Hilltop First School

109833 Unique Reference Number Windsor and Maidenhead Local Authority 288506 Inspection number 15 °16 March 2007 Inspection dates Jeffrey White Reporting inspector

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

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First Type of school Community School category 3 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 149 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs M Ward and Mr R Douglas Chair Mrs L Clark Headteacher 11 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection Clewer Hill Road School address Windsor SL4 4DW

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01753 863502 Telephone number 01753 859410 Fax number

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3 °9 Age group 15 °16 March 2007 Inspection dates 288506 Inspection number .

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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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is smaller than average and serves an area of social deprivation. The large majority of pupils are of White British origin. About one in five pupils do not have English as their first language and most of these are of Pakistani background. There is a growing number of pupils of eastern European origin. An above average number of pupils take a free school meal. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is above average. Children enter the school with well below average attainment in literacy and numeracy and in personal, social and emotional development.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007

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Grade: 1

The school is outstanding. It is a highly harmonious community that is much praised and appreciated by parents. The headteacher's very strong and determined leadership is the driving force behind the school's success. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. All pupils feel highly valued especially those who are emotionally vulnerable. Pupils' behaviour is excellent and their attitudes to their learning are extremely positive. They work in a very safe and stimulating environment and are particularly very well informed about healthy living. Pupils hugely enjoy their school life and very much appreciate the opportunities not only to express their views, but also to see their suggestions acted on. Pupils contribute extremely well to the community, for instance, through a wide range of fund-raising activities. The opportunity to organise and manage school events, such as the school's annual book fair, helps to develop their economic awareness.

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Grade: 1

The Foundation Stage provides an excellent start to the children's education. Its key strength is the especially good promotion of the children's personal, social and emotional development that ensures they are happy and keen to learn. Pupils' achievement is excellent and standards are average by Year 4. The excellent teaching and learning enable pupils to make extremely good progress from whatever point they enter the school. A key strength of the teaching is the rigorous use of assessment findings to ensure that the wide range of pupils' individual needs is very well catered for. The good curriculum captures pupils' interests and enthusiasm well. The school is aware that pupils do not currently have enough opportunities to use their information and communication technology (ICT) skills and expects that the imminent instalment of the new mini computer suites will rectify this. Care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. Parents are very pleased with the personal

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Grade: 1

and academic support their children receive. One parent commented that the headteacher and staff make sure her child 'gets all the support she needs' so that she 'continues to thrive'. Pupils are given highly effective support for their learning and they are well aware of their targets for learning. The headteacher, staff and governors work in partnership to ensure a very strong unity of purpose. Monitoring of the school's work is exceedingly thorough and followed by very effective action to improve pupils' performance, for example, in raising standards in writing. The school has improved extremely well since its last inspection and therefore has outstanding capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that pupils have more regular opportunities to use ICT.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' achievement is outstanding. A wide range of initiatives in literacy and numeracy is meeting with considerable success in helping standards and achievement to improve, especially in English and mathematics. This enables pupils to reach average standards by Year 2. Children in the Foundation Stage are developing very well their knowledge and understanding of the sounds of letters that are helping their early reading and writing. Children in both the Nursery 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007 and the Reception class are gaining in confidence and work on their own or with others. The teachers' very strong emphasis on personal development ensures that throughout the school the climate for learning is highly positive. This has especially helped pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities who achieve as well as their peers. Pupils' speaking skills are developed

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Grade: 1

extremely well and those whose first language is not English speak confidently and fluently by the end of Year 4. Pupils in Year 4 are on track to reach above average standards by Year 6.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They considerably enjoy coming to school. Attendance has improved, due in no small measure to the headteacher's work with parents, and is now average. Pupils improve their personal confidence and self-esteem very significantly and this has a very beneficial impact on their behaviour. Pupils who sometimes find it difficult to behave appropriately have particularly benefited. 'There is no really bad behaviour here,' commented one pupil. Relationships are excellent and pupils help each other not only in the classrooms but also in the playground, for example, as buddies to new pupils. Pupils enjoy the range of fruit provided each day and are pleased they have ready access to water. Pupils especially enjoy frequently giving their views in regular questionnaires and in the school council. They are particularly pleased that their suggestions resulted in the provision of

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Grade: 1

The outstanding promotion of pupils' personal development and their care, guidance and support, underpin the excellent teaching and learning. Vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties or disabilities are dealt with very sensitively and practically by teachers and teaching assistants, so that not only are pupils happy but also keen to learn. Lessons are very well planned with due attention to the range of pupils' abilities. Teachers' plans are regularly modified if their assessments show that a different approach is needed to improve pupils' knowledge and understanding. Teachers capture pupils' interests extremely well and consequently the pace of learning is brisk. In an excellent lesson in Year 2 the teacher's high expectations of pupils' learning helped them to make rapid progress in their understanding of a story. They were well aware of the lesson's objectives so knew how much progress they had made. Teaching in the

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Grade: 1

Foundation Stage is lively and engaging and focuses not only on important basic skills but also on a wider, stimulating curriculum, especially in creative development.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum enables pupils not only to develop basic skills but also to enjoy stimulating experiences that excite their interests. New initiatives to improve literacy, numeracy and pupils' creative thinking have captured their enthusiasm. Links between subjects are good, for example, in history and English. Science is used well to help pupils' writing. Although pupils are acquiring basic skills in ICT they do not have regular opportunities to apply the skills across the curriculum. The curriculum is enhanced extremely well by a wide range of opportunities that includes sport, music, visits and visitors to the school. These opportunities are often developed with the help 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007 of a local middle school. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is appropriately broad across the areas of learning.

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Grade: 1

All pupils are valued as individuals and the excellent promotion of their personal, social and emotional development permeates the life of the school. Pupils thrive in a nurturing environment. Relationships with parents of vulnerable pupils are very effective. About one in five pupils join or leave the school at times other than is usual and they progress as well as other pupils. The extremely thorough tracking of pupils' progress enables early identification of those who need extra help or are more able than others. Individual Education Plans for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities are sharply focused and help them to make excellent progress.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding leadership and management ensure that the school runs smoothly and that improving the school is always on the agenda. Partnership with parents is excellent and the school regularly seeks their views. Parents hold the headteacher and staff in very high regard. The deputy headteacher is on secondment to another school and, during this period, the teachers are sharing the responsibilities of the leadership team. This collegiate arrangement is working very well because the teachers are so enthusiastic and are developing new leadership skills. Self-evaluation is very thorough and highly purposeful. Very effective action is taken as a result. For example, boys' self-esteem and confidence have improved and are helping them to catch up with girls' performance. The outcomes of accurate monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning strongly inform teachers' professional development so that, in partnership

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Grade: 1

with the headteacher, they are keen to develop new ideas and approaches. Governors are highly supportive of the school and are very aware of the school's strengths and areas for development. They meet their responsibilities extremely well. Partnership with parents is outstanding. One parent commented 'I can't fault this school'. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for your help on my visit to your school. I very much enjoyed talking to you. Your school is outstanding and your headteacher and staff help you extremely well so that you make excellent progress. They also give you excellent care and guidance so that you feel happy and know who to talk to if you have a problem. You very much enjoy your time in school and your behaviour is excellent. I was especially pleased to see how much you know about keeping healthy and safe. You work very hard and you all get on extremely well together. I know how much you like having the chance to give your opinions, for example in the school council. You do some good work in ICT. I have asked your headteacher to make sure you use ICT even more when you get your new computers. With best wishes Jeff White Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Hilltop First School, 15 °16 March 2007

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