Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School

Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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100031 Unique Reference Number Camden Local Authority 307278 Inspection number 22–23 September 2008 Inspection dates Raminder Arora Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 206 School (total) 31 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Nick Jackson Chair Mrs Rebecca Harris Headteacher 1 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Holly Bush Vale School address London NW3 6TX 020 7435 4135 Telephone number 020 7435 3777 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 22–23 September 2008 Inspection dates 307278 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized school, which serves a culturally diverse community. Just under half of all pupils are from ethnic families. Around a quarter of the school population has English as an additional language and five pupils are at the early stages of learning the language. A below average proportion of pupils receive free school meals. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. Difficulties mostly relate to specific learning needs. There are a slightly higher than average proportion of pupils who join and leave the school at unusual times. The school has achieved the Active Mark and Healthy School's award. There has been a high turnover of staff. A new headteacher was appointed two years ago.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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Grade: 2

This good school is improving rapidly and already has a number of outstanding features. Excellent work of the headteacher is instrumental in the success of the school. Pupils flourish and mature socially and academically within a very supportive and caring learning environment. The school is effective in overcoming potential barriers to learning, such as the pupils who join and leave the school outside normal times. The outstanding pastoral care and excellent support and guidance systems ensure that all pupils have equal chances to succeed. The vast majority of parents have nothing but praise for the school. One wrote, 'my child is fortunate enough to be in such a secure, caring and happy environment'. Pupils are happy, well behaved and hardworking. This has a positive impact on their academic progress. They fully understand how to lead healthy lives, keep safe and avoid danger. Their well-developed teamwork skills and a

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Grade: 2

secure grounding in the basic skills stand them in good stead for their future education. From average starting points in Reception, children make good progress and enter Year 1 with standards above the expected level for their age. This reflects good achievement. Pupils continue to make good and often exemplary progress overtime, and exceed nationally expected standards in both key stages 1 and 2. This is due to good teaching and learning allied to a good curriculum enriched with an outstanding range of clubs and activities. The standards show a marked improvement since the last inspection when pupils were underachieving in Year 2. In 2007, the standards by the end of Year 6 were significantly above average in English and mathematics, but not in science. Raising standards in science continues to be a particular focus within the school but the arrangements for the subject are not yet secure. Pupils' progress in science,

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Grade: 2

although currently much improved, is not yet fully in line with English and mathematics. This year's unvalidated results and the school's most recent assessment data show that, standards in all subjects are likely to be higher because more pupils are securing higher levels. The improvements above stem from the outstanding and inspirational leadership of the headteacher. She has ensured that staff are clearly focused on the learning of each individual. Pupils with learning difficulties show outstanding progress because their needs are carefully identified and extra support very effectively organised. Pupils learning English as a new language perform in line with their peers. Teachers and the teaching assistants skilfully and sensitively adapt their methods to support the needs of these pupils. Teachers deliver stimulating and sometimes outstanding lessons that help to promote good learning. They track pupils' progress effectively and set appropriate targets for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are fully involved in assessing their own learning and gain an understanding of how well they are doing and what they need to do next. The good leadership and management of the school are clearly focused on raising standards and continuously improving the quality of teaching and learning. In the light of the many recent staff changes, a carefully planned induction programme is effectively supporting the new teachers. The school's contribution to the community cohesion is outstanding, because very positive relationships are established with the parents and different communities. Governors play an active role and keep in close touch with the developments. Considerable improvements have been made since the appointment of the headteacher and the capacity to improve still further is good. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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Grade: 2

Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They enter reception class with standards as expected for their age in most areas of learning. Children make good progress and reach above the expected level for their age by the end of Reception. Their personal development is outstanding and contributes to their good progress and social development. All children work and play harmoniously. Children are well supported in their learning and development. Activities are planned effectively to meet the needs of all abilities and support staff work well with individuals and groups of pupils. It is a secure and safe environment, which is well resourced. The use of the outdoor area is developing well and has benefited considerably from the investment in play equipment, a covered area and a soft tarmac surface. Children are engaged with and enjoy their learning either in groups or independently. The key worker system allows staff to get to know and

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Grade: 2

understand children's learning and social needs. Assessment of children's progress is carried out methodically and provides a good overview of their development. The Early Years Foundation Stage provision is led and managed well. A considerable number of improvements have occurred over the past year and as a result parents are extremely happy and very supportive. Children's welfare is a high priority and robust arrangements are in place for their safeguarding. There are good procedures to support children entering Reception and then moving into Year 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise the quality of all teaching and learning to the level of the best.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the co-ordination of science provision in order to ensure consistently high performance in the subject.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good across both key stages and standards are significantly above average. Standards have been rising at the end of Key Stage 1. The overall results clearly mark a significant improvement since the last inspection, particularly in reading and writing, and this is mainly due to more focused support in these subjects. Standards reached at the end of Key Stage 2 have been consistently and significantly above average. Pupils exceed the challenging targets set for them. Results in science, although improving, lagged slightly behind in 2007. The school is aware of this and taking appropriate action for improvement. The unvalidated results this year show further improvement particularly in the number of higher levels attained. Pupils of all abilities, including those new to learning English, and the gifted and talented, achieve well. This is because their needs are carefully identified and provided for. This is

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Grade: 2

particularly true of the pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. They make outstanding progress.

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Grade: 1

Pupils really enjoy coming to school and levels of attendance are good. They particularly like the opportunities they have for sports and physical activities at break and lunchtimes and the 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008 extensive range of clubs offered. The stilts and space-hoppers are very popular. Pupils know how to stay healthy. The knowledgeable school council has played an important role in this and made a presentation to the local council on the importance of healthy eating. Pupils take on a range of responsibilities in the school such as playground friends and are involved in regular fundraising for charity. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments are excellent. Their behaviour around the school and in lessons is outstanding and they have a very positive attitude to learning. Pupils are very polite and work and play together in harmony. They understand the need to

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Grade: 1

stay safe and why there are rules for playground equipment. They have many opportunities for cultural development through, for example, the Black History week and various festival celebrations. Pupils are well prepared for their move to secondary schools as they have made good strides in their learning and matured into responsible young people.

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Grade: 2

Although the majority of teaching is good, the quality does vary. In the best lessons, teachers' expectations are high and the pace of work is good, which means that pupils learn quickly. Lessons are interesting and enjoyable, and planned well to meet pupils' individual needs. The teaching assistants provide very effective extra support to those who need it. Relationships are strong and pupils are well motivated to work hard as a result. Teachers encourage pupils to think for themselves and talk about their learning, which helps their understanding. In a lesson, the excellent opportunities provided for speaking and listening were readily taken as pupils engaged in a stimulating task of describing a character from the film, Harry Potter. In some lessons, the pace of learning is sometimes slow and teachers' subject knowledge less secure. Nearly all lessons provide well-planned opportunities for pupils' self-evaluation.

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Grade: 2

Consequently, pupils are very sure about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good in meeting all pupils' needs. Music is a particular strength of the school and there is a very popular drumming club. Pupils often perform at external venues such as, the schools festival at The Albert Hall. PE is also a strength. The school has many successful sports teams, which compete in local leagues. The provision for literacy and numeracy is very effective for pupils, particularly those of higher ability. The school library is a good resource to support pupils' reading and research skills. Information and communication technology (ICT) provision is well resourced with a computer suite and the interactive whiteboards, used effectively in most lessons. The school is working on further extending the subject links and making the curriculum exciting for all. Themed weeks such as health week and a large number of well-attended after school clubs provide excellent enrichment opportunities. A range of

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Grade: 2

trips, including the residential trips for Years 5 and 6, are very popular with the pupils and support their social development. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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Grade: 1

Pupils receive outstanding care, guidance and support. Child protection procedures and risk assessments are robust. Excellent systems are in place to monitor pupils' progress. Pupils know their targets for English and mathematics and what they need to do next. Marking is very supportive and identifies how children can improve their work. Excellent use is made of the external agencies in order to meet pupils' needs, for example the pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Pupils who speak little English receive additional teaching support. A parent wrote, 'A very ambitious and successful support programme is run in a highly imaginative way'. The school constantly monitors its pupils and has introduced a 'fragile' section in the weekly 'morning book', which identifies pupils with any particular social or other needs. A range of strategies including an 'Early Bird' punctuality award and 'Magnus the Bear' attendance

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Grade: 1

award has successfully improved attendance.

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Grade: 2

The outstanding leadership of the headteacher, extremely well supported by the deputy headteacher, provides clear vision for the school. This is strongly reflected in the common sense of purpose among staff and particularly within the leadership team. Parents are immensely pleased with improvements over the last two years, especially in raising standards and strengthening links with the community. The school's contribution to promoting community cohesion is outstanding. Relationships with parents have improved considerably over the past few years with one parent describing the school as a 'fabulous local school'. Outstanding links established with many educational organisations and the local authority have proved extremely beneficial to the work of the school. There is a regular programme of classroom observations and staff training has focused on key whole school issues such as raising achievement and

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Grade: 2

planning to meet all pupils' needs. The school's self-evaluation is outstanding and very clearly identifies strengths and key priorities, for example, the need to continuously develop staff, especially those new to the school. All new initiatives for development are continuously checked for their impact on pupils' achievements. The governing body effectively fulfils its statutory duties and holds the school to account, because the systems for them to check standards and the quality of education have greatly improved. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008 .

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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: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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learners?

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

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

06 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School,London,NW3 6TX On behalf of the inspectors I would like to thank you very much for welcoming us to your school. We really enjoyed meeting you, talking to you and looking at all your work. We think your school is good. Here are the reasons why.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your school is welcoming and much liked by parents, pupils and the local community.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy coming to school and attend regularly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress because your lessons are good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy the excellent extra-curricular activities available for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour is excellent and you get on well with each other and teachers.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You listen carefully to your teachers and you are willing to work hard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You learn to work and play well together and to look after yourselves.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everyone at school takes excellent care of you, so that you are safe and happy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your headteacher, class teachers, and all of the other staff who help run your school, are keen for you to get the best education. There are two things that we think would make your school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure that all teaching is as good as the best, to enable you to always do well in your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Improve management of science to ensure high-class performance in the subject.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can also help by making sure you always do your best and continue to enjoy learning, so that your school remains a delightful place to be. Yours sincerely Raminder Arora Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hampstead Parochial Church of England Primary School, 22–23 September 2008

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