Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School

HILLCREST PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 1 st - 3 rd November 2004

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HILLCREST 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.

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HILLCREST 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. Hillcrest Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 320 School address: Hillcrest Bexwell Road Downham Market Norfolk Postcode: PE38 9ND Telephone number: (01366) 388 191 Fax number: (01366) 384 286 Email: head@hillcrest.norfolk.sch.uk Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr J Doyle

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 th December 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This large primary school draws its pupils mainly from the surrounding area and local villages. Pupils come from a mixed pattern of housing and the socio-economic background of pupils and their attainment on entry are average overall, but cover a wide range. Pupils are mostly from white European backgrounds and very few speak English as an additional language. Considerable housing development means that the school’s roll has increased markedly since it was inspected previously.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has 320 pupils on roll with 41 children in the Reception classes. There are 26 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs which, at eight per cent, is below average. One pupil has a statement of special educational needs which, at well under one per cent, again is below average. The nature of special educational needs includes moderate and severe learning difficulties and physical disability. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school achieved Investor in People status in 2002. The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school at other than the normal times was 12 per cent in 2003-04, which is above average. However, this does not adversely affect standards. Hillcrest Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

10373 Mr A J Dobell Lead inspector Music Physical education 19374 Mrs W Sheehan Lay inspector 22452 Mrs M Farman Team inspector The Foundation Stage Mathematics Art and design Design and technology 16761 Mr M Hemmings Team inspector English as an additional language Science Information and communication technology Religious education 15011 Mrs M Wallace Team inspector Special educational needs English Geography History

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Tribal Education Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’, which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Hillcrest Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school giving excellent value for money. Children enter the Reception classes with standards and learning skills which cover a wide range but are average overall. They achieve very well in the Foundation Stage and continue to make very good progress in Years 1 to 6. The quality of teaching is very good. Leadership and management are very good and the headteacher, very well supported by her deputy and all other adults in the school, is continually seeking ways to improve the school further.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Excellent leadership from the headteacher, fully supported by her deputy and colleagues, means that the school has improved well since its previous inspection. • Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average by the time that pupils leave the school. • Pupils’ achievement is very good because the quality of teaching is very good. • Pupils behave very well and have very good attitudes to learning because they are very well cared for and feel valued throughout the school. • Very good and innovative curricular provision, together with good opportunities for enrichment outside class, mean that pupils benefit from interesting and stimulating learning activities. • There is very good provision for children in the Foundation Stage and for pupils with special educational needs. • Very good links with parents enable them to support their children’s learning very effectively.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has improved well since its previous inspection because the headteacher and her colleagues continually seek further improvement. As a result, standards have risen by the time pupils leave the school and the quality of teaching and learning has improved well.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English C A A A mathematics C A A B science B A A A Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is very good throughout the school. Children are making very good progress in the Reception classes and most are already meeting, and some are exceeding, the standards expected in the early learning goals for this age group. Pupils continue to achieve very well in Years 1 to 6 and generally attain standards which are well above average in English, mathematics and science by the time that they leave the school. The provision for information and communication technology has improved well since the Hillcrest Primary School - 5 school’s previous inspection and pupils’ achievement is now good. Standards in religious education have improved well in Years 3 to 6 since the previous inspection and the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus are now met.

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Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development, are very good overall. Pupils have very good attitudes in class and behave very well both in lessons and at play. Very good attitudes and pupils’ very good personal development are the result of them feeling secure and valued in the school. Whilst most pupils attend well, attendance overall is average.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is very good. Teaching and learning are very good throughout the school. Systems for tracking pupils’ progress and planning their future learning are very good in English, mathematics and science. Pupils benefit from interesting and stimulating lessons, which engage their interest so that they put a good amount of effort into their work. Teaching assistants are very effective in supporting learning, particularly for pupils with special educational needs.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is innovative and very effective. There are good opportunities for enrichment out of class. Information and communication technology is used well to support learning in other subjects. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very effectively as are the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language. As a result, these pupils achieve very well. Levels of care, support and guidance are very good and help pupils to achieve very well both personally and in their learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good and the headteacher’s leadership is excellent. She has a very clear vision for the school and has created an impressive unity of purpose among all her colleagues. Many staff are new to their leadership roles, but all are fully committed to continuing improvement. Very effective staff teams promote equality of access and full inclusion for all pupils and adults. Management is very effective. The school’s systems for assessing pupils’ progress are very good and their further learning is planned very well. Strategic planning is thorough and based on evaluations of previous developments. Financial planning is efficient and the principles of best value are practised very effectively. Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and capacity for improvement and ensure that the school meets its legal obligations.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have very positive views of the school overall. A minority of parents express some concerns about information for parents and the way in which the school seeks and reacts to parents’ views. Inspectors found these aspects to be good overall and fully support the other positive views expressed by parents and pupils.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

There are no key issues for the school to address, but, in the context of its many strengths, the following point for improvement should be considered as the basis for an action plan: Hillcrest Primary School - 6 • Improve the consistency of pupils’ handwriting and the presentation of their work. Hillcrest Primary School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is very good throughout the school regardless of gender and levels of achievement. Pupils with special educational needs and the very few who speak English as an additional language achieve very well. Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average by the time that pupils leave the school. Attainment in information and communication technology is now average and achievement in this subject has improved since the school was inspected previously.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve very well in the Foundation Stage because their progress is managed very effectively. • Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 to 6 so that standards have risen well by the time that pupils leave the school and are now well above average in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well throughout the school. • Pupils achieve very well because the headteacher, fully supported by her deputy and colleagues, is strongly committed to raising standards.

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Commentary

1. Standards in the national tests at the end of Year 2 have generally been above average since the school’s previous inspection. In 2001, standards were below average because that year group had an above average proportion of pupils with special educational needs. In 2004, results were average overall because a smaller proportion of pupils than usual attained the higher than expected level 3. This was because this year group had fewer high attaining pupils than usual. However, the overall trend is one of improvement, and the school’s procedures for tracking pupils’ attainment and progress indicate that standards in the national tests at the end of Year 2 will improve significantly in 2005. Evidence from the inspection supports this view. Standards in English and mathematics are higher at this stage of the school year than are normally found.

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Commentary

2. In the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2004, standards were well above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils in Year 6 in 2003 also attained these high standards. This shows that, overall, pupils in the school achieve very well in relation to their prior attainment.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results reading 16.2 (16.8) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.0 (14.8) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 16.2 (17.0) 16.2 (16.3) There were 49 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. Hillcrest Primary School - 8 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results English 29.2 (29.6) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 28.7 (29.4) 27.0 (26.8) science 31.0 (30.9) 28.6 (28.6) There were 42 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. A major reason for pupils’ very good achievement is the very good start that they get to their education in the Foundation Stage. Most children enter the Reception classes with average standards and learning skills. However, their learning is planned so effectively that they make very rapid progress. All adults working in these classes contribute to very effective learning because they have a very clear understanding of how young children learn. Children’s progress is carefully monitored and recorded so that their future learning can be planned to build on what they already know, understand and can do. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs, achieve very well. Many are already meeting the expectations of the early learning goals designed for this age group. Already many exceed expectations in personal, social and emotional development and in physical development. They are being very well prepared to begin their work on the National

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Commentary

4. Evidence from the inspection is that pupils continue to achieve very well in Years 1 and 2. Teaching consistently challenges them to think their ideas through and to express themselves precisely. Learning is very effectively managed and pupils’ progress is tracked carefully so that their future learning can be planned to enable them to build systematically on their present levels of understanding. Very good achievement in the Reception Year and Years 1 and 2 results from all adults being committed to giving all pupils maximum opportunities to reach their potential. Learning is managed very effectively.

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Commentary

5. Standards in English, mathematics and science are now well above average by the end of Year 6. This is because pupils are motivated to give of their best because their learning engages their interest so that they concentrate well for long periods and often work with enthusiasm. As a result, they make very good progress. In information and communication technology, facilities have improved well since the school was inspected previously and pupils are now achieving well and attaining the expected standards by the time that they leave the school. Standards in religious education have improved well since the school’s previous inspection and now meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in Years 3 to 6. In geography and history, art and design and design and technology, standards are above average throughout the school. Standards are above average in swimming by the time that pupils leave the school.

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Commentary

Hillcrest Primary School - 9 6. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well in relation to their prior achievement throughout the school. They make very good progress because their learning is very carefully managed and very good teaching encourages them to give of their best. Their progress is celebrated so that they are encouraged to continue to work hard. The very good climate for learning which exists throughout the school means that these pupils are fully included in all activities. Because of this, their self- confidence improves and they achieve very well. The very few pupils who speak English as an additional language are given very effective support and, as a result, are achieving very well.

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Commentary

7. All adults in the school fully support the headteacher in striving to raise standards and to enable all pupils to achieve very well. As a result, standards have risen well since the school’s previous inspection. The school’s roll has increased significantly since it was previously inspected. The number of pupils joining the school during the course of the year is well above average, and pupils arrive on an almost weekly basis as new houses are occupied. The school’s systems and ethos are robust enough to enable these pupils to be inducted successfully into learning so that they, too, achieve very well. A key factor in this has been the school’s development of its assessment systems, which are now very effective. These enable the school to manage pupils’ learning very successfully so that their future work is planned to enable them to build systematically on their current levels of understanding. These very good systems

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Commentary

place the school in a strong position to raise standards further.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good as is their personal development. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are very good overall, creating an enthusiastic climate for learning. • Very good relationships between all staff and pupils ensure that everyone is valued so that their self-confidence increases. • Pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into learning. • The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall, helping pupils to develop very good personal and social skills. • The majority of pupils attend regularly and punctually, maximising their learning opportunities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

8. All pupils have very good attitudes to learning. In discussion, pupils say that they find lessons interesting and enjoyable. They are enthusiastic about everything that the school offers, including activities outside the classroom. They settle quickly in class and respond eagerly to questions and when participating in discussions. For example, in a Year 5/6 design and technology lesson, pupils were fascinated by the effects of the wind and then raised challenging questions, such as, ‘If waves are caused by the wind, are whirlpools caused in the same way as tornados?’ They support each other very well in paired and group work. For example, in information and communication Hillcrest Primary School - 10 technology lessons, pupils share computers sensibly and take turns appropriately. Pupils who have special educational needs are given very good support; they feel confident and valued so that they, too, have very good attitudes in lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

9. Pupils’ behaviour is very good throughout the school day and playtimes are friendly, social occasions in spite of the cramped space within which pupils currently play. Lessons are delivered at a very good pace with minimal disruption as a result of inappropriate behaviour. The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to the questionnaire agreed that behaviour was good. No bullying was observed during the inspection and, in discussion with pupils, they feel that, when the rare instance occurs, staff deal with the issues quickly and sensitively. Procedures to monitor and record any instances of bullying are fully in place. There have been no exclusions in recent years. These very positive attitudes ensure that pupils maximise all learning opportunities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

10. The strength of relationships and teamwork throughout the school is a key factor in pupils achieving very well and continually doing their best. The headteacher and all teachers take time to listen to pupils’ thoughts, ideas or concerns. This is noticeable in lessons where teachers listen and value pupils’ responses. At lunchtime, the school cook and lunchtime staff know all pupils well and chat to them and encourage them as appropriate. Teaching assistants know pupils very well and support them in lessons and throughout the school day very effectively. They give pupils with special educational needs very effective support so that they achieve at the same rate as other pupils. The very small number of pupils with English as an additional language are being supported sensitively and effectively and so are making rapid progress. Pupils who have joined the school from other schools comment on how quickly they

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Main strengths and weaknesses

have been welcomed; one said ‘everyone was so friendly that by the end of two days, I felt part of the school’. Relationships between adults and children are very good in the Foundation Stage. As a result, children are on course to exceed the expected goals in personal, social and emotional development by the end of the Reception Year, and some already do so.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

11. There is very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Pupils’ spiritual development is supported by the very good opportunities in lessons and assemblies to raise their self-awareness. In an assembly, when asked the meaning of the words ‘Breaking walls down’ in a song, a Year 6 boy responded ‘they are not physical walls but spiritual walls that trap us from doing what we can, for example, by being too embarrassed to do something’. Pupils’ work and behaviour is well rewarded through a system of merits, stickers and house points and through attractive displays of their work. These raise pupils’ self-esteem and confidence to succeed.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

12. Pupils have a very secure understanding of the difference between right and wrong and a very clear appreciation of the possible impact that their behaviour might have on others. Social skills are developed very effectively so that relationships between different age groups and all adults are very good. Older pupils particularly enjoy the opportunity to act as buddies to younger pupils and to pupils new to the school. Pupils have a good appreciation of their own and other cultural traditions and planned opportunities to extend their learning are carefully woven into topic work. This was very evident when pupils, exploring the topic ‘Food’, learned to appreciate the work of Hillcrest Primary School - 11 the artist Arcimboldo who is best known for his portraits which look, at first glance, human, but are composed of carefully placed flowers, fruits, animals and everyday objects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

13. Attendance is average overall and, during the school year 2003-04, worsened slightly. This is due to a very small minority of pupils with specific attendance problems. Procedures are in place, including checking on the first day of absence, to ensure that attendance is carefully monitored. The majority of pupils attend regularly and punctually thus maximising their learning opportunities and enhancing their personal and academic progress.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.9 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is very good because the quality of teaching is very good. As a result, pupils achieve very well and make very good progress. The school’s very good curriculum is innovative and challenging learning activities engage pupils’ interest very effectively. The school has very good systems for assessing pupils’ progress and planning their future learning. These systems contribute significantly to the very good care and guidance offered to pupils. There is very good provision for children in the Foundation Stage, the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language, and those who have special educational needs. Very good links with parents and other schools and good links with the community support learning very well.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are of very good quality as are the systems for assessing pupils’ progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan learning very effectively and prepare interesting learning activities so that pupils are effectively challenged. • Time and resources are used very well and teaching assistants contribute very effectively to learning. • There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and the very few who speak English as an additional language. Hillcrest Primary School - 12 • Very good systems for assessing pupils’ progress are used very effectively to plan their future learning. • The headteacher and her colleagues monitor teaching and learning very carefully so as to ensure that pupils’ learning is of high quality.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

2 (5%) 18 (50%) 14 (40%) 2 (5%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

14. The quality of teaching is very good overall and pupils’ learning is planned and managed very effectively. In the very large majority of lessons observed, teaching was at least good and, in the majority of lessons, it was very good or excellent. Teaching is consistently very good in the Foundation Stage and there were examples of excellent lessons in Years 2 and 6.

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Commentary

15. In the Reception classes, teachers and their assistants are a strong team with a very secure understanding of how young children learn. They plan a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities to which children respond with real enthusiasm. Learning is fun so that all children are eager to join in, but it is very carefully planned so that learning builds systematically on previous work. All adults keep careful notes of the progress of individual children, and these are used very effectively to plan their future learning. Children’s entry into the Reception classes is planned sensitively so that they settle quickly into the school’s routines. They quickly gain confidence so that very good relationships develop very quickly and very good support for each child, based on their identified needs, results in very good achievement.

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Commentary

16. This very good achievement continues in Years 1 to 6. Teachers work very hard to prepare learning activities which will engage pupils’ interest so that they put a good amount of effort into their learning. In this, the school is very largely successful. Teachers are particularly successful in linking subjects in the new topic based curriculum so that work in one subject supports learning in another. This is making learning more meaningful for pupils throughout the school and improving their knowledge and understanding. In a very good English lesson in Year 2, pupils were writing instructions for making a sandwich. The teaching assistant then took them in groups to make the sandwich in the cookery area. This made an effective link with their food technology work and created real enthusiasm as they appreciated the link. Similarly, in a good information and communication technology lesson in the Year 5/6 class, a

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Commentary

very effective link was made with literacy so that pupils’ learning in English was enhanced.

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Commentary

17. Throughout the school, most lessons have high levels of challenge and proceed at a brisk pace so that pupils’ interest and concentration is maintained and they work productively. In an excellent English lesson in Year 6, the teacher created immediate challenge by posing questions for pupils at different stages of learning. Excellent relationships meant that pupils responded enthusiastically so that achievement was very high. Resources for learning are used imaginatively so that pupils put considerable effort into their work and support each other very well. Teaching assistants are very effective throughout the school in helping pupils to work to the best of their ability. Whilst they mostly support lower attaining pupils, they are alert to other pupils’ needs in different parts of the room and will quickly move to another area, in both whole class sessions and individual and group work, if they see that a pupil needs

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Commentary

Hillcrest Primary School - 13 support. They are regarded as full members of the teaching team, and contribute significantly to attainment and progress.

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Commentary

18. Pupils’ achievement in English, mathematics and science is tracked and assessed systematically and information from these assessments is then used to plan future learning so that pupils build on what they know, understand and can do. Targets are set for all pupils for literacy and numeracy and are discussed with them so that they can feel that they have responsibility for their own progress. Learning objectives are made clear to pupils at the beginning of lessons and are referred to regularly so that pupils have a measure of how well they are meeting the objective. The school plans to develop pupils’ skills of self-evaluation further so that they can increasingly manage their own learning. The regular tracking of pupils’ progress, together with thorough analysis of the outcomes of national tests, provides the school with a continuous flow of information from which to identify weaknesses in

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Commentary

understanding quickly, so that they can be addressed. This careful management of learning supports the very good achievement found in these subjects throughout the school. Assessment in other subjects is less well developed, but is still satisfactory, and the school accepts this. In religious education, assessment does not provide a clear picture of pupils’ progress and is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

19. Support structures for pupils with special educational needs are also very effective and, as a result, they achieve very well. All teachers and teaching assistants provide a very good level of support so that these pupils are fully included in learning and feel valued and appreciated. Individual education plans are written by the class teacher together with the special educational needs co-ordinator and are regularly monitored so that their progress can be assessed. Work is adapted to meet the needs of these pupils so that they gain in confidence and are willing to offer ideas. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, the teaching assistant challenged one pupil to consider how to describe a tornado imaginatively. The pupil replied ‘ The tornado twisted around the city’. Pupils then gained confidence and suggested a range of ideas such as ‘swirling, fierce as a hungry lion’. This very good level of challenge and support resulted in very good

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Commentary

achievement. Similarly, the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language are sensitively supported and challenged and so achieve at the same rate as other pupils.

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Commentary

20. The headteacher appreciates that her staff are her major resource. She and other senior staff monitor and evaluate teaching and learning and provide very effective support. The headteacher ensures that learning is managed with care and sensitivity, but also with rigour, to ensure that pupils make very good progress. The school’s culture of openness enables colleagues to raise issues and support each other in dealing with any difficulties. All are willing to try new initiatives if they feel that the quality of teaching and learning will be improved. All teachers have embarked on the new curriculum initiative enthusiastically because they realise that learning will become more meaningful for pupils. Because teachers wish to maximise learning opportunities for their pupils, the quality of teaching and learning has improved well since the school was inspected previously. The school is in a good position to

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Commentary

improve the quality of its work further.

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The curriculum

The school provides a very good curriculum, which interests and stimulates its pupils. There are good opportunities for enrichment outside the classroom. All statutory requirements are met, including the demands of the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus for religious Hillcrest Primary School - 14 education. There is a good match of teachers to the school’s needs and the match of support staff is very good. The school’s accommodation is satisfactory and learning resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is planned very well to make the most of links between subjects. • There is emphasis on giving pupils practical and interesting activities. • Pupils’ personal development is very good. • Extensive building work is taking place to improve the accommodation. • There is very good provision for those pupils with special educational needs.

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Commentary

21. There has been good improvement in the quality of the school’s curriculum since its previous inspection, with all curricular issues from that inspection having been successfully tackled. In so doing, there has been a fundamental review of the way the curriculum is planned and delivered. This has resulted in the innovative approach that the school is now taking. There has been a move away from arranging the curriculum through individual subjects towards integrating subjects within carefully planned topics. These enable pupils to make better use of skills learned in one subject to support their learning in others. For example, pupils in Year 4 were able to use their scientific knowledge and understanding of simple electrical circuits to help them to integrate a working switch into a torch that they were making in their design and technology activities. The topics have been carefully planned to ensure that the progression of

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Commentary

skills in each subject is still taught systematically. Parents and pupils talk with enthusiasm about the approach that the school is taking. They believe that it has made the curriculum more interesting and exciting, and more relevant to pupils’ needs.

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Commentary

22. Children in the Reception classes are given practical activities of very good quality, which link well to their own experiences and enable them to make very good progress across all areas of learning. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies for pupils in Years 1 to 6 have been introduced very effectively. This allows them to have high quality opportunities to practise and develop their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. This is an important factor in pupils’ very good achievement in English and mathematics. Investigational skills are developed well in science through the many structured experiments planned for pupils. The school’s provision in information and communication technology has been much improved by the creation of a computer suite and the purchase of better hardware and software for pupils to use. As a result, pupils are now achieving well and reaching the expected standards in the

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Commentary

subject. Pupils’ creative talents are also well catered for. All pupils are able to take part in a variety of rich experiences in art, drama and music. Good use is made of visitors, such as artists and theatre groups, to help pupils to develop a variety of creative skills. An interesting range of educational visits and extra-curricular activities also enriches the curriculum .

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Commentary

23. The curriculum is fully inclusive, so that all pupils’ personal development is carefully planned and nurtured. A good example of this is the very good provision for those pupils with special educational needs. The school fully meets the requirements of the new Code of Practice for special educational needs. Pupils with special educational needs have full access to all areas of the curriculum and all learning opportunities. They participate fully in arts and in sport. Resources for pupils with special educational needs are very good and are easily accessible. Throughout their time in school, all pupils are prepared well for the next stages of their education.

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Commentary

24. The match of teachers and support staff to the curriculum means that pupils’ needs are met very well. For example, the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language are fully included in all the school’s activities. All pupils have access to a wide range of good quality resources in all subjects. Hillcrest Primary School - 15 25. The school’s accommodation is satisfactory in the sense that the curriculum can be delivered. However, arrangements for dining are cramped and the four temporary classrooms are of poor quality. The current building programme will replace these, but, since the school’s roll has risen markedly and is likely to continue to do so because of planned house building, accommodation is always catching up with expanding numbers. Some of the existing classrooms, particularly for older pupils, are cramped in relation to the numbers they accommodate. All weather play areas

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Commentary

are small for the number of pupils on roll.

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Care, guidance and support

The school takes very good care of its pupils, and procedures to ensure that they work in a safe environment are very good . All pupils are offered very good levels of support and guidance and the school involves all pupils very effectively by seeking and acting on their views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good relationships ensure that all pupils are cared for and supported individually, and that their opinions are valued. • The school’s procedures for health, safety and child protection are very good and ensure that pupils work in a safe and secure environment. • Very good procedures for induction help pupils joining the school in all years to settle in very well. • Pupils’ academic and personal development are monitored very carefully to set targets for improvement.

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Commentary

26. All adults in the school provide a friendly supportive atmosphere in which pupils mature very well and develop independence and self-esteem. All adults provide very good role models for pupils and this leads to a purposeful learning environment. Throughout the school, all pupils are friendly and supportive of others and a helpful, co-operative community atmosphere exists. Pupils’ views are carefully listened to, especially in lessons where their ideas are frequently sought. The school council and class councils have been effectively introduced and pupils are proud to be involved in ideas to improve the school. They are especially proud of their role in designing the school’s new logo.

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Commentary

27. The school ensures that regular health and safety checks are carried out and the governing body is involved appropriately in supporting these arrangements. The current building work is being carefully supervised in order to ensure that pupils are not put at risk. The site manager, caretaker and their teams are diligent in maintaining a very clean, safe secure environment on a day-to-day basis. Thorough procedures, including risk assessment for visits, are firmly in place to promote a safe learning environment. Through work in topics, there are very good opportunities to ensure that pupils learn how to keep safe and healthy. For example, the food topic has promoted pupils’ understanding of healthy eating. Child protection procedures are very well embedded into practices and the school, through the training of all staff, is extremely thorough in monitoring the welfare of its pupils and carefully recording any

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Commentary

Hillcrest Primary School - 16 concerns. The school’s procedures for administering medicines and recording any mild accidents are exemplary.

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Commentary

28. The school ensures that children enjoy a smooth transition into the Reception class and very good opportunities are organised to help them settle into the school. These include visits to local playgroups and home visits. Playgroups are invited into school to watch school performances. Pupils joining other year groups, including those who speak English as an additional language, are linked to a class buddy initially and are very effectively welcomed into the school community. The overwhelming number of questionnaires returned by parents show that they agree that procedures for induction are good. These help pupils to make very good progress in their learning as soon as they join the school. 29. The school’s very good assessment procedures are used very effectively to guide pupils in their learning. All staff have a very good knowledge of pupils’ standards particularly in English, mathematics and science, and this, coupled with very good

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Commentary

relationships with pupils, ensures a positive learning environment where pupils want to achieve well. In Years 3 to 6, a new system of target setting has recently been introduced and is proving effective in combining pupils’ academic and personal targets and enabling staff and pupils to monitor progress towards them. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very well to ensure that they make very good progress in their learning. They have individual targets and these are reviewed regularly. Very good links with local support services also enhance the care provided by the school.

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Commentary

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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Commentary

The school’s partnership with parents is very good . Links with other schools are very good and links with the community are good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents’ views of the school and their level of involvement are very positive and help pupils to achieve very well. • Links with neighbouring schools are very good. • Parents are very well informed about their children’s progress and are readily welcomed into school. • The partnership between parents and the Foundation Stage is very good. • The school welcomes community involvement and links are good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

30. Parental views, collected through the parents’ meeting and questionnaires, show that the large majority are pleased with most aspects of the school. Parents regularly and willingly offer their services to the school. The Friends of the School Association raises considerable funds to purchase resources for the school. Many parents willingly attend meetings and help at events. These events have led to the purchase of many resources including a computer- driven white board and gazebos for summertime. These funds are used to enrich pupils’ learning and environment very effectively. Many parents attend information evenings, for example on national testing, and are keen to help their children with projects to enhance their learning. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved fully in their children’s learning and this supports their progress very effectively. All these parents are invited to

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Hillcrest Primary School - 17 meetings to review their children’s progress and are often involved in target setting. This very effective partnership has a positive effect on the achievement of pupils with special educational needs.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

31. Very good links exist with the neighbouring secondary school to which pupils transfer. These include a design and technology challenge for pupils in Year 6. The secondary school is very supportive of primary schools and willingly lends equipment to enhance pupils’ learning. Very good links exist with neighbouring primary schools and sporting tournaments between schools are frequently held on the school’s very good playing field.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

32. The quality of the documentation that the school provides for parents is very good. Pupils’ annual reports are extremely thorough; they include appropriately detailed information about their progress and very clearly written targets for improvement. The well-written prospectus provides clear and helpful information. Newsletters are sent out regularly and provide useful information on events, activities and half-termly topic information. Termly opportunities are offered to parents to discuss their children’s progress and parents are invited to review their children’s work and to talk to teachers on one morning each week. The headteacher is very approachable and provides a weekly “Open Surgery” for parents to come and discuss any concerns. The home-school communication book has been improved this year and provides an excellent two-way communication channel between parents and teachers. It is especially

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

helpful for parents who are unable to visit school regularly. This high quality regular information ensures that parents are fully involved in the school and their children’s learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

33. The school has developed good links with the community, which help to broaden pupils’ learning. The school is on the edge of a market town and explores all opportunities to be involved in town events. For example, the school was involved in the community market square project with a local artist. Opportunities to use the local environment to enhance learning are exploited well. Pupils have visited local churches as part of their topic on Places of Worship, and these visits have enhanced their knowledge and understanding effectively.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good overall. Governance is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher provides excellent leadership, is innovative, and is fully committed to continuing improvement. • All staff are able to contribute very effectively to leadership and management as a result of the school’s culture of openness and inclusion. • Strategic planning is very effective because it is based on careful analysis of the school’s strengths and potential for development. • Finances are managed very well and the school is able to plan its future development successfully because it observes the principles of best value. • Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development because many are in school regularly.

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Commentary

34. The headteacher, very well supported by her deputy and all her colleagues, is providing excellent leadership. She is ambitious for everyone in the school, adults and pupils, to achieve their potential. She appreciates that they are only likely to do so if they feel secure and valued. The school is very effective in giving all its members equality of access to all it Hillcrest Primary School - 18 provides. All are valued for what they can offer, and are very well supported by the school’s focus on pastoral care. However, sensitive care is coupled with high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and effort. As a result, the school is a caring and supportive community in which all understand that they have a part to play in co-operating with each other to raise standards and to ensure that all get the most that they can out of the school. A measure of the school’s success in achieving this is that new pupils who join the school regularly as a result of local

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Commentary

house building are seamlessly absorbed into the school and achieve at the same rate as other pupils. This illustrates the effectiveness of the school’s very good ethos and its very good record of inclusion. Another illustration of the school’s commitment to inclusion is its encouragement to teaching assistants to improve their qualifications and so to achieve promotion.

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Commentary

35. The school has already adopted the curricular recommendations of the new primary strategy ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ and introduced a topic-based curriculum for subjects other than English and mathematics. This has been planned with great care and the early indications are that it is successful. Pupils throughout the school are finding learning more meaningful because they can see connections between subjects. Skills, for example, in information and communication technology, continue to be developed systematically because the new approach to learning has been planned very thoroughly. The smooth introduction of this new system is an example of the headteacher’s highly effective and innovative leadership.

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Commentary

36. The school has a culture of openness, which enables all teachers to contribute to leadership and management. This openness and tradition of mutual support has created an impressive unity of purpose in the school. Many subject leaders are new to their roles, but discussions with them demonstrate that they are putting considerable thought and effort into leading their subjects and are establishing priorities for further development. Very effective leadership in the Foundation Stage means that children settle very quickly into the Reception classes. They quickly become confident and enjoy participating in the very carefully planned learning activities. As a result, all children achieve very well. Their learning is underpinned by very effective tracking of their progress so that future work can be planned to build on what they already know, understand and can do. A very effective partnership with parents enables them

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Commentary

to contribute confidently to their children’s learning and progress. Similarly, the leadership and management of special educational needs are very good. The school has implemented the new Code of Practice very successfully and there are clear systems for managing the progress of these pupils within the school. There is a clear action plan for developing special educational needs and for involving outside agencies where appropriate. The special educational needs co-ordinator is reflective and analytical and is ensuring that pupils with special educational needs receive high levels of support. She monitors their learning and progress rigorously. Links with parents of these pupils are very good and they are achieving very well. The learning of the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language is very well managed.

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Commentary

37. Strategic planning in the school is very effective. The school has very good systems for analysing which aspects of its work are successful and which are less so. This analysis is then discussed throughout the school and forms the basis of the school improvement plan. The plan skilfully combines longer-term objectives over a three-year period with more immediate aims to be achieved in one year. After a year, progress with regard to these shorter-term aims is assessed so that the aims for the following year can be agreed, incorporating any of the previous year’s aims which have not been fully achieved. Wide consultation enables all staff to be effectively involved in the development of the school. It is this successful inclusion of different groups which has, for example, enabled the school to introduce its innovative curriculum, which is enhancing pupils’ learning experiences. Hillcrest Primary School - 19

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Commentary

38. Finances are managed very effectively. Prudent financial planning has enabled the school to maintain the quality of its educational provision in the face of increasing numbers of pupils. The finance committee of the governing body plays an appropriate role in setting the budget and monitoring expenditure during the year. Day-to-day expenditure is managed efficiently and the school successfully ensures that its resources for learning are up dated, for example, by the purchase of more computers and by the introduction of a computer-driven whiteboard. The principles of best value are practised very effectively. Very good care is taken to ensure that expenditure is cost effective and to deploy both human and physical resources to maximise pupils’ learning.

p.21

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 665,927 Balance from previous year 63,000 Total expenditure 681,211 Balance carried forward to the next year 47,716

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Financial information

39. The proportion of the budget carried forward is being used to finance the school’s current building programme and to maintain and improve staffing levels.

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Financial information

40. Governors are important members of the team and contribute well to the school’s leadership and management. All governors are attached to a subject and this enables them to have a secure appreciation of the school’s work. This has resulted in the governing body becoming more open and playing a fuller role in the management of the school. Governors have a good appreciation of the school’s strengths and potential for development and ensure that it meets its legal obligations. They support the headteacher by bringing a different perspective to discussions about the school’s development and are clearly committed to providing pupils with an education of high quality. However, the governors’ annual report to parents is too brief to give a good understanding of how the governors have contributed to the school during the year.

p.21

Financial information

41. Given pupils’ very good achievement, their very good personal development, their very good curriculum, the very good teaching and care available to pupils, the very good leadership and management and the below average costs per pupil, the school gives excellent value for money. This is mainly the result of the headteacher’s excellent leadership. She is a regular, reassuring presence around the school, and pupils appreciate that she cares deeply for them, but also that she has high expectations for their effort and behaviour. With the full support of her colleagues, she has ensured that the school has improved well since it was inspected previously. The school is a dynamic and forward-looking community and so is in a very good position to improve further. Hillcrest Primary School - 20

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage of learning is very good . Children achieve very well in the Reception classes. Very careful and thorough planning ensures that children in the mixed Reception and Year 1 class receive their full entitlement to the Foundation Stage curriculum. Most children enter the Reception classes with average levels of attainment, although they cover the full range. Many children are already meeting the requirements of the early learning goals, with the majority exceeding expectations in personal and physical skills. This is very good achievement and progress. Children with special educational needs achieve very well. This is because their very carefully planned provision and support enables them to learn and work alongside their classmates. Standards are likely to be above average when children enter Year 1 at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. There are not enough opportunities for all children to explore and investigate change outside the classroom because there is no immediate access to the outside provision for children in the mixed Reception and Year 1 class. The teacher has interesting plans to remedy this, but the school has not yet been able to implement them.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. All children become secure and confident with each other and with adults very quickly because of the very positive and calm relationships which exist throughout the Foundation Stage. This significantly increases their confidence and self-esteem. Children develop very well in all areas of their learning because of very good teaching and the close links with parents, which promote learning very well. All members of the Foundation Stage staff take every opportunity to encourage parents and carers to take a full part in their children’s development. This increases the sense of partnership between staff and parents very effectively. The very strong and effective staff team work closely together to review and plan work that meets children’s emerging needs. This partnership has a very positive effect on children’s learning.

p.22

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching develops very positive attitudes and promotes independence. • Most children already exceed the requirements of the early learning goals in their relationships with each other and with adults.

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Commentary

45. All adults who work in the Foundation Stage give children a very strong and firm foundation within which to develop their personal and social skills. They work very hard to increase children’s independence, self-awareness and patience in taking turns to answer questions. This helps children to learn to listen to each other as well as to adults. Thorough planning ensures that all children, including those with special Hillcrest Primary School - 21 educational needs, join in all classroom activities. Children become confident and their self-esteem increases as they learn to work amicably with each other and with adults. Patient and clear explanations ensure that children tackle their work with great enthusiasm and are eager to ‘have a go’ at new experiences. For example, they thoroughly enjoyed investigating how to make leaf prints and rubbings. These very positive attitudes develop and increase throughout the Reception Year.

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Commentary

46. Very careful organisation of group work ensures that children learn to work and co- operate with a range of adults. This makes a positive contribution to children’s relationships in the Reception classes and increases their trust in adults and their ability to share. All children leave their parents/carers happily and settle quickly to the expected routines. Improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory. This is because the school has maintained the very good standards found earlier, ie. very good achievement and high quality teaching.

p.23

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good quality teaching ensures that most children already meet the requirements of the early learning goals in their speaking, reading and writing skills. • Some children still find it hard to listen and follow instructions promptly. • Very high expectations for achievement ensure that all children concentrate and work hard.

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Commentary

47. All adults work hard to ensure that children in both classes have ample opportunities to speak clearly. They encourage them to talk to small groups and to the whole class and insist on clear diction. This increases children’s understanding of the need to speak audibly in sentences to an audience. Children have many chances to develop an interest in and love of books throughout the Reception classes. They share books happily and many already recognise individual words and read simple sentences. Teachers and support assistants make sure that children hold pencils correctly and encourage them to make correctly formed letters. This helps them to understand that writing has meaning. Higher attaining children are already writing their names independently and many choose to write down their ideas. This is a result of very skilful teaching and the children’s high levels of interest and enthusiasm. This is very

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Commentary

good progress from children’s average standards on entry.

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Commentary

48. Their listening skills are less well developed and some have difficulty in listening and following adults’ instructions promptly and accurately. Teachers are aware of this and are working hard to increase children’s ability to listen attentively.

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Commentary

49. Very good levels of support throughout the Foundation Stage help children who have special educational needs to join in with their classmates. Members of staff work very closely with all parents/carers to increase their understanding of their children’s needs. Careful planning ensures that all the children in the Reception classes have Hillcrest Primary School - 22 their Foundation Stage entitlement and are able to move on to work within the National Curriculum when they are ready. Most children already meet the expectations of the early learning goals in this area of learning and are on target to exceed them by the end of their Reception Year. There has been very good improvement in this area since the previous inspection. This is because consistently very good teaching ensures that children learn and achieve very well.

p.23

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Consistently very good teaching stimulates children to learn and to find out about number and shape. • All staff use assessment procedures very well to build on children’s previous knowledge.

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Commentary

50. All members of the Foundation Stage team give children an exciting and stimulating range of mathematical opportunities in both Reception classes. These interest children very effectively and motivate them to increase their skills in recognising and using numbers. Most children already meet the requirements of the early learning goals at this stage. This means that they are likely to exceed them by the time they leave the Reception classes. All adults work hard to ensure that children work well together and become independent in choosing and using resources. This increases their confidence and self-esteem and enables them to achieve very well from an average base.

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Commentary

51. Children enjoy sorting and naming shapes and use suitable mathematical vocabulary to describe their properties. For example, they quickly identify the difference between a square and a triangle and talk confidently about sides and angles. All children support their learning effectively by using computers. This increases their mathematical understanding as well as their computer skills as they identify and make ‘shape patterns’ on the screen.

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Commentary

52. Adults keep carefully detailed notes of children’s achievement and use this information to give them work to meet their identified needs. This ensures that all children consolidate their understanding before moving on to new learning. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection because teaching, achievement and standards have improved well.

p.24

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

Hillcrest Primary School - 23 • Very good teaching ensures that children are confident to ask questions and to investigate different situations. • Very effective planning means that all children have equal opportunities to explore natural change and to use computers.

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Commentary

53. Throughout the Foundation Stage, very good quality teaching increases children’s confidence in finding out about natural and manufactured objects. This increases their knowledge of living creatures and of the need to care for them. All adults increase children’s awareness of the wider world by encouraging them to look closely and to ask questions about their surroundings. Staff take children out into the immediate local area and make very effective use of the secure outdoor learning area. These activities give children ample opportunities to observe change and to carry out independent investigations.

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Commentary

54. Most children are already confident when using scissors and other cutting tools. They experiment with materials and join them together, for example, to make cardboard models. This increases the children’s ability to make choices and to decide which joining methods work best. Both teachers ensure that children develop a keen interest in computers. Most children have secure skills in using the mouse and keyboard effectively to control movement on the screen. For example, children already create pictures and know how to click and drag to move objects around the screen. The school ensures that the religious education element of this area of learning is covered effectively. Most children already meet the requirements of the early learning goals and are likely to exceed them by the end of their Reception Year. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection because standards have improved as a result of very good teaching. As a result, children

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Commentary

make very good progress in their learning.

p.25

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching ensures that children achieve very well in their ability to use a range of tools. • The use of the school hall and the outdoor learning area increases children’s awareness of space very effectively.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

55. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children have many chances to increase their skills in using tools such as pencils, scissors and brushes. Very effective teaching ensures that children hold and use these tools correctly. This makes a positive contribution to their writing and painting skills. All adults work very hard to increase children’s skills in using and controlling their bodies. This results in skilful sequences of movement and develops well their ability to move around without bumping into each other. Hillcrest Primary School - 24 56. All children in the Foundation Stage have access to the school hall and the school grounds. Adults use these areas very effectively to develop independent learning skills and the ability to work safely with large equipment. Most children’s skills already exceed the expectations of the early learning goals. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection and children achieve very well

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve very well in using a range of media to create pictures, models and patterns. • There are very good and interesting opportunities for children to develop their imagination in and out of the classroom.

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Commentary

57. All children learn to mix and use paint to make pictures, patterns and large collages. This successfully promotes both independent and co-operative work. Adults teach children how to mould and shape materials such as clay to produce very effective three-dimensional models. Very good quality teaching ensures that children develop their imagination effectively from the time that they join the Reception classes. The very thoughtful provision of imaginative areas, which interest and involve boys and girls, increases their thinking, speaking and co-operative skills. For example, children enjoy using the ‘dentist’s surgery’ and the ‘hospital’. This links very well with recent work on keeping healthy.

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Commentary

58. Children also have many opportunities to use their imagination outside the classroom. This increases their awareness of working in natural situations. All children practise their singing skills in a range of nursery rhymes and jingles in lessons and have specific music sessions. This increases their interest in music and their ability to play percussion instruments. All adults promote children’s creative skills very well. Most children are likely to exceed the requirements of the early learning goals by the end of their Reception Year. Improvement since the previous inspection has been very good because of the much-improved standards, achievement and teaching. Hillcrest Primary School - 25

p.26

ENGLISH

• Achievement is very good throughout the school and pupils achieve standards that are above average in Year 2 and well above average in Year 6. • The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall. • Literacy is used very well across the curriculum. • The standard of handwriting and presentation is variable. • Leadership and management of the subject are very good.

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Commentary

59. Achievement is very good overall. In the national test results for 2003, standards by the age of seven were above the national average for reading and average for writing. When compared to similar schools they are average for reading and below average for writing. The dip in standards in this particular year group reflected the higher numbers of pupils with special educational needs. Inspection evidence judged standards in writing, reading and speaking and listening in the current Year 2 to be above average. In Year 6, standards were well above average when compared to the national average and when compared to similar schools in 2003. Inspection evidence confirms that standards are well above average in the current Year 6 for reading and speaking and listening; standards for writing were above average at the time of the inspection. Pupils enter the school with average language skills and, consequently,

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Commentary

achievement is very good in writing by the time that pupils leave the school. Pupils with special educational needs and the very few pupils with English as a second language achieve as well as other pupils. The general trend over the last four years shows continual improvement. Since the previous inspection, improvement has been good, standards have improved by the age of seven from in line to above average and, by the age of 11, from above average to well above average.

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Commentary

60. Standards observed in speaking and listening are above average in Year 2 and well above average in Year 6. Most pupils are confident speakers and listen attentively because teachers involve them well in classroom discussions. All teachers use successful strategies to extend speaking and listening skills in all subject areas of the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and, as a result, make the same progress as their peers. The very few pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve very well. Achievement is very good throughout the school. In Year 1, pupils speak in sentences clearly, for example, when explaining the significance of their own address and postal code. Year 2 pupils confidently give precise instructions for making a healthy sandwich, and, in Year 6, pupils show considerable maturity as they discuss their favourite authors and talk knowledgeably

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Commentary

61. All pupils have a very positive attitude to books and read confidently, reflecting the enthusiastic way in which reading is taught. Strategies to develop reading skills are Hillcrest Primary School - 26 used very well and pupils in Year 2 tackle difficult words confidently. They identify their favourite reading books and explain why they like them. Higher attaining and average pupils in Year 2 read with expression and accuracy. Pupils in Year 6 have a very positive attitude to reading and have a very good knowledge of a wide range of authors. Average and higher attaining pupils talk about the characteristic style of their favourite authors such as Philip Pullman and Roald Dahl.

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Commentary

62. Standards in writing seen during the inspection are above average. They are likely to be well above average by the time that pupils leave the school. Very effective planning ensures that there are abundant opportunities to use literacy skills in other areas of the curriculum and this contributes to the very good progress that pupils make in their writing skills. All teachers constantly challenge pupils to make their writing more interesting and to use their imagination. Pupils in Year 2 write with interest and engage the reader. They are able to use punctuation well, including, for example, exclamation marks. Lower attaining pupils can write informative sentences, for example, ‘One cold sunny day in winter, Percy went outside. He got a hat and two stones and one current and started to build a snowman’. A pupil for whom English is a second language, who was unable to speak any English at the beginning of the term, can now

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Commentary

select and communicate the contents of her healthy sandwich because of the very good support that she receives. In Year 6, writing develops very effectively and pupils write in a range of styles including biography, autobiography, short stories, poetry and letters. They write about a range of different personalities from Kelly Holmes to Pablo Picasso and Stanley Matthews. In an initial draft autobiography of El Caminante, one average pupil captured the scene effectively, ‘As I drove to the town of Nerja in Spain, I had butterflies in my stomach. I could smell freshly baked bread in the morning air. I could hear children playing and people chattering, chattering about me. El Caminante.’ The skill of handwriting and presentation, however, is less well developed and the quality of presentation is inconsistent throughout the school.

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Commentary

63. The teaching of English is very good overall throughout the school with instances of excellent teaching in Year 2 and Year 6. Expectations are high and lessons are fun and enjoyable. Pupils work at a very good pace and are able to work with good levels of concentration on independent tasks. Teachers have very good subject knowledge. Marking is very good and it challenges and reinforces learning very well and pupils respond positively to this. In the excellent lessons, the teacher in Year 2 talked about ‘bossy verbs’ and this helped pupils to identify and explain the style needed to write a list of instructions. There are very good links with other subject areas of the curriculum including information and communication technology, science and geography. Resources are very well used and, in an excellent Year 6 lesson, the teacher used the music and video snippet to stimulate and create an atmosphere.

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Commentary

This helped pupils to draft a story for a newspaper giving the viewpoint of El Caminante. This very good teaching results in very good learning.

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Commentary

64. The English subject leader is very good and manages the subject effectively. She is experienced and knowledgeable and has a clear view of the strengths of the subject. Her high aspirations and vision for a rich curriculum contribute to the very good achievement and quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. There is regular monitoring of learning and a clear plan to improve the provision and standards further within the school. Resources for learning are good.

p.28

Language and literacy across the curriculum

65. Very good use is made of literacy across the curriculum. Every opportunity is seized to use literacy to enhance learning in all subject areas. Observations of pupils’ work around the school indicate a very effective use of literacy for all subject areas of the curriculum. The quality of written work in other subject areas is very good. Hillcrest Primary School - 27

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching and learning result in very good achievement, and standards are above average by Year 2 and well above average by Year 6. • Very good leadership and management of the subject ensure that pupils’ progress is tracked carefully to plan future learning. • Inconsistency in presentation makes some work difficult to read. • Information and communication technology is used very well to support and develop numeracy skills.

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Commentary

66. In the national tests in 2003, standards were above average at the end of Year 2 and well above average by Year 6. This represents very good achievement because pupils enter the school with average levels of understanding and learning skills overall. This very good achievement is the result of very effective teaching. Teachers have a very good level of subject knowledge and clear explanations in lessons help pupils to understand the work that they are doing. Very effective teaching assistants help to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, have full access to learning. Teachers use imaginative approaches to learning, which help pupils to concentrate very well in lessons.

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Commentary

67. The subject is led and managed very well. The relatively new subject leader is making a positive impact in the use of very effective systems to assess and track pupils’ learning and progress. Very thorough analysis of the results obtained in national tests and careful day-to-day marking of pupils’ work give a secure range of evidence for teachers to plan future learning. This enables teachers to identify any areas of weakness quickly in order to reinforce future learning and understanding. For example, the school has identified a potential weakness in the investigative element of mathematics and has already introduced steps to rectify this. Training is in place to help teachers to be more effective and the school has a continuous programme for developing the skills of teaching assistants. The subject leader is developing learning and teaching styles to match the needs of different pupils. This is

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Commentary

having a positive effect on standards and achievement.

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Commentary

68. There is some inconsistency in the presentation of pupils’ work. This sometimes makes it difficult to follow what has been written and does not help pupils to revise their work. The school is aware of this and has remedial plans in place.

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Commentary

69. All teachers insist on good behaviour in the classroom and pupils concentrate very well and work hard throughout the school. Very good support for pupils with special educational needs enables them to work alongside their classmates and to achieve equally well, as do the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language. Hillcrest Primary School - 28 70. Teachers use information and communication technology particularly well to support learning in mathematics. This is evident in pupils’ skills when handling data and interpreting graphs, as was clear in the analysis of pupils’ work. There is one computer-driven whiteboard in the school, which is being trialed for its effectiveness. This is used regularly and is proving to be of benefit to pupils’ learning. Teachers take every opportunity to use the facilities of the computer suite to support and extend learning. Pupils are confident when using computers to

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Commentary

solve problems and this reinforces their learning very well.

p.30

Commentary

71. There has been very good improvement in teaching and learning since the previous inspection. This is because of the significant improvement in standards, improved progress by the end of Year 2 and improved attitudes, teaching and subject leadership.

p.30

Commentary

72. Numeracy is very well developed in other subjects. For instance, there are very good examples of graphs being used to represent findings in geography and of measuring and calculating in design and technology. Data handling skills are used well in information and communication technology, for example, when creating pie charts and different types of graphs.

p.30

SCIENCE

• Standards are well above average by the time that pupils leave the school and they achieve very well. • The curriculum is planned very well to provide effective links with other subjects. • Leadership and management are good. • Teaching and learning are very good and help all pupils to make very good progress. • The conclusions to experiments do not suitably evaluate what pupils have learned.

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Commentary

73. In recent years, the results of the national tests at the end of Year 6 have mainly been well above average. Most pupils in the current Year 6 show similar standards, which means they have made very good progress and achieved very well during their time in school. Standards are well above average by the end of Year 2, which again represents very good achievement.

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Commentary

74. The main reason for this high achievement is the very good quality teaching that most pupils receive. Teachers plan their lessons carefully so that they build on previous work. This enables pupils to use their prior scientific knowledge and understanding to support their learning when tackling new ideas. There are high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and effort, which lead them to having a good work rate and using their time productively. The use of information and communication technology is integrated well into lessons to enhance learning. For example, pupils in Year 4 used a computer program with good understanding to test their predictions about which Hillcrest Primary School - 29 materials made good electrical conductors or insulators. Pupils are encouraged to use accurate scientific terminology when answering questions and communicating their ideas, which extends their personal, as well as their scientific, vocabulary.

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Commentary

Investigations are planned effectively to let pupils show initiative and take some responsibility for their learning. This was seen in a very good lesson for pupils in Year 6 when they were designing and carrying out an investigation into air resistance. However, the conclusions to pupils’ experiments tend to be a description of what they have done rather than an appraisal of what they have discovered. In some classes, the overuse of worksheets hinders pupils in developing their own methods of recording their findings. Teachers and teaching assistants work very well together to ensure that all pupils receive a high proportion of direct teaching. As a result, pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, are effectively challenged and supported, as are those who speak English as an additional language.

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Commentary

75. The subject leader provides good leadership and management, which have a positive impact on pupils’ progress and achievement. She provides a considered view of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses, and analyses how further improvement can be made. Her planning for the new integrated topic approach has ensured that scientific skills are still taught in a progressive manner. The curriculum has a strong emphasis on pupils learning through structured, practical investigations. As a result, most pupils are adept at devising a test, making sure that it is ‘fair’ and then carrying it out independently of the teacher.

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Commentary

76. There are also good links with other subjects, which help to enhance learning in science. For example, pupils in Year 4 were able to use their scientific knowledge and understanding of simple electrical circuits to help them integrate a working switch into a torch they were making in their design and technology activities. The curriculum also makes a positive contribution to pupils’ personal and social development, for example, when they work together during their investigations. There are good opportunities for pupils to practise their numeracy skills. This is evident in the work of pupils in Year 6 when they took a series of careful thermometer readings to see what happens to the temperature of water when ice is added. A range of graphs was then created to present their findings. Pupils show a great deal of enjoyment in their scientific activities. They have very positive attitudes, are very well behaved and speak

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Commentary

with enthusiasm about their practical work. This has a beneficial effect on the progress that they make, and the standards that they attain.

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Commentary

77. The achievement of pupils, standards reached, quality of teaching and learning and leadership and management are much better than at the time of the previous inspection. This shows that there has been very good improvement and the school is in a good position to maintain its high standards and build on them further.

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Commentary

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

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Commentary

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good .

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Commentary

• Pupils are now achieving well and reaching the standards expected for their age. • The computer suite is used well to help pupils make good progress. • Teaching and learning are good. • The subject is led and managed well. • Assessment procedures lack sufficient precision.

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Commentary

Commentary Hillcrest Primary School - 30 78. MOST PUPILS IN YEARS 2 AND 6 REACH THE EXPECTED STANDARDS, AND ARE NOW ACHIEVING WELL. SINCE THE PREVIOUS INSPECTION, THE ACHIEVEMENT OF PUPILS, THE QUALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT HAVE ALL IMPROVED WELL AND THE SCHOOL IS NOW IN A GOOD POSITION TO IMPROVE FURTHER. HOWEVER, THESE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE NOT YET HAD TIME TO IMPROVE STANDARDS TO ABOVE AVERAGE.

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Commentary

79. EACH CLASS HAS TWO 30-MINUTE SESSIONS IN THE COMPUTER SUITE. THIS TIME IS USED WELL BY TEACHERS TO DEVELOP PUPILS’ BASIC SKILLS IN THE SUBJECT. TEACHERS HAVE SECURE SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE AND SO ARE ABLE TO EXPLAIN AND DEMONSTRATE NEW IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES PRECISELY. AS A RESULT, PUPILS ARE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE TO LEARN AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM. THIS WAS EVIDENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN PUPILS IN YEAR 2 LEARNED THE NEW PROCEDURE OF ‘EDIT-UNDO’ TO CORRECT ERRORS IN THE TEXT THAT THEY WERE CREATING TO ADVERTISE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. TEACHERS AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS WORK WELL TOGETHER TO SUPPORT PUPILS AND ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE A GOOD WORK RATE. AS A RESULT, PUPILS OF ALL ABILITIES, INCLUDING THOSE WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, MAKE GOOD PROGRESS, AS DO THOSE WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE. PUPILS ARE ENCOURAGED TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY IN PAIRS ON THE COMPUTERS, WHEN APPROPRIATE, AND THIS CONTRIBUTES WELL TO THEIR PERSONAL

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Commentary

AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS CAREFUL PLANNING TO ENABLE PUPILS TO USE ICT TO SUPPORT THEIR LEARNING IN OTHER SUBJECTS. THIS WAS EXEMPLIFIED IN A VERY GOOD LESSON FOR PUPILS IN YEARS 5 AND 6, WHICH WAS LINKED TO WORK THAT THEY WERE DOING IN ENGLISH. BECAUSE OF THE TEACHER’S EXPERTISE, ALL PUPILS MADE GOOD PROGRESS IN THEIR ABILITY TO USE A COMPUTER PROGRAM TO CREATE A REALISTIC, EYEWITNESS WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF THE 1953 EAST COAST FLOODS.

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Commentary

80. The subject leader has a clear view of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses, which has enabled him to develop a comprehensive action plan for taking the subject forward. He has developed curriculum planning to integrate ICT into other subjects effectively. The high quality of his teaching provides a very good role model and his expertise enables good support and advice to be given to colleagues. However, assessment procedures are informal and do not give a clear picture of pupils’ attainment or the progress that they make. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their work, which helps them to make good progress. Resources are good, with laptops being used well in classrooms to supplement work in the computer suite.

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Commentary

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

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Commentary

81. Teachers use ICT well to enable pupils to support and enhance learning in other subjects. Pupils are confident in their use of the Internet to research information, for example, in science, history and geography. They are competent in creating a range of graphs to present their findings in mathematics. Pupils are also able to use their word processing skills to help add interest to their writing in English. Art packages are used well to help develop pupils’ creative skills.

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Geography

Provision in geography is very good . Hillcrest Primary School - 31

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Geography has a very strong focus around the school. • Pupils achieve very well and standards are above those normally found for pupils of this age. • The subject is well planned and very good use is made of other curricular areas to enrich learning. • Teaching and learning are very good throughout the school.

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Commentary

82. Standards are above those expected for pupils of this age throughout the school and all pupils, including those with special educational needs and the few who speak English as an additional language, achieve very well. Geography has a very strong focus around the school and makes a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development. There are attractive and informative geography displays in all classrooms. Since the school’s previous inspection, standards have improved from average to above average. The previous inspection identified a weakness in pupils’ ability to apply and use mapping skills. This aspect is now a strength and there is very good achievement as pupils progress through the school. However, there has not been sufficient time for these improvements to result in standards which are well above average by the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

83. The rich curriculum for geography embraces and utilises all subject areas. For example, pupils in Year 2 consider different foods from different countries while pupils in Year 1 learn to explain their postal address. The topic focusing on worldwide weather conditions is currently the core stimulus for work in Years 5 and 6. This strong focus contributes to the very good achievement and above average standards seen during the inspection, with standards that are above average in Year 6. Planning is linked well to other curricular areas and ensures that all pupils experience an interesting and challenging curriculum. After visiting local churches, for example, pupils in Year 3 used computers to create plans of the different churches. The work was linked effectively to religious education and contributes to the good use of the local community to promote learning.

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Commentary

84. An analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with them show that very good use is made of literacy, mathematical and information and communication technology skills in learning in geography. For example, pupils in Year 6 have written a letter to an editor of a local newspaper expressing their opinions as to whether water should be free or not. They gave well-considered reasons as to why water should cost some money but not too much. Their writing shows a very good understanding of how water is collected and distributed. They used information to write newspaper articles, and used headlines such as ‘Tornado strikes’, ‘Florida fights floods’ and ‘Hurricane Daniella picks up speed’ to make their writing lively and interesting. Very good use is made of data collection and handling. Pupils in Year 6, for example, explained how to access the Internet for weather information from around the world, and they have used the Internet successfully to collect data and calculate how water is

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Commentary

used in the United Kingdom. Pupils predict the weather and then collect information comparing their prediction with their collected data. They have measured the speed of the wind in knots, rainfall, the direction of the wind and the temperature. They have used their data well to make a climograph and have used data collected from the Internet to compare weather at Hillcrest with that of Glasgow. This is work of impressive scope and quality. Hillcrest Primary School - 32 85. The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall with instances of excellent teaching. In an excellent lesson in Year 6, for example, the teacher enhanced pupils’ mathematical skills by challenging them to explain changing weather conditions. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 could explain how a tornado occurs and how the Great Floods happened in 1953. They have a very good understanding of the environmental effects of extreme weather conditions on the landscape and the lives of the local people.

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Commentary

86. The quality of leadership and management are good. The subject leader has recently taken over responsibility for geography. The subject is extremely well organised and planning to use other subjects to enrich learning, is very good.

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HISTORY

• Pupils achieve well and standards are above those normally found for pupils of this age. • The subject is well planned and very good use is made of other curricular areas to enrich learning. • The quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Commentary

87. Standards are above those normally found for pupils of this age and all pupils, including those with special educational needs and the few who speak English as an additional language, achieve well. As they progress through the school, pupils experience a very carefully planned curriculum, which enables them to learn about significant people, events and places from both the recent and more distant past, and to use different sources of information to help them to investigate the past. Since the previous inspection, standards and the quality of teaching and learning have improved from average to above average.

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Commentary

88. All pupils enjoy history and talk about it with enthusiasm because they have enjoyed the learning activities provided. Teachers make very good links with other subject areas such as literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology, art and design, design and technology and science, and this helps to increase the effectiveness of learning. Information and communication technology and literacy skills are used well. For example, pupils in Year 6 have written a diary of a Spartan boy. Their writing demonstrates good knowledge of the times and conditions. For instance, one pupil wrote, ‘Oh no, the kitchen bell. I’m late for my turn to make breakfast. I’ll get whipped. I hurry through the kitchen door. My master has his whip out.’ Pupils in Year 2 demonstrate good understanding of the passage of time. For example, they have written about and compared a trip to the seaside in Victorian times with

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Commentary

89. Good teaching and use of questions in Year 5 ensures that pupils understand and know about the 1953 floods. In a Year 5/6 class, pupils had a good level of knowledge of the East Coast Floods of 1953. Average pupils were able to explain how the floods occurred and to discuss the effects of the floods on the damaged landscape. All pupils showed an ability to empathise with the flood victims. One pupil described the noise of the wind blowing voices out to sea. There are good opportunities for pupils to work in groups, for example, to plan their own flood kit and flood plan. They used the knowledge learned from the previous flood very effectively. The teacher successfully encouraged pupils to think about the consequences of the flood and Hillcrest Primary School - 33 what could be done as a planned activity to prevent this happening or to limit damage in the future. Newspaper articles were used effectively to compare damage experienced during

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Commentary

other floods, such as those at Boscastle in 2004.

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Commentary

90. There are very good links with design and technology. Display work shows how older pupils have made medieval musical instruments such as a mute, harp, drum, serpent and a lute. They have identified the materials used and evaluated their work as a means of learning how medieval instrument makers must have worked.

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Commentary

91. The quality of teaching and learning are good. In the lessons observed, pupils made good and, sometimes, very good progress. They achieved well because the teachers used skilful questioning to test and reinforce their learning, and planned the lesson to interest pupils at different stages of learning. Pupils particularly enjoyed working with a partner to plan a flood kit and a flood plan.

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Commentary

92. The subject leader has a very good understanding of history and leads the subject well. Pupils’ learning is enriched by the good use of literacy, geography and information and communication technology skills.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. • The requirements of the agreed syllabus are now met. • Assessment procedures are not sufficiently rigorous. • Visits and the use of information and communication technology enhance pupils’ learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

93. Most pupils in Year 6 reach standards that match the expectations of the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus, This shows that pupils now achieve satisfactorily, including those who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs. This was not the case at the time of the previous inspection. There has been good improvement since then.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

94. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers plan their lessons thoughtfully and often base them on pupils’ own experiences. This enables all pupils to be involved in discussions, feeling confident that their views will be valued. For example, pupils in Year 6 have talked about and then written their ideas about the special things that they treat with respect in their own home. Pupils are encouraged to reflect upon the needs of others and how they could be given help. Resources are used well to stimulate pupils’ interest and maintain their concentration. Relationships are good, based on clear expectation of pupils’ efforts and behaviour. There is some overuse of worksheets in some classes as a way of recording pupils’ ideas, which limits them developing good presentational skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

95. Subject leadership and management are satisfactory. Although the subject has not had a high profile in recent years, the subject leader has worked hard to improve planning arrangements. As a result, the school now meets the requirements of the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus. The curriculum now enables pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith. Pupils are encouraged to discuss Christian values and beliefs, including the manner in which they affect peoples’ lives. This makes a positive contribution to their spiritual development and to the very good relationships that are to be found throughout the school. Hillcrest Primary School - 34 Pupils are also able to learn about the beliefs and traditions of other major world faiths, including Judaism, Islam and Hinduism and this enhances their multicultural understanding. The procedures for assessment do not, however, provide a clear picture of pupils’

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Main strengths and weaknesses

achievement or the progress that they make as they pass through the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

96. The curriculum is enhanced by a range of visits to places of religious interest. These include visiting churches of different denominations in Downham Market and the shrine at Walsingham. Pupils are able to use information and communication technology to further their understanding in the subject. For example, they have used computers to create plans of churches they have visited. Resources are of good quality and are used well by teachers.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education were sampled, and no judgement is made on the quality of teaching.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. It was not possible to see any lessons in art and design during the course of the inspection. This means it is not possible to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching or provision. However, evidence from pupils’ previous work and work around the school indicates that standards in two and three-dimensional artwork are above average by the end of Years 2 and 6. This is a good improvement since the previous inspection. Teachers clearly ensure that pupils have many opportunities to develop their skills in art and design as they move through the school. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 use a range of media to good effect as they reproduce shape and pattern. They look closely at natural objects such as leaves and use clay to create three-dimensional images. Pupils build well on their earlier learning in Years 3 to 6, and, by Year 6, produce mature and skilful pieces of work. For

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ART AND DESIGN

example, they look carefully at clouds and use pastels to create well-crafted pictures showing movement. These, and their carefully crafted landscapes, make very effective links with their work in geography. Wall hangings and papier-mache models show well-developed skills in three-dimensional work. Effective subject leadership ensures that pupils’ work is interesting and that adults are confident in their teaching.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. In design and technology , it was only possible to see one lesson during the course of the inspection. Judgements, therefore, are based on evidence from work around the school and the collection of pupils’ work. These indicate that pupils achieve well in all elements of design and technology and standards are above average by Years 2 and 6. Pupils across the school take much care over their finished products and evaluate them thoroughly. For example, older pupils have carefully explained how they would improve their medieval instruments such as lutes and harps. This work linked very effectively with their work in history and demonstrates their well- developed ability to make critical evaluations. It is clear that teachers build on pupils’ previous learning as they move through the school. For example, the early experimentations with joining materials to make moving fish in Years 1 and 2 develop

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

well as pupils increase their skills and techniques. The work presented shows that the school has improved pupils’ ability to evaluate, modify and improve their finished products. This is good improvement since the previous inspection. Hillcrest Primary School - 35

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Music

99. In music , whole school singing in assemblies is in line with national expectations. The enthusiastic subject leader ensures that pupils have good opportunities to experience and develop skills in a range of music. She plays different pieces before the whole school assembly each week to give pupils an appreciation of performance. For example, during the week of the inspection, she played a Bach prelude on the piano and, a few weeks earlier, had played a Japanese piece on the recorder. Pupils have good opportunities to broaden their musical experience in clubs, which are very well supported. These include recorders, guitars and choir. A few pupils are taking the opportunity to learn the violin. Pupils have good opportunities to experience performance in concerts and productions at Christmas and in the summer and the harvest assembly includes singing and instrumental work. The school regularly enters

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Music

the local music festival to give pupils experience of competitive music making. The recently appointed subject leader has plans to raise the profile of music in the school and is auditing resources for learning in preparation for this. She is aware of the possibility of linking music with other subjects, for example, dance, and is keen to build on existing good practice such as the music/information and communication technology project in Years 5 and 6.

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Physical education

100. In physical education , standards in swimming are above average because pupils have good opportunities to swim in Years 3 to 6. The recently appointed subject leader ensures that the National Curriculum is covered and the school benefits from a sports hall and very good playing field. Pupils also benefit from external coaching in a number of sports. There are opportunities for competitive games against other local schools and the school hosts other local schools for athletics meetings and other activities on its playing field. Pupils in Year 6 have opportunities to go on a residential week where they can experience outdoor and adventurous activities.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship (PSHEC) is good .

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• The newly appointed subject leader is enthusiastic and committed to ensuring high quality PSHEC provision. • The introduction of half-termly topics and their impact on PSHEC provision have yet to be fully evaluated. • Pupils are given very good opportunities to develop fully their personal and social skills, self-awareness and understanding of citizenship.

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COMMENTARY

101. Pupils’ standards in PHSEC are well above average throughout the school. The newly appointed subject leader has created a suitable action plan to develop PSHEC across the school. She has already monitored lesson plans to ensure that PSHEC is fully Hillcrest Primary School - 36 covered, and is beginning to reflect on simple methods to assess and record current standards.

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COMMENTARY

102. The school’s recent move to topic-based learning has altered the way in which PSHEC is taught in many classes. Some teachers have included PSHEC within their topic planning. For example, in a topic on worldwide weather, pupils have discussed the disasters caused by weather, ways to help disaster victims, and have empathised with the victims of disasters caused by weather and considered ways in which the emergency services could help disaster victims. However, this is not consistent across the school. As a result of these changes it is not fully clear how PSHEC is to be delivered across the school and how its effect on the personal development of pupils is to be monitored and evaluated. The school accepts that this is an area for development.

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COMMENTARY

103. Personal, social and health education and citizenship is seen as an integral part of the school’s work. Topics discussed in lessons support pupils’ personal development by enabling them to understand that others have views, which need to be valued and respected. For example, in a Year 3 PSHEC lesson on learning not to judge people by their appearances, pupils were able to reflect on their feelings and the feelings of others. Regular opportunities for whole-class discussions successfully promote pupils’ speaking and listening skills and help them to appreciate and respect the views of others. In a Year 5/6 design and technology lesson, for example, pupils confidently discussed their design ideas. Their opinions and views are valued and taken seriously so that they develop confidence and a positive self-image. The school council and many opportunities to take responsibilities around the school enable pupils to develop

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COMMENTARY

good citizenship skills. PHSEC includes sex education for older pupils in which they learn about body changes in puberty and the importance of relationships. Pupils are taught about the dangers of drugs and other substances and visits undertaken with the emergency services emphasise personal safety.

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COMMENTARY

104. PSHEC has contributed effectively to pupils’ very good personal development and remains a major focus for the school. Staff appreciate that how it is to be delivered within the newly developed curriculum has yet to be thoroughly thought through. Hillcrest Primary School - 37

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 2 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 1

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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