Hunnyhill Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 10 May 2007

Hunnyhill Primary School Inspection report

p.1

118167 Unique Reference Number Isle of Wight Local Authority 291039 Inspection number 9 °10 May 2007 Inspection dates Michael Pye Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 156 School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Ms C Bailey Chair Mrs M Davis Headteacher 12 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection Albany Road School address Newport PO30 5HZ

p.1

01983 522506 Telephone number 01983 522506 Fax number

p.1

4 °9 Age group 9 °10 May 2007 Inspection dates 291039 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 two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

The pupils in this smaller than average school come from a predominantly White British background. The number of pupils for whom English is an additional language is well below average, but is increasing. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. The number of pupils joining the school other than in Reception or Year 1 is above average. The school has the Gold Activemark, the Basic Skills and the enhanced Healthy School awards.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

One parent wrote, 'I feel that the education, support and fun that my child receives are good'. The school does indeed provide a good education for the pupils and in many aspects it is better. A period of sustained improvement has resulted in good standards and achievement. The programme for the gifted and talented is outstanding, and support for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Pupils maximise the use of very good and varied opportunities that enhance their education. Their knowledge of healthy lifestyles is also outstanding. For a small school there is an excellent range of visits, visitors and a wide range of opportunities for pupils outside of the classroom. The pupils talk of their great enjoyment of school. Pupils achieve well and standards are above average. The children get a good start in the Foundation Stage. The good curriculum, together with the establishment of very positive

p.4

Grade: 2

relationships, helps ensure, for example, that the children's emotional development is progressed well. Weaknesses in literacy remain by the time they enter Year 1. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils have made good progress and attain well above average standards in mathematics, reading and writing. For a minority of pupils, this reflects very good progress. The majority of pupils leave for middle school with above the expected levels in numeracy, literacy and science. Teachers' high expectations and positive pupil attitudes contribute to the good achievement levels. Teaching and learning are good, although there are missed opportunities to further develop pupils as independent learners. For example, pupils have targets, but there is insufficient reinforcement of them in lessons, and inconsistencies exist in the regularity with which pupils and staff review them. The good curriculum meets well the needs of pupils. To meet the different learning styles of

p.4

Grade: 2

pupils, the school is increasing the opportunities for pupils to investigate and solve problems, particularly in numeracy. However, there is a need for more opportunities in science and other subjects. The personal development and well-being of pupils, along with the spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of pupils, are good. In particular, there are extensive opportunities for pupils to reflect in assemblies and circle time on issues that interest and challenge them. Care, support and guidance for pupils are good, and those with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve well. This is a consequence of good, planned intervention work, and the excellent one-to-one support given by the specialist teaching assistant. Skilled leadership of the school by the headteacher, ably assisted by other school leaders, has provided a very clear direction for school improvement. Very good sustained improvement in

p.4

Grade: 2

recent years, together with good academic standards and many aspects of high quality provision for a small school, reflects excellent value for money. These improvements indicate that the school has a good capacity to improve. Governors regularly monitor the performance of the school, and are increasing their knowledge of the school.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all pupils' targets are reviewed regularly and that teachers reinforce their use during lessons. • Extend the opportunities for pupils to investigate and solve problems in science and other subjects. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007

p.4

Grade: 2

Children enter Reception with below the expected levels of skills and knowledge. They have particular weaknesses in their literacy skills, but make good progress and most meet the early learning goals expected of them. However, weaknesses remain in linking sounds and letters and in writing. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress and attain standards that are significantly above average in the national tests for seven year olds. Current Year 2 pupils are on target to attain similarly good standards in maths, writing and reading. For a significant minority of pupils, this reflects very good progress. The majority of pupils continue to achieve well and, by the end of Year 4, exceed the expected levels of skills and knowledge for their age. The few pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and for whom English is an additional language also achieve well. The pupils who join the school other than in Year 1 progress well,

p.5

Grade: 2

reflecting the good tracking of their progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities progress well towards their personal goals. Parents comment favourably on the particularly good support for these pupils.

p.5

Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils are good. However, the pupils' knowledge of healthy lifestyles is outstanding. They talk enthusiastically about healthy diets and the need for exercise. They speak of their enjoyment of the school dinners and, in their choice of fresh vegetables and fruit, show their very strong understanding about sensible eating. Pupils tell of thoroughly enjoying school. Parent questionnaires support this view of pupils feeling secure and enjoying school. Pupils speak of feeling safe and the messages about personal safety are well reinforced by visits from the police, fire brigade and health professionals. School council members are typical of other pupils, being keen to take part and wanting to make a good contribution to the community. They have participated in decision-making about playground equipment, internal decoration and establishing rules and codes of conduct. Whilst

p.5

Grade: 2

the good standards of basic skills, including information and communication technology help prepare them well for future life, there are missed opportunities for pupils to visit such places as shops and offices, and hence improve their knowledge of the business world.

p.5

Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good, and the quality is maintained by regular monitoring by senior leaders. Teachers have high expectations of pupils. As one pupil said, 'In lessons you learn lots, and lots, and lots'. Good planning and effective preparation help ensure that lessons have pace, and that pupils can easily access some good resources, including interactive whiteboards, and concentrate on their learning. Pupils say their views are respected and listened to and that relationships are good. This becomes particularly relevant in discussions during very good circle time lessons. The good achievement of pupils also reflects the accurate planning of work for pupils of different abilities. Moreover, pupils' learning benefits from some effective liaison and preparation work between teachers and teaching assistants. Whilst targets are set in literacy, numeracy and science, and teachers' marking is supportive, there is insufficient reinforcement

p.5

Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007 of targets in lessons and pupils inconsistently use them in all subjects to help them improve their work.

p.5

Grade: 2

The curriculum is good with a number of strengths, such as the provision for physical education, the excellent programme of extra-curricular activities, and outstanding additional provision for pupils who are gifted and talented. The Foundation Stage curriculum gives children a good start, encouraging them to make choices, whilst developing well their communication skills and their personal and social development. Pupils benefit from a very good range of opportunities. The physical education programme offers dance, swimming, football, cricket, tennis and rugby. Through personal, social and health education, pupils have very good opportunities to reflect on issues such as substance abuse. Circle time allows them to discuss matters of personal concern, such as options about how they should behave towards others. The curriculum is enriched by a programme of visitors and visits to places of interest, music lessons, art clubs,

p.6

Grade: 2

photography, gardening and a choir. Pupils' levels of participation are very high. An excellent, innovative project links the gifted and talented pupils to an external expert, for example an artist, author or historian, to stimulate them and to develop further their area of interest and strength. A weakness is that opportunities for investigative work in science and in other subjects are not yet as well developed as other provision.

p.6

Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The pupils feel safe and secure and are, consequently, able to concentrate on their work. One pupil said, 'The teachers do their best to help us enjoy school and look after us'. Pupils have positive attitudes and, as another pupil put it, 'When we have little fall-outs', the school deals with the problem quickly. Pupils, and the overwhelming majority of parents, believe behaviour to be good, and during the inspection pupils behaved well. The arrangements for child protection, health and safety and risk assessments are secure and make an effective contribution to pupil welfare. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well looked after; the school is accessible for pupils with physical disabilities, and a specialist teaching assistant enables some effective one-to-one support. Pupils benefit well from some good arrangements when entering the school. Year 4 pupils receive good support

p.6

Grade: 2

and guidance through visits to their chosen middle schools and when middle school staff visit. Pupils have targets for improvement, although they are insufficiently used during lessons to help pupils identify how to further improve their work.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school's leadership and management are good. The headteacher has an exceptionally clear vision for the direction of the school. This is fully shared by the other members of the senior management team, who also provide very good support. The vision emphasises the development of pupils' self-confidence, self-esteem and all pupils fulfilling their potential. It is supported by effective school self-evaluation. The positive quality of relationships, together with initiatives 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007 such as the excellent gifted and talented programme, and the increasingly effective tracking of pupils' progress, reflects the success of this vision. The school is inclusive; all pupils have benefited from the improving academic standards and have access to the wide range of extra-curricular activities. Senior managers monitor and evaluate the school's performance well. The impact of this is seen

p.6

Grade: 2

in the sustained trend of improvement over the last five years and in standards that are now significantly above average at the end of Year 2. There is an effective programme of lesson observations, but the feedback to teachers would benefit from a sharper focus on the extent of pupils' learning. The supportive governing body visits regularly and has an increasingly good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Governors are involved, as are a good range of other adults and pupils, in development planning, which identifies appropriate areas for improvement. Some subject action plans could more clearly identify interim dates for improvements. There is a consistent pattern of improving standards and achievement. The academic and pastoral provision for pupils with special educational needs, and for those with gifts and talents, together with the very good use of human and other resources in a small school, all demonstrate

p.7

Grade: 2

that the school provides outstanding value for money. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007 .

p.7

Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007

p.9

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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

21 May 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Hunnyhill Primary School,Newport,PO30 5HZ You will remember our visit to your school. We spent a lot of time speaking to you and thank you for your interesting comments. We agree with you that your school is good. We also feel it does some things very well. The things we really liked included the way you work hard, gain good standards of work and progress well. Like you, we agree that this is because you get good teaching. As one pupil said, 'The school is good for young children to learn'. We also feel that you are keen to work and want to do well. We have asked the school to encourage you to think about how to improve your work by using your targets more in lessons. You could help your teachers by telling them when you think you have reached your target. We also liked the way that the school provides you with such a very good variety of things to do. The pupils who have special learning needs and those with gifts and talents are very well

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

looked after. However, you all like your trips, your visitors and very importantly many of you go to the various clubs on offer. Well done! You told us how much you enjoy school, and that you feel safe and able to get on with your work. We agree that the adults care for you well. We also liked the way you get along well with each other, sharing, playing and working together. We found you to be polite, keen to talk and willing to think hard about the questions we asked. In circle time you are very responsible when discussing things of importance to you. We also liked the way you know about how to stay healthy and safe. Your school is well run by the headteacher and her staff. They have very good and clear plans for the future of the school. The various improvements in recent years show how successful they are in managing and changing things in the school. We have asked that the school looks into giving you more opportunities to investigate and solve problems in all your subjects.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I wish you all well for the future. Yours sincerely, Michael Pye Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hunnyhill Primary School, 9 °10 May 2007

p.11