Hawley Primary School

Hawley Primary School

Dates of inspection: 29 th November to 1 st December 2004

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Hawley Primary School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Hawley Primary School 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 288

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hawley Road Blackwater Camberley Surrey Postcode: GU17 9BH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01276 31048 Fax number: 01276 33420

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body, Hawley Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Mary Bone

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Hawley Primary School is in a suburban location on the border of Hampshire and Surrey. The school is bigger than most other similar schools and there are 20 more girls than boys in the school. There is an over representation of girls particularly in Years 3 and 5. At the time of the inspection, 12 children attended the Foundation Stage part-time and 32 were full-time. All pupils in Years 1 to 6 are taught in classes with more than one age group. Most pupils are from the white British ethnic group. The most numerous of other ethnic groups are White and Mixed backgrounds. There are no pupils who use English as an additional language who are at an early stage of English language acquisition. There are 68 pupils on the school’s special educational needs (SEN) register which is broadly average. Three pupils have SEN statements. This is below average. Autism is the most common area of specific educational need. There have been significant changes in leadership and

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

in teaching staff recently. There have been five Headteachers in the last five years including three who have worked in an acting capacity. The current Headteacher was appointed in January 2003. Eight teachers have changed in the last two years. One teacher is on a temporary contract. Although there is some yearly variation, when they enter the school, most pupils are achieving standards that are average for their age. Hawley Primary School 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19227 Paul Missin Lead inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, history, geography. Pupils’ personal, social, health education and citizenship. 9588 Tony West Lay inspector 19142 Audrey Quinnell Team inspector Science, art and design, music. Children in the Foundation Stage. 16492 Bob Lever Team inspector English, design and technology religious education, physical education. Special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Phoenix Educational Consultants 37 Broadlands Avenue North Petherton Taunton Somerset TA6 6QS Tel: 01278 661516

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk).

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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. Hawley Primary School 4

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Hawley Primary School is a good school which has made good improvement since its last inspection and where procedures and systems are now in place for further improvements to be achieved. The Headteacher has led the school well through a period of significant staffing and leadership change. She has a very clear vision for the further development of the school. She is well supported by other senior staff. Teaching and learning are good across the school and this effective teaching and the good response of the pupils ensure that pupils achieve well. Standards in Year 6 are broadly average but these pupils, from a low starting point, have made good progress as they move through the school. The school is effective and provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The good teaching across the school enables pupils of all abilities and aptitudes to achieve well and make good progress in their learning. • The Headteacher’s leadership and management of the school are good and she has a very clear vision of the school’s continued development. • The good attitudes and behaviour of the pupils and the good relationships encourage pupils to learn well and provide a strong sense of community within the school. • This is a very caring school where the safety and well-being of pupils is a high priority. • The very good provision for children in the Foundation Stage enables them to achieve well and make good progress in all areas of learning. • Pupils in Year 2 are reaching standards in their reading, writing, speaking and listening that are above those expected for their age. • Opportunities for writing longer pieces of work in English and subjects across the curriculum and

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OVERALL EVALUATION

for recording work in mathematics, particularly in Years 1 and 2, are not sufficiently taken. • Pupils are not made sufficiently aware of our own multicultural society.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made good overall improvement since the last inspection. The weaknesses that had been identified in curriculum planning and in the collection and use of assessment data have been addressed well. Despite the significant changes in personnel, strengths in the leadership of the school have been maintained and the proportion of good, effective teaching has been increased. The standards attained, particularly in Years 3 to 6 are lower than they were in 1999. However, the good progress that most pupils make that was also a feature of the previous inspection, has been maintained.

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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 English B B B A mathematics A C C C science A C D D 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

In Year 6 in 2004, when comparisons were made with all schools, standards were above average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. The current Year 6 group are reaching average standards overall in all subjects that were inspected. Standards in pupils’ reading and their speaking and listening are above average. Pupils’ achievement is good from a below average level when they were seven. Pupils have made very good progress since the tests when they were seven. In Year 2, achievement is also good and standards are above average in reading and writing and in dance and average in mathematics and science and other areas. Higher Hawley Primary School 6 standards in reading and writing are the results of good, effective teaching and the result of planned initiatives in literacy. Children in the Foundation Stage also achieve well and reach standards in their personal, social and emotional development that are well above those expected for their age and

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

above average standards in all other areas of learning. Achievement is good across the school.

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

good. Pupils show an interest in their lessons and they behave well in class and around the school. The relationships in the school are good. Pupils are made aware of their own cultural traditions but are not sufficiently aware of the lifestyle and impact of other multi-ethnic groups. The attendance rate is higher than the national median.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. The quality of teaching and learning

is good. Strengths in teaching are the positive way that pupils are managed and the interesting and challenging approaches adopted by teachers. This helps to motivate pupils and improve their learning. Assessment procedures are good in Years 1 to 6 and very good in the Foundation Stage. The good curriculum successfully promotes the academic and personal development of all pupils. The curriculum is enhanced well by a good range of clubs and visits. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. Care and welfare procedures are good as are the school’s partnership with parents and the links with other schools and the local community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The Headteacher has led the school well through a period of significant change and she has a very clear vision for the school’s continuing development. She is well supported by other senior staff. The management of provision in the Foundation Stage is very good. Governance is satisfactory. Individual governors use their interests and expertise well to support the school. Governors are meeting all of their statutory duties.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents thought that the teaching in the school was good and that teachers expected pupils to work hard. Most pupils thought that they find out new things in lessons and that teachers help when they are stuck.

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IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

The most important things the school needs to do to improve are:

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IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

• Ensure that pupils across the school have greater opportunity to apply their writing skills in other curriculum areas and ensure that pupils’ recording skills in mathematics in Years 1 and 2 are further developed.

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IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

• Make pupils more aware of the culture and lifestyle of the other ethnic groups that make up our own multicultural society. Hawley Primary School 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement across the school is consistently good. Children in the Foundation Stage and pupils in Years 1 and 2 in all aspects of their literacy work, attain standards overall that exceed those expected for their age. All other pupils attain average standards in all inspected subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils, including those with SEN and the higher attainers, achieve well and make good progress in their learning. • Children in the Foundation Stage reach standards that are above average in most areas of learning. • In Years 1 and 2, pupils attain standards in reading, writing and speaking and listening and in the dance element of physical education that are above those expected for their age. • By Year 6, pupils reach standards in their reading and speaking and listening that are above average for their age. • Pupils with SEN make good progress in meeting their own learning targets. • Since 2002 standards in Year 6, particularly in mathematics and science, have been dropping but this trend has now been successfully reversed. • The application of pupils’ writing and recording skills is not sufficiently developed.

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Commentary

1. Several factors affect the analysis and interpretation of test data at this school. The current socio-economic profile of the school is not accurately reflected in the free school meals proportion. Similar school comparisons should be treated cautiously. Data also show that the proportion of pupils with SEN has been increasing since 1999. Although it is currently average overall, the proportion of pupils with SEN is above average in most of the younger year groups in the school. This affects each group’s capacity to reach national standards in the respective tests.

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Commentary

2. Children in the Foundation Stage reach standards that are above those expected for their age in all areas of learning except in their personal, social and emotional development where standards are well above average. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection when standards were average in all areas of learning but where listening skills were not well developed. This good progress in children’s learning is achieved as a result of the very carefully planned provision which is well taught by teachers and supported effectively by learning support assistants.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.3 (16.3) 15.8 (15.7)

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Commentary

There were 45 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. In the 2004 national tests for seven-year-olds, standards in writing were above the average of all schools and standards in reading and mathematics were below average. Trends in results since 2000 have shown that standards in writing have been rising but results in reading and mathematics have dropped into 2004. Standards in writing are higher because of the successful focus given to this aspect and the good teaching the pupils receive. The findings of this inspection are that standards in Year 2 are above average in reading, writing and speaking and listening. Standards are also above average in the dance element of physical education (PE). Standards are average in Hawley Primary School 8 all other subjects where inspection judgements can be made. Since the last inspection, standards have improved in English, remained the same in RE but have dropped in all other inspected subjects.

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Commentary

4. In the 2004 tests for eleven-year-olds, when compared with all schools, standards in English were above average, average in mathematics and below average in science. When compared with similar schools, based on pupils who performed similarly in Year 2, standards were well above average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. Trends in the results of recent national tests in Year 6 have shown a steady decline. This is largely explained by significant staffing changes and the changes in school leadership. However, this tend has been reversed and standards in Year 6 are improving. The findings of this inspection are that standards are above average in reading and speaking and listening and average in writing and average in all other inspected subjects. This represents a drop since the last inspection in all subjects except RE and PE where standards have been maintained.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.9 (27.6) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 27.1 (27.4) 27.0 (26.8) science 27.9 (28.6) 28.6 (28.6) There were 45 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5. The application of pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum is too variable. Some aspects are developed well. Teachers find innovative ways to successfully promote pupils’ speaking and listening skills through a good range of different opportunities. However, writing and recording skills are not as well developed, especially through RE and in mathematics in Years 1 and 2.

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Commentary

6. Across the school, all pupils achieve well and make good progress in their learning. This confirms the view of most parents. There is no significant difference between the achievement of boys and girls. Most children are still attaining average standards when they enter the school, although analysis of LEA entry to school data shows that the school’s ranking in all county schools has dropped since 1999. The current Reception group makes good progress to reach above average standards by the end of the Reception Year. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, from a lower level when they entered the school, make progress to achieve average standards by the end of year 2. Pupils in Year 6 have made good progress from the below average standards which most were attaining in the national tests when they were seven. Pupils’ good achievement is the result of the initiatives introduced by the new Headteacher, such as the emphasis on phonics work and the

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Commentary

impact of grouping pupils by ability in mathematics and the setting of achievement targets for pupils. Other successful initiative include the greater emphasis on practical activities in mathematics and science and teachers’ growing confidence and expertise in using the new ICT resources. Pupils with SEN make good progress against specific targets and goals. They do well when receiving extra support and teaching appropriately matched to their needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes toward their school are good and are strengths of the school. Their attendance and punctuality are good. Their personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Relationships are good overall between pupils and adults.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils want to come to school. Their attendance is good and most arrive punctually for the start of school. • Pupils’ attitudes and their behaviour in class and around the school are good overall but in the Hawley Primary School 9 Foundation Stage they are very good. However, a small number of pupils, particularly in Years 5 and 6 can present challenging behaviour and lose concentration. • The school is a calm and orderly place. • Pupils' personal development is good. • Pupils are not sufficiently aware of the impact of living in multicultural Britain.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.3 School data 0.1 National data 5.1 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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Attendance

7. Pupils want to come to school and as a result attendance is good. This is similar to the previous inspection. Attendance and punctuality are monitored well by the school and with the support of parents, attendance has risen to above the national median. Unauthorised absences in the reporting period were broadly in line with the national median.

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Attendance

8. Behaviour in the Foundation Stage is very good and in the rest of the school it is good. The school is a well ordered and happy place. In their questionnaires and in discussions, parents and pupils confirmed that behaviour is good. Parents expressed some concerns in their written comments about bullying, but the inspection did not find this to be a significant issue. Pupils responded that they were free from any form of harassment. The school has a happy atmosphere and pupils are responsive to members of staff. The school has introduced new behaviour arrangements with rewards and sanctions that are consistently applied throughout the school. There is a wide range of incentives that include working towards ‘Golden Time’ and specially rewarded pupils sitting at a special table in the dining hall on Friday. Parents confirm that behaviour has improved as a result.

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Attendance

9. Children in the Foundation Stage have very positive attitudes. For the rest of the pupils, attitudes are judged to be good. Amongst some older pupils, there is minority who are challenging in lessons and some who easily lose concentration and application to the task in hand. Relationships are good, the staff set very good examples for the pupils and pupils and adults form constructive relationships. Pupils of all ages work and play together harmoniously and pupils work and play well in a variety of differing group situations.

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Attendance

10. Pupils’ personal development is promoted well. Pupils willingly accept opportunities to take responsibility and they are happy to contribute to the running of the school. For example, they help as monitors, act as buddies, set class rules and have commented on how they would like to improve the school, individually and through the school council. Older pupils support new members of the school and enjoy the experience. Pupils with SEN are integrated well in all class activities and the social skills group is helping to provide support and encouragement for pupils who sometimes find social integration difficult.

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Attendance

11. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. They have an enriched experience through assemblies, religious education (RE), a range of extracurricular activities that include residential and other visits and visitors into school. Their social and moral guidance is enhanced through their involvement with the school council elections and subsequent activities. Pupils collect for a wide range of charities including local and national organisations. Pupils are encouraged and praised, as a result they have high levels of self- esteem and self worth. Their awareness of their own culture is good, but the school acknowledges that they are not sufficiently aware of life in multicultural Britain. Hawley Primary School 10 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 226 0 0 White – any other White background 11 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Black or Black British – African 1 0 0 Chinese 3 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good across the school and assessment procedures, which are based on the new pupil tracking system, are good. The curriculum is broad and balanced and is planned well on a two year rolling programme. Care and welfare procedures are very good and the school has developed good links with its parents and the local community. The ethos of the school is very strong.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good across the school. Assessment procedures are very good in the Foundation Stage and good in Years 1 to 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers enliven their lessons by interesting and innovative approaches. • Pupils are encouraged and supported by effective classroom management procedures. • Teachers consistently share the focus of learning with the pupils at the beginning of the lesson. This ensures that pupils know clearly what they are expected to learn. • Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and for pupils with SEN are good. • Occasionally pupils are not committed fully to their learning and lessons do not begin smoothly.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

12. Teaching across all phases of the school is good. The strongest teaching is in the Foundation Stage where the proportion of very good teaching is highest. Strengths in teaching have been maintained well since the last inspection when teaching was also judged to have been good. This has been achieved despite several very recent changes in staff. Since 1999 the small proportion of unsatisfactory teaching has remained but the proportion of very good, effective teaching has been increased. Most parents thought that the teaching in the school was good and that teachers Hawley Primary School 11 expected pupils to work hard. Most pupils thought that they find out new things in lessons and that teachers help when they are stuck.

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Commentary

13. Strengths in teaching are the positive way in which pupils are managed and the interesting and challenging activities and approaches adopted by teachers. Teachers introduce their lessons clearly and make their expectations known. In most lessons, the particular learning focus is clearly displayed and shared with the pupils. Lessons are mostly delivered at a brisk pace which helps to maintain pupils’ interest. Pupils are motivated well by the appropriate use of praise and encouragement. Several examples of innovative approaches during the inspection brought lessons to life well. The use of the new interactive whiteboards helps to enliven teachers’ presentations and specialist teaching in music and the use of visitors from the community in RE help to widen pupils’ experiences. Most teachers show good confident subject knowledge as they teach basic literacy and numeracy skills. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, and weaknesses in other lessons, pupils do

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Commentary

not follow teachers’ instructions and are not fully committed to their learning. Teachers do not insist on pupils’ full attention before explaining tasks and new work to them. Occasionally the start to lessons is disrupted by pupils who are slow to get to class or to the appropriate teaching group.

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Commentary

14. Several further features of very effective teaching were seen in a numeracy lesson to pupils in Year 5/6. The lesson, which was on addition and subtraction of numbers to two decimal places, was well planned and taught at a good pace. Activities were well explained and introduced clearly and pupils were managed well by a combination of firmness and good humour. This ensured that they understood clearly what was expected of them and were committed well to their own learning. The teacher used questioning skilfully to assess and extend pupils’ learning. A strong feature was the way in which the teacher used previous assessment of pupils’ work to target questions and activities precisely where they were needed. Pupils were encouraged to explain the mathematical process they were using and most had fun using large dice to generate decimal numbers in the counting activity. As a result of this effective teaching, pupils’ understanding and appreciation of

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Commentary

15. The teaching of pupils with SEN is good. Teachers use appropriate methods, which enable pupils identified to learn effectively. Teachers write the targets for pupils’ individual learning plans and match work in lessons to their needs. Teaching Assistants (TA’s) provide effective support, which helps pupils to achieve well in learning basic skills. Assessment arrangements for pupils with SEN are effective and records are thorough and well maintained. The school uses assessment data from teachers and from a range of tests to inform target-setting procedures in individual education plans. Assessments made on entry to school enable early identification of pupils needing extra support.

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Commentary

16. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good for children in the Foundation Stage. The teachers and learning support assistants form a very effective team. Together they create a caring learning environment where the children feel safe and secure. This enables these young children to get off to a flying start with their learning. Good planning and teaching methods enable the children to make good progress. This enables most children to achieve above the expected standards for their age by the end of their Reception Year. The teachers have a good understanding of how young children learn and they provide a very good curriculum for children in their Reception Year. Assessment procedures are very good and the information gained from the assessments is used well to ensure that the curriculum is adapted to the diverse needs of the children.

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Commentary

17. Assessment procedures are good. At the time of the last inspection the collection and use of assessment data were judged to have been satisfactory. Effective whole staff in-service training has been organised on assessment and now procedures in reading, writing and mathematics are consistent across the school. Assessment information is collected according to an agreed whole school timetable. The results of national tests are carefully analysed and remedial action taken where appropriate. Data are used well. Assessment information in reading, writing and mathematics is used to set learning targets for pupils. Targets are shared with pupils and their parents. The pupil tracking procedure has only been recently introduced. Information from the analysis of assessment data is used to identify which pupils will benefit most from the targeted Hawley Primary School 12 teaching in basic literacy and numeracy skills which is provided. Assessment procedures in

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Commentary

subjects other than literacy and numeracy are less well developed. Class teachers maintain well organised assessment files and data are up to date and used well to inform further planning. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work, particularly in English and mathematics, is thorough and shows pupils how they might improve their work.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good overall and very good in the Foundation Stage. There are good opportunities for enrichment, including extracurricular provision. The quality and quantity of accommodation and resources at the school are satisfactory overall and adequately meet the needs of the curriculum.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Schemes of work are now in place for all subjects. • There are good opportunities to extend the curriculum in a range of clubs and visits. • The curriculum for the youngest children provides them with a good start to their education. • Provision for pupils with SEN is good.

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Commentary

18. The curriculum is now appropriately planned to include the full range of subjects and ensure work builds on previous learning and becomes more demanding. All subjects now have schemes of work and time allocations are appropriate. This has successfully rectified a weakness identified at the last inspection. Work is now matched to pupils’ needs and all pupils are challenged to achieve higher levels. The whole curriculum is planned on a two-year cycle and opportunities for links between subjects have been identified. Visiting music teachers supplement the curriculum and French is taught in Year 3/4 as a new initiative. A skilled teaching assistant supports the teaching of art across the school.

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Commentary

19. Opportunities for sporting activities are good and are well attended. The school offers clubs and teams for football, netball and tag rugby. There are also clubs for music, dancing and chess. A popular choir sings in the community at a range of venues. A good range of visits and visitors enriches the curriculum. These support most areas of the curriculum. There are visits to the theatre and the Pantomime and theatre groups visit the school. Year 6 are planning a Residential visit to the New Forest for a range of activities and Year 5 to the Isle of Wight.

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Commentary

20. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. Many of the different areas of the curriculum are interwoven extremely well, combining challenge with reinforcement, which enables each child to make good progress. There is a consistent approach to the planning for both classes, which ensures that every child is able to share the same experiences. The curriculum is challenging yet addresses the needs of each child, so that every child can learn to the best of their ability.

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Commentary

21. The provision for pupils with SEN is good. The curriculum is appropriately organised for those identified with SEN and no pupils are disapplied from the National Curriculum. The teaching assistants are experienced and receive training within and outside school. The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) gives valuable support to groups and individuals experiencing difficulties. The SEN rooms are cramped but the pending refurbishment will alleviate this. The building could easily enable disabled access and there are disabled toilet facilities.

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Care, guidance and support

The provisions for pupils' care, welfare, health and safety and pupils’ involvement through seeking and acting on their views are all very good. Provision for their support, advice and guidance is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Hawley Primary School 13 • Child protection, health and safety, welfare arrangements for pupils are very well organised throughout the school. • Members of staff know the pupils and their needs very well • Induction arrangements for children in the Foundation Stage are very good and the transfers of key stage pupils through and out of the school are good. • Pupils are involved well in important aspects of the life of the school.

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Commentary

22. Strengths in the welfare provision for pupils have been maintained well since the last inspection. The previous inspection judged that this was a caring school. This is still the case. The Headteacher and staff have received up-to-date training in child protection measures and enjoy very good links with all the support agencies. Care and welfare arrangements are managed very well. The school cares very well for pupils who may be ill, injured or distressed. Health and safety arrangements are very well organised and there are high levels of commitment and expertise evident within the school. Health and safety issues are included within the school’s development planning and the school ensures that before significant changes are made, potential risks are assessed. Assessments and all appropriate safety checks and tests are undertaken on an on- going basis and pupils confirm that they feel safe in the school. The newly introduced induction

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Commentary

arrangements for pupils into the Foundation Stage are very good. They include home visits, a new parents’ booklet and a partnering of Reception children and Year 6 pupils. These are supported well by the school's good relationships and liaison with pre-schools when children are invited into school on visits before they start.

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Commentary

23. The support and guidance of pupils are well organised and effective. This is based on good assessment systems and the knowledge and understanding that members of staff have of pupils at the school. Detailed records on each pupil are maintained. Staff regularly meet to discuss individual pupils’ needs and if necessary, contact parents or carers to discuss any concerns. Younger pupils are supported very well by older pupils, through the school’s mentoring scheme and all pupils are encouraged to speak to an adult or use the ‘buddy’ scheme if they are in need of any comfort. Pupils have good and trusting relationships with adults. Teachers and support staff know pupils and their individual needs very well. Members of staff are caring and supportive and the good relationships in the school enable staff to support and nurture pupils well.

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Commentary

24. Pupils of all ages are involved very well in the work and management of the school through the school council. They are able to make suggestions for improvement and the school actively pursues their ideas. They are involved in setting classroom rules. They have a good understanding of their learning targets which enables them to comment on their progress and means of improvement. In their questionnaire, most pupils had positive views of the school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Good links are made with parents, the community and with other schools. Parents receive good information about the school and on their children's progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents feel that they get good information and that there is an open door policy. • Links with the church and community representatives are good • The school has good links with pre-schools, play groups and secondary schools.

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Commentary

25. Parents think highly of the school and support the school well. Parents have their views regularly sought by the school through the use of questionnaires and they feel that the school is an ‘open’ institution. Consultation with parents has influenced the way that the school operates. For example, the school has modified the format of end of year reports following comments from some Hawley Primary School 14 parents. The quality of information on pupils' progress in their annual reports is good and this includes suggestions as to how pupils can improve. Pupils and parents are able to comment on and contribute to these reports. Parents confirm that they are well informed about pupils’ progress when they attend the twice yearly meetings with staff.

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Commentary

26. The information provided for parents is good. They appreciate the weekly newsletters and the quality of information about school activities. Parents of children in the Foundation Stage are invited to attend social events before joining the school. Most prospective pupils are visited at home and parents are provided with plenty of information that includes ‘Working at Home’ books that are greatly appreciated.

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Commentary

27. The school is well supported by the School Association that raises funds and organises social events. Parents are encouraged to help in school by listening to pupils read, helping with sporting fixtures, visits out of school, accompanying swimming sessions and by working on a variety of improvement projects. Parents support pupils' learning at home satisfactorily, although some do not always support homework provision. Parents are very happy with the systems of communication in place and are well aware of school activities. Parents have agreed the complaints procedure and they confirm that arrangements to deal with any complaint or concern are good. The SHARE family learning scheme, which provides structured materials to enable parents to work more productively with pupils at home, will begin next term.

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Commentary

28. Links with local churches are strong and the school is supported well by the vicar taking assemblies and working with the children. Members of other churches visit the school and talk to the children on themes such as belonging. The local police liaison officer and other emergency services support the school well. Representatives from sports associations visit the school and provide coaching and training for pupils. Every term the school organises performances by the pupils using either the school or the local church. These events are very well attended by parents and greatly appreciated.

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Commentary

29. Links with feeder pre-schools, local secondary schools and the cluster group of schools are also good. The school has good links with the several feeder pre-schools and playgroups. The three secondary schools that receive pupils from the school have arranged visits by pupils and ‘Master Classes’, which support more able pupils, are organised in subjects such as science and dance. SEN teachers exchange information on pupils’ needs prior to transfer to the receiving schools.

p.14

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good as they were at the time of the last inspection. The leadership of the Headteacher and other key staff is good. Governance of the school is satisfactory.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The Headteacher provides the school with strong leadership and a clear vision for its future development. • Management procedures are clear and well understood and enable other staff to be involved well in decision making processes. • School improvement planning is central to the school’s work. • The school’s finances are managed effectively. • The management of provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good.

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Commentary

30. The Headteacher’s leadership of the school is good. She has successfully steered the school through a time of significant change in teaching staff and senior leadership. Before she was appointed in January 2003 there had been a succession of permanent and acting Headteachers in post. This made it more difficult for the continuity of school improvement to be maintained. There Hawley Primary School 15 has also been a significant change of staff in the last two years. Eight full time equivalent teachers have changed in the last two years. A new Deputy Headteacher and one year group leader were only appointed from the beginning of the current term. The effect of these changes has been minimised by the good management procedures which have been established and through the strong visionary leadership of the Headteacher. She has a very clear vision for the school’s improvement and this underpins all developmental work. An example of this is the way that the

p.14

Commentary

school’s mission statement is clearly located at the beginning of the co-ordinator’s work files.

p.15

Commentary

31. The management of the school is also good. There are clear and effective lines of communication in the school. The roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team and the separate year group leaders are well defined. This management structure is effective in ensuring that school issues are discussed well, acted upon and the effects monitored, but also in empowering other staff. Staff feel valued, listened to and involved in the decision making process. Performance Management procedures are sound. They still require further embedding following the very recent changes in staffing. School improvement planning is effective and through the work of the leadership team, year group teams and full staff meetings it is placed securely at the heart of the school’s work.

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Commentary

32. The current judgements about the strength of leadership and management confirm most parents’ positive views. Most thought that the school was led and managed well and were comfortable about approaching the school. All round strengths have been maintained well since the last inspection despite significant changes in personnel.

p.15

Commentary

33. Governance is satisfactory. The governing body has also been through a time of change and several governors are new to their roles. Several individual governors use their interest and expertise well in support of the school. Useful work is done through the several active committees. Those responsible for premises and personnel are particularly effective. However, a relative weakness is that the overall discussions and judgements about school effectiveness and the implementation of the school improvement plan are not followed through with sufficient rigour in the governors’ main meetings.

p.15

Commentary

34. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator provides very good leadership and manages the department very well. She has a very good understanding of how young children learn and is a very good model for other members of staff. She has a clear vision for the department and has created a very caring, effective team.

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Commentary

35. The management of SEN provision is good. There are accurate records of pupils’ progress and the SENCO keeps the required documentation in good order. She does not have a class so she can be involved in the teaching and gives good support to colleagues.

p.15

Commentary

36. Financial management is good. The net effect of the recent changes in Headship and the unexpected allocation of school improvement funds have meant that the school has had a higher than average rollover. It is still currently well above the recommended level, but the Headteacher has already prioritised further spending on supporting initiatives to raise standards particularly in literacy and numeracy and for funding the implementation of the workload agreement with teachers. The contingency is above average because the school is planning for a fall in numbers and for a major building programme planned for the following financial year. The process of drafting and monitoring spending is managed well by an efficient administrative officer.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 830,310 Balance from previous year 88,252 Total expenditure 812,294 Balance carried forward to the next 106,268 Expenditure per pupil 2,603 Hawley Primary School 16

p.15

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good .

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

37. Children are admitted to school in September in the year in which they become five. Children attend part-time and are gradually integrated into full-time attendance by the start of the spring term. There are currently 45 children in the Reception Year, who are taught in two classes. Induction procedures are very good and this means that the children quickly settle into the school routines. Overall, their attainment on entry is average. By the end of the Reception Year, most children are likely to achieve above the standards expected for their age in all areas of learning except in their personal, social and emotional development where standards are well above average. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good, which enables the children to achieve well.

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

38. The curriculum is very good, which meets the diverse needs of the children well. There is a very good balance between focused teaching and many opportunities for independent learning, which extends the children’s learning very well. There are two indoor classrooms, which have a good range of equipment and provide an appropriate environment for children to learn. Attractive displays of the children’s work celebrate their achievement. The indoor and outside areas are used well, although access to the outside area is not easily achieved. However, the teachers ensure that the children are able to choose outside activities with appropriate adult supervision.

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. Very good progress has been made in this area since the last inspection. At that time standards were broadly average and children were making satisfactory progress. Now standards are above and well above average and children are making good progress in their learning. In 1999 there were weaknesses in the teaching of listening skills and there were insufficient free-choice activities provided. These shortcomings have been addressed well.

p.16

Personal, social and emotional development

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

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children are happy in school. • Relationships between adults and children are very good. • Very good teaching and learning enable the children to make very good progress. • The curriculum is matched well to the needs of the children.

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Commentary

40. By the end of the Reception Year, most children are likely to achieve standards in their personal, social and emotional development that are well above those expected for children of this age. Teaching and learning are very good, as many opportunities are provided for the children to take part in their own initiated activities combined with times of focused teaching. The children are happy to come to school and work and play enthusiastically with each other. Relationships between adults and children are very good, which helps to promote the children’s self-esteem and confidence. Overall, the children are very well behaved and respond quickly when asked to stop their activities and be ready to listen. Although the large wheeled toys and clambering equipment are not easily accessible, the teachers ensure that the children are able to use these on a regular basis. The children learn to share and take turns well, which greatly enhances their learning.

p.16

Communication, language and literacy development

Hawley Primary School 17 Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Communication, language and literacy skills are good. • Children make good progress from their average starting point. • The children have good speaking and listening skills and writing skills are developing well. • Teaching and learning are good.

p.17

Commentary

41. Children make good progress in developing new skills in their communication, language and literacy development as a result of the good, effective teaching they receive. On entry to school, most children are confident speakers and their listening skills are good. Sometimes a teaching assistant takes part in the role-play area, which provides the children with good opportunities to listen to others and to extend their vocabulary. Big Books, such as the story of The Gingerbread Man, are used well to extend the children’s knowledge of story structure. Good links are made between these stories and with other areas of the curriculum to reinforce the children’s learning. They enjoy listening to stories and most know about books and how to use them. Most are at the early stages of reading. Although some can read very simple texts, most use picture clues and memorise the text. They regularly take books home to share with their parents. Teachers and

p.17

Commentary

parents are able to liaise well about the children’s reading development through the very good home-school contact books.

p.17

Commentary

42. The children are provided with many good opportunities to write within their own initiated play and for writing within the lessons. Many children write initial letters or parts of known words for their own writing. They are praised for their efforts and this gives them confidence to write. This is good practise. As the children speak, the teachers often write the words for them to see, which strengthens the children’s understanding of the links between speech and writing. This is a very good way of extending the children’s learning of how to write.

p.17

Mathematical development

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching and learning is good and children reach above average standards. • Teachers provide good practical experiences for the children.

p.17

Commentary

43. Children are provided with many practical activities, which enable them to make good progress and achieve well. In a good lesson observed during the inspection, the children were asked to look carefully at wooden gingerbread men to compare them and to find similarities, such as the same number of buttons or the same shaped mouth. The children’s close observational skills were extended well. They made good progress and their mathematical understanding was extended well. The children enjoyed using the mathematical term ‘the same as’, which enhanced their mathematical vocabulary. They enjoy singing and acting out number rhymes, such as ‘Ten little Gingerbread Men’ , to the tune of ‘Ten Green Bottles’. The children are learning early addition and subtraction skills through many practical experiences. For example, they sort farm animals into sets and count how many in each set. They respond well to challenging questions such as, ‘ How

p.17

Commentary

many black horses are there? How many will there be if you add one more? How many are there if you take one away? The children also enjoyed helping to count the number of spoonfuls for each ingredient when there was whole class teaching of how to make a large Gingerbread Man. Hawley Primary School 18

p.17

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good and children reach above average standards. • Visits to places of interest provide children with first-hand experiences.

p.18

Commentary

44. First-hand experiences, such as their autumn walk in Hawley Green, engage children’s interest very well. This extends their learning well both of the changes occurring between summer and autumn and about the local area. The follow up work to such visits reinforces the children’s learning well. Further visits are planned for the children to go to Bird World to see young animals and to the Watercress Line where they will see steam trains, which will extend their learning of a different type of transport. They enjoy using construction toys to make models. Good practical activities enhance their learning well, such as how the soft gingerbread mixture was changed into a solid state when it was cooked. Through good use of open-ended questioning by the teachers, the children could compare this well with their own pretend cooking of play dough Gingerbread Men during role-play. When the cook told the children that the Gingerbread Man had run away, the

p.18

Commentary

children explored the school to try to find him, which improved their learning well of their immediate environment. They were eagerly looking forward to making and decorating their own Gingerbread Men later in the week. Children are learning about the use of their senses through good first-hand experiences, such as smelling several different spices and attempting to explain what they smell like. The teaching and learning of early ICT skills are very good. The children’s hand control of the mouse was greatly enhanced when they were very well taught to click, drag and drop in order to decorate a Gingerbread house on their laptops.

p.18

Physical development

Provision for physical development is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good. • Children reach above average standards in this area of learning.

p.18

Commentary

45. Children are given many opportunities to improve their fine hand control by rolling out play dough and cutting and sticking, which helps to improve their pencil control. The teachers ensure that the children have many opportunities to use the outside area by providing a teaching assistant to be outside for various activities. The children have good control when using the large wheeled toys for outdoor play. This extends both their physical and personal and social development. During physical development lessons, the children are able to undress and dress themselves with very little adult help with buttons and zips. Most have good control of their bodies and are learning to use the space around them. However, a few still like to bunch together in the hall and are still developing their appreciation of space.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good. • Some artwork on display was colourful and imaginative. Hawley Primary School 19

p.18

Commentary

46. Most children reach above average standards in this area of learning. When playing in the role- play area, the children’s imaginative play is stimulated and their vocabulary is extended well especially when an adult takes part with them. This was seen during the inspection when children were bakers in the bakery making Gingerbread Men. Children have made spider masks and used glue and glitter to make spiders’ webs as part of their work learning about spiders in conjunction with the nursery rhyme ‘Little Miss Muffet’. They have used natural autumn materials, such as leaves and cones, to create their very own interesting images of autumn. The use of blow painting and finger painting was used well to create the effect of waving branches and falling leaves on their autumn trees. Many of their drawings are in line with expectations for their age, and some of their paintings are colourful and imaginative.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in speaking and listening are above average across all subjects. • Pupils in Years 1 and 2 reach standards in their reading and writing that are above average for their age. • Teachers manage lessons well and pupils show good attitudes. • Marking is good and informs pupils how to improve. • There are missed opportunities for pupils to extend their writing in other subjects.

p.20

Commentary

47. Standards found in Year 2 in reading and writing are above the national expectation. This is above the findings of the previous inspection. It shows that the falling trend in reading has been reversed and that the above average standards in writing have been maintained. The good improvement in reading is a result of the introduction of systematic phonics teaching and well- structured guided reading lessons. Standards in Year 6 are judged to be above average in reading and average in writing and average for English overall. Although this is slightly lower than last year's test results, achievement is still good as there is a larger number of pupils with SEN and they left Year 2 at a below average level. Pupils of all abilities, including those with SEN and EAL achieve well and make good progress in their learning.

p.20

Commentary

48. Across the school standards of speaking and listening remain above average. Pupils listen well and are confident speakers in a range of settings across all subjects. Teachers give good opportunities for speaking and use a range of strategies. Paired discussion is encouraged in all classes and pupils are given good opportunities to extend their vocabulary and speak for a variety of purposes. In Year1/2 classes pupils listened attentively to visitors from the church and confidently asked prepared questions.

p.20

Commentary

49. Reading standards are above average across the school. There are regular group reading sessions and all pupils are expected to read at home. Regular practice leads to good progress and achievement. The Reading Records show pupils change their books regularly and their success is conscientiously annotated.

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Commentary

50. In all subjects teachers are aware of the need to extend subject specific vocabulary and use it in both their speaking and writing. Pupils make good progress, use more imaginative language and show increased accuracy as they go through the school. In a Year 5/6 lesson pupils followed up a video introduction by Michael Rosen. They looked closely at the use of similes as a powerful poetic device and followed the framework of a poem by Roger McGough to practise their use. One girl showed real confidence as she finished her poem with: “The writer of this poem is better than the best”

p.20

Commentary

50. The quality of teaching and learning is good as it was at the previous inspection. Teachers manage lessons well and insist on good behaviour. Children are attentive and concentrate well on their tasks. They enjoy their work and behave well. Marking of work is good. It encourages children and tells them what they need to do to improve and relates well to the clear learning objectives. Teaching assistants provide effective support, which helps SEN pupils to achieve in line with their peers in learning basic skills. Assessment clearly shows where pupils are at, informs the setting of targets and tracks their progress.

p.20

Commentary

51. The subject is well managed by a newly appointed co-ordinator. He monitors planning and pupils’ work and has begun to watch lessons and give feedback to teachers. The use of computers Hawley Primary School 21 is developing soundly. There are examples of word-processed work and multimedia presentations. Video is used to introduce writers and poets.

p.20

Language and Literacy across the curriculum

52. Opportunities to develop literacy across the curriculum are variable. Good opportunities to develop speaking and listening are evident in most subjects. Teachers give time for talking to partners and group discussions. Pupils extend their technical vocabulary in science and ICT. In PE they listen carefully and follow instructions sensibly. In science, children write up their findings from investigations clearly but opportunities are missed to fully extend pupils' writing in other subjects, such as RE. Here written work is limited, particularly for the oldest pupils. Pictures and short captions do not stretch their writing skills for a range of purposes.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make good progress and achieve well. • Insufficient attention is given to the importance of the systematic recording of pupils’ work, particularly in Years 1 and 2. • Teachers devise practical activities wherever possible and ensure that pupils understand the purpose of the mathematics they are using. • Provision is enhanced well by the use of several well managed support groups.

p.21

Commentary

53. Pupils in Year 6 reach average standards. At the last inspection standards were judged to have been above average. The current inspection judgement is in line with the school’s most recent prediction of the likely results in the 2005 tests and is also similar to the results attained in the 2004 tests. Recent trends show that although there was a rise to above average standards in 2002, standards have been mostly average since then. Pupils in Year 2 also reach average standards. At the last inspection standards here were also judged to have been above average. The current findings are an improvement since the 2004 tests and are higher than the results achieved in the national tests completed in recent years.

p.21

Commentary

54. Pupils in Year 6 achieve well. They are attaining average standards but this represents good improvement from the below average standards that the group reached in the national tests when they were seven. The needs of all pupils are met well and good opportunity is provided for more able pupils to achieve the higher Level 5 work. For example, pupils’ work with calculators and fraction/decimal equivalents took them into work which was above that expected for their age. Other pupils work appropriately with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and have experience of other aspects of the subject. For example, they use data in graphs to show the results that members of the class achieved in their mental arithmetic tests. Others work out mathematical problems written in word form. A relative weakness here is that pupils’ drawing of shapes in geometry is not always sufficiently accurate.

p.21

Commentary

55. Pupils in Year 2 achieve satisfactorily overall. They make good progress in their understanding of mathematical concepts and their ability to talk about what they know. A weakness is that they do not have sufficient practice in recording their work. Not enough work is recorded systematically to provide pupils with the necessary skill and experience to deal successfully with this important aspect of the subject. Pupils are introduced appropriately to numbers and have good opportunity to investigate number patterns with totals up to 20 and to look at coin values up to £2-00. Other pupils measure different parts of the body such as arm length and hand-span using standard measures and draw and name some common two-dimensional shapes.

p.21

Commentary

56. Across the school, there are several other factors which are successfully helping to improve Hawley Primary School 22 pupils’ achievement and raise standards in this subject. Mathematics has been a main school development focus recently and the school has introduced some inventive and effective ways of supporting individual pupils. The setting by ability in Years 3 to 6 helps to narrow the focus of teachers’ work and enables support to be well targeted. Support staff and temporary teachers are used well to provide support for groups, including those who are more able. This is helping to raise standards. Across the school, pupils’ oral work is developed well. Pupils are given good opportunity to talk about what they know and to explain the processes they are using, to their partners and to the whole class. This supports their learning well.

p.21

Commentary

57. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. At the last inspection, teaching was good across the school. Where teaching is strongest, particularly in Years 3 to 6, teachers show good subject knowledge and lessons are taught at a brisk pace. Teachers explain new work clearly and several use the new interactive whiteboards in their classes well to add interest to their presentations. They devise interesting activities for pupils to follow and manage classes well. This increases pupils’ commitment to the lesson and improves their learning. A strong feature of teaching is the use, wherever possible, of practical activities. For example, a group of younger pupils were using ‘real’ fruit as they made graphical representations of which were the classes’ favourites and older pupils used coins and dice well to support their learning.

p.22

Commentary

58. The subject is managed well by a co-ordinator and a ‘shadow’ and they have ensured that the subject has continued to have a high priority in the school. Strengths in leadership have been maintained since the last inspection. Work in the subject is developed through a useful Action plan. Assessment is good. The trends shown in the national tests and the test results are analysed and action is taken to support weaknesses identified. The newly introduced system for setting targets for groups and individuals is working well. The school is beginning to get a clearer view of the likely attainment of each year group in the school and whether targets set are reasonable or not achievable. Staff have attended a good number and range of in-service courses.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

59. The subject is used satisfactorily across other subject areas. For example, pupils use a timeline to show the main events in Queen Victoria’s reign in history and work in science is supported as pupils draw graphs to illustrate the month when most of them were born and the results of traffic surveys they have undertaken.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good progress in their learning. Their attitudes to the subject are very good. • Teaching and learning, and assessment procedures are good. • The subject is well led and managed.

p.22

Commentary

60. Across the school, pupils are reaching average standards for their age. These findings are similar to the results of the national teacher assessment tests for seven-year-olds in 2004 but represent an improvement in the scores achieved in the tests for eleven-year-olds. Achievement across the school is good. Pupils are making good progress in their learning because of the new, effective, consistent approach to teaching and learning in the subject and the provision of good, challenging practical activities for them to follow. There is now a strong emphasis on experimental and investigative work. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, which enable them to learn well. Work is adapted well to the needs of pupils of all abilities. Although standards attained have dropped since the last inspection, the good progress that pupils make has been maintained.

p.22

Commentary

61. Teaching and learning across the school are good as they were at the last inspection. Teachers Hawley Primary School 23 have high expectations of pupils and provide stimulating and challenging tasks. These enable pupils to gain useful first-hand experiences and arouse their curiosity. Teachers use scientific vocabulary well and give clear explanations of the terms, which extend pupils’ learning very well. Pupils who have SEN are fully included in the lessons. Where it is needed, these pupils are provided with good support to ensure that they understand what they are to learn and so that they can make good progress. Practical investigations reinforce pupils’ learning very well. This was evident in the good Year 6 lessons, when pupils became ‘scientists’ as they applied their knowledge of solids and liquids to investigate factors that could affect the burning of a candle. Pupils made predictions and planned their experiments well before working very well together in

p.22

Commentary

small groups for their investigation. The teachers used open-ended questioning very well and provided very good support by quietly questioning different groups of pupils, such as, ‘Why do you think?… and ‘What will happen if?….

p.23

Commentary

62. The science co-ordinator took on the role a year ago. She is enthusiastic and has very good subject knowledge. Her main focus so far has been to raise attainment in science throughout the school. With some advice from a county advisor, she has revised the planning to include more practical investigations and key questions to engage the pupils’ thinking skills. She provides good support to staff through informal discussions and some staff training. This has led to teachers having a greater understanding of the standards expected of pupils for their National Curriculum tests, especially for the more able. The co-ordinator has organised a booster group for more able pupils in Year 6 and a science club for more able pupils in Year 4. So far, she has not been able to monitor teaching and learning in the classrooms, but plans are in place for this later in the year. Assessment procedures are good. This information is used well to ensure that tasks are

p.23

Commentary

appropriately challenging and matched to the needs of all pupils. Teachers’ marking is good with helpful comments, which show pupils how to improve their work. Satisfactory use is made of ICT to support pupils’ learning.

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers are now becoming more confident in the use of the good resources in the subject. • Pupils are interested in their work and most are keen to do well. • The new interactive whiteboards are being used well to enliven teachers’ lessons across several subjects.

p.23

Commentary

63. Across the school, pupils are reaching average standards and are achieving satisfactorily. At the last inspection standards were judged to have been above average. However, since 1999 national expectations in this area have been raised and the school has responded well by introducing a useful bank of laptop computers and several interactive whiteboards. From a relatively low resource level recently, resources are now good. However, this has not yet had time to substantially impact on the standards pupils achieve.

p.23

Commentary

64. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have the opportunity to develop skills in all aspects of the subject. They write captions for their poems and illustrate them with clip-art pictures. Others use an art programme to draw and colour firework pictures effectively and use the computer mouse to move icons around the screen as they dress Teddy for different seasons of the year. Work done by pupils in Years 3 to 6 shows sound coverage of several elements of the subject. Older pupils use the Internet to discover facts about mountains around the world and others construct a database to show the physical features of pupils in the class. During the time of the inspection, several were producing brochures which were being made interesting by the addition of colour, sound and animation. Younger pupils draw and colour pictures to illustrate their work on ‘My Monster’.

p.23

Commentary

65. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although during the inspection lessons that were Hawley Primary School 24 very good and also unsatisfactory were observed. Where teaching is good and very good, teachers introduce topics clearly and pupils have good opportunity to try out new skills for themselves. Topics are interesting and challenging and pupils are very keen to explore them. This was seen in the ‘Natural Art’ focus of a lesson to pupils in Year 2. In the single lesson where teaching was unsatisfactory, the teacher was not sufficiently confident with the new equipment and, although the topic was interesting, too many pupils did not listen sufficiently well to the teachers’ instructions and were not fully committed to the lesson. As a result many made little progress in their learning.

p.23

Commentary

66. The new laptop computers and the very new interactive whiteboards are being used well. Most teachers are becoming confident with their use and standards are rising across the school. The co- ordinator is knowledgeable and has a good view of the planned improvements for the subject and ensures that work in this area has a high priority in the school. Curriculum planning, which follows units from the national recommended scheme of work, is secure. Assessment is sound and a good range of pupils’ work is maintained on individual pupils’ files on school computers. Useful links are being developed with the local secondary school. The school has an interesting and useful website which has been developed by a parent.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

67. ICT skills are used satisfactorily across other curriculum areas. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is enhanced by the use of the interactive whiteboards in several classes. Work in science is supported as pupils draw graphs on the computer to show how far elastic bands will stretch with different weights added. Pupils use the Internet to discover about the weather in different parts of the world for their geography topic. There is evidence to show that computers are used well in some older pupils’ homework topics, but that also opportunities in other projects to use the presentation facilities of computers is not sufficiently taken.

p.24

HUMANITIES

There was insufficient evidence for overall judgements to be made about standards and provision in history and geography. Appropriate topics are planned according to an agreed two-year cycle.

p.24

HUMANITIES

68. In the lesson observed in geography , pupils in Year 5/6 were developing their understanding of the topic on mountains as they considered the effects of tourism on mountain environments. They discussed issues sensibly and came up with conclusions about the advantages and disadvantages of proposed developments in mountain areas. Interest in the topic was encouraged well by some interesting displays of work and artefacts relating to mountains. Good links had been made with ICT in topics that had been largely completed at home.

p.24

HUMANITIES

69. A scrutiny of teachers’ planning in history shows that older pupils study topics such as the Ancient Greeks and Victorian Britain while younger pupils consider the Fire of London and homes long ago. Teaching and learning in the single lesson observed in Year 1/2 during the inspection were satisfactory. Pupils were studying the life and times of Florence Nightingale and they were using different statements that had been made about her work to see if they agreed or disagreed with them. Most agreed that statements like ‘She was called the Lady with the Lamp’, and ‘She helped to improve conditions in hospitals’, were true.

p.24

HUMANITIES

70. Opportunity in history and geography is enhanced well through interesting offsite visits. In history, pupils visit places such as Farnham museum, the village of Odiham and Singleton Open Air Museum. In geography, pupils carry out surveys of traffic and shopping in the local area and make comparisons between their locality and places further afield such as Sandown in the Isle of Wight.

p.24

Religious education

The provision for religious education is satisfactory. Hawley Primary School 25

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good links with the local church. • There are limited opportunities for extended written recording. • Links with other religions studied are limited.

p.25

Commentary

71. By the age of both seven and eleven pupils reach standards that are in line with the expectations of the Agreed Syllabus. Pupils make steady progress and achieve soundly across the school in both learning from religion and about religion

p.25

Commentary

72. Pupils in Year 2 know the main features of significant stories and events from some different world faiths. They have celebrated Harvest and can describe the features of the Christening service. They identify and describe some special times of celebration, special people and stories associated with them. They learn about special objects, places, events and symbols. They know why they are special and think about special things and special places. In discussion Year 6 pupils are able to name and describe the significance of key figures, places, events and artefacts from their study of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. They explain some of the interpretations of symbols, stories and language associated with specific religions. They identify similarities between religions as in Hanukkah and Diwali as festivals of light.

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Commentary

73. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Of the three sessions seen during the inspection, two involved visiting speakers and the other was taken by a temporary teacher. In the lessons seen, teachers managed pupils and resources well. Pupils listened attentively to their teachers and were interested in what was taught. In the Year1/2 lessons pupils showed very good attitudes and listened with interest to the visitors from the local church, which they had recently visited. They had prepared questions, which they asked clearly and confidently. They gained a good understanding of what it meant to belong to a faith group. In the Year 5/6 lesson pupils learnt about the flight from Egypt and were looking forward to enacting it.

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Commentary

74. Management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has a clear view of the subject but has little time to watch lessons. She has encouraged more active learning through the good range of visits and visitors to the local churches but there are few opportunities to gain first hand experience of other religions. The subject supports speaking and listening well. There are times for discussion and pupils enjoy role-play. There are limited opportunities, however, for pupils to write in a range of styles. Most recording requires only a short amount of writing and is often little more than a picture and a caption, even for the oldest pupils.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

There was insufficient evidence for overall judgements to be made about provision or standards in art and design, design and technology and music.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. Interest and opportunity in art and design are promoted well through the use of pupils’ sketch books and through interesting and colourful displays of artwork across the school. Good links are made with other areas of the curriculum. Examples include the stained glass images to depict holiness for RE in Year 3/4, the good quality observational pencil drawings of mountaineering equipment in Year 5/6, as part of their geography curriculum and in the Year 5/6 history and geography project work on Odiham. Visits to the National Gallery and visiting artists greatly enhance pupils’ learning. In the one Year 3/4 lesson seen during the inspection, teaching and learning were good. Pupils had designed sculptures to improve the school environment. They used papier-mâché, modroc and paints well for their abstract and representational sculptures. They were able to evaluate their own and others’ work and make suggestions on how improvements

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

might be made. Pupils in the Year 1/2 classes use wax resist technique for their attractive firework pictures. They have used pastels and marbling inks for effective Monet style water lily pictures.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. A scrutiny of previous work in design and technology indicates that work is planned against Hawley Primary School 26 national guidelines, which build systematically on pupils' knowledge and skills at appropriate levels for their ages. As part of the refurbishment programme a new food technology area will enhance the provision. The school has a valuable link with a local Secondary school to support the development of control technology.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Pupils listen to many different types of music , ranging from classical to modern, which enhance and extend their learning well. Pupils sing tunefully with good diction and rhythm in assemblies. Many pupils have a good understanding of the meaning of musical vocabulary, such as ostinato, harmony and chords. Lessons are taught by music specialists. In a good Year 5/6 lesson, pupils made good progress in learning to sing ‘Music alone shall live’ as a two-part round with some pupils playing chords on chime bars, xylophones and a guitar. Pupils were appreciative and respectful of others’ efforts. Good opportunity is provided for pupils to perform. They take part in school productions, such as harvest and Christmas performances. A performance by the school choir was much appreciated when the pupils sang at a recent concert organised by the Farnborough Lions Club. The school has also started to have pupils performing as soloists in

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

assemblies, singing or playing musical instruments. Such performances help to extend pupils’ appreciation of different types of music, significantly enhance their self-esteem and help to celebrate their achievements. Some pupils learn to play the recorder and many pupils have peripatetic lessons to learn to play keyboard, guitar, clarinet or flute. Visiting musicians and visits to see live musical performances greatly enhance pupils’ learning and love of music.

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Physical education

Provision for physical education (PE) is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils reach above average standards in dance. • There are good opportunities for extra activities and team participation. • Pupils show good attitudes to their work. • Leadership and management of the subject are good.

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Commentary

78. During the inspection four dance lessons and one games lesson were observed. The standards achieved in dance in Years 1-4 were above average and average in games in Years 5/6. Swimming takes place in Year 5 and almost all pupils reach the national expectation to swim 25 metres and many exceed it.

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Commentary

79. In the dance lessons observed during the inspection, pupils showed good awareness of space as they explored pathways and actions in response to a range of stimuli. The Year 1/2 classes used a variety of basic actions to create a dance to interpret the story of Handa's Surprise. They turned, jumped and gestured and used stillness to create mood. In Years 3/4 they followed a theme of explorers. One class portrayed movements of the sea and the other took space exploration as its theme. In Year 5/6 pupils showed sound ball skills in a rugby lesson. On a cold day pupils were fully involved in warm ups and kept really active in the training activities.

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Commentary

80. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 1 and 2. There was insufficient evidence for an overall judgement to be made about the quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6. In all the lessons observed during the inspection, teaching and learning were good. Teachers managed pupils well and as a result of good teaching all boys and girls made good progress in developing relevant skills. Pupils show good attitudes to the subject. They are very keen and take part in physical activities sensibly and safely. Pupils of all abilities achieve well and develop their potential. Those showing high interest and skills are encouraged to join outside clubs, where they can further develop.

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Commentary

81. Good leadership and management ensure a high profile for the subject and good opportunities Hawley Primary School 27 for participation in a range of activities both in lessons and after school. The co-ordinator has implemented a new scheme of work, which is proving helpful to colleagues and is ensuring more systematic development of skills and improving standards. There are clubs for a range of sports and currently there are teams for netball, football and tag rugby. There are also normally clubs for basketball, badminton and general sports. Adventurous activities take place during the residential visit and the school's adventure playground is used at playtimes on a rota basis.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Overall the provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school places a high level of importance on pupils' personal development. • The programme for personal, social and health is good and includes citizenship. • Teaching and learning are good.

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Commentary

82. The curriculum for pupils’ personal, health and social education is well planned and integrated into science and RE teaching as well as assemblies. It is taught as a subject in its own right and through the use of circle time, where pupils have the opportunity to discuss matters of interest to them. In the lessons observed, younger pupils were being encouraged to express a range of feelings and give their own opinions. Others were undertaking both individual and collaborative tasks.

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Commentary

83. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Features of effective teaching are where teachers produce a variety of activities and encourage the use of conversation to develop consideration of feelings and emotions. Pupils enjoy the lessons, relate well to one another and have good relationships with staff.

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Commentary

84. Other curriculum areas including RE and science contribute to developing pupils' personal and social skills and as they have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively. Although the co-ordinator is a new appointment, there are already, initiatives for this subject to be developed to address healthy eating through the provision of fruit every day and the preparation of a school travel plan. A wide range of visits and visitors to school including the emergency services and health professionals, enrich the curriculum. Health and sex education and the use and misuse of medicines and drugs are taught in science. Pupils are provided with accurate information, which promotes positive attitudes to a healthy lifestyle. Assessment of the teaching of the programme has yet to be undertaken.

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Commentary

85. Pupils have the chance to be on the school council, which gives them the opportunity to work with children of different ages. Others are given monitor jobs in the playground and in the dining hall. Older pupils assist with the organisation of assemblies and act as “buddies” in the playground, befriending younger pupils, who might be lonely. Pupils in all classes have produced their own class rules. These initiatives have empowered pupils to develop a sense of moral responsibility for their own behaviour and to consider the consequences of their actions. Hawley Primary School 28

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 3 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 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 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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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