching.

p.18

Teaching

40.Teachers make good use of all the available time for teaching. Lessons are taught at a brisk and variable pace and teachers give time limits for the completion of work. This helps create a sense of urgency and motivates pupils to apply themselves to tasks. This worked well in a Year 2/3 mathematics lesson, involving counting with paper money as well as coins. Teachers make good use of other adults, such as the schools’ support staff and the large number of parent helpers, to promote pupils’ progress. Helpers are well briefed about their roles, for example, about the questions they should ask pupils and the extent of intervention they should provide. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 19 47. The quality of marking is high because of a consistent approach by staff. Teachers mark work as they move around the classroom, checking on pupils’ progress. They give good feedback to pupils on how to improve their work and very good attention is given to handwriting. Pupils finish work off and teachers check

p.18

Teaching

41.Throughout the school, teachers make excellent use of day-to-day assessment. The use of well-targeted questioning and comments made to pupils about their work, both verbally and through marking, strike the right balance between celebrating pupils’ efforts and informing them about how they can improve. The school makes good use of homework to promote pupils’ attainment and progress, with the amount provided increasing steadily as pupils get older. Although a very small number of parents are unhappy about the amount of homework, inspection evidence does not support their concern. The homework provided helps to consolidate and extend work done in class in addition to preparing them for later stages in education.

p.19

Teaching

42.The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and often better. There is good liaison between teachers and learning support assistants over planning and assessment of pupils and the achievements of all are valued. This has a direct impact on the very good progress they make.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

43.The school provides a very good, well-balanced and rich curriculum that successfully meets the requirements to teach all subjects of the National Curriculum, religious education and the six areas of learning for children under five. There are minor weaknesses in the teaching of art, which relate to a lack of depth in parts of the art curriculum. The school prepares pupils very well for the next stage of education because the curriculum closely reflects the school’s aims. Generally, sufficient time is spent on all subjects with a satisfactory emphasis on the teaching of numeracy and a very strong emphasis on the teaching of literacy. An effective programme for personal, social and health education includes provision for sex education and for raising pupils’ awareness of the dangers of drugs. At the end of Key Stage 2, the teaching improves pupils’ knowledge of drugs and focuses quite appropriately on those that provide the greatest threat to this age group,

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

44.The curricular provision for children under five is excellent. It includes all the recommended areas of learning for children of this age: personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and physical development. Within each area the planning runs in six cycles, which include building confidence, taking turns and developing independence. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development includes teaching children how to show a range of feelings and in the care for living things.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

45.The school has a very effective policy for promoting equal opportunities and this is very well implemented. The school does its best to ensure that all pupils, regardless of gender, ethnic origin or ability, enjoy equality of access to the opportunities provided for learning and personal development. For example, staff discovered that girls, as they get older, think they are not as good as the boys at science, although test results and inspection evidence do not support this. The school is now looking into ways to enhance the girls’ self-esteem in this subject.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

46.Procedures for the identification and assessment of pupils with special educational needs are very good, as is the support offered to all other pupils, enabling them to make good, and often very good, progress by the age of 11. The target groups and Literacy Club both support pupils with a below average literacy level; this is providing support and improving standards. The school complies with the Code of Practice and teachers even write individual learning plans for pupils at the very earliest stage of concern. Individual education plans are of a high quality, they are sufficiently detailed and matched appropriately to pupils’ needs. The school successfully identifies special needs at an early stage and works closely with parents and external agencies. Reviews are carried out regularly and are well documented.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

47.The lack of systematic reviewing and monitoring of the curriculum was a concern expressed in the last inspection report. The school has successfully addressed this issue and, through the school development plan, now systematically sets priorities and targets for each curriculum area. Each area coordinator has an action plan in which detailed developments for the year are clearly set out. Planning has improved considerably; teachers work to these agreed plans and initiate their own half-term and weekly plans. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 20 48.The school makes good provision to enhance the curriculum through extracurricular activities. They include literacy, French, competitive sports (football, basketball), singing, instrumental and drama groups. The pupils who come to the Breakfast Club also get the opportunity to play chess, use the library and work on computers as well as have breakfast. This club is well attended. These activities make a valuable contribution to pupils’

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

moral and social development as well as to the development of specific subject skills such as those used in music, physical education and literacy. Educational visits also add a very valuable dimension to the curriculum. Each class makes at least two visits per year and these are closely related to the project they are following. Recent visits have included Hadrian’s Wall, London, Slimbridge Wildlife Park, York, Scarborough, and a butterfly farm. Year 6 pupils also have the opportunity to go on a residential visit.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

49.Procedures to assess pupils’ progress are very good. A clear, comprehensive policy gives staff guidance on monitoring, evaluating and target setting. It also includes guidance on the importance of high quality teaching and record keeping. Pupils are assessed on entry to the Nursery and again after a short time in Reception, using the Nottingham Baseline test. End of the key stage National Curriculum tests, optional standardised tests at the end of Year 4 and other tests, enable the school to measure pupils’ attainment accurately. The school very carefully analyses the results, identifies strengths and weaknesses and uses the information excellently to improve areas of weakness in attainment. Examples of this are the setting up of the target groups for pupils at Key Stage 2 to improve the standard of literacy, and the identification of the need to concentrate more on the investigative area of science.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

50.The very regular assessment and recording of pupils’ achievements, either half-termly or at the end of a project, in English, mathematics and science are used exceptionally well to measure pupils’ progress. The school also keeps portfolios of selected examples of work, in some subjects such as art, these are in the form of photographs. These samples are assessed against the attainment levels of the National Curriculum and are used to assist teachers in the assessment of pupils’ work. The school sets appropriate targets for improvement each year, and in some classes, pupils are involved in setting their own targets to help improve performance. This excellent system shows how pupils’ progress is very effectively monitored. For example, in the 1996 National tests for seven year olds, all pupils with special educational needs gained the average level in English; now in Year 6, they are well placed for the end of Key Stage 2 tests.

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

51.The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Pupils’ moral and social development is excellent. The school has maintained the high standards noted at the time of the last inspection.

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

59. In the last report, collective worship did not meet statutory requirements; this has now been satisfactorily addressed. The school fulfils its aims to develop respect for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural values and an appreciation of a wide range of religions and ways of life. The quality of collective worship is good.

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

52.The school provides high quality opportunities for pupils’ spiritual development, though they are not always sufficiently planned into the curriculum. Both class and whole-school assemblies revolve around themes such as being part of the community, or Christian festivals such as harvest. Moments of reflection are offered, such as giving thanks for our blessings at thanksgiving, or considering the plight of refugees in Kosovo. Examples of spirituality occur in many different lessons. For example, in a religious education lesson about Buddhism; in design and technology, when pupils marvelled at the way food colouring affected white icing; and in the Nursery where pupils’ personal and social development is enhanced by caring for guinea pigs and turtles. Music lessons offer moments of reflection, and some spiritual elements are planned into composing music. Pupils are excited about their own potential to compose music using computers.

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

53.The provision for pupils’ moral development is excellent. The principles that distinguish right from wrong permeate the school’s policies and practice. The staff handbook and prospectus both outline school rules, and all adults working in the school subtly reinforce them. There are very high expectations of good behaviour, hard work and tolerant attitudes to personal differences. Children are trusted to behave with honesty and decency, for example, there are very few locked cupboards. Rights and responsibilities are discussed in lessons, for example, the Year 2/3 class discussed ‘Lucy’s Quarrel’ in English, and ways of dealing with conflict. They are given opportunities to reflect on their attitude towards the use of drugs and to develop a range of strategies that will assist in situations where drugs might be offered to them. All members of staff, including the Hempshill Hall Primary School - 21

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

Headteacher, cooks and mid-day supervisors, administrative staff and site manager, provide good role models for pupils.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

54.The provision for pupils’ social development is also excellent. It is an open, inclusive school with excellent relationships at all levels: between staff and pupils, between pupils themselves and between teaching staff and other adults, including parents, who actively support pupils’ learning. Pupils have plenty of opportunity to interact with a wide range of adults, though this sometimes means they do not have sufficient opportunities for taking responsibility such as setting out equipment and apparatus, or running the school bank. They are keen to take on a variety of other jobs around the school, such as helping with music, a range of classroom tasks and gardening. Pupils also participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities, particularly music and sport. An extensive range of competitions, school trips and journeys, help pupils develop mature and sociable attitudes.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

55.The provision and quality of pupils’ cultural development is very good. There are regular trips to the theatre in Nottingham, and very popular visits by a theatre in education group. Many pupils were involved in a recent public production of ‘Joseph’ at the Nottingham Theatre Royal. Visiting poets, authors and illustrators regularly talk about their work. Multicultural awareness is very high and respect for other cultures and traditions permeates the school. Assemblies celebrate a breadth of festivals such as Rosh Hashanah and Diwali as well as Christian ones. There are books, displays and artefacts reflecting musical instruments from around the world and the life of Buddha. There is minimal non-Western art or South American music making.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

63. Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

56.Overall, the school provides an excellent level of support, guidance, and welfare for its pupils. It has improved the high standards of support and guidance for pupils mentioned in the last report.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

57.There are excellent procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress and personal development and this has a direct impact upon standards and progress. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of individual pupils’ strengths and weaknesses result from the excellent relationships they have with them and their families, and from the clear, detailed and regularly updated records they maintain about pupils’ academic and personal progress. The Headteacher personally sees every pupil’s completed workbook to discuss progress with him or her. The school has good links with outside professional specialists and makes good use of these to help identify and support pupils in need. The individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs provide clear targets against which to plan work and measure progress, and the school’s own support staff work very effectively, teaching and assessing pupils to ensure that they experience success and make progress. All these

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

factors provide a comprehensive knowledge base which, when coupled with genuine empathy and professional and sensitive intervention from the staff, enables very effective support and guidance for pupils’ academic and personal development.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

58.There are excellent procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour. The school has high expectations of behaviour and outstanding relationships that promote values such as tolerance and kindness are evident in all aspects of its work. These aspects of support have a very positive effect on pupils’ behaviour and self-esteem and provide the context for the pupils to show respect for adults and authority. School rules are applied gently and unobtrusively. Incidents of misbehaviour are dealt with calmly and sympathetically, but firmly and consistently. Any allegations of misbehaviour, including bullying, are taken seriously and are diligently recorded, investigated and swiftly eliminated.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

59.The procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are very good. Procedures for parents to report their children’s absence are clearly defined and understood, and the school is diligent in following up any unreported absence. Registers are taken efficiently at the beginning of sessions.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

60.The school provides a very high level of care for pupils’ health, safety and well-being. The school’s arrangements for child protection are satisfactory. There is a designated and trained person with overall responsibility for this aspect and all other staff clearly understand their roles and responsibilities in this area. Staff are well aware of those children with asthma or special dietary needs, and have well-practised routines for first aid and medical emergencies. Pupils also receive guidance on other matters of personal safety and welfare such as road safety, stranger danger, sex education, health education and drug misuse. In this, the school enlists the help of outside professionals such as the community police officer and the school nurse. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 22

p.21

Partnership with parents and the community

61.The school has a very good partnership with its parents and the community and this is another of the school’s many strengths. The school sees links with parents as vital in securing raised standards and has worked very hard to improve this aspect even further.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

62.The quality of information provided for parents is excellent. Parents are particularly appreciative of the happy atmosphere created to welcome their children into school and of the approachability and access to the staff and Headteacher. At the parents’ meeting and in the parental survey, many parents commented on the dedication and hard work of the staff and the Headteacher and were extremely appreciative of the way the school values and encourages parental involvement, and the courses provided for them. There are several different prospectuses including one for the nursery and an introductory brochure on the school’s website.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

63.Parents of Nursery children receive a home visit prior to their child’s admission, and are given a booklet showing how they can help prepare their child for school, including the development of pre-school literacy skills. There is plenty of opportunity for parents to speak with class teachers informally both at the start and end of each day in the playground and more formal opportunities each term. They enjoy reading the impressively professional school newspaper: the Hempshill Herald. The annual report to parents is good because it is informative, clear and is valued by them. The school holds Parent Surgeries about once every six weeks, and curriculum evenings have informed parents on aspects such as attainment, literacy and numeracy. Parents are appreciative of the meeting with class teachers at the beginning of the year to talk through issues and procedures, and parents are sent a questionnaire later in the term to evaluate their views of the school.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

Inspection findings support the views of parents that they are well informed about what goes on in school, and encouraged to help out. A minority of parents is unhappy that their children cannot take sandwiches for lunch, but the overwhelming majority feel the current arrangements are very satisfactory.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

64.The school is very successful in attracting parents into school to help regularly. They are involved with cooking, reading, the school bank, outside visits, and in the Nursery. Parents report feeling very welcome in school, and they are treated as part of the staff. Parent-governors are extremely supportive of the school and several come in regularly to help. The school Comment Book is very well used to communicate daily between home and school and in this way parents take an active involvement in helping their children to work at home.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

65.Central to the school’s commitment to raising standards is the belief that parental involvement is critical. To this end the school is successful in helping parents to share responsibility with the school for their children’s education. Many parents hear their children read at home and, through the knowledge and skills gained by attending the school’s courses, many are familiar with how young children learn and how best to help them.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

66.Parents of pupils with special educational needs are alerted at an early stage if teachers have any concerns, are kept fully informed about their children’s progress and are encouraged to understand and become involved in their individual work programmes, including liaison with specialist support agencies. They are given a helpful leaflet about practice and procedures.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

67.The school welcomes an extensive range of visitors, including a Baptist minister, an author and local archaeologist. Pupils also go out on a variety of trips, to nearby places such as the sorting office. In addition the school participates in, and frequently wins, an extensive range of national and local competitions. Recent awards include a National Educational Multimedia Award and the Chrisi Bailey Photographic and Digital Imaging Award, which was presented by the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion. A local computer company worked with the school to set up its website on the Internet.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

68.A large number of students come for professional teacher training from Nottingham and Nottingham Trent Universities under the School-Centre Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) scheme of the Teacher Training Agency. The students’ training and mentoring in school is rigorous and promotes some of the best primary practice. Nursery and other staff are pursuing a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in childcare.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

69.Hempshill Hall is not a designated community school although its involvement with the wider community is a planned part of the school’s provision. In turn this raises standards and brings local experience into the school’s curriculum and extracurricular activities. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 23 77. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

p.22

Leadership and management

70.The quality of leadership and management is very good and a strength of the school. Clear educational direction is provided by the Headteacher. She is well supported by four senior managers, subject coordinators and governors. The Headteacher provides outstanding leadership, having the capacity to bring both adults and pupils together and take them along with her. Staff and governors say that she is the driving force of the school, effectively conveying her enthusiasm to motivate and inspire them. She is well liked by the pupils, and parents trust and respect her, speaking highly of her dedication to and care for their children. This commitment and sense of obligation to the children and their families are indeed substantial. Her belief is one of how to make a good school better and she does not allow excuses for low standards based on pupils’ social circumstances. This philosophy of high expectation is embodied by all those who work at the school and underpins everything that

p.23

Leadership and management

71.A very good management team ably supports the Headteacher. The deputy and three senior teachers effectively balance their management responsibilities with those of a class teacher and between them oversee a wide variety of aspects of school life. They are committed to the pupils and to the school’s continued improvement and carry out the duties delegated to them very efficiently. They meet regularly to discuss and review current practice and new initiatives. The teacher in charge of the Nursery has been very effective in establishing, and now maintaining a very high quality of provision and practice in early years.

p.23

Leadership and management

72.Teaching and the curriculum are continually monitored to check the quality of what is provided and identify where improvements can be made. In this, the Headteacher takes the lead, but all staff with managerial responsibilities are involved in various ways and with different foci. For example, in order to monitor teaching effectively, the Headteacher focuses on well-trained, newly qualified teachers to further raise the quality of teaching and by using senior teachers to mentor their professional development. The Headteacher is firm in her belief that she must enable teachers ‘to do well, what they best do well’. This includes classroom management, teaching methods and forms of organisation.

p.23

Leadership and management

73.Since the last inspection, the Headteacher and senior managers have spent considerable time improving the quality of its monitoring. Staff have focused specifically on teaching and assessment. In this, the thorough and detailed analyses of results from statutory and other testing including the good support they have received from the local education authority (LEA), have been crucial in identifying strengths and weaknesses in provision and in providing direction for improvement. Indeed, all of these practices provide the governing body with very good information to assist them towards their primary goal of raising pupils’ standards. However, occasionally in science there is insufficient monitoring of pupils’ work.

p.23

Leadership and management

74.Subject coordinators provide good leadership and are extremely knowledgeable about their subjects. The practice of pairing coordinators, sometimes from each key stage, is very effective and provides good opportunities for liaison about standards and practice, as well as the pooling of ideas to secure improvement. Coordinators have undergone extensive additional training for their roles and have shared this effectively with staff, for example, in literacy and Top Sport training in physical education. Training is a particularly strong feature in the teaching of numeracy, and teachers from other schools regularly observe two of the Hempshill Hall teachers at work in their classrooms. The coordination of special educational needs, the early years, the curriculum and assessment are examples of the high quality leadership shown by coordinators.

p.23

Leadership and management

75.The school’s development plan is an effective working document. Weaknesses identified in 1995 relating to underdeveloped monitoring and some vagueness in the success criteria, have been eliminated. Educational priorities are determined after a thorough audit of the school’s position and are correctly focused on raising standards to targets which have been agreed with the LEA. The plan is put together after a consultative process involving staff and governors. It contains comprehensive detail about how the priorities will be achieved, based firmly in high quality classroom practice, with the pupil at the centre of the activity. The Headteacher, staff and governors are committed to managing new changes within a framework, which fit the philosophy of the school. The literacy and numeracy programmes are particularly good examples of this.

p.23

Leadership and management

76.The governors are a strong and generally effective team who are good critical friends to the school and provide generally competent support. Governors are actively involved in the school, such as being a class Hempshill Hall Primary School - 24 governor identified to a named teacher. Their classroom visits serve to build up governors’ knowledge of a subject and several have attended courses to increase their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. To discharge their duties more efficiently they have formed different committees. These meet regularly, receiving very good information about the work of the school from the Headteacher and other managers, and report back to the full Governing Body. The governors are fully involved in the process of school improvement. The governors meet all their legal obligations.

p.23

Leadership and management

77.The requirements of the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs are met and the management of this is a strength. A key factor is the very impressive way in which teachers integrate all pupils fully into every aspect of the school. Pupils’ progress toward the targets in their individual education plans is continually monitored and specific initiatives and forms of organisation for teaching pupils are well thought through and successfully promote their good progress.

p.24

Leadership and management

78.The school’s response to the previous inspection has been highly effective. The parents say the school is forward looking in the range of initiatives it takes on board. This includes the school’s part in training and mentoring of the SCITT students in association with the Teacher Training Agency (TTA). New initiatives are considered carefully and reviewed and evaluated continually to ensure that the pupils derive maximum benefit. As well as successfully addressing the issues raised in 1995, the school has kept abreast of educational developments. For example:

p.24

Leadership and management

• . the school’s analyses of pupils’ test and assessment results have extended to allow for the setting of statutory targets up to 2002, and include target setting for groups and individuals that are achieved through focused teaching, refined to pupils’ specific needs. This has been influential in pupils’ improved performance in statutory tests and assessments, especially in the proportion of pupils attaining a higher than average Level 5 in the National Curriculum core subjects;

p.24

Leadership and management

• . the numerous national and local awards for the innovative use of information technology. This includes the use of a digital camera to photograph, under magnification, the growth of mould on fruit and then relaying that image to a computer monitor. The images are also available on the schools’ own Internet web page for others elsewhere to share;

p.24

Leadership and management

• . the school’s partnership with its parents. Although the last inspection identified the close links with parents, significant additional effort has been put into this aspect since that time, and the school has been successful in keeping parents aware of what is taught and their understanding of how children learn. The school is successful in developing the potential of parents as educators and uniting both the school and parents in the shared aim of helping the children to achieve their potential.

p.24

Leadership and management

1.The school has at its disposal considerable information about the standards that pupils achieve in different subjects and at different stages of their education. Some very good work has been done in analysing this information to determine what action needs to be taken to improve areas of weakness. A good example was the school’s concerted and continued effort to improve standards in the writing element of English. The school’s analysis of assessment data provides them with a very clear picture of strengths and weaknesses and is used effectively to set targets for improvement. The statutory targets for 2002 are realistic in that they are based upon the good quality data from statutory and non-statutory tests and assessments, but they are also challenging in that they encompass a success factor envisaged by the school as a result of its action to secure improvements.

p.24

Leadership and management

2.The improvements and progress made since the last inspection and the highly effective management strategies and systems for achieving and maintaining high standards are a reflection of the school’s clear insights into its strengths and weaknesses. There is a shared determination to move forward and the school is very well able to maintain its high standards and improve even further.

p.24

Leadership and management

3.The ethos for learning is excellent. Pupils are valued, respected, cared for and loved. There is a true strong sense of togetherness and family, such as at lunchtime. The aims and current priorities are without exception an accurate appraisal of the needs of the school and a commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity for all. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 25

p.24

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

4.The staffing, accommodation and learning resources make a very good contribution to the quality of education and the standards the pupils achieve. There are sufficient suitably qualified teachers to teach the age range of pupils and to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum, religious education and all the areas of learning for children under five. Several teachers have considerable expertise in specific subjects, for example, in mathematics, music and information technology. This expertise has a positive impact on pupils’ standards and is used well to provide support for non-specialist staff. Teachers work exceptionally hard and provide a wide range of services for the school. The Headteacher is committed to balancing the staffing with highly competent, newly qualified teachers and has demonstrated her skill in recognising their potential as outstanding primary practitioners.

p.25

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

5.The number of classroom assistants is well matched to the needs of the pupils. The school has a fully operational appraisal system for all staff, which enables their needs to be built into the school development plan. Parents as well as non-teaching staff are given guidance about their duties and responsibilities and the impact of this is evident in lessons. The canteen staff and mid-day supervisors are good friends with both pupils and teachers and their contribution, especially to pupils’ social development is highly valued. Within the school there is a good team spirit and effective working relationships between all adults.

p.25

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

6.Arrangements for the professional induction and development of staff are excellent. All new staff are given a thorough induction to the school, its policies and procedures; the staff handbook is very detailed and informative. Each teacher new to the school and the School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) students are allocated a trained mentor. Effective recruitment policies ensure that high calibre teaching staff are appointed. Regular opportunities for working collaboratively, and the involvement of experts from outside, ensure that their expertise is continually developed and improved. Monitoring and review procedures have improved considerably since the last inspection.

p.25

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

7.The accommodation is adequate and fully supports the implementation of all subjects of the National Curriculum, although teaching space is at a premium. It is modern, bright and well maintained, with a large number of high quality displays of pupils’ work. The accommodation available for administration and the staff room are barely adequate for the numbers using them; there is little privacy for the Headteacher to meet with parents. The premises are maintained to a high standard.

p.25

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

8.Since the last inspection, the Nursery has been built using previous teaching space. The accommodation is particularly well-planned, with a highly versatile, permanent, structured play area, which can be transformed, for example into a jungle, a boat, a bus or shop. The whole area provides a very stimulating environment for young children, including a purpose-built outdoor play area with a climbing frame.

p.25

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

9.Resources for learning are plentiful in number and range and fully support work in lessons. They are especially plentiful in literacy, mathematics, music, physical education and information technology; this helps teachers to raise standards. The Nursery is particularly well equipped with a very good range of high-quality resources for young children. There is a good range of fiction and non-fiction books, CDs and videos. There is a sufficient number of computers at present and printers and a wide range of very well chosen software, including some for music making. The school has not only maintained, but also further improved, the high standards noted at the time of the last inspection.

p.25

The efficiency of the school

10.The school is a very efficient organisation. There is very good financial planning to ensure the school’s success in working within its delegated budget and all the resources made available to the school are efficiently and effectively managed. The school has a well-founded development planning cycle, which focuses on clearly identified priorities. The current success of the National Numeracy Strategy is based upon a well thought out and implemented plan and this is a typical example of the way the school works. The school development plan successfully embraces a three-year overview.

p.25

The efficiency of the school

11.The additional funding the school receives to support pupils with special educational needs is very well used and helps to ensure that they have equal access to the curriculum and other opportunities. The increased adult Hempshill Hall Primary School - 26 support has a positive impact on their progress.

p.25

The efficiency of the school

12.The school is also successful in winning partnership in national educational projects, which attract extra finances. This additional income enables the school to be in the forefront of both local and national educational developments and is well able to take forward new national developments in a measured and well thought out way. The monitoring and evaluative processes are well managed by the Headteacher and the governing body is improving its knowledge of monitoring, such as its strategic responsibility for planning the use of resources. The school employs the services of a visiting bursar who advises the school regularly on financial matters. Governors are well-briefed on good current data and sound financial projections. There are carefully worked out and implemented systems so that there is an appropriate division of responsibility and authority to spend. Very good records of all financial transactions are kept. A small number of minor procedural matters raised in

p.26

The efficiency of the school

a recent audit have now been dealt with.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

13.The school’s administrative procedures are well established, unobtrusive and highly efficient. These day-to- day routines and practices make an effective contribution to the efficiency of the school and provide very good support for the Headteacher, other managers and teachers. There is very good day-to-day and monthly control of all financial matters, and at the end of each month the school can compare predicted expenditure with actual expenditure.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

14.The school makes very effective use of its staff, accommodation and learning resources. An element of the school’s ethos of continuous development provides a strong relationship between educational developments, the training of staff, minor works to the premises and the purposeful purchasing of additional resources each year. There is a very effective staff development programme, linked to an annual target-setting cycle, which sees strong links between personal development of staff, including non-teaching staff, and the needs of the school. The recent developments in information technology, for example, have been carefully supported both by minor building alterations in some teaching spaces and by the purchase of additional computers, so that the school was ready to implement a major new national initiative.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

15.The school provides good value for money. The pupils come to school initially with attainment that is broadly average. The Nursery is a new addition since the last inspection and the pupils in the present Year 2 are the first to have experienced the school’s own nursery provision. Over the period 1997-1999, the results of statutory tests and assessments indicate that attainment has risen by the time pupils leave school. Also, the school’s income is significantly higher than that of most schools and they receive additional funding for training SCITT students. This is balanced against the school’s National Curriculum results at the end of Key Stage 2, which are now better, the good progress pupils’ make, their excellent attitudes and behaviour and the very high quality of education provided, especially the teaching. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 27

p.26

PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

101. AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

p.27

PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

16.The Nursery is a recent addition to the school. Each term, children are admitted to the Nursery from the age of three, on a part-time basis and attend full-time in the term in which they become five. They enter reception in the term after their fifth birthday. On entry to the Nursery, the children’s attainment is below what is expected. By the time they are five years old, progress is at least satisfactory because they are likely to reach all the Desirable Learning Outcomes.

p.27

Language and literacy development

17.By the time children are five, they make satisfactory progress because are likely to achieve the Desirable Leaning Outcome. They learn how to listen to their teachers and each other, for example, when sharing their news with the class and when listening to stories and poems and instructions from their teachers. Their confidence and ability to express themselves through speech develop well in a range of informal play activities and in more formal discussion and questioning. For example, children in the Nursery identify and talk about things that make them feel good and chatter happily to each other and adults whilst working in different activities. Activities are designed to promote role-play and provide very good opportunities for children to use spoken language creatively and to develop literacy.

p.27

Language and literacy development

18.Children develop a very good awareness of the purpose of print. They identify familiar words and logos on food packets, and when browsing through books they show awareness of the purpose of print; for example, they say it’s the words or it’s the writing. These children are learning to recognise their own names and the good display of captions around the classroom and resources labelled with pictures and words helps to develop early reading skills. Reception children are well launched into reading. They turn pages carefully, and follow pictures and print in a left to right direction. They know the characters in the reading scheme and recognise their names in print. Higher attainers are able to recognise a good range of high frequency words by sight and a few can read. They are developing a good knowledge of letter sounds and some higher attainers look at the first letter of words they do not recognise to help identify it. All children have positive attitudes to books and enjoy

p.27

Language and literacy development

looking at the pictures. They make good use of these to talk about the story and to get clues about the words. Many children make a good prediction about a book’s content by looking at pictures on the front cover and before they have finished reading, some higher attainers are able to make good guesses about what might happen to the characters or how the story might end.

p.27

Language and literacy development

19.Writing skills are developing well. In the Nursery, the children learn how to hold pencils and crayons correctly and are given lots of opportunities to practise writing in play contexts. Children’s early writing improves from squiggles to recognisable letter shapes. Towards the end of their time in the Nursery, the majority can write their own name and make a good effort at copying letters.

p.27

Language and literacy development

20.There is high quality teaching in this area of learning. Teachers, including Nursery nurses, provide a wealth of opportunities for children to use and explore spoken and written language in meaningful and pleasurable activities. They provide good models whilst playing alongside the children and use questioning skilfully to extend children’s speaking skills. Teachers use captions, labels, alphabet friezes, posters and diagrams to bring to children the purpose of print. The children understand the direction of print, the shape and sounds of letters, including rhyming words, and the use of picture cues. They encourage children’s understanding of what is read by asking them to predict what books might be about and how stories might end. Teachers make sure that children hold writing implements correctly and demonstrate the correct way to form letters. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 28

p.27

Mathematical development

21.By the time they are five children make satisfactory progress and are likely to achieve the Desirable Leaning Outcome. Their mathematical development occurs within a wide range of contexts, some of which are specifically planned and others are incidental. For example, Nursery children’s counting skills and understanding of number are promoted through singing and taking part in action songs and through sorting, matching and ordering. They learn mathematical ideas about shape and size through doing jigsaw puzzles and, specifically, in an activity about the three frogs where they identified the different sized toys and arranged them in height order. In this activity the children learned about addition and subtraction and gained mathematical vocabulary such as more and take away when adding and removing other frogs.

p.28

Mathematical development

22.The teaching of mathematics is very good. Teachers are enthusiastic and convey this well to the children. A strength of teaching is demonstrated through the teachers’ exploitation of every opportunity to reinforce children’s number skills and mathematical understanding, particularly within play activities and general day- to-day routines such as lining up and registration. Sufficient emphasis is given to balancing mathematics with language and literacy. Very good use is made of questioning to check the children’s understanding and there is effective use of resources such as computers and other adults, including parents.

p.28

Personal and social development

23.The children make good progress and by the age of five are likely to achieve the Desirable Leaning Outcome. From the time they enter the Nursery, the children realise that their ideas and contributions are valued and so become confident in expressing these. Young children start to become independent by making choices about their work and this also helps to sustain their interest and attention. They learn how to share and take turns and to look after things and be responsible; for example, by handling resources carefully and doing simple jobs such as tidying away. The full-time pupils learn and adapt to the routines of school life, such as physical education activities in the hall. They learn to consider others by walking quietly and sensibly through the school on their way to these activities. This good work continues when children learn to sit and listen for longer periods and then gain greater independence in moving around the school and in playing outside and

p.28

Personal and social development

eating their lunches as part of a larger group. The children’s behaviour is excellent. They have learned the simple rules for working happily with others and there is no evidence of major conflicts or unwillingness to share.

p.28

Personal and social development

24.Teaching is very strong in this area. From the time they start school, the children feel valued, respected and loved because trusting relationships are established. Teachers achieve exactly the right balance between giving young children the security they need and encouraging their independence. They make good use of praise to raise children’s self-esteem and show disapproval sensitively if children behave unsociably. Good routines are established to support children’s personal and social development and children are helped to see the reasons for the simple rules that are set. Teachers provide moral ideas in the context of children’s experiences; for example, about friendship, being kind and helpful and saying sorry and thank you.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

25.By the time they are five, children make satisfactory progress and are likely to achieve the Desirable Leaning Outcome. This includes scientific, technological, geographical and historical learning. Scientific understanding and skill is improved when children make mini pizzas and begin to understand the effect of heat in cooking. Later, they make good comparisons between the texture of the pizza before and after it is cooked. Activities in sand and water also help develop scientific skills of measuring and pouring carefully. Children develop geographical understanding when they compare photographs of different buildings such as churches, houses and shops, and discuss their uses. A visit to a Hindu temple made a significant impact and greatly enhanced the children’s knowledge and understanding of living in a multicultural society.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

26.Nursery children are confident in the use of computers and have developed good skills in controlling the mouse, for example, to dress a teddy by clicking, dragging and dropping items of clothing onto a teddy figure. They have learned to use simple software to support work in literacy and number and a few are competent in controlling some of the functions on listening centres. Design and technology skills show good development when children use construction materials to make models, for example, when using wooden blocks to make models. Early historical understanding is evident when children talk about recent past events in their lives such Hempshill Hall Primary School - 29 as holidays and family celebrations.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

27.The quality of teaching is very good. Activities and experiences are thoughtfully planned to provide the range of knowledge and understanding required, within real and meaningful experiences. Teachers encourage children to use their senses to observe living things and to describe what they see, feel, hear, smell and taste.

p.29

Creative development

28.Children make satisfactory progress and are likely to achieve the Desirable Leaning Outcome by the age of five within a wide range of art and music activities. They enjoy singing and experimenting with the instruments to hear the different sounds they make. They learn simple rhythms, know the names of a range of instruments and are developing skills in holding and playing these correctly, such as a guitar. The children engage in a wide range of art activities, including free painting, printing, collage work and making models with dough. They develop good skills in mixing colours and applying paint in various ways and with different tools to create a range of effects.

p.29

Creative development

29.The quality of teaching is very good. Extensive opportunities are provided for children to show creativity, not just in art and music, but in role-play such as, maintaining a home and being a shopkeeper. The teachers’ knowledge of art and music is exemplified in the challenging activities they provide. Other adults, including parents, make a very valuable contribution to the children’s learning by playing alongside children.

p.29

Creative development

30.By the time they are five, the children make satisfactory progress and are likely to achieve the Desirable Leaning Outcome. They improve using their hands to use scissors, thread beads, complete puzzles, glue, paint, colour and model with dough. Nursery children learn to cope with buttons and zips on clothing, and children show increased precision and control over small movements when cutting and positioning shapes in artwork. Outside they peddle bicycles and toy trucks purposefully, stopping and starting with increasing control and develop a good awareness of space. Skills in running, jumping, hopping and skipping are progressively developed, as is the children’s ability to use their bodies to make shapes and to balance. Children develop control over their actions when learning to stop and start on command and when moving quickly and slowly and in different directions.

p.29

Creative development

31.The quality of teaching is very good. Teachers set up a range of interesting and challenging activities and have a good understanding of how to develop children’s physical skills. The physical activities in particular show the teacher’s very high expectations of the children and this has a significant positive impact on their standards and progress. Teachers use their voices extremely well to emphasise the language and quality of movement and to exercise gentle discipline. Teachers and other adults all join in enthusiastically and this sets a good example for the children.

p.29

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

32.The 1999 National Curriculum tests and assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 results are similar to those in 1998. They are broadly in line with the national average although they represent the higher end of this scale. Seventy-six per cent of pupils reach the expected Level 4 and of those, a third achieve the higher Level 5. In 1998 the percentage of pupils attaining Level 4 and above rose by a margin similar to the national average although the overall proportion was above the national average; a greater percentage of pupils also achieved Level 5. Trends over time from 1997 to 1999 show continuing improvement in performance in the proportion of pupils reaching Level 5. Compared to similar schools the results show attainment is well above average and this remains the same as the previous year.

p.29

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

33.The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests and assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 are above the national average for pupils reaching Level 2 and above in both reading and writing. Trends over time from 1997 to 1999 show a steady improvement in the proportion of pupils achieving Level 2 and above in reading and writing, although the 1999 results show a slight dip from the very high results of 1998. From 1998 to 1999 the improvement in reading and writing rose by a higher proportion than the national average. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 30 34.When taking into account the point on the national average scale at which the results appear, the inspection findings are consistent with the trend indicated by these results at the end of each key stage. Pupils with special educational needs make at least good, and many make very good, progress towards the targets set for them. The effectiveness of the school’s strategy for literacy is excellent.

p.29

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

35.On the basis of work seen in the inspection, overall attainment at the end of both key stages is above average. This occurs because of action taken by the school over the past three years, when literacy was an identified priority before the introduction of the National Literacy Hour, and also included setting up of a literacy club. Also, the present Year 6 pupils are benefiting from specific target-setting in the subject and the close monitoring of attainment and progress by the senior managers.

p.30

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

36.In both key stages, most pupils make good progress with a significant proportion making even greater progress. Across the school, they make very good progress in speaking and listening and listen very attentively to each other and their teachers. At Key Stage 1, the youngest pupils are confident in speaking aloud to the class, while one small group constructively criticise each other’s work during a writing activity. In Year 2, pupils clearly and confidently explain their work to the class after identifying from their own reading books similar stories to the shared text ‘Lucy’s Quarrel’. Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils continue to develop as effective speakers and listeners, becoming more aware of their audience as, for example, they read aloud their Viking riddles to the class. Year 5/6 pupils take part in discussions, confidently offering their opinions and responding well to the views of others as they investigate the type of characters that an author, such as C S

p.30

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

37.Standards in reading are good. Great emphasis is placed on inspiring a love of reading and offers many opportunities for pupils to improve their skills, read for pleasure and enjoy books beyond the literacy framework. All pupils read regularly at home - encouraged by the highly successful Just Read scheme and the well-established daily routine of reading homework. Pupils have an excellent attitude to reading at home and are very well supported in their reading by their parents, who consider this a valuable experience. The Comment Books are a very effective and well-used line of communication on reading progress between teachers and parents. Pupils have appropriate strategies for selecting their own reading books and can confidently share the reasons for their choice. Younger pupils enjoy sharing their reading regularly with older reading partners. Older pupils have opportunities to quietly read the books of their choice.

p.30

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

38.Throughout Key Stage 1, pupils learn and use a variety of strategies to recognise unfamiliar words in their reading. Their knowledge is good of the sound letters and words make. They can predict happenings within their stories and discuss their reading often by turning to the appropriate page in the book to support their ideas. At the end of the key stage, they confidently identify the organisational features of fiction and non-fiction books, discussing the settings and characters. Higher attaining pupils confidently use dictionaries and learn to use a thesaurus. Most pupils read aloud with increasing accuracy, fluency and expression. Poetry is enjoyed, with younger pupils reciting their class poem ‘Teddy Bear Rap’ from memory with an excellent appreciation of the rhythm.

p.30

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

39.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils select and respond to an increasingly complex range of literature. In shared reading, Year 5/6 pupils discuss the characters and period vocabulary of Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’ with good understanding. They develop good skills of deduction and inference, understanding a cliff hanger and identifying innuendo within the text of ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’. They show very good retrieval skills, using reference books, the Internet or CD-ROMs, in researching, for example, the life of Isaac Newton in preparation for writing his biography. This represents elements of the above average Level 5 performance.

p.30

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

40.Most pupils develop their writing skills to achieve good standards overall. Pupils write a first draft unaided, concentrating on recording their thoughts and ideas, using sight vocabulary and phonic awareness. Thorough discussion, editing for punctuation and correct spellings takes place with younger pupils. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils competently draft and edit their text often through conferencing, to improve their writing and produce very well structured final copies. Handwriting is taught joined from Reception and during the key stage pupils’ handwriting becomes legible and fluent. High standards of presentation are developed, often using information technology to publish final copies. Throughout the school, pupils write for an increasing range of purposes and audiences. The youngest pupils at Key Stage 1 write lists for their Teddy Bears’ picnic, while Year 6 pupils translate dialogue within a narrative text into play scripts, and write letters to the Children of the

p.30

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

Hempshill Hall Primary School - 31 Rainforest in America. Younger pupils in the key stage are learning to communicate by e-mail, sending questions to a correspondent as they track his journey. The older pupils prepare the Hempshill Herald for publication to parents. The quality of writing is high as is that of desktop publishing. Poetry writing inspires pupils of all ages. Older pupils met the Poet Laureate and presented him with their poems.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

41.Pupils’ spelling is good. It is well taught and developed through work in literacy lessons, consolidated by targeted spellings to be learnt at home. Pupils make very good use of dictionaries, and Look, Cover, Spell, Check to memorise corrected spellings.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

42.Throughout the school, pupils’ attitudes to work are very good and this is also seen in their attitude to homework, such as reading and spelling. They are very attentive, very enthusiastic and eager to take part in the shared aspects of the lessons, listening and concentrating very well. During their work they form good relationships, are respectful of each other’s opinions, sharing ideas and showing a high degree of cooperation within their groups. High standards of behaviour promote a very effective learning environment. Pupils are very well motivated and enjoy their lessons.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

43.In both key stages, the quality of teaching is good; in three in five lessons it is very good and in almost one lesson in ten it is excellent. Very good understanding of the subject, and high expectations of the pupils’ learning, together with very well planned lessons, all contribute to the high standards of teaching. The answers and opinions of all pupils are highly valued. Exceptionally good assessment closely monitors pupils’ progress throughout the lessons and is used very effectively to reinforce and extend learning. Very skilful questioning encourages pupils to develop their thinking and deepen their understanding, while a variety of challenging activities maintain their enthusiasm and interest, making learning interesting and enjoyable. The key skills of speaking and listening, reading and writing are very successfully united within the lessons and further developed in many other subjects. The high quality teaching has a significant impact upon raising attainment

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

44.The school has very successfully encompassed the National Literacy Strategy framework within both the ethos of the school and the established philosophy of its teaching in English. Many aspects of the teaching programmes from other areas of the curriculum are very effectively focused through the shared reading and writing activities within the literacy sessions. The production of a class newspaper, writing headlines and articles, extends a historical study of the Vikings. The issues raised by the destruction of the world’s rainforests are discussed, and letters written, as pupils study the text of Lynne Cherry’s ‘The Great Kapole Tree’ as part of their work in the humanities. Excellent procedures are in place to assess, monitor and evaluate the progress of all pupils and the detailed information is very well used to plan the next appropriate stages of learning.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

45.The coordinators provide high quality enthusiastic leadership and management of the subject. Very good, wide-ranging resources, including those available through information and communication technology, greatly enhance pupils’ learning. A wide range of well-chosen story books further fosters younger pupils’ enjoyment and interest in reading.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

46.At the end of Key Stage 2, the 1999 National Curriculum tests and assessments for the percentage of pupils achieving the usually expected Level 4 and above is broadly in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 and above rose significantly and is an improvement upon the 1998 results. From 1996 to 1999 there was a trend of improvement in performance, although there was a slight decline in 1998. When compared to schools from similar backgrounds, the percentage reaching Level 4 and above is above average and the percentage at Level 5 is well above the average.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

47.At the end of Key Stage 1, the 1999 National Curriculum tests and assessments for the percentage of pupils achieving the usually expected Level 2 and above is broadly in line with the national average and the same is true of those achieving Level 3. From 1996 to 1999 there was no significant trend of improvement in overall performance, although a greater proportion of pupils gained Level 2; there was a dip in 1999. When these results are compared to similar schools, the percentage achieving Level 2 and above is broadly in line with the national average whilst the percentage of pupils achieving Level 3 is above the average.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

48.The overall attainment at the end of both key stages is above average. The reasons why attainment is now Hempshill Hall Primary School - 32 higher are not dissimilar to those for English and science. The senior managers identified elements within the attainment targets to raise standards and an appropriate programme of work was put in place a year before the adoption of the National Numeracy Strategy. The senior managers carefully monitored and evaluated the outcomes, which now show a high degree of consistency in both key stages. The strategy continues this year.

p.31

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

49.Most Year 5 pupils are working at Level 4, which is above average at this point in the key stage. For example, in a potentially difficult task relating to making pattern sequences, the activity requires them to fit numbers between other numbers, rounding up and down and the multiplication of decimal numbering by ten or 100. The higher attainers give value to individual digits, in say 9.7, both in words and symbols.

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

50.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have begun to develop skills in using decimals, reaching levels at least average and often higher. They can add and subtract, multiply one decimal number by another decimal number; divide a decimal by a small whole number using standard methods. They know numbers that are between two decimals, for example, that 8.15 is between 8.1 and 8.2 when reading a measure or a dial. The higher attaining pupils use these skills in a variety of contexts, for example in finding the perimeter or area of a rectangle. In some instances calculators are used, but only sparingly, when the numbers are, say, 9.4 x 9.4 x 2.3 in the context of finding the volume of a box. Pupils have started to appreciate that there are two possible answers to sums like 2 x 3 + 4 and can insert brackets to ensure that they are doing the correct sum.

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

51.In work on shape, Year 6 pupils draw angles and lengths accurately to required sizes, and are learning the angle properties of shapes like parallelograms and other polygons. In this latter connection they can program a computer to draw regular polygons using the Logo computer language. They use protractors reasonably accurately. The majority of pupils are working at Level 5 in activities sorting shapes, which leads to angle sums in triangles; this is above the national average for this stage in the school year. In work on handling data, pupils are already using spreadsheets to store data, like heights or weights and later are able to do simple calculations like finding totals and averages. They also use the graphing capability of the spreadsheet and produce bar charts of the data. By ordering the data they are able to make simple interpretations of it. In this work a few pupils write simple formulae. An appropriate amount of the investigative work is done and pupils

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

are generally able to write down what they find out, for example about the outcomes of adding, subtracting or multiplying odd and even numbers; the highest attaining pupils can make appropriate generalisations.

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

52.In Year 2, pupils can count successfully to 100 and, in the case of the higher attainers some way beyond. They are able to break numbers up into hundreds, tens and units, for example, they know that in 64 there are six tens. Some pupils can round numbers to the nearest ten, and also double numbers with tens and units. They can read simple scales, such as a thermometer and realise that negative numbers exist before zero. They apply knowledge of simple number to do shopping sums up to one pound and the higher attainers can go further and give correct change from two pounds for an item costing £1.45.

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

53.In work on shape they can recognise and name simple shapes like squares, triangles, rectangles and circles. Many pupils can measure reasonably accurately small lengths, in centimetres. They use mathematical language of comparison with the use of words like longer, shorter, wider, taller and so on. In handling data, pupils can confidently sort data, for example, of favourite pets, and later make a simple chart and draw conclusions about popular types. A small number of pupils who have special educational needs are still learning to count and to remember the names of numbers in the correct order. For the vast majority of pupils work is at Level 2 with the higher attainers working at Level 3.

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

54.At both key stages, pupils’ progress is good. Year 2 pupils can add in a mix of two and ten pence pieces. In Year 4, they can equate two-eighths to one-quarter and understand the difference between half and three- quarters. In Year 6, they read gauges and metres and draw polygons using the programming language, Logo. This relates strongly to high quality teaching and in particular to the very successful planning for and implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. Pupils use their mathematical knowledge in many other lesson, such as weighing ingredients, estimating and measuring number and shape in design and technology activities, and in recording science investigations. In general, pupils with special educational needs also make good progress. For example, in Years 4 and 5, they remember word fractions to explain a half means two pieces that are equal.

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

55.Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics are very good, as is their approach to learning at home. They listen well, talk when they should and cooperate well as a natural way of working. They use apparatus and equipment Hempshill Hall Primary School - 33 appropriately and sensibly. They are extremely eager in mental mathematics at the beginning of lessons, to catch the teachers’ eye and to be the one to answer. At times, when they are working independently, they have no fear of error and readily follow through their own ideas. Their behaviour is excellent.

p.32

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

56.The quality of teaching is good. At both key stages it is very good in one lesson in five and satisfactory in one lesson in ten. The teachers’ knowledge and understanding is good and often very good. This strength supports a set of teaching approaches that engage and motivate pupils to want to do mathematics. The planning that underpins the teaching is always good and matches the work to pupils’ needs successfully.

p.33

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

57.Generally, the matching of tasks to the needs of pupils and to the curriculum is one of the major strengths of the teaching. Explanations are nearly always clear and they support pupils’ access to the work. In each lesson there are at least three different levels of work set which allow all pupils to progress successfully. The mix also of consolidation and new work is another successful factor, which is sensitive to pupils’ needs and speeds progress.

p.33

ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

58.The assessment and recording of pupils’ attainment and identification of pupils’ future needs, are well thought out and carried out. High quality records of pupils’ attainment and progress are kept. The curriculum for mathematics is excellent. It has brought together the National Curriculum and the demands of the National Numeracy Strategy with great success. The lead given by the two coordinators and the general management of the whole initiative are exemplary. There has been much careful thought, well timed and executed in-service and good evaluation of progress. The school has very good resources, which have been greatly enhanced as part of the preparations for the National Numeracy Strategy. The teachers are innovative in making high quality resources to fit with the curriculum; particularly for the very successful mental mathematics sessions at the start of lessons. The criticism in the previous report of pupils’ lack of skill in mental mathematics is now resolved

p.33

Science

59.Over the last three years pupils’ attainment at both key stages has fluctuated considerably. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests and assessment results for 11 year olds are below average. Three-quarters of pupils reached the expected Level 4 and of those, almost half reached the higher Level 5; this is almost three times higher than in 1998. The proportion of pupils reaching Level 5 and above is now above the national average. From 1996 to 1999 there was a trend of improvement in performance, although there was a slight decline in 1998. When compared to similar schools the results are broadly average. However, there is a discrepancy between the statutory results of 1999 and the current Year 6 work. Inspection evidence shows there is a trend of improvement in examination results and attainment by the end of Key Stage 2 is now above average.

p.33

Science

60.Several significant factors explain why attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is now higher and why the present Year 6 pupils are doing better than the previous year. Last year, when the present Year 6 pupils were in Year 5, the senior managers identified specific ways to raise attainment, and this year science has become a priority. This term’s work is well prepared to address the issues, for example, during the inspection, Year 6 were taught drug awareness. Next term the focus is to improve pupils’ scientific knowledge and concepts; the organisation and management of these science workshops is already in hand. As a result, the present Year 6 pupils are also benefiting from specific target setting in the investigative area of science.

p.33

Science

61.The result of the 1999 National Curriculum teacher assessment at the end of Key Stage 1 is below average in comparison to other schools and average when compared to similar schools. The proportion of pupils reaching the average Level 2 or above rose dramatically in 1997 and again higher in 1998 to well above the national average. In 1998 this was also well above the standards reached in similar schools. Although results dropped back in 1999 to only just below average, the group included a significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs. In addition, in 1999 the Year 2 pupils had not benefited from the school’s nursery provision. As at Key Stage 2, there is a discrepancy between the teacher assessment of 1999 and the current Year 2 work, and inspection evidence shows attainment is now above average.

p.33

Science

62.Overall attainment at the end of both key stages is now above average. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a good understanding of setting up a fair test. For example, they can select appropriate equipment and materials to test friction on a range of different surfaces and use scientific vocabulary such as only one variable Hempshill Hall Primary School - 34 must be changed. They measure consistently and accurately, and made their own Newton metre to test the force of gravity. Most are developing a good understanding of gravity, that it pushes things down. They make sensible hypotheses before testing, using their scientific knowledge, and follow this with systematic and careful recording at each stage of their experiments. They understand the need for a control factor in their investigative work, for instance when testing the effect of different preservatives such as vinegar, salt, sugar and freezing on

p.33

Science

foods, their control was to leave some of the same food without any preservative. In these examples pupils are working at Level 5. Findings are usually very well presented in a variety of ways, including charts and graphs.

p.34

Science

63.By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils know about living things and what they need to sustain life. They have a good knowledge of the human body and can name many of its major parts; they have a basic understanding of the digestive system. Pupils make simple classifications in grouping birds, insects, and animals and also classifying materials into metal, wood, plastic, glass and fabrics. They have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of how heat affects certain substances, for example in cooking and freezing. Pupils are developing a good understanding of how our senses communicate information and most are beginning to make sensible predictions about the outcomes of simple experiments such as identifying white powdery substances by first looking, then smelling and finally tasting them. The dangers of eating unknown substances, without adult approval, is made explicitly clear to the pupils during this lesson; very good attention is paid to hygiene. Pupils

p.34

Science

can record their work in a variety of appropriate ways.

p.34

Science

64.Pupils’ progress is good overall. At Key Stage 2 pupils’ progress is good, especially in Years 5 and 6. Throughout the school, the development of investigative skills is particularly good. The youngest pupils learn to make reasonable guesses, then estimate and, in Year 6, make very sensible hypotheses based on their good scientific knowledge. For example, they are knowledgeable about Newton’s theory partly because of first-hand experience in making a Newton meter. Food activities in integrated science lessons in Years 3 and 4 are sometimes rushed because too many other subject activities take place simultaneously and not all pupils make as much progress as they might.

p.34

Science

65.At Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress; a third make very good progress. Progress is especially good when teachers directly lead small groups of pupils. During these sessions, pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills are very well developed through the teachers’ exceptionally good questioning techniques. For example, pupils look very carefully at changes to a burning candle and use good scientific language to explain and record their findings. A significant factor in the rate of pupils’ progress is enhanced by their good knowledge of literacy and numeracy. From the age of five, pupils systematically learn to observe carefully and then record accurately; firstly through pictures and then by using a wide variety of methods, including written descriptions, chart, tables, and graphs. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress at Key Stage 1 and very good progress at Key Stage 2. In Year 2/3 pupils understand the effect of heat when baking space

p.34

Science

cakes using marshmallows; in Year 5, pupils can accurately measure their heart rate before and after exercise.

p.34

Science

66.Pupils have very good attitudes to work and show a lively interest and curiosity at both key stages. They are keen to answer questions and express their ideas, sharing hypotheses, such as when tasting food, how their senses communicate information. They work very conscientiously and cooperatively when undertaking investigations and their respect for living things, the environment, and equipment is exemplary. The older pupils are particularly careful when experimenting in relatively limited spaces. Pupils are extremely well behaved and show excellent concentration for their ages. The vast majority take pride in their achievements and in the way they record their work.

p.34

Science

67.The overall quality of teaching is good. Judgements are also based on a scrutiny of completed work, teachers’ planning, expectations and organisation of the class. At Key Stage 2, it is very good, with two lessons in five being outstanding and at Key Stage 1, teaching is good. In a few science lessons too many other activities are taking place at the same time. As a result pupils do not make as much progress as they might because of insufficient monitoring of their work. The quality of the teaching in small groups is very good.

p.34

Science

68.Throughout the school, teachers are confident and have very good subject knowledge, especially in Year 6. They plan well and are very clear about what they want pupils to learn during the lesson. Most teachers have high expectations of the pupils, some very high, and the activities given are appropriately challenging and well matched to pupils’ previous learning, including that of pupils with special educational needs. The very high quality resources are used efficiently and appropriately at both key stages. Lessons are mostly very well organised, with classroom assistants, students and parents giving valuable support, such as in cooking Hempshill Hall Primary School - 35 activities.

p.34

Science

69.Literacy skills are constantly reinforced and promoted in various ways, for example, a science book is used as the weekly text for literacy lessons. Numeracy skills are reinforced through careful measurements and recording, whilst information technology is widely used, particularly at Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 6, studying bacteriology, confidently researched on the Internet to find out about the work of Alexander Fleming. In another lesson, pupils studied the growth of mould on a tomato. Here, they used a microscope and transmitted what they saw using a digital camera; this image was relayed to a monitor linked to a computer for all pupils to see. This work was later downloaded to disc and also put on the school’s own web page on the Internet. This outstanding example promotes pupils’ attainment and progress both in science and information technology.

p.35

Science

70.Since the last inspection, the school has made very good progress in developing assessment and monitoring procedures to track pupils’ achievements. Teachers assess accurately what pupils have learnt and use this knowledge very well to plan subsequent work. Careful analysis is made of external testing in Years 2, 4 and 6, including the different performances of girls and boys, and this is very well used for future planning. The subject coordinators help monitor the quality of teaching and support colleagues well in the commitment to high standards.

p.35

Science

71.Pupils make good progress overall; it is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. There is an abundance of pupils’ creative work around the school and this, together with teachers’ planning, photographs and pupils’ work, contributed to the inspection judgements.

p.35

Science

72.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils confidently use an appropriate range of materials, tools and techniques, showing increasing accuracy to detail in drawing with the ability to skilfully use shading in pencil drawings. They make striking use of colour and produce high quality work using paint, for example in their creation of storm pictures. Their knowledge and evaluation of a range of work by different artists lack breadth.

p.35

Science

73.By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils work practically and imaginatively with a range of techniques such as drawing, painting, printing, modelling, and collage. For instance, Year 1 pupils confidently and competently created their own printing blocks to design wrapping or wallpaper. Firstly, they sketched their ideas and were then helped to make a simple design. They then cut and glued string onto card, copied the design remarkably accurately, attached a handle, rolled the paint onto the string and finally made the print. Most have a good understanding of pattern, some print logically in rows, others deliberately randomly to cover the paper, and some experiment with turning their block through 90 and 180 degrees.

p.35

Science

74.In Year 1, there are very good examples of painted sunflowers, in the style of Van Gogh, using paint to resemble the texture of oil paint. In Years 2 and 3, pastels are used very effectively for observational drawings of fruits. In a good lesson in Year 4 and 5, many pupils develop high quality skills in weaving using a variety of wool, paper strips and ribbons. The development of three-dimensional work is appropriately extended as pupils move through the school, from fabric collages of faces in Year 1, clay tablets with ancient writing, (as part of a history project) in Year 4, and in Year 6, carefully decorated Egyptian papier-mâché masks. Information technology is increasingly being used to support art, but as yet is not systematically built into teachers’ planning.

p.35

Science

75.Pupils’ have very good attitudes to work and respond well to new tasks and challenges. They settle quickly and eagerly to tasks, persevere and concentrate for long periods, and mostly take pride in their work. Pupils cooperate very well from an early age and are complimentary about each other’s work. They are confident to experiment and happily work together in pairs or small groups. Behaviour is exceptionally good at all times.

p.35

Science

76.The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory; at Key Stage 2, it is good. At both key stages, teachers plan well and have appropriate knowledge and understanding of the subject. There is generally good planning for the teaching of a range of art skills although in one lesson, a lack of resources for drawing and/or painting fruit inhibited the pupils’ progress in observational skills. The teachers manage pupils very well. Resources are Hempshill Hall Primary School - 36 mostly plentiful and of high quality. There is a good school portfolio of examples of work for each age group, matched to expected National Curriculum levels. This helps teachers and pupils to aspire to high standards. Support staff, students and voluntary workers are well prepared by staff to give good support to small groups of pupils.

p.35

Science

77.Throughout the school, displays of pupils’ drawings, paintings and three-dimensional art create an attractive environment. As pupils move through the school, their skills are well used in other areas of the curriculum, but occasionally there is too much emphasis on a project and insufficient on developing artistic knowledge, skills and understanding.

p.36

Science

78.In both key stages, pupils make good progress. The highly effective integration of pupils with special educational needs makes it uncertain to judge their progress separately from that of all pupils. Throughout the school, pupils use a range of design record sheets appropriate to their age, starting from a simple drawing and list of materials needed for the youngest pupils, to a more complex format identifying problems and the finished product for older pupils. Pupils make good evaluations of the finished products comparing them with original intentions. Younger pupils design and make buildings for a large map with a focus on learning how to join materials. Towards the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can draw on the many skills they have acquired to design and make very high quality large models of the heart, lungs and liver. They work with confidence in designing a large-scale tongue or skeleton as part of their science topic Humans as Organisms. Older pupils disassemble

p.36

Science

and investigate packaging to a high standard.

p.36

Science

79.Pupils’ attitudes are very good and their behaviour is excellent. They concentrate for long periods of time, carefully observing what they are designing and making. They work well on collaborative activities and share resources with each other. Most take pleasure from giving praise or suggesting improvements to others’ work. Younger pupils in Key Stage 1, are enthusiastic about their work both when baking food for their Teddy Bears’ Picnic or when choosing materials for the belt they have designed for the teddy bear to wear. They confidently discuss the different ways to join the material and are eager to make the belts. Behaviour is excellent.

p.36

Science

80.The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Good, clear planning provides many opportunities for pupils to reach their own decisions about their work, and well-timed interventions reinforce the systematic considerations of the design. Pupils are effectively managed, frequently working in pairs or small groups. Very good use is made of the plenary session involving all of the class to offer possible suggestions for the solution of a problem.

p.36

Science

81.During design and technology lessons, integrated with other subjects, very many good opportunities are planned where appropriate skills are taught and refined for accuracy. For example, pupils in Year 1 design a temporary desert shelter associated with the Jewish festival of Sukkah. They consider the rigidity and strength of the framework and develop the skills of sawing, nailing, lashing, filing and sandpapering to produce a safe shelter in the classroom. Older pupils considered a range of fastenings as they move the joints of model hands, referring to an X-ray. A policy containing clear assessment and recording procedures has yet to be finalised. Good informal assessments are made of pupils’ work both by the pupils and their teachers during the evaluation process; these are well used when teachers consider future planning.

p.36

Science

82.Design and technology is part of the integrated work in each class and successfully enhances work in many areas of the curriculum. Extending their work in science, older pupils design and make a Newton metre in science and younger pupils, inspired by the reading of ‘Oliver Sundew the Tooth Fairy’, design and a make a tooth fairy box with a lid.

p.36

Science

83.Resources are good, in range, quality and number and are accessible to the pupils. Tools are safely stored in a purpose-built storage box. Visits and visitors enrich the schools’ work in design and technology. Following a visit to a rare breeds farm at Edwinstowe, younger pupils designed and made box animals drawing their own detailed plans based on the animals they had seen. The Roundabout Theatre’s ‘Two Days as a Tiger’ inspired work with a sculptress, who designed and made large colourful trees to represent the characters from the Hindu play. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 37 169. Humanities – history and geography

p.36

Science

84.The school has combined geography and history into an integrated programme of humanities. During the inspection one geography and four history lessons were observed. Judgements are also based on other inspection evidence which included a scrutiny of pupils’ workbooks, a discussion with some Year 6 pupils, examples of pupils’ work relating to humanities in classrooms, photographs and other displays.

p.37

Science

85.In Key Stage 2, progress in both subjects is good. Pupils’ research skills are generally good, such as when they consider different kinds of information and then make simple interpretations within historical or geographical contexts. Following a visit to a canal and a river, pupils understand why canals can be straight, but rivers are not. Pupils start to realise the differences between first and second-hand sources of information and between fact and opinion. A crucial skill they have learned is to gather as many of the facts as they can and to discard those which are not central to the work. Pupils with special educational needs make at least satisfactory progress. They successfully write accounts and reports using appropriate vocabulary, often using computers to wordprocess their work.

p.37

Science

86.At Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress. They focus closely upon themselves and the area in which they live and come to school. Through a history focus they have begun to understand how they themselves have changed as they have grown older, and that they are gradually developing new skills and abilities. They can understand information when it is presented on a time line and have started to understand the idea of time- sequenced events, and chronology in general. They consider an idea like ‘What did you do on your birthday’ in order to understand that in previous times birthdays were different in terms of how they were celebrated, and that the presents that might have been received would have been differently made and of different materials. Ideas of now and then are well developed and understood. In geography, the focus is upon making plans and maps of areas familiar to themselves, such as the area around school and they notice why different parts of the

p.37

Science

school have different functions. They draw plans well and older pupils make more detailed pictorial maps. In Year 2, they compare places around the school with other locations in Nottingham to develop geographical and historical language.

p.37

Science

87.Pupils’ attitudes to the work are very good. They work well, both cooperatively and independently. In whole- class sessions, they listen well and are very eager to offer their ideas and facts when the appropriate moment arrives. They respect other pupils’ ideas and behaviour is excellent.

p.37

Science

88.The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they have high expectations of what pupils are to achieve. They find ways to interest pupils in the work, which are often imaginative, like current work on the Vikings. Pupils are given a map and decide where to build a settlement, taking into account the needs for space to plant crops, to have a supply of fuel, to have fresh water and for it to be safe from other invaders. Videos are well used as a source of basic information and of questions, like some work on the Brazilian Rainforest. Here, there is good work on moral and ethical questions to which pupils respond extremely well. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 are now able, independently, to use the Internet to do research - for instance into the life of Isaac Newton. Teachers plan lessons and projects in detail. The well thought-out structure ensures that pupils have full access to the National Curriculum. The management of

p.37

Science

pupils is very good. Visits and visitors are an important aspect of the work, for example, during the inspection, a local archaeologist introduced stimulating ideas which motivated pupils to produce good work. Appropriate assessments are made and records of pupils’ work are kept. The school has good resources, which match the needs of the pupils and of the curriculum. The management of the subject is sound. The development plan for the subject is well balanced and practical.

p.37

Science

89.Pupils successfully learn about information technology and use it in a wide range of activities in all subjects of the National Curriculum. During the inspection there were few instances of specific teaching in information technology, but there were numerous instances where it was used within lessons, such as science, mathematics, English and music. The judgements are also based upon a scrutiny of pupils’ work, their capability in using computers in a broad range of subjects, interviews with pupils and teachers.

p.37

Science

90.Overall attainment is above average. At the end of Key Stage 2 it is well above average; at the end of Key Stage 1 it is average, although a minority attain above average. This applies to each of the components of the Hempshill Hall Primary School - 38 subject.

p.37

Science

91.In Year 6, pupils’ attainment is well above that found nationally. Pupils use a wide range of different computer systems with confidence, recognising the general concepts, such as in wordprocessing, that apply to almost any computer they might use; they also recognise the limitations of the older machines and working within them. Pupils produce very well presented pieces of wordprocessing using a wide range of facilities, varying the formats of what they are writing. In mathematics, they use spreadsheets accurately to store and present data and can organise and print it in text, number and graphics. They use the Internet very well across a wide range of curriculum subjects. Pupils have researched Buddha, Roald Dahl, and Shakespeare either during the inspection or immediately prior to it. In this work, they are able to select key phrases or sentences which they copy to a clipboard and later wordprocess into formal notes for themselves and other pupils to use. Many

p.38

Science

pupils are now also familiar with and use e-mail to correspond with a group of adult travellers. In a science lesson, pupils uses a digital camera with a microscope to record images of bacteria, which were then processed on the computer so that all pupils could work on them. In mathematics lessons, pupils successfully use the computer programming language Logo to create pictures of mathematical shapes. They also use a scanner to incorporate pictures into text they have written.

p.38

Science

92.At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainment is broadly average. They develop a sound familiarity with the keyboard and the use of a mouse. Much of their work is through the use of special software, such as for mathematics, through which they successfully read screen cues and respond appropriately. Keyboard skills are satisfactory, and some pupils have learned to be very accurate controlling a mouse, for example in drawing. As a precursor to later work in Logo, they have begun to learn to program a floor robot by giving it simple sets of instructions.

p.38

Science

93.Pupils make good progress overall. At Key Stage 1, it is satisfactory and in Key Stage 2, very good. Year 1 pupils make satisfactory progress in wordprocessing a poem and in producing notices. They are confident using both the keyboard and mouse and over time are developing well ordered skills of imputing text. In a Year 3 literacy lesson, two pupils are having a first go at sending an e-mail. They are competent in using Windows, can choose an appropriate font and size and are good at using upper and lower case letters; this is good progress. The Year 5 pupils log on to the Internet, search for information about the human body, copy the information to a clipboard, print the document and then save the file. This work at Level 5 shows the very good progress, which is well above average for pupils of this age. Across the school there is a gradual build up of confidence, skills and understanding which culminates in very good standards of attainment in the later part of

p.38

Science

Key Stage 2. Pupils with special educational needs are carefully supported, either by an adult or by a skilful classmate. They, too, make satisfactory progress, and in some instances their progress is good, and ahead of what might be expected. In part, this is due to teachers’ good planning to ensure equality of access for all pupils and in setting tasks which use the computer to reinforce pupils’ learning, such as in spelling or number.

p.38

Science

94.Pupils’ attitudes to the use of computers and other devices, like tape recorders, are very good. The layout in some parts of the school means that sometimes pupils are trusted to work independently away from the immediate supervision of their teachers. Pupils behave with considerable maturity and great care for the hardware because the whole-school culture of cooperation is strongly evident. Pupils support each other extremely well, seeking and offering advice in ways that are not intrusive. At Key Stage 2, many pupils bring considerable computer experience from home to school and many teachers build systematically on this knowledge and progress.

p.38

Science

95.The overall quality of teaching is good. It is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2. Teaching is sometimes innovative and excellent, such as in music and science. Through shared planning by year groups of teachers or key stage groups, pupils receive a broadly similar set of experiences with which they are able to develop their skills. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding are satisfactory at Key Stage 1, and very good at Key Stage 2. Methods and organisation are satisfactory at Key Stage 1; at Key Stage 2 they are excellent and at their most stimulating. The management of pupils is good in both key stages. The school uses the National Curriculum document and various other national papers as the basis for planning. Teachers keep good records of pupils’ experiences and work although staff absence has prevented a full range of monitoring and evaluation. At present, there are enough computers and a wide range of well-chosen software. Since the

p.38

Science

last inspection, the school has kept abreast of new technologies. The coordinator gives an inspirational lead. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 39

p.38

Music

96.All pupils experience a very stimulating and wide ranging music curriculum, which provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their music making, and their appreciation and enjoyment of music. Music makes an outstanding contribution to pupils’ spiritual and social development.

p.39

Music

97.Throughout the school, all pupils make very good progress and in many aspects of music a high proportion make excellent progress. Year 6 pupils used a computer package to compose a piece of music with eight bars within a set of given criteria, showing good understanding of the notation they use. Higher attaining pupils added four sections of an orchestra to expand their work. Experiencing a wide range of pitched percussion instruments, including keyboards, pupils use their knowledge of chords to play a choice of rhythms from notation, following the beat set by the conductor with increased confidence, appreciating the need for control. In Key Stage 1, younger pupils copy and clap complex rhythm patterns and begin to follow the notation.

p.39

Music

98.Pupils make excellent progress in singing. At Key Stage 1, they sing a simple song linked to their toy project with very good rhythm and melody. At Key Stage 2, pupils show very good awareness of the performance of others as they sing more challenging and sophisticated music, such as, ‘Donna Nobis’ with extremely good control and diction, refining the quality of their performance through practice. In whole-school assembly, the pupils sing the Lord’s Prayer very tunefully and sensitively.

p.39

Music

99.Throughout the school, pupils have many opportunities to listen and respond to different types of music. Older pupils listen to Mozart’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachmusik’ considering the tempo, timbre and texture of the piece. Younger pupils respond to a piece of music by Berlioz, by visualising paintings in their memory of a boat sinking in a stormy sea and lots of stars in a dark night. As pupils enter the hall for their assembly, they listen attentively to the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto.

p.39

Music

100.Pupils have excellent attitudes and thoroughly enjoy their music-making experiences. When composing, they are highly motivated, work extremely well in pairs experimenting with ideas. In singing they are very attentive, striving to improve their performance. Working with increasing confidence as they move through the school, pupils value the performance of others and show great respect for the instruments they play. Their behaviour is excellent.

p.39

Music

101.The quality of teaching across the school is very good and sometimes outstanding, with high expectations of pupils’ learning. All singing throughout the school is exceptionally well led by the coordinator actively supported by other colleagues to ensure continuity and progression from the Nursery to Year 6. At Key Stage 2, very well organised music workshops involve all pupils in composition and performance, using pitched percussion instruments, in singing and in listening and appraising music. Planning enables all staff to work within each aspect through the year. At the end of each half-term, pupils come together for a performance morning to share and evaluate what they have learnt. Very good informal assessments are made during lessons, and the development of a more formal workshop assessment record is being considered. Examples of responses and compositions form part of each pupil’s portfolio.

p.39

Music

102.The subject is exceptionally well led and managed by the coordinator whose personal talent, expertise and enthusiasm inspire and encourage all teachers to take a full part in the teaching of music and extend their work with their own classes. Supplementing the music curriculum, the Singing Club and recorder groups enrich the pupils’ experiences. The Singing Club is open without audition to any pupil who enjoys singing and it performs to a very high standard. In recognition of the quality of their work, they were invited to take part as the choir in the Nottingham Theatre Royal production of ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’. Pupils also perform in school, at local venues and annually for the senior citizens as well as within the Family of Schools.

p.39

Music

103.During the inspection, two lessons of gymnastics and games were observed. Other evidence to support the judgements is taken from documentation and from discussions with pupils and teachers.

p.39

Music

104.Pupils’ progress, including those with special educational needs, is good and often very good. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils make very good progress in skills of controlling a ball, passing accurately and dribbling the ball between markers over a long distance. When turning a ball around a small circle, they demonstrate very Hempshill Hall Primary School - 40 skilful control. Pupils understand the importance of the warm-up activities at the beginning of their lesson. Year 4 pupils are innovative in finding different ways of balancing their body using different limbs to achieve a high level of performance. They show good control as they move around, balance, and finally remain perfectly still, making good progress in sequencing three different balances.

p.39

Music

105.Pupils have very good attitudes towards their learning and they are very well behaved. As they work together in their lessons, pupils cooperate well, both in the controlled development of their balances or in the more active passing of the ball between partners. In games they are happy and very enthusiastic, cheering each other on with excellent team spirit. Indoors, they have a high level of concentration as they perfect their performance. On the subject noticeboard, alongside photographs of the school sports day pupils’ writing about physical education includes such comments as ‘Apparatus is fun’ and ‘Dance is fantastic – exciting’.

p.40

Music

106.At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is good with half the lessons being very good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and high expectations of pupils. Planning is very good and enhanced by the inclusion of the Top Sport Scheme, which helps to identify the skills required to encourage higher standards in games skills. Very good organisation of indoor and outdoor activities is a strength of the teaching. Good ongoing assessment encourages pupils to improve their personal performances. This was seen in a Year 4 gymnastics lesson, when pupils improved their own individual performance of putting together a sequence of three balances, using different parts of the body. The teaching is enthusiastic, celebrating pupils’ efforts and success and motivating them to do even better. High quality teaching promotes pupils’ self-esteem and very good progress in lessons. For example, in a Year 2/3 lesson, pupils are taught well how to develop the skills of sending, receiving and

p.40

Music

travelling with a football, to a high standard.

p.40

Music

107.There is very good planned curricular provision. Good links are established with other curriculum areas. For example, an aerobics lesson is included as part of a health and fitness programme encouraging pupils to design their own exercises to develop their muscles and investigate the relationship between exercise, lung capacity and heartbeat. Through dance, pupils explore good and evil as part of the drug awareness programme. The coordinator leads the subject with immense enthusiasm, providing very good support and training for colleagues. A good weekly programme of extracurricular sporting activities further enhances the curriculum and the school participates in competitive local sports and tournaments. Resources, including apparatus are very good; plentiful and of high quality.

p.40

Music

108.The inspection of this school included a focused view of swimming, which is reported below.

p.40

Music

109.As swimming lessons did not take place during the inspection week, the evaluation of the school’s provision in respect of swimming is based on discussions and documentation. The school makes very good swimming provision for all its pupils from Year 1 through to Year 6. At the end of Key Stage 2, all pupils achieve, and very high proportions exceed, the standard required by the National Curriculum. Pupils achieve many awards through the Amateur Swimming Association scheme, which provides challenge and motivation for continued improvement of their personal performance.

p.40

Music

110.At the end of Key Stage 2, standards in religious education are broadly in line with the requirements of the Nottingham Local Agreed Syllabus, as they were at the last inspection. No taught lessons took place at Key Stage 1. In addition to the number of lessons observed, judgements are based on a scrutiny of pupils’ workbooks, discussions with pupils and displays. By Year 6 pupils show a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the richness and diversity of religions including the distinctive features of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. By the end of Key Stage 1, standards are broadly average.

p.40

Music

111.In Year 6, pupils demonstrate good knowledge of the story of Moses and how he led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt. They also compare the unleavened bread of the Passover with the bread Jesus used at his Last Supper. A few pupils have some understanding of the difference between what Roman Catholics believe about the bread during Holy Communion and what other Christian denominations believe. That is, for Roman Catholics it becomes the body of Christ, whilst for others it represents his body. All the older pupils are developing a good sense of caring and sharing and many pupils have collected items for gifts for Kosovan refugees. In Years 5 and 6, pupils sensitively discuss their own and others’ beliefs. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 41 112.Overall progress is satisfactory; it is good at Key Stage 2 and sound at Key Stage 1. Pupils extend their knowledge and understanding of various religions, both in separate taught lessons and when integrated into a

p.40

Music

project, such as the Hindu festival of Raksha. They have also learnt about the Jewish festival of Hanukah and dramatised the story for assembly. In Years 2 and 3 pupils have compared some aspects of Christianity with Islam through links with a story topic, whilst in Year 4 pupils made clay divas (lamps), as part of their work about the Hindu Diwali festival. There are very good links made with literacy and other subjects throughout the school. For example, Year 6 pupils participated in the musical ‘Joseph’, and ‘Noah and the Flood’ was used for poetry appreciation, and pupils redrafted the story of ‘The Sower and the Seed’.

p.41

Music

113.Pupils’ attitudes towards their work are very good. They show a lively interest and a good sense of enquiry, asking interesting questions to further their knowledge. They listen very attentively to teachers and fellow pupils, share ideas and emotions in a sensitive way and actively take part in discussions. Pupils consider and respect the feelings, experiences and beliefs of others. They express themselves confidently in appropriate ways and sit quietly and thoughtfully during times of quiet reflection. Behaviour is excellent.

p.41

Music

114.The quality of the teaching is good. The teachers show a clear understanding of the subject and of the concepts involved. They confidently share their knowledge with the pupils through very skilful questioning techniques, showing respect for individual beliefs and opinions. Planning is good and broadly based on the very new Nottingham Local Agreed Syllabus, with clear statements about what the pupils are intended to learn during the lessons. It is related well to pupils’ experience and interest. Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent and there is an atmosphere of mutual respect to promote learning and discussion. Older pupils are particularly encouraged to think about the meaning of life because of the high expectations of the teachers.

p.41

Music

115.Religious education makes a very strong contribution towards the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Occasional visits are made to local places of worship, including non-Christian, although there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to talk with other faith leaders. The quality and quantity of books are satisfactory, and the opportunity for pupils to research using information technology is good. However there are insufficient artefacts to enrich the curriculum. As yet there is little formal assessment of pupils’ progress in the subject. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 42

p.41

PART C: INSPECTION DATA

202. A team of five inspectors who, over a four-day period, completed a total of 19 inspector days in the school undertook the inspection of Hempshill Hall Primary School.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . meetings were held with the Headteacher, the governors and the teaching staff;

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . the Registered Inspector held a meeting with 31 parents; and

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . documents provided by the school were analysed.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . The total time spent in classes, discussion with pupils and evaluating their work was approximately 62 hours.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Discussions were held with the Headteacher, the Chair of Governors and governors with specific responsibilities.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Planned discussions were held with the teaching staff; these focused on subjects and whole-school issues.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . There were daily meetings between the Registered Inspector and the Headteacher.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Inspectors examined the written work of many pupils. All the available written work of a representative sample of pupils from each class was scrutinised.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Pupils from each year group were heard reading and were questioned on their knowledge and understanding of books.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Time was spent talking with pupils about their knowledge and understanding in different subjects.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Observations were made of pupils arriving and leaving school, and during breaks and lunchtimes.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Attendance registers were inspected.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Teachers’ planning documents were inspected.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• . Inspectors attended assemblies, acts of collective worship and extracurricular activities.

p.42

Prior to the inspection:

• .Discussions were held with parents throughout the inspection week. Hempshill Hall Primary School - 43

p.42

Pupil data

Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school's register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y6 296 1 28 64 Nursery Unit/School 81 0 0 5

p.43

Qualified teachers (YR – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 12.5 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.6

p.43

Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Total number of education support staff 2 Total aggregate hours worked each week 65

p.43

Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 50

p.43

Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)

Total number of education support staff 3 Total aggregate hours worked each week 97.5

p.43

Financial data

£ Total income 542,770.00 Total expenditure 547,580.00 Expenditure per pupil 1,819.20 Balance brought forward from previous year 24,962 Balance carried forward to next year 20,152 Hempshill Hall Primary School - 44

p.43

PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 270 Number of questionnaires returned: 161

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 56 42 2 0 0

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 56 41 3 0 0

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

The school handles complaints from parents well 27 52 20 1 0

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 45 52 2 1 0

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 40 51 5 3 1

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 48 49 2 0 1

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 31 57 10 2 0

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 39 53 5 2 1

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 45 49 5 1 0

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 46 50 3 0 1

p.44

PARENTAL SURVEY

My child(ren) like(s) school 68 31 1 0 0

p.44

Other issues raised by parents

A very small number of parents are not happy about the lack of choice for children to take packed lunches to school.

p.44