Hotham Primary School

Hotham Primary School

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 12 th December 2001

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Hotham Primary School

Short 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.

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Hotham Primary School

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the 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. Hotham Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Charlwood Rd Putney London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Alan Thomson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th March 1997 Hotham Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 23630 J R Palk Registered inspector 22790 P Dannheisser Lay inspector 1165 J Pinney Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hotham is an average-sized primary school with 251 pupils on roll. Pupils are from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. The school caters for pupils from a diverse ethnic community and 22 per cent speak English as an additional language, which is well above average. African, Asian and European languages are all represented. Twenty-seven per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is above average. There is a broadly average proportion of pupils on the register of special educational needs with a diverse range of needs; including autism and emotional and behavioural needs. Six of the pupils have statements, which is above average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

There is a nursery class that caters for 35 children. Most are part time. Other pupils are taught in their year groups, except 14 older Year 5 pupils who are taught with the small number of Year 6 pupils. Flexible groupings for literacy and numeracy are used in Year 1 and Year 2.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Children’s attainment on entry is below average and well below that for local borough schools. Three of the 12 teachers are on temporary contracts, and the class sizes are larger than average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Hotham is a very effective school. It achieves high standards and has high expectations for all its pupils. Teaching is good, with much that is very good, and pupils behave and work very well together. The curriculum is broad and challenging. The headteacher is extremely good at planning and carrying out the action needed to ensure that pupils reach their full potential. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• There is a strong and harmonious climate that reflects the commitment to education in its broadest sense. • Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors and teachers are determined to sustain and raise the already high standards among all pupils. • Very good planning is linked to high expectations of all pupils. • The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always looking at ways to improve their practice. • Pupils behave very well and are eager to learn. • The headteacher is a very effective leader and is well supported by governors and staff in leading and managing the school; there is an excellent plan for the continuing improvement of all aspects of the school. • Parents support the school well and are happy with the education it provides. Hotham Primary School - 7

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What could be improved

The school has no significant weaknesses. It should now bring forward the planned action to: • Improve the role of the teaching assistants 1 in pupils’ learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement since its last inspection in March 1997. Standards are much higher for both seven and 11 year olds. The teaching is more effective. The leadership and management of the school have been strengthened considerably through involving all staff in action planning. The school has continued to develop the curriculum and methods for tracking pupils’ progress. It now meets all statutory requirements. The school’s systems for reviewing and evaluating its performance are very effective and the school is well placed to continue to improve further.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6, based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

science C A* A* A* highest five per cent well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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STANDARDS

These results show that the school’s performance in National Curriculum science tests is in the highest five per cent of all schools, and in the highest five per cent in mathematics and science when compared with schools of a similar 2 type. The school exceeded its challenging targets in all subjects.

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STANDARDS

Well above average proportions of pupils exceed average levels in English and mathematics, and the proportions are very high in science. These results show an improvement that has been better than the national trend over the last three years. Pupils made good progress when their results are compared with their attainment at age seven.

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STANDARDS

The results for seven year olds are a significant improvement on those of previous years. Compared to the performance in similar schools, they were above average in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching higher levels is beginning to rise, particularly in writing and mathematics following action to improve learning. Given the below average levels of attainment on entry and the above average proportion of pupils with English as a second language these results are very good.

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STANDARDS

1 Teaching assistants refers to those members of staff, not qualified as teachers, who work with pupils individually or take charge of a small group. They work under the direction of the class teacher and are sometimes called primary helpers or learning-support assistants. 2 Similar schools: for the purpose of making more accurate comparisons of test performance schools are grouped by the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. Hotham Primary School - 8 The school is not complacent and carefully analyses the test data to see where action needs to be taken. For example, it recognises that performance in writing is lower than reading test results and has drawn up an action plan to address this across the school.

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STANDARDS

There are small differences between the attainment of boys and girls in the tests for seven year olds which level out by the time they are in their last year. There are no notable differences between the attainment of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. The school rigorously tracks the performance of all pupils. The inspection found that pupils reach good standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science by the age of 11. There are particular strengths in pupils’ imaginative writing, knowledge and understanding of number, and skills in scientific investigation. Children learn well in all areas of learning in the Foundation Stage 3 and most reach expectations by the time they leave the reception class. All pupils are achieving well given their previous attainment. There is very careful identification of what pupils should achieve and thorough tracking of their progress towards these targets.

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STANDARDS

Standards in history exceed expectations. They meet expectations in information and communication technology, geography and religious education. The presentation of work was always of a good standard in Years 5 and 6, whilst handwriting was generally above expectations. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and reach average standards.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils show very good attitudes in all that they do. They enjoy learning. They are interested in what they do and proud of their achievements.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils are very well behaved in lessons and around the school. They care for each other and are considerate.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils are tolerant of each other and respect others’ views. Pupils help and learn well from each other.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. Lesson start promptly and no time is wasted.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

There was one fixed-period exclusion last year. Pupils respond well to the opportunity to play a full part in helping to improve the school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Very good Good Very good

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

3 Foundation Stage: there are three stages identified in the primary phase of education. The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and finishes at the end of the reception year, typically before the child’s sixth birthday. It is a distinct stage in preparing children for later schooling and is based on six areas of learning. Hotham Primary School - 9 Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall the teaching in the school is good. Seventeen lessons were observed. Almost half were very good and the rest satisfactory or good. Teaching is lively and exciting. Lessons move at a good pace and pupils are encouraged to play a full part in lessons through the teachers’ questions. The teachers enjoy encouraging pupils to think. They are not content with simple answers but seek explanations and speculation. There is some exemplary marking which sets out for pupils exactly how they have improved and what they could do better.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons are very well planned and set out clearly what each group is to achieve by the end of the lesson. Teachers are enthusiastic about teaching and succeed in motivating all the pupils to do their best. In most parts of the lessons, but not all, the teaching assistants are fully involved, supporting pupils in their work.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well. Teachers are knowledgeable about what they have to teach and use opportunities in other subjects to develop these skills. They have successfully maintained pupils’ enthusiasm for reading and writing by making the teaching purposeful; for example, to find out information or to present research in different formats.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers manage behaviour and organise the lessons well, though there is still room for improving the preparation of some lessons.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is of high quality. Individual education plans help teachers keep a good track of pupils’ progress. Teachers are making good use of the computer suite to support pupils’ learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good and very well balanced between subjects. Very good attention is paid to reading, writing and mathematics.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. Very good provision for those with statements.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Support is good. Ethnic-minority achievement is identified as being the responsibility of the school as a whole. Individual work programmes are well managed and regularly reviewed.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good for moral, social and cultural development, which contribute very well to the overall personal development of pupils. Provision for spiritual development is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils There are good procedures for giving pupils personal support and guidance. There are very good procedures for tracking pupils’ progress and assessing their work. Hotham Primary School - 10 There is a good range of very well-supported clubs and lunchtime activities. Provision for the arts and environmental studies enriches the curriculum. Very good procedures are in place for ensuring that playtimes are safe and happy times for pupils. The very effective partnership is strengthened by good quality pupil progress reports. Hotham Primary School - 11

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is extremely well led and managed. There is a very strong sense of purpose that is clearly set out. Team working is very successful in meeting the aims of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Well. They are very effective at managing the budget and have a clear agenda for the future of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Systems and structures are in place for monitoring standards and the effectiveness of teaching and learning, and the school is constantly looking at ways to be even better.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. They are used efficiently for supporting pupils, improving learning and meeting training needs.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The action planning is extremely effective and school effectiveness is very well monitored.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The achievements of pupils whatever their ability. • The information provided about their children. • The range of clubs, and the breadth of the curriculum. • The way pupils look after each other. • Behaviour in the playground.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team confirms the strengths identified by parents. Much work has gone into addressing a long-standing issue relating to pupils’ behaviour at playtimes, which is now very much improved. Hotham Primary School - 12

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There is a strong and harmonious community spirit that reflects a commitment to

1. One of the strong features of the school is the pupils’ sense of belonging. There are many excellent opportunities provided for them to work and play together. Sporting events are numerous and include swimming galas and cross-country running. These bring pupils, parents and teachers together to celebrate team work as well as individual skills. There is a very popular young-explorers science club that has played host to a group of visiting scientists. This club introduces pupils to the excitement of scientific exploration with a series of challenger awards and adds value to the investigative skills they use in lessons. A very successful environmental club has persuaded the school to take more care over how it uses resources and has led the way in showing other schools how recycling can work. The pupils from both these clubs are justifiably proud of gaining national recognition.

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There is a strong and harmonious community spirit that reflects a commitment to

2. Parents and governors have joined with pupils in developing an area as a ‘secret garden’ for the purpose of enriching pupils’ understanding of the natural world. They have also helped pupils realise some of their ambitions for improving the play space and green areas around the school. There is an active school council 4 that discusses and agrees ways that the school could be better. Pupils value the support for their ideas and learn a great deal about citizenship from this experience. An established system of buddies also adds to the community spirit in the school and, again, pupils, with their teachers, largely determine the best ways they can help younger children in the school.

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There is a strong and harmonious community spirit that reflects a commitment to

3. The curriculum is underpinned with rich experiences for pupils. There a good range of visits and residential trips for pupils of all ages. In school there is the chance to work regularly with an art teacher and other specialists. For example, it used the services of a web-site designer to help pupils set up their own web site. All these examples make a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development and reflect a commitment to education in its broadest sense.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

and teachers are determined to sustain and raise the high standards for all pupils.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

4. The results in recent tests for 11 year olds are clearly an outstanding achievement. Children come into the school with attainment that is generally below that of children in other borough schools, and achieve well above that in similar schools by their last year. The value added to pupils’ previous attainments in English, mathematics and science is the second best in the borough. Last year’s results were not exceptional and illustrate a continuing upward trend in performance. The proportion of pupils’ achieving above the average is similarly high and it is the clear intention of the school to continue to raise this proportion. The potential of some Year 5 pupils to exceed expectations has been identified and plans are in hand to modify the curriculum to ensure they reach their full potential.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

4 School council: a body that is made up of pupils who represent each class in the school. They meet with the deputy headteacher to discuss issues that are of current concern to pupils. Hotham Primary School - 13 5. The results reflect the teachers’ careful work in analysing and interpreting all the data from previous year’s tests. This identified mathematical reasoning and the interpretation of data as key areas in mathematics to focus on. They identified the need to maintain their strong commitment to practical investigations in science, emphasising in particular pupils’ ability to communicate their findings scientifically. Teachers also refined their teaching of different writing styles by harnessing opportunities presented in other subjects for pupils to produce writing of quality. Considerations of the data found that pupils achieve equally well, whatever their ethnic background. Boys achieve slightly better than girls in all subjects and are

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

successfully closing the gap that exists at the end of Year 2. This thorough analysis allows teachers to focus their teaching and direct the support to areas that are likely to make a difference.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

6. The results for seven year olds in the national tests and tasks in reading, writing and mathematics have shown very good improvement on previous years and indicate the success of strategies that have been put in place by the school. Compared with the situation in similar schools writing and mathematics were well above average, and reading was above average. Whilst no pupils achieved the higher levels in writing, above average proportions reached the higher levels in mathematics. The school attributes this improvement in results to smaller classes and the introduction of group target-setting in Years 1 and 2. In addition, pupils of lower and average attainment benefit from additional support in literacy and numeracy. This support has been managed by deploying experienced staff such as a leading literacy teacher. The deadlock of underachievement in mathematics has been broken by prescribing a

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

teaching and learning programme aimed at addressing the identified weaknesses.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

7. The school effectively supports pupils who need extra help. There are clear individual education plans that take full account of pupils’ special educational needs and link closely with their class-based group targets. Most of the support is provided in the lessons for these pupils, but where they are withdrawn from lessons the work is well linked to that of the class. Pupils with English as an additional language are similarly given regular and effective support.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

Very good lesson planning is linked to effective tracking of pupils’ progress.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

8. At the heart of raising standards in the school is a highly effective way of assessing pupils’ work, tracking their progress over time and clearly pinpointing what they need to do next. The planning in the Foundation Stage identifies clearly the different expectations for children, and their progress is carefully recorded. The teachers make full use of the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage, setting out the learning intentions for each activity area in keeping with the stepping stones 5 . Samples of work are kept and evaluated to check on individual progress towards the expectations of the Early Learning Goals 6 . The information from tests carried out in the reception class is used to set targets for children to achieve by the end of each year and to ensure that teaching-assistant support is used to target any under- achievement.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

5 Stepping Stones show the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes children need to learn during the Foundation Stage in order to achieve expectations by the end of their reception year. These are set out in the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. 6 Early Learning Goals: these are the expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements children make in connection with the six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. Hotham Primary School - 14 9. Across the rest of the school lesson planning identifies three or four groups within each of the classes. Expected levels of attainment are identified and the learning objectives for each group set out. Not only are these target groups determined for

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

English, mathematics and science but also for all other subjects, including personal, social and health education. Planning in this way gives teachers great clarity in their expectations, and allows them to assess the progress individuals have made against the set learning objectives and modify their teaching to respond to the progress made. Assessments of each group and of individuals within the groups are made weekly. Some teachers go as far as recording assessments for writing and reading on a daily basis after teaching the groups. This is exemplary practice and further identifies the commitment to high expectations.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

10. This information is supported by annual tests that are evaluated by the co-ordinators to identify any trends in the learning by different groups or to identify issues for the class teaching or within the school. These are shared with staff and action is then taken. Important also has been the sharing of assessment information with pupils. An important feature of the pupils at Hotham is that they know what they have to improve and how they can go about this.

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Results in national tests for 11 year olds are very good; the headteacher, governors

11. The curriculum is very effectively taught. The school uses a planning framework that identifies how much time is given to each topic or unit of work. The learning objectives for each subject are then matched into this time. In this way there is very little unnecessary duplication of skills teaching. Care has gone into identifying where basic literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills are to be used within these topics. This provides teachers with further opportunities to teach basic skills, which benefits pupils learning.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

looking to ways to improve their practice.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

12. Throughout the school there are teachers who teach very well. There is a real buzz of excitement and an enthusiasm to learn alongside the pupils and this brings out the best in pupils. For example, in a Year 6 numeracy lesson, the ‘discovery’ that consecutive pairs of numbers generate odd numbers prompted all manner of enquiry about how we might be able to systematically find all the even numbers. In a science lesson in Year 5 the teachers questioned the temperature shown on the thermometer and challenged pupils to think about other ways we should be evaluating data. Teachers are well prepared for lessons. In Year 5, various experiments to show evaporation and condensation were arranged around the room, sparking discussions about why there might be differences in condensations rates and also the part different surfaces may play in the process. In the reception class, sandwich making took on a new dimension with the introduction of gluten-free bread in recognition of a

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

child’s specific needs. In Year 1, the division of a bread roll to show the conservation of number was perfectly pitched at pupils’ level of understanding.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

13. Teachers structure the lessons well. Objectives are made clear, and independent and group work is well supported. The final sessions are used to check on the main objectives but also ensure that pupils leave with a feeling that they have achieved as well as they should have. In one reception class the lesson finished with children passing around a spoon and each confidently saying a final parting ‘s’ word. Not all the teaching is of this high quality, but there is considerable expertise within the teaching staff for them to be able to rise to the challenge of the best. Hotham Primary School - 15 14. Teachers are looking at ways they can improve the quality of teaching and learning in the school. One teacher’s work with the Association of Science Education has led to piloting new materials in the school to develop the teaching of science investigations in the primary phase. Another works with colleagues in the school and the authority on

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

demonstrating how literacy objectives can be met through working with texts drawn from the history scheme of work, whilst other teachers have picked up the challenge of working in different year groups.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

15. Teachers regard the teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy as essential to pupils’ academic success. Both the national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been very effectively introduced and teachers are confident about what they are teaching. Guided writing and guided reading groups are a strong feature of most literacy lessons. The two co-ordinators and the headteacher provide good support and help teachers improve their delivery. This is most notable in Years 1 and 2.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

16. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well through other subjects. This was a weakness in the last inspection, particularly in Years 1 and 2. Planning now identifies clearly where key skills in literacy and numeracy are to be developed in other subjects and this is further strengthening attainment. A particular area of concern at the last inspection, was the quality of written work in history, geography and religious education. As part of the literacy development plan, writing in these subjects has been a priority across the school. In Years 1 and 2, a good range of texts are now available for teachers to use to encourage reading for meaning and writing for different purposes. Pupils in Year 2 went on to write their own diary extracts for the Great fire of London after reading about how King Charles tried to put out the fire. Plenty of opportunity to collect and explore data using computer software is now

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

evident in science. Pupils in Year 5 used a temperature sensor to record water temperature changes after a block of ice had been introduced. The links to mathematics are particularly strong and pupils benefited greatly from discussing and recording trends in the data. This is adding considerably to the flexibility with which they handle numbers.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

17. Action taken to raise achievement amongst ethnic minority pupils is good. The policy has a high profile in the school and ensures consistent provision within the main thrust of the school to improve standards. Support is provided entirely within classes and the trained teacher provides material and resources for the teachers to use. As with all other pupils there is a clear identification of their attainment targets, including those for personal development. They are given good support, and a major factor driving standards up has been the emphasis now placed on their understanding of written instructions. Support is always on hand for those in the Foundation Stage, and the strong emphasis placed on oral skills is evident throughout these lessons. Elsewhere, teaching assistants are used to establish that bilingual pupils are clear about the task and provide support when necessary. This works well. A good feature

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

of the co-ordinator’s work is the early identification of difficulties pupils may have with learning beyond those caused by uncertainty with English language. These pupils are then provided with programmes through individual education plans.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

18. The focus on high standard of literacy and numeracy has not been at the expense of other curriculum subjects. Artwork continues to be of a good standard and through this medium pupils explore the variety of different cultures. They benefit from specialist art and design teaching, music specialists and working with the specialist science teacher. Hotham Primary School - 16 Pupils behave very well and are eager to learn.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

19. In classrooms and around the school behaviour is very good. The school has dealt effectively with incidences of poor behaviour at lunchtimes and also racial harassment that has occurred in the past. The approach typifies the thoroughness of the school’s leadership.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

20. The playground has been improved to provide a more stimulating area. Supervision levels are high and mealtime supervisors have been trained as play leaders. They organise games at lunchtime, inside and outside, which pupils may join in with if they wish. The organised games are well supported. Football games with pupils of all ethnic backgrounds and both genders are well managed. A simple yet effective system of rewards is in place that is specific to lunchtimes, in this way signalling very clear expectations of the children and also providing meal-time assistants with authority.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

21. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties have separate plans for play times and lunchtimes to those they have for lessons. This is beneficial in ensuring acceptable standards of behaviour from these pupils.

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The teaching is good; literacy and numeracy are taught well and staff are always

22. Relationships are very good and pupils are keen to learn. They enjoy their teachers’ company. They listen carefully to what pupils say, are genuinely interested in their viewpoints and always happy to discuss with them. Teachers have all been trained in techniques for encouraging active listening and this has meant that topics such as racism and harassment can be discussed in an open and frank manner. This has had a powerful impact on the self-esteem of Afro-Caribbean pupils who, it was noted, participate fully in lessons. In one lesson in the Star Room 7 , some thoughtful discussions were held with pupils on how different genders are expected to behave, and how these stereotypes in the eyes of pupils at Hotham are being ‘turned on their heads’.

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

development of all aspects of the school.

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

23. There is a strong determination by the headteacher and the governors that all pupils, no matter what their abilities, should achieve the highest standards possible academically and personally. They relish the many challenges that a school with such diversity of needs brings with it. The governors have a long-established agenda for the school that they share fully with the headteacher. The partnership is very successful. Parents are seen as a strength and they are encouraged to share in the development of the school through regularly giving their views. The headteacher recognises the strengths of her staff and delegates effectively. In this way teachers have been able to fully develop their management expertise in such areas as the curriculum, assessment and action planning. A very good example of effective delegation and managing change is the substantial improvement in test results for

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

24. At the last inspection the role of the headteacher in monitoring and evaluating teaching was a key issue for action. In the three years that the present headteacher has been in post this has been fully addressed. There is a regular programme of monitoring

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

7 Star Room: a room used for small group teaching during literacy and numeracy lessons. Hotham Primary School - 17 teachers’ effectiveness that is undertaken by the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the co-ordinator of the subject in question. They share the outcomes, focus on what is working well and set the way forward. Evaluation is both informal and written. Strategies for improvement are worked out together. At the same time as the monitoring of teaching and learning, standards are also checked against the targets set for the year group. Where these are exceeding expectations, as in Year 5, plans are put in place to modify the curriculum for these pupils.

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

25. The headteacher is very reflective on the practice in the school and thorough in all that she does. She has high expectations of herself and her staff. She was complemented on how well she had prepared teachers for threshold assessment, and staff are appreciative of the guidance she gives them on their practice.

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

26. Governors contribute substantiality to the success of the school. They have high levels of expertise in managing the budget and are constantly on the hunt for additional funding for projects that benefit the pupils, such as the ‘Hotham Project’. Whilst they are well informed on the progress the school makes, they are clear in their responsibility to hold the school to account.

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

27. The school development plan is the driving force behind the continuing improvement of Hotham Primary School. It clearly sets out the aims of the school, which are firmly rooted in raising standards and improving the effectiveness of teaching, learning and management. Its main strength is that teacher and management team are at the heart of change. It is clear about priorities, how these are arrived at and how all staff are to be involved in executing the action.

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staff in leading and managing the school; highly effective planning for the continuing

28. The plan details deadlines for the action and personnel involved in the review of the action. Measures for judging improvement are clear. The governors’ involvement in monitoring the developments is not, however, clearly stated, although it is clear that they are considerably involved in financially resourcing the action planning.

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Parents are very satisfied with the education the school provides and the information

29. Parents have welcomed recent initiatives such as the ‘happier lunchtimes’, homework and uniform. The school keeps them very well informed through a friendly newsletter which is presented well and crammed full of information. The quality of information provided in the school prospectus was an issue at the last inspection. It now meets statutory requirements and its folder-type format allows the school to update sections economically.

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Parents are very satisfied with the education the school provides and the information

30. Parents of pupils in the Foundation Stage welcome the information they receive about how their children are taught. This makes an important contribution to the partnership that develops between the home and the school. The annual progress reports parents receive are of good quality, detailing clearly the work covered and pupils’ attainment the subject areas. As well as commenting on attitudes to work and personal development they are clear about what steps are needed for their child to improve in English, mathematics and science. Two progress meetings each year are beneficial to parents in ensuring that they can make their contributions to their children’s progress. Parents approve of the homework and in general have responded well to their responsibilities to complete the home-school contact book. Certainly they are appreciative of the speed with which teachers mark the homework and that it appears to match the abilities of their children.

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Parents are very satisfied with the education the school provides and the information

Hotham Primary School - 18 Hotham Primary School - 19

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The role of the teaching assistants in pupils’ learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31. There is an enthusiastic and committed team of teaching assistants whose work in the school is a central part of raising achievement. Where the teaching assistants are timetabled to support pupils on the register for special educational needs they usually take their direction from the class teacher. However, there are times when it is unclear whose responsibility this is, and this causes some uncertainties for the teaching assistants. The SENCO prepares a notebook for the teaching assistant that very usefully includes a copy of the pupils’ individual education plan. It is expected that the teaching assistant will report progress through this notebook. In general, these notebooks contain references to the behavioural aspirations or targets but do not feed back to the SENCO the progress made towards academic targets. Teachers do not give sufficiently clear information to the teaching assistants about

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

their expectations for the groups that they may be working with. This also affects the quality of the feedback at the end of lessons.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32. Teaching assistants are not well enough prepared before the lesson starts by most teachers. Whilst they spend the time listening to the lesson delivery in order to establish how they can best support the teachers’ intentions, they rarely involve themselves in helping pupils in this part of the lesson. This is not the best use of their time. In order that teachers continue to make the best use of time, resources and support staff, it is judged that this is an area for improvement.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

33. The school should now bring forward the planned action and:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) give clearer instructions to teaching assistants what is expected of them during lessons; (2) establish a clear management system in order that teaching assistants can be part of the review and development of pupils’ individual education plans; and (3) provide an agreed format for reporting progress towards targets set out in the teachers’ lesson plans. Hotham Primary School - 20

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages, as each lesson represents six percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 226

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6 67

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 53

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 55

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 23

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 21

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Attendance

School data 5.8 School data 0.6 Hotham Primary School - 21 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Hotham Primary School - 22

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 20 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 8 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 18 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 76 (69) 94 (77) 91 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 11 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 85 (81) 88 (73) 88 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 12 12 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 10 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 10 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 88 (78) 88 (96) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 10 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 10 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 88 (78) 88 (96) 96 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Hotham Primary School - 23

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 7 Black – Caribbean heritage 1 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 12 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 25 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.7 Financial year 2000-01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 666,497

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 650,772

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 215 Expenditure per pupil 2793

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 24,445

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year* 40,170

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25 *The carry forward contains £10,500 of income from rents for the next financial year. The adjusted carry forward is £29,670 and is accounted for in next year’s budget plan.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 30

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2 Hotham Primary School - 24 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Hotham Primary School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 58 35 5 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 40 7 9 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 51 5 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 51 7 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 33 5 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 51 49 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 42 56 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 63 35 0 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 42 0 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 56 26 7 2 9

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