Harrison Primary School

Inspection Report Harrison Primary School

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115990 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290388 Inspection number 22 °23 January 2007 Inspection dates Peter Thrussell 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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Harrison Road School address Primary Type of school Fareham Community School category PO16 7EQ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01329234016 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01329825682 Fax number 584 Number on roll (school) Mrs Rebecca Rubio Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Carolyn Clarke Headteacher 5 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290388 22 °23 January 2007 4°11 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Harrison is a very large three form entry primary school. It serves an advantaged area with few pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. The majority of pupils are of British White heritage. The proportion with learning difficulties or disabilities is just above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Harrison Primary School provides a good standard of education for its pupils. The headteacher, ably assisted by her deputy and a strong leadership team, provides good leadership and management. This ensures that pupils make good progress both in their personal development and academic learning. Good care, which draws on the close links established with parents and other agencies, ensures that particular difficulties met by pupils are identified and supported effectively. One parent commented, 'The school is progressing children well both academically and socially'. Before starting in the Foundation Stage, children become acquainted with the staff and surroundings by spending time in school and through home visits. They are, therefore, keen to start school and settle very quickly. Well planned and balanced provision includes good opportunities for personal and social development. This encourages children to develop good patterns of behaviour. They become confident

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Grade: 2

and independent in their approach to school and, therefore, make good progress in their learning. Throughout the school, pupils are well known individually by staff. One commented, 'Staff like us; they always smile and help us when we have a problem'. Pupils enjoy school, particularly the trips and practical lessons. They readily take on responsibilities such as peer mentors. The school council is proud that its suggestions for recycling have been taken on board. Pupils are keen to adopt healthy lifestyles, thinking carefully about what they have for their snacks and packed lunches. These personal qualities fully contribute to the good progress pupils make throughout the school and the above average standards they reach. Improvements in the procedures for monitoring progress are now helping to ensure that pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD), achieve well. The progress of more able pupils was not being monitored effectively and consequently

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Grade: 2

some of these pupils did achieve to their full potential. Their progress, along with that of other pupils, is now carefully tracked. Where pupils are not making the expected progress, additional support is provided to help keep them on track. The school has taken action to raise the achievement, particularly of more able pupils, and this is starting to be effective. Teachers are now generally making good use of this assessment information to plan what pupils need to learn next, so that all continue to be challenged in their learning. Well targeted teaching in Year 6 is helping to ensure that these pupils, especially the more able, make up ground lost in earlier years and achieve well. Although the overall quality of teaching is good, there remain some variations within this. In a few lessons, teachers do not have high enough expectations of general behaviour, concentration and noise levels. This reduces the pace of learning.

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Grade: 2

Overall, there has been good improvement since the last inspection and this shows that there is good capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Implement fully the plans to raise achievement and standards, particularly of more able pupils, to ensure their success 2 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 2007 • Reduce the remaining inconsistencies within teaching

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Grade: 2

Standards overall are above average and achievement is good. Children generally enter the school with an average level of skills, but in some years this is lower. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage, helped by the recently improved provision, which is already being reflected in the rising standards in Year 1. Throughout the school pupils generally make good progress in relation to their attainment on entry, reaching broadly average standards by the end of Year 2, and above average standards by Year 6. Overall attainment at Year 6 of more able pupils has not been high enough in English, mathematics and science. Good assessment procedures are now helping the school to carefully monitor progress and set challenging targets for this and other groups to aim for. The latest assessments indicate that in the current Year 6, and throughout the school, the progress of more able pupils is starting to improve due to

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Grade: 2

better planning and provision. A whole school focus on speaking and listening has encouraged pupils to discuss and develop their ideas and vocabulary in order to improve their writing. It has also encouraged pupils to develop their understanding of mathematics by explaining their thinking. More time is now given to extended writing in Years 5 and 6. Guidelines are now being used in science to help pupils understand and record the different stages of their investigations.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. There are many opportunities for pupils to take on responsibility and for charity fund raising, enabling them to make a considerable contribution to the school and wider community. Pupils have a high awareness of their own and others' rights, including strong feelings against bullying. The school's strong emphasis on caring contributes well to their good awareness of personal safety. Pupils are confident in approaching staff if they have a problem. They have a good understanding of cultural diversity, helped by the school's intercultural studies week. Pupils behave well and say they greatly enjoy school. This is reflected in their good rates of attendance. As one pupil said, 'We like school because staff are really friendly and happy and they like us'. Most pupils have a good commitment to healthy lifestyles.

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Grade: 2

A large majority supports the school's clear guidelines for healthy eating and make full use of the opportunities to be physically active in physical education lessons, breaktimes and the different sports clubs. Pupils have a good grasp of basic skills and work cooperatively, preparing them well for their later life and learning. 3 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers make clear to the pupils what they are expected to learn, and plan varied, well matched tasks that engage and motivate them. They are taking care this year to provide a good level of challenge for more able pupils. Most keep up a brisk pace that keeps pupils on their toes and interested. As a result, they concentrate and learn well and generally enjoy their lessons. Teachers plan and work closely with the skilled teaching assistants, enabling them to provide effective support. They use paired discussions well to help pupils express and extend their ideas and to involve them fully in lessons. Teachers use a good range of assessment information effectively to adjust what they teach. Although they make very good use of individual targets throughout lessons to guide pupils in their learning, they make few comments in marking on precisely what pupils should do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. Following a full review, it has been modified to enhance creativity and relevance, promote stronger links between subjects, and ensure that the learning needs of all pupils are being met. These changes have yet to be fully evaluated in relation to achievement and standards, particularly of more able pupils. However, pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved as a result of them. The curriculum is enriched well by a good range of visits, visitors, special events and clubs, which add interest and enjoyment for pupils. Visits to places such as Fishbourne Roman Villa and HMS Victory provide valuable first-hand learning experiences. Visits from the police and health workers make a good contribution to pupils' personal development. A high proportion of pupils take advantage of the different clubs on offer, such as sports, music and computer clubs, to extend their learning and interest. Good links with other schools help to enrich the provision for

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Grade: 2

sport, science, music, mathematics and ICT. The school has introduced French for pupils in Year 3.

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Grade: 2

Care, support and guidance are good. The school has a strong culture of care, where the measures to safeguard pupils' well being are fully established. Procedures for vetting adults in school are thorough and comply with the latest guidance. Teachers' use of individual targets provides particularly good guidance for pupils. Pupils have a good understanding of how these targets help them to improve their work. Pupils with LDD receive especially good care and guidance, managed by a very well qualified and experienced staff member. The support and guidance for more able pupils is, rightly, being enhanced. As a result, these pupils are starting to make better progress. 4 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a clear sense of direction that is fully focused on improving all areas of pupils' learning and development. She has built an enthusiastic, hardworking staff team, keen to contribute to this through a strong emphasis on staff development, supportive teamwork and shared responsibility. This is reflected in good improvements since the last inspection. A good example of this is the introduction two years ago of a much more rigorous system for tracking progress and setting targets, which teachers are using well to increase pupils' rate of learning. It has helped the school to identify the need to extend more able pupils more effectively and to begin to address this through additional provision this year. An accurate process of self-evaluation takes appropriate account of the views of staff, governors, parents and pupils. It is underpinned by comprehensive monitoring and

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Grade: 2

evaluation. Subject leaders make a significant contribution to the development of their subjects through their monitoring of teaching, learning and pupils' progress, and by providing training for colleagues. Governors are well involved in the life and work of the school and have a good understanding of its performance. 5 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 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? 2 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

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

2 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. 7 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 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? 8 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing to let you know what we found when we visited your school. Thank you for taking part in the inspection. We spoke to many of you during our visit and you were always interesting to talk to, very polite and helpful. You spoke enthusiastically about enjoying school and all of the things you take part in. Harrison Primary School is a good school. We liked these things the most: • The Reception classes give you a good start to your time in school. • You behave well, work hard and enjoy your lessons and playtimes. • You understand the targets teachers set for each of you and are keen to meet them. • The school is very caring; pupils who need extra help are well supported. • The school provides you with many interesting things to do, such as the different clubs, focus weeks and trips you take part in. • You understand the importance of eating the right things and taking plenty of exercise. • The school listens to you when you suggest how things could get even better. Well done

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

for starting to tackle recycling. • You value being given responsibilities; you take your work as peer mentors quite seriously. • Your headteacher does a good job and is well supported by the staff and governors. We have asked the school to work on this now: • Ensure that every one of your lessons enables you all to do as well as you possibly can; • Look closely at the plans to help you improve your learning, particularly those of you who find learning easy, and check that they are successfully carried out. Thank you again. Yours sincerely Peter Thrussell Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Harrison Primary School, 22 °23 January 2007

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