Hilton Lane Primary School

Inspection Report Hilton Lane Primary School

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105914 Unique Reference Number Salford LEA 277442 Inspection number 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 Inspection dates Mr Anthony Anderson CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Madam's Wood Road School address Primary Type of school Little Hulton Community School category Worsley, Manchester M28 0JY 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0161 790 4357 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 702 0995 Fax number 225 Number on roll Mrs L Jones Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr JL Pridden Headteacher 12 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277442 3 October 2005 - 3 to 11 4 October 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves an area to the south of the centre of Little Hulton, Worsley. The vast majority of children are of white British background and the school describes the surrounding area as one of high deprivation and an above average number of pupils, over a third, are entitled to free school meals. The school is also situated in a single regeneration budget area and an Education Action Zone. The school is slightly smaller than average with 225 children including 30 in the Nursery, a short distance from the main school site. About six percent of pupils have learning difficulties and disabilities, which is below the national average. There are very few children who have English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hilton Lane Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. The school judges itself to be good in many areas of its work and inspectors are mostly in agreement. By the end of Year 6, the best performance is in English and mathematics, though there has been a recent dip in science results. Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage. Teaching and learning are consistently good and children exhibit positive attitudes and behaviour both in the classroom and around the school. Parents and children hold the school in very high regard and relationships between home and school are outstanding. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Children identified with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported well. The headteacher's good leadership provides a clear focus on high quality care and education for all children. He has successfully developed a strong team approach throughout the school and all staff share his commitment to continuous improvement.

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Grade: 2

Although the school has good systems in place for the monitoring and evaluation of performance, the present use of this information to identify any underachievement and to target future learning is inconsistent. It has underestimated the extent of the weak performance in science and it is for this reason that inspectors are unable to agree with the school's judgement that this is an outstanding school. The school improvement plan is not sharp enough in identifying how the success of its work will be measured. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and the school is well placed to improve even further. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that children's attainment in science is matched to the extremely good levels in English and mathematics. • Improve the effectiveness of self-review in the monitoring of performance in order to ensure that children are consistently challenged to meet equally high levels of attainment in all subjects.

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Grade: 2

The school judges, and inspectors agree, that achievement throughout the school for all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities and the few with English as an additional language, is good and standards overall are above average. Children in the nursery and Foundation Stage make good progress because teachers present a good range of interesting and stimulating activities. Most reach nationally expected levels by the time they enter Year 1. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading and writing are above average and in mathematics and science they are broadly average. During Years 3 to 6 children build well on their earlier good progress to meet their challenging targets, so that by the end of Year 6, standards in English are well above 2 Inspection Report: Hilton Lane Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 average, reflecting outstanding progress. Their spelling, grammar and punctuation are

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Grade: 2

accurate and used extremely well in a range of writing styles in many subjects. In mathematics, children progress well and reach above average standards. In science, however, the picture has varied considerably. The most recent test results show that standards are below the national average and have fallen from those attained last year.

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Grade: 2

Children enjoy coming to school and behaviour in classrooms and around the school and attitude to work are good. Children feel safe in the school and that they can approach an adult if they have any problems or difficulties. A range of opportunities is provided which promotes personal development, including helping out in the school office and setting up the hall prior to school assemblies. However, at present the lack of a school council prevents children from having a formal vehicle for expressing their views on the way things are done in school. Through taking part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, especially in sport, children are developing an understanding of the importance of a healthy life-style. Children follow the good example set by adults and this contributes to their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Also they relish the occasions in religious education, art and music lessons to learn about the practice and customs of

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Grade: 2

people from other cultures. Visits into their local community afford further insights into daily life on their doorstep.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are judged to be good overall by the school and the inspectors. In the Foundation Stage, work is based firmly on the teaching staff's good understanding of how young children learn. In Years 1 to 6, there are some significant strengths in the teaching of English where the expectations of children are especially high. In mathematics, children also respond well to challenging work, answering questions and explaining their strategies well. During lessons in these subjects, children work hard, participate enthusiastically and enjoy their learning. Work is matched well to their needs so that children of all abilities are challenged and achieve success. Those learning to speak English as an additional language are well supported. Teachers make good use of electronic white boards, which helps to motivate children and maintain their attention. In most lessons, support staff are effectively involved in helping children

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Grade: 2

with their work. Some were particularly good in providing further explanations for the less able children and supported their involvement in lessons very well. However, the lower achievement in science is a result of teachers not having high enough expectations of children. 3 Inspection Report: Hilton Lane Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum with some outstanding features. Work in English and mathematics provides a very good foundation for children to acquire the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Children are encouraged to apply their well-honed skills in writing in all their subjects and this accounts for their impressive performance in English. A new programme of work is in the process of being implemented to promote children's personal, social and health education and a strong focus on sport and the arts enhances the curriculum. During the inspection, many children were taught hockey by an external sports development agency and an excellent courtroom drama with significant moral and social messages was presented to all children in Years 3 to 6. An unusual dimension is the contribution made by a group of European students to widen children's understanding of the wider world. Part of the school's new provision for

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Grade: 2

gifted and talented children is being planned in the arts, writing and science.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, support and guidance to children at the school is of a high standard. The school's attention to detail permeates most strands of its work in this area. Effective child protection systems and procedures are in place. School staff deal promptly with any incidents or accidents and appropriate records are maintained. Regular fire drills take place at the main school and in the nursery. The school has good systems in place for checking on children's progress in most areas of their work and parents are kept well informed. The role of the teaching and support staff in the provision of care and pastoral support to all children at the school is of a high quality and is one of the key strengths of the school. The school provides particularly strong support to any vulnerable children and those with learning difficulties and disabilities through the wide use of internal and external support staff.

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Grade: 2

The overall quality of leadership and management at the school is good. The headteacher has a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for future development. He is a strong leader and has a clear vision that is well communicated to teaching and support staff and to members of the governing body. He is well supported by senior managers who share his commitment to developing the skills of all members of staff. This high quality leadership has successfully developed a strong team approach with a commitment to improvement that has enabled the high level performance found at the previous inspection to be improved. Equality of opportunity is at the heart of the school's work and all children are encouraged to fulfil their potential. Parents' views are sought and acted upon to help 4 Inspection Report: Hilton Lane Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 the school shape its direction. Parents told inspectors they value the school's invitation

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Grade: 2

for them to work alongside their children in Year 6. Governors are very actively involved in the life of the school and they help to ensure that the school meets legal requirements. They are well aware of the school's strengths and weaknesses and provide effective and positive challenge to the headteacher and his staff. 5 Inspection Report: Hilton Lane Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Hilton Lane Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, two inspectors recently visited your school to look at the work you are doing and to talk to your teachers. We very much enjoyed watching you work and talking to you in the classroom and around the school. We think that your teachers are good and that they are teaching you well, particularly in English and mathematics. We talked to a few Year 5 and 6 children and were impressed with their answers to our questions. Year 6 children said that they liked the system in which their parents can occasionally spend time with them in the classroom. They also said that they feel safe and secure in the school and that they can go to an adult if they feel unhappy or if they have a problem. We have told the school that they should carry on with their good work and we have suggested that they look at two areas to make things even better: - - To bring the levels of your attainment in science up to that of English and mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- To make sure that they look carefully at the progress you are making in English, mathematics and science in order to ensure that you are achieving equally well in all three. You can help the teachers by listening carefully to their advice and by working as hard as you can every day whilst you are at school.

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