Hurst Park Primary School

Inspection Report Hurst Park Primary School

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125038 Unique Reference Number Surrey LEA LEA 281867 Inspection number 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006 Inspection dates Lynn Bappa AI Reporting inspector

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

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Hurst Road School address Primary Type of school West Molesey Community School category KT8 1QW 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 020 8979 1709 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8941 9756 Fax number 248 Number on roll Mr P I Miller Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs K M Barkway Headteacher 16 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281867 20 June 2006 - 3 to 11 21 June 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

Hurst Park is a small over-subscribed school. The pupils come from a range of backgrounds. The proportions of minority ethnic pupils and those with English as an additional language are average. There are fewer pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities than found in most schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hurst Park Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree that this is a good school with outstanding features. It provides good value for money. As one parent commented, 'My son thoroughly enjoys coming to school and I feel confident that he is being equipped not only with academic skills, but also with an awareness of the world around him and his place in it'. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. As one parent wrote, 'My child's confidence has improved tremendously throughout his year there'. Standards have been well above average for several years and pupils achieve well. In national tests for Year 6 pupils in 2005, however, standards in writing and mathematics, particularly for higher attaining pupils, fell. The school has acted quickly to deal with this and standards are beginning to rise again. Teaching is good and pupils enjoy learning. The introduction of the 'Six Hat Thinking' programme is helping pupils to learn independently. The curriculum is enhanced by

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Grade: 2

events such as 'One World Week'. The school has exceptionally strong links with schools all over the world and has gained a British Council International Award for its work in this area. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Their behaviour is impressive. Pupils feel safe and happy in school. Teachers keep a close check on their progress and target setting procedures have improved. The next step is to involve pupils more in this process. Leadership and management are good. The school has identified the most important things it needs to do to get even better, and is well placed to improve in the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Build on current strategies to improve standards in writing and mathematics. • Involve pupils more in the target setting process.

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Grade: 2

Most children enter the school with standards broadly in line with expectations for their age. They make a cracking start to their education. By the end of Reception almost all have achieved the learning goals expected of them and are very well prepared for more formal learning. Standards are well above average and pupils achieve well. Results of national tests in Year 6 have been high for several years, although the proportions of pupils achieving the higher levels in English and mathematics fell in 2005. This decline was particularly marked in writing. The school has taken robust action to improve this situation. As a consequence, writing seen during the inspection was of a high quality, with more able pupils consistently producing work at the higher levels. Standards in mathematics have also improved. Pupils do particularly well in science. They say this is because science 2 Inspection Report: Hurst Park Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 2

lessons are exciting with lots of hands-on activities. The school sets challenging targets for pupils and is on track to meet these targets. All groups of pupils achieve well. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress because of the good support they receive. Higher attaining pupils are now achieving well as a result of recent initiatives.

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Grade: 1

Pupils are very enthusiastic about school. As one pupil said, 'I love the school!' Attendance is above average and reflects pupils' positive attitudes. The school encourages pupils to take responsibility for their actions and behaviour is outstanding as a result. Pupils get on very well together. In a typical playground scene, several pupils sat in the sun and practised 'Ode to Joy' on their recorders, a group of boys and girls happily played football together and Year 2 pupils used the dressing up box to make Muslim prayer mats. They know how to keep safe and healthy and speak very positively about the nutritious and tasty meals they eat at lunchtime. The school council feels very confident that its voice is heard. Pupils raise considerable amounts of money for charity and for school improvement and have very many opportunities to participate in school life. They are currently raising money to make

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Grade: 1

a sensory garden, for example. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Assemblies allow pupils to reflect and they are inspired by many of their lessons. The school has won the British Council International Award and the impact of this is seen in every classroom and corridor. Pupils are excited about the links with schools all over the world and show a keen interest in learning about different cultures. Displays of work celebrating the recent 'One World Week' are stunning and pupils are rightly proud of them. By the time they are in Year 6, pupils are very ready to begin the next stage of their education. One parent wrote that 'pupils leave feeling valued, positive and ready to move on'.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good with outstanding features. Pupils learn successfully because most lessons challenge them and are fun. Activities are planned carefully to build on what they already know. Resources such as word walls help pupils to make good progress in their writing. One pupil insisted on showing an inspector the word wall in his classroom and explained that it really helped him to learn. Pupils respond well to teachers' enthusiasm and enjoy working independently. A small group of children in Reception were beside themselves with excitement when they designed and made a 3 Inspection Report: Hurst Park Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006 waterway. As one child said, 'We had a problem and we solved it!' Most teachers question well, allowing pupils time to think and make hypotheses and decisions. Occasionally, however, teachers do not explain the purpose of the lesson clearly enough or question pupils deeply enough.

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Grade: 2

Marking is good and pupils understand what their targets are. Teachers now need to involve pupils more in this process.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is rich and prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. Strategies to improve pupils' skills in writing and mathematics have been carefully planned and have helped to improve standards. Teachers make good use of the new computer suite. Personal, social and health education contributes well to pupils' understanding of keeping healthy and staying safe. In the Foundation Stage good use is made of outside areas, and creative play is a strong feature of the provision. The curriculum is enhanced by special events like 'One World Week' and impressive classroom displays that bring learning to life. The Year 2 classroom, for example, has a pet giant snail called Holly - her tank is surrounded by examples of beautifully illustrated stories about her adventures and pupils talk knowledgeably about how to look after her. Learning is further enhanced by 'Six Hat Thinking'. Pupils speak

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Grade: 2

positively about the hats and what they mean. Children in Reception, for example, read a story about a dirty dog and used green hats to imagine what had happened to him. One child told inspectors that a green hat meant that you could think anything you wanted. Pupils speak highly of the good range of extra-curricular activities and visits. All these initiatives contribute to make leaning an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for pupils.

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Grade: 1

The quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding. The school provides a calm and happy learning environment. It is rightly proud of its very caring ethos where every pupil is known and treated as an individual. New children settle quickly into school. One pupil thought that it would take 'about ten minutes' to feel at home. Robust procedures are in place for child protection, health and safety and risk assessments. The quality of academic guidance is good. Assessment procedures have improved. This means that teachers quickly identify pupils or groups of pupils who are not doing as well as they should, and tackle any shortcomings. As a result, higher attaining pupils are now achieving well. Support for pupils with learning difficulties or who speak English as an additional language is good. 4 Inspection Report: Hurst Park Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good with outstanding features because leaders successfully focus on improving standards and promoting the personal development of pupils. Teamwork is of a high quality and everyone plays a part in moving the school forward. Although higher attaining pupils did not do as well as they should in 2005, the reasons for this have been identified and are being tackled. As a result, standards are improving. The headteacher sets high expectations and is an inspirational leader who is very well supported by a talented leadership team. One parent described her as an 'excellent headteacher who promotes a good sense of community within the school'. She knows the school's strengths and weaknesses well and this is evident in the quality of the school's own self-evaluation. The school is keen to improve even further. It has successfully tackled the issues for improvement from the last inspection.

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Grade: 2

The success of the recent drive to improve writing provides a clear indication of the school's good capacity to improve. The role of the new curriculum leaders is developing well. They are beginning to play an active and robust part in monitoring and improving the quality of the curriculum and teaching. Governors have a good understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for development. They closely monitor and evaluate performance and provide good challenge to school leaders. The school listens carefully to the views of parents and pupils and usually acts on them. 5 Inspection Report: Hurst Park Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 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: Hurst Park Primary School, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 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 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 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

Pupils Not long ago we came to your school to see how you were getting on and whether there was anything we could suggest that would make the school better. You made us very welcome and we enjoyed meeting you. Thank you and well done! We were with you for two days. That was long enough for us to realise that your school is, as you say, a 'lovely' school. We think it is a good school and some things are excellent. One of the reasons is that you make good progress in your learning. You get a very good start to your education in the Nursery and Reception class. You get lots of opportunities to try new things and work hard. You also get on very well with each other and with the adults in the school. We particularly enjoyed visiting you in your classrooms and seeing the good work you were doing. Many of you told us how much you enjoy being at school and how proud you are of what you can do. There were lots of other things that we liked. Here are a few:* You are kind to each

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

other and to visitors. Your behaviour is excellent and you should be proud of yourselves.* All the different people working at the school do their very best to look after you and make you feel safe.* We particularly liked looking at the different work you were doing in your classrooms. We saw children in Reception making a waterway and also enjoyed watching Year 6 pupils doing science experiments. We think your teachers work very hard to make your lessons interesting. We think Six Hat Thinking is helping you to learn well.* We think you have beautiful displays in your school that help to bring your learning to life. We have now asked your teachers to continue helping you to get even better in writing and mathematics. We also think that they could let you help them with setting your targets. We know that you will also carry on doing your best. Best wishes, Lynn Bappa Lead Inspector

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