Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School

Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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121564 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 292160 Inspection number 13 °14 March 2007 Inspection dates Lesley Clark 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 89 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Toby Robeson Chair Ms S Wallis Headteacher 25 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection York Road School address Green Hammerton York North Yorkshire YO26 8BN

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01423 330314 Telephone number 0 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 13 °14 March 2007 Inspection dates 292160 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Green Hammerton Primary, a small village school, is growing rapidly as it is a popular choice for parents locally. About a third of pupils come from outside the village itself. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage and come from socio-economically advantaged backgrounds. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average but some have significant learning needs. Attainment on entry therefore varies from above average to average depending on the mix of pupils in any one year group.

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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: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding and happy school that is much loved by pupils and staff and highly thought of by parents. Several parents commented on, 'the energy, commitment and caring attitude of all staff' and this is certainly reflected in the outstanding care, guidance and support both academically and personally given to all pupils. As a result, when pupils leave they are mature young people with a positive outlook and high academic standards. High standards in mathematics and science are now the norm for this school and those in English are not far behind by the end of Year 6. Much successful work has been done recently to bring up standards in writing to match those in reading. The school's self-evaluation correctly identified its strengths, acknowledging several outstanding aspects but concluded that it was good overall because, 'there is always more to do'. It has made good improvement since the last inspection,

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Grade: 1

particularly in the Foundation Stage where provision is now outstanding. The school operates like a family community in which every member is valued, encouraged and supported to reach their potential. It gives outstanding value for money and has outstanding capacity to improve further.Pupils' outstanding personal development is a product of friendly and open relationships with all staff and outstanding assessment systems which swiftly identify any areas, no matter how small, that pupils struggle with. This means that any personal issues or misconceptions in their work are quickly resolved. Pupils learn with confidence and are quick to say when they do not understand or need a bit of help. A good curriculum caters well for their different interests and needs. Currently, more emphasis is given to mathematics and science in the form of clubs and problem solving weeks than to English. Many pupils feel writing is not as interesting

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Grade: 1

as the other two subjects largely because they associate it with formal writing in their literacy books. Pupils' excellent behaviour and keenness to learn, reflected in their good attendance, provide a firm foundation for their high academic standards. Outstanding teaching ensures that pupils develop a thirst for learning and a belief in their ability to succeed. Because of the stimulating environment in which they work and play, pupils greatly enjoy school. Their mature independence and awareness of others mean that they act safely and show respect for and a great deal of interest in the world around them. Their enthusiasm for sport and knowledge of how food affects their bodies help them to live healthy lives. Teamwork is prized and so pupils develop a real sense of the value and pleasure to be gained from contributing to the community. Excellent collaborative skills, high academic standards and an understanding that work can be

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Grade: 1

enjoyable, prepare them well for their future lives.Outstanding leadership and management have successfully guided the school through several staffing changes and building works since the last inspection. All staff and governors play a strong part in ensuring that the school maintains its excellent standards. The school benefits from its many partnerships, particularly those with parents, the church and the Women's Institute which lead to many willing voluntary helpers baking with pupils or helping them to sew imaginatively conceived textiles. These, together with a firm commitment to village traditions, such as maypole dancing and craft work, contribute strongly to the sense of community and to the school's special place within it.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Create more opportunities for writing so that pupils of all ages practise their skills in a full range of real and imaginary contexts. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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Grade: 1

Achievement is outstanding and standards are high, especially in mathematics and science. Children get off to an excellent start in the Foundation Stage and make rapid progress as they learn independently from intensely interesting activities both inside and outside the classroom. This rapid progress continues and standards are usually comfortably above average by the end of Year 2, especially in reading and mathematics, with writing closer to average. By the end of Year 6, standards are high in mathematics and science and well above average in English as shown in the most recent national tests in 2006. Results in writing are usually lower than those in reading. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve exceptionally well and almost all, even those who start from a low base, get up to nationally expected levels by the end of Year 6 because the work is tailored to their individual needs. The school usually exceeds

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and its family atmosphere. They applaud each other generously in 'presentation assemblies' and older pupils say they 'really like looking after Reception children'. They take their responsibilities as 'play leaders' or school council members seriously and are confident that they have a real say in what goes on at school because they know their views matter. They were aghast when asked if there was any bullying, saying they were 'absolutely sure there is no bullying at all because we all get on and we have good teachers'. Pupils are considerate towards each other and respect different views and cultural traditions. They are articulate, computer literate and have assured literacy and numeracy skills which stand them in excellent stead for their future lives.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Teachers' good subject knowledge means they teach confidently and in a style which carries learners along in a highly enjoyable and productive way. Lively presentations using up-to-date technology are interspersed with games, songs and mnemonics to help pupils remember what they are taught. The level of challenge is high for more able pupils and teachers and teaching assistants cater extremely well for a very wide range of abilities and ages. Pupils have many opportunities to work collaboratively and consequently show a high degree of independence. Questioning and assessment are used extremely well to pinpoint those who need extra help and to guide what to teach next. Marking is a notable strength with encouraging comments ringed like a cloud and points for improvement on a climbing stair so pupils are in no doubt as to what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 1

As a result, learning is highly effective. In the Foundation stage, children make outstanding gains in their learning as activities stimulate their curiosity and adults guide their choices so they learn almost without noticing. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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Grade: 2

The curriculum makes good provision for literacy and exceptional provision for mathematics and science with an additional 'hot chocolate' club to sharpen pupils' numeracy skills in Year 6 and a science week based on problem solving. The school is developing linking other subjects together, with success so far with English and science, as when pupils in Years 3 and 4 dramatised the conditions needed for plant growth. More remains to be done to promote writing skills in a wide variety of contexts so that writing becomes second nature from an early age. All pupils learn French which helps them to speak clearly and become confident communicators. A wide range of clubs, educational visits and visitors to school appeal to the interests of many pupils and add much to their enjoyment of it. An outstanding indoor and outdoor curriculum in the Foundation stage successfully promotes active and lively learning.

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Grade: 1

There is outstanding provision for pupils' welfare and child protection procedures are robust. The systems to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or who are gifted and talented are outstanding and the school has the capacity to cope successfully with a wide range of needs and abilities. The strong links with the high school promote a confident start in Year 7 for pupils as they are familiar with some of the staff who come into school to teach drama, for instance. The systems to support academic progress are outstanding and give a clear overview of progress. Support is targeted precisely when and where it is needed and so those who need even just a little bit of help are given extra time and support so they do not fall behind. Pupils therefore feel happy about saying they have not understood something fully, certain they soon will.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding leadership and management use rigorous checking of teaching with a strong focus on learning as the main means to ensure high standards. First all subject leaders check the quality of work in their subjects adopting a similar approach to that of the headteacher, using frequent short visits to check on specific aspects to guarantee that changes are made. Second, teaching assistants are a key part of the school's systems to ensure high quality learning for all. They are trained to a high level to ask pupils probing questions to establish what they have understood. Consequently, they know when to intervene and when to encourage pupils themselves to solve a problem. Third, the headteacher delegates fully. Subject leaders have autonomy and take responsibility for their subjects. Similarly, governors and the administrative assistant have clearly defined roles and responsibilities so that the headteacher can teach for

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Grade: 1

two days a week and run the school efficiently while still having time to monitor closely everything that goes on, including teaching alongside colleagues to sharpen their practice. Governance too is outstanding. Governors meet with subject leaders regularly, are fully aware of the strengths and relative weaknesses of the school and so know the right questions to ask to ensure the school is doing as well as it should. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 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: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 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? 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

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 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: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 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: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for talking to me so readily and so openly. I really enjoyed the conversations I had with you and agree wholeheartedly with your very positive views about your school. It gives you an outstanding education and your teachers and teaching assistants give you excellent help and guidance. They certainly make mathematics and science fun! I like the way the older pupils look after the younger ones and the way you behave so responsibly around the school. It certainly seems to be a happy place to work and play, both for you and for all the staff, including the headteacher too.It is part of my job to look at what schools should do to get even better and I think the following will help. I should like you to have lots of different times to write so that writing becomes second nature to you and not a chore. Writing can be as much fun as the other subjects you enjoy so much, like art, sport and design and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

technology, if you approach it creatively.I wish you all the very best in your future lives. Have fun writing! 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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