Hemington Primary School

Inspection Report Hemington Primary School

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119934 Unique Reference Number Leicestershire LEA 280689 Inspection number 15 May 2006 to 15 May 2006 Inspection dates Mike Capper AI 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 Hemington Community School category Derby DE74 2RB 4 to 10 Age range of pupils 01332 810447 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01332 810447 Fax number 51 Number on roll Mr Joseph Barlow Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Anne Kingston Headteacher 13 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280689 15 May 2006 - 4 to 10 15 May 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This small rural primary school takes pupils from the local village and surrounding areas. A small number of pupils are from the Travelling community or live on a showmen’s site that is located on the edge of the village. Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes: an infant and a junior class. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average and there are an average number of pupils identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities. Children’s attainment on entry to the Reception year varies from year to year but is above levels expected for their age in the current year. Pupils transfer to other schools at the end of Year 5.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hemington Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 15 May 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides well for all pupils. Good teaching helps pupils to achieve well. Provision for pupils in the Reception Year is good and they make good progress. By the start of Year 1, standards are generally above those found nationally, though there is some variation from year to year due to pupils’ differing starting points. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 to 5. By the end of Year 5, standards are well above average, although in mathematics and science, investigative and problem-solving skills are not as well developed as other aspects of the curriculum. Throughout the school, members of staff have good relationships with pupils. Teachers successfully cater for the wide range of ages and abilities in each class. Teaching assistants give good support in lessons. Pupils are well cared for and their behaviour is good. They are polite and courteous and are keen to take responsibility. Although

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Grade: 2

attendance is satisfactory overall, too many pupils miss school because their families are taking term-time holidays and this has a negative effect on learning. There is a good curriculum, although there are too few opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills in other subjects. Leadership and management are good. There are good systems for finding out how well the school is doing. This means that teachers have an accurate understanding of the school’s overall effectiveness that matches the views of the inspectors. There is a continued drive for school improvement, with areas for development being tackled rigorously. The school has successfully addressed the weaknesses from the last inspection and is well placed to improve further. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Improve attendance and punctuality by helping parents and pupils understand the importance of not taking holidays during term-time and coming to school on time. •Improve pupils’ investigative and problem-solving skills by giving them more opportunities to use their good mathematical and scientific. knowledge in challenging practical activities •Give pupils more opportunities to write at length across the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Standards are well above average and pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils make good progress in the Reception Year, especially in developing counting skills and in learning about letter sounds. By the start of Year 1, their attainment is generally above that found nationally, though there is some variation from year to year due to differences in pupils’ starting points. In Years 1 to 5, pupils continue to make good progress. In 2005, national test results at the end of Year 2 were exceptionally high in reading and writing, and well above 2 Inspection Report: Hemington Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 15 May 2006 average in mathematics. By the end of Year 5, standards are well above average and pupils meet the challenging targets that have been set, based on their attainment at the end of Year 2. Many pupils in the current Year 5 are already working at the levels expected for pupils by the end of Year 6. However, in mathematics and science, pupils’

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Grade: 2

investigative and problem-solving skills are less well developed than other aspects of these subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities are supported well in lessons and make good progress. Pupils from Traveller or showmen communities make the same progress as others when they are attending school regularly.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Pupils have good attitudes towards learning and enjoy taking part in the wide range of activities provided by the school. One pupil said, ‘it’s a really good school and you would be happy here’. Pupils behave well at all times and play together sensibly. They know how to keep safe and healthy, but they do not always choose healthy snacks to bring to school for break-time. Attendance is satisfactory overall. Although rates of attendance are below average, this is largely because some pupils from the Traveller or showmen community spend part of the year in other parts of the country. This is beyond the school’s control. However, attendance is also adversely affected by the comparatively high number of families take term-time holidays. In addition, some pupils are not always punctual at the start of the day. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Even the youngest

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Grade: 2

children show each other kindness and tolerance. Older pupils enjoy taking responsibility through activities such as the school council, and have helped to improve playtime facilities by suggesting a ‘buddy bench’ and more play equipment. Pupils make a good contribution to the community, for example, by entertaining older members of the community. These events, as well as pupils’ very good basic skills in English and mathematics, prepare them well for the next stage of their education and later life.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good because teachers and teaching assistants meet pupils’ differing needs well and so pupils learn quickly. All members of staff have good relationships with pupils. The nursery nurse provides good support for the small group of pupils who are in the Reception Year. She makes learning interesting by providing practical activities such as hunting for hidden objects that include certain letter sounds. In Years 1 to 5, teachers explain new ideas clearly and ask questions to engage the pupils’ interest and to assess their learning. They encourage pupils by praising their 3 Inspection Report: Hemington Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 15 May 2006 good work and they use marking well to help them understand how to improve their work. However, they provide them with too many worksheets in some subjects, limiting opportunities for pupils to write purposefully. In science and mathematics, practical

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Grade: 2

activities and the recording of work do not always extend pupils’ learning far enough, for example by encouraging them to explain their scientific findings or to solve mathematical problems. All teachers use interactive whiteboards successfully to share learning and to provide clear instruction. For example, in a lesson in the junior class, the teacher showed pupils how word endings change with different suffixes. Teaching assistants provide invaluable support by working well with groups of pupils within the classrooms.

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Grade: 2

There is a good curriculum, with a good range of extra activities to extend learning. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding is developed well through the use of visits and involvement of visitors. For example, one visitor has demonstrated the skills of an aboriginal hunter and another has taught pupils how to play Tabla drums. These experiences contribute significantly to pupils’ personal development and their knowledge of other cultures. There are a good number of well-attended clubs, especially for music and sports. In the Reception Year, there is a good balance between teacher-led and child-initiated activities. In Years 1 to 5, there is a good focus on developing basic skills, although there are some missed opportunities for pupils to extend their writing skills in other subjects or to apply their scientific and mathematical knowledge to challenging practical activities. This slows the pace at which skills improve. Good use is made of a music

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Grade: 2

specialist to add creativity to the curriculum. The use of information and communication technology is well integrated into different subjects and this has a good effect on learning. Although the school does not have a hall, the good use of other local facilities helps to ensure that there is good provision for pupils’ physical development.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Members of staff know the pupils well. There is a very strong commitment to ensuring pupils’ health and safety and to safeguarding their well-being. The school works closely with outside agencies, for example by liaising with local authority support teachers to provide work for pupils from Traveller communities when they are away from school. Attendance is monitored carefully, although the school could do even more to discourage parents from taking term-time holidays. Academic guidance and support are good. There are good procedures to help support pupils when they first start school, including home visits. Throughout the school, pupils’ progress is monitored carefully and short-term targets for individuals helps teachers to provide work that matches differing needs. Individual education plans for 4 Inspection Report: Hemington Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 15 May 2006

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Grade: 2

pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities are used well to ensure that needs are being met.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has been successful in developing a school where all pupils have the opportunity to thrive. Members of staff work together well as a team. They have a good understanding of the school’s main strengths and weaknesses because their shared monitoring and evaluation of provision are good. There is a clear vision for the school and a commitment to improving pupils’ already high standards. A good example of this drive for improvement is the way that the school rigorously tackled a comparative weakness in writing, leading to a significant rise in standards. The school has a wealth of test data and uses this effectively to identify what they need to improve next, though more use could be made of this information to track how pupils are doing from year to year. The school has good links with its parents and consults regularly with them and with pupils so that their views can be taken into

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Grade: 2

account when monitoring overall effectiveness. Governance is satisfactory. Governors are very supportive and they take a good part in financial planning. However, many governors are new and, at the moment, they are over-reliant on the headteacher for information. This makes it difficult for them to hold the school to account. Nevertheless, weaknesses from the last inspection have been successfully addressed and the school is well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Hemington Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 15 May 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: Hemington Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 15 May 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 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 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 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 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 3 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

Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for showing us your work. You were very polite and friendly. What we liked most about your school: •Teaching is good and this means that you learn new things very quickly. •You behave well and work hard in lessons. •Your teachers are very kind and caring and they plan lots of exciting things for you outside lessons. •Your headteacher, teachers and governors are working hard to make the school even better. •Your parents and carers are pleased that you come to this school. What we have asked your school to do now: •Give you more opportunity to use your mathematical and scientific knowledge in challenging practical work •Give you more opportunity to use your writing in different subjects. What we would like you to do to help your teachers •We noticed that some of you have a lot of time off school and are sometimes late in the morning. It would help your teachers if you could make sure that you come to school regularly

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and arrive on time. We thoroughly enjoyed talking to you about your work and watching you learn and we wish you all well for the future.

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