Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School

Inspection Report Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School

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112195 Unique Reference Number Cumbria LEA 278876 Inspection number 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Andrew Margerison Reporting inspector

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

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Main Street School address Primary Type of school Hawkshead Community School category Ambleside, Cumbria 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01539 436354 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01539 436354 Fax number 54 Number on roll Mrs Rachel Muir Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Joyce Hallam Headteacher 1 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278876 28 February 2006 - 4 to 11 1 March 2006 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 one additional inspector

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Description of the school

This small primary school is situated in the village of Hawkshead in the heart of the Lake District. Year groups are very small, ranging from five to eleven pupils, and vary significantly from year to year in ability. Pupils’ socio-economic backgrounds are broadly average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average, as is the proportion eligible for free school meals. Virtually all pupils are white British and none have English as an additional language. Children start school with standards broadly typical for their age. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher had been in post for five weeks. The village pre-school is on the school site.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides good value for money. Inspection evidence confirms the school’s view of itself in all areas except leadership and management and the curriculum, which are judged to be good rather than outstanding. The school has tackled the issues identified by the last inspection effectively. Pupils’ personal development is outstanding and teachers’ management of pupils is now a strength of the teaching. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is very good. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good so pupils make good progress. In Years 1 to 6, because teaching and learning are good, pupils achieve well in most subjects. Overall, standards by the end of Year 6 are above average. However, not all pupils make enough progress in writing and this adversely affects standards in English in Year 6. This reflects the lack of a coherent approach to developing all aspects of writing, by using other subjects such

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Grade: 2

as history and geography for pupils to practise the full range of their writing skills. Also lacking is a whole-school system to track the progress pupils are making, so that those pupils who are not making progress as fast as they should can be identified and planned for. The headteacher has a dynamic vision for the school and, in a short time, has already begun to introduce new ideas aimed at improving standards. She is well supported by governors and other staff so that, overall, the school is in a strong position to develop further. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in English by developing a whole-school approach to giving pupils more opportunities to use the full range of their literacy skills in all subjects. • Develop a whole-school system to track the progress pupils are making, and use the information to identify and plan for pupils who may need additional support or challenge.

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Grade: 2

Pupils of all abilities achieve well overall. In the Foundation Stage, good progress in all the areas of learning means that almost all children are working at least at the expected levels for their age by the end of reception. A good proportion exceeds these levels, particularly in personal development, communication skills and basic number skills. Small year groups make year-on- year comparisons difficult, but since 2001 standards in Year 2 have been broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. Inspection evidence shows that this pattern is continuing, except that in writing standards are below average and pupils do not make enough progress. Overall, standards in Year 6 are above average. Most pupils achieve well to reach good standards in speaking and listening, reading, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and art and design. Standards in English are broadly

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Grade: 2

average. Pupils in the 2005 group made good progress in Years 3 to 6 in reading, but 2 Inspection Report: Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 the overall English results were adversely affected by weaker progress in writing. A similar pattern is evident this year. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress relative to their starting points due to the good support they receive.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Pupils really enjoy school. Their very positive attitudes to school, their very good behaviour and above average attendance all reflect this. As pupils move through the school, they become increasingly confident communicators, able to take on responsibility and to work on their own with minimum adult supervision. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe in different situations and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. They have a particularly good understanding of how they can help to sustain the quality of the environment. Pupils make a very important contribution to the local community and play a full part in many local events. In school, they help to plan new developments such as working on improvements to the ‘Fletcher’s Field’ environmental area. Through the local schools’ network, older

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Grade: 1

pupils work with pupils from other local schools to provide opportunities for local children to meet up and exchange ideas. Overall, pupils are really well prepared for moving on to the next stage of their education and for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. A major strength of the teaching is the management of behaviour. This has improved well since the last inspection and, as a result, lessons are very orderly learning experiences for pupils. Support staff play a very important part in this, particularly in the Foundation Stage. Here, teachers and support staff work very closely together to make sure that pupils in reception develop their learning well in all the areas of learning. Teachers plan work carefully to reflect the different ages and needs in the classes. Lessons in science, ICT and art and design frequently have a strong practical element so that pupils develop very secure basic skills and achieve well. For example, pupils learn to use computers to present their work in various ways, including graphs, charts and multi-media presentations. However, activities in English do not always reflect the full range of abilities within the group.

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Grade: 2

As a result, the more able pupils are not always challenged well enough to reach the levels of which they are capable, notably in writing. This partly reflects the fact that, although pupils have broad learning targets, there is no systematic whole-school approach to using assessment information to track their progress year on year. As a result, teachers cannot easily identify those pupils who are not making the progress expected of them and plan accordingly. 3 Inspection Report: Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It meets statutory requirements and ensures that pupils have a good understanding of the main aspects of healthy living. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage reflects the national guidance and gives children opportunities to develop their skills in all the areas of learning. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection. A major factor in pupils’ good achievement in ICT and art and design is the way that teachers use other subjects to reinforce pupils’ learning. However, work in other subjects does not consistently encourage pupils to use the full range of their literacy skills. Opportunities are missed in subjects such as history and geography for pupils to reinforce their basic skills. As a result, their ability to use basic punctuation and to write extensively in a broad range of styles is below average. The curriculum is enriched well by visits, by visitors to school and by a good range of after-school clubs.

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Grade: 1

This aspect of the school’s work is outstanding. Very thorough procedures are in place for child protection, and also for ensuring that the school is a safe place for pupils to learn, and that their views are valued and are taken into account. Almost without exception, parents have nothing but praise for the very high standard of care provided for their children. Very close links have been established with the pre-school and secondary schools. As a result, new pupils settle quickly into school and the oldest are very well prepared for moving on to the next phase of their education. Several parents referred to these as major strengths during the inspection. The school also makes sure that pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported through detailed learning plans and highly effective support in lessons.

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Grade: 2

The school is well led and managed. Since the last inspection, the identified issues have been tackled effectively and, in the context of small year groups, most of the strengths of the school have been maintained. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and, in a very short time, has gained the confidence of governors, staff, pupils and parents. She is a very good role model for other staff in the way that she has implemented some new initiatives through her own teaching. The positive effect is evident in pupils’ work. Governors make a good contribution to school development. They are involved in setting priorities for development and link well with subject leaders. They are very aware of the need to get best value from funding. They have also instigated some innovative ideas to raise money, such as allowing the school grounds to be used as a car park for tourists at the weekends and during school

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Grade: 2

holidays. As a result, the school is able to maintain generous levels of staffing for the number of pupils on roll so that all of them achieve well. Close working relationships 4 Inspection Report: Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 between staff, governors, the community and parents ensure that, overall, procedures to evaluate the work of the school are good so that it knows its own strengths and weaknesses well. As a result, there is a shared vision for the school and it is in a strong position to move forward. 5 Inspection Report: Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 .

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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: Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006

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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 2 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 2 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 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 1 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 2 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 Mrs Joyce Hallam Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School Main Street Hawkshead Ambleside Cumbria LA22 0NT 28 February 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you very much for welcoming me to your school this week. I enjoyed talking to you and finding out about all the things you do. You were really friendly and I would have liked to have been able to stay longer. I am pleased to tell you that I agree with you and your parents that your school is doing a good job. The things I particularly liked were: your attitudes to learning are outstanding and you are really keen and enthusiastic to take part in lessons and other activities teachers make sure you do well in mathematics, science, ICT and art and design your school is well led and managed by your headteacher and governors you are looked after and cared for very well. I have asked your headteacher and the governors to make your school even better by:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

making sure you are all doing as well as possible by introducing a system to set learning targets for each of you and help you if you are not reaching them fast enough giving you more opportunities to use your literacy skills in different subjects. Thank you again for helping me so much with the inspection. Yours sincerely Andy Margerison (Lead inspector)

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