Hayeswood First School

Hayeswood First School Inspection report

p.1

113686 Unique Reference Number Dorset Local Authority 289694 Inspection number 17 May 2007 Inspection date Margaret Dickinson HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

First Type of school Community School category 4 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 175 School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority John Bunting Chair John Bagwell Headteacher 6 February 2003 Date of previous school inspection Cutlers Place School address Colehill Wimborne BH21 2HN

p.1

01202 882379 Telephone number 01202 848199 Fax number

p.1

4 °9 Age group 17 May 2007 Inspection date 289694 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

The school is smaller than average. Pupils come from a range of social and economic backgrounds but the majority come from relatively advantaged homes. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. Around 40% of the pupils travel to school from outside the immediate area. Standards on entry to Reception are broadly in line with what is normally found but children's personal and social development and knowledge of number are above average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. The headteacher has been in post since September 2006. The deputy headteacher is seconded to another school this term and a senior teacher is currently acting deputy headteacher.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007

p.3

Grade: 1

Hayeswood First School is an outstanding school which has many strengths. Pupils build upon their previous standards extremely well from Reception through to Year 4. Provision in Reception is outstanding. There are no years where progress dips and this consistency makes achievement outstanding overall. By Year 2, standards in reading and writing are exceptionally high. Standards in mathematics, whilst not quite as high, are nevertheless significantly above average. These overall high standards continue until pupils leave the school in Year 4. Pupils' academic achievement is not the only strength in this school. They also make extremely good progress in their personal and social development. Pupils are friendly and sociable, behave extremely well and form very good relationships. They act responsibly and show good regard for the safety of others. Pupils enjoy participating in sports and activities such as Wake and

p.4

Grade: 1

Shake and U2, which they know are helping them to keep healthy. The school is often praised for its 'family feel' and this is indeed the case. All children are known well and valued as individuals. They are exceptionally well cared for and supported and their well-being is at the heart of everyone's work. Pupils enjoy school and get the most out of the wide range of opportunities offered. The curriculum is excellent. Not surprisingly, parents too are extremely pleased with the standard of education provided. One written comment was typical of many: 'The atmosphere in school is a friendly, welcoming one and the opportunities and experiences provided for our children are second to none.' Pupils' very good basic skills, self-confidence and outstanding attitudes to learning stand them in very good stead for their future lives, in education and beyond. Two key reasons for this success are the excellent leadership, and teaching that is consistently

p.4

Grade: 1

good or better. The headteacher provides a very clear sense of direction and leads by example, fostering a strong team spirit. He and the senior leadership team are not in any way complacent about the high standards and there is a shared quest for improving the school further. Two good examples are the recent successful work on developing questioning techniques in lessons and the extra focus on pupils keeping active. Within this very strong overall picture, there are two relatively weak areas. The senior leadership team's monitoring of teaching and provision results in accurate overall judgements about its effectiveness. However, it is not sufficiently evaluative to have maximum impact on pupils' learning and achievement. Subject leaders are very successful at improving provision, particularly the curriculum, but are not yet identifying the finer points for improvement that would lead to greater consistency in pupils' achievement.

p.4

Grade: 1

These factors help to explain why the school has not been able to pinpoint why standards in mathematics at Year 2 have not matched the very high standards in reading and writing over recent years.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Develop the senior leadership team's monitoring by ensuring a more precise focus on pupils' learning and achievement. • Develop subject leaders' expertise to help them to be more diagnostic and specific in identifying strengths and weaker aspects within their areas of responsibility. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007

p.4

Grade: 1

Standards at Year 2 have shown a marked improving trend since the last inspection. Children make very good progress in Reception and leave with above average standards in all areas of learning. From then on, pupils make very good progress in reading and writing because the school is very good at developing these basic skills. Progress in mathematics is good overall. The school recognises that, given children's above average mathematical development on entry, there is no reason why standards in mathematics could not be exceptionally high, as in reading and writing. The extra focus on developing problem-solving skills and giving pupils more opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge is starting to have a positive impact. English and mathematics were a main focus of this inspection but good work was also noted in information and communication technology (ICT), history, and design and technology.

p.5

Grade: 1

Pupils have outstanding attitudes to school and learning. They apply themselves exceptionally well in lessons, work hard and do their best. They enjoy taking responsibility and many help around the school, collecting lunchboxes, assisting at assemblies or acting as 'buddies'. The 'study buddy' approach goes down very well. Pupils are often to be seen cooperating together in lessons. They really like doing this and see the benefits of working with a friend to solve problems or to work out answers to the teachers' questions. Pupils have a good knowledge of healthy eating and are keen on exercise. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They are caring and thoughtful and are open about sharing their thoughts and emotions. The friendly atmosphere in the school is, in part, down to the pupils themselves. Their positive approach to school life and their general willingness to contribute and cooperate

p.5

Grade: 1

Teaching is consistently good and sometimes outstanding. Lessons are planned in good detail and most cater very well for the attainment range in each class. Pupils particularly like the variety of many lessons, when the time is broken up and made more interesting by different activities. An excellent feature in teaching is the way teaching assistants are used to best advantage. In the best lessons, they are very well briefed and know exactly what they need to achieve. In these cases, they are often used flexibly to maximise learning for different groups. Another strong aspect of teaching is the high quality of questioning. Teachers draw upon a widening range of techniques to probe pupils' thinking. Teaching is clearly promoting an enthusiasm for learning, which is a strong factor in pupils' positive attitudes to school and their excellent achievement. A weaker feature is that some pupils feel they could move on more

p.5

Grade: 1

quickly in some mathematics lessons rather than keep going over something they already understand. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007

p.5

Grade: 1

The curriculum makes an excellent contribution not only to pupils' academic progress but also their wider personal development and enjoyment of school. With many pupils working at levels well beyond the expectations for their age, the school has tailored the curriculum to enable them to work at higher levels where applicable. The breadth of the curriculum is appreciated by parents and pupils. They like the arts weeks, performances, visitors and trips. There are also strong links between subjects. ICT runs as a clear thread through many topics and drama is often used to enliven learning, for example in history. Pupils are given a wide variety of writing experiences, often linked to topics to make writing more interesting, which they like. Many classrooms have helpful displays which serve to remind pupils of key learning points, important tips for success or specific vocabulary. One feature that is particularly popular with pupils is

p.6

Grade: 1

the outdoor environment. They are very proud of their playground and field.

p.6

Grade: 1

There is a very high commitment to caring for pupils and ensuring their safety and well-being. Parents' questionnaires were unanimously positive about this aspect and 80% ticked the 'strongly agree' column for the question relating to this area. Procedures for child protection are robust. The school has good links with outside agencies including the nursery, which shares the same site. The tadpole club and other arrangements for settling in the youngest children are very much appreciated by parents of new children. Assessments are used well to gauge pupils' progress and information from these is used to set suitably challenging targets to help pupils achieve their potential. The school tracks pupils' progress from Reception onwards but there are a few gaps in the mathematics tracking, making it difficult to check the longer term progress of the older pupils over time.

p.6

Grade: 1

The senior leadership team has had a significant impact on the school's effectiveness and standards have improved significantly since the last inspection. The school has clear strengths in many important areas and these are well established and embedded. The new senior management team is providing clear direction. There is a strong, shared commitment to providing a high quality education for pupils, which is reflected in their outstanding achievement and excellent personal development. Parents are very happy with the headteacher's leadership, the dedication of staff and the strong teamwork. Governors have a good overall knowledge of the school's strengths and weaknesses and have good systems in place for finding out for themselves how subject leaders are developing their subjects. The school has good capacity to improve further. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007 .

p.6

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: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

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 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.8

Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 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

p.8

learners?

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

p.8

and interests of learners?

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

p.8

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: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007

p.8

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: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Hayeswood First School, Colehill, BH21 2HN You may remember that I visited your school recently. I wanted to write to say how much I enjoyed my day and to thank all of you who talked to me about your work and the kind of things you do in school. I kept being told about Mr Bagwell playing the dragon in assembly on St George's Day, and pretending to fall over. That sounded a fun assembly! I thought you would like to hear about some of the things I found out about your school. You go to an excellent school. You do very well in reading, writing and mathematics and this means you are in a very good position to carry on at your next school and do well in the future. Your teachers plan really interesting things for you to do and they are very good at helping you to learn. You are also cared for exceptionally well. Please thank your parents for filling in the inspection questionnaires. I know from these and from what many of you told me that you

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

really enjoy school. You are very well behaved and you get on really well with one another. I like the way you help each other out in lessons as 'study buddies'. One really important thing about your school is your headteacher and all the other teachers and members of staff who help. They are all very dedicated and they work hard to make sure things are as good as they can be for you. I have asked Mr Bagwell, your governors and teachers to do two things to make your school even better. They often check how well they think the school is doing. When they do this, I would them to think more carefully about how well you are learning and what you are getting out of school. The teachers who are responsible for subjects should also look really carefully at your work in lessons, and in your books, to see if there are any things they can spot that would make your learning even better. With best wishes Margaret Dickinson Her Majesty's Inspector

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 of 10 Inspection Report: Hayeswood First School, 17 May 2007

p.10