Hallsville Primary School

Hallsville Primary School Inspection report

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102724 Unique Reference Number Newham Local Authority 308102 Inspection number 12 °13 November 2007 Inspection dates Peter Sudworth 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 Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 355 School The governing body Appropriate authority Ms J Mar Chair Ms K Edge Headteacher 25 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection Radland Road School address London E16 1LN 020 7476 2355 Telephone number 020 7055 0183 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 12 °13 November 2007 Inspection dates 308102 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

About one-fifth of the pupils at this larger than average primary school are refugees or asylum seekers. Twenty-eight different ethnic groups make up the school's population. Approximately two-thirds of the pupils speak English as an additional language and one in ten are at an early stage of learning the language. The school serves a community that contains areas of high deprivation and about three-quarters of the pupils are entitled to free school meals. The percentage of pupils joining or leaving the school at times other than the usual ones is much higher than in most schools. Children join the Nursery from age three onwards depending on when places become available. About half the Nursery children attend full-time. The school has achieved several national and local awards.

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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: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 2007

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Grade: 1

Hallsville Primary is an outstanding school. Parents think very highly of it and are most appreciative of what it does for their children. Typical of many, one parent writes: 'This is a great school.' Staff are highly committed to the children and the families they serve. Staff's dedication is shown by year-on-year improvements in attainment and in pupils' outstanding achievement in reaching above average standards by the end of Year 6. Children get off to a flying start in the Foundation Stage. The school's excellent headteacher leads the school extremely well. The very strong senior leadership team and the dedicated staff show their support with a keen sense of loyalty and tremendous commitment. This is a school with high expectations in all that it does. It is not content to sit back, but is constantly reviewing itself and seeking to improve even further. For example, it is taking action on pupils' reading skills, which are not yet high enough for able

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Grade: 1

pupils in Year 2. Both pupils and staff thrive at Hallsville. Pupils of different cultures and races get along very well together in this very inclusive school and are mutually supportive. The school song, composed by the children, speaks of the school's commitment to harmonious relationships. 'We are a family so let's work together...sharing joys and laughter being there for each other.' This sense of unity is demonstrated in happy and successful working relationships and high levels of respect. Teachers, too, develop very effectively, growing in confidence and increasing their expertise because of the excellent opportunities for professional development and the excellent advice and support that they receive. The chair of the governing body is justly proud of the school. Correctly she indicates; 'They achieve fantastic things. They never stop.' Pupils really love school. They thoroughly enjoy, and participate enthusiastically in all that it

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Grade: 1

has to offer, which is reflected in their above average attendance. Pupils appreciate the opportunities they have to be creative as well as to learn basic skills and to enjoy the extensive after school activities. Pupils have an excellent understanding of healthy and safe living. Teachers and pupils want to do well for each other. Pupils cooperate in lessons and take their learning seriously, resulting in their excellent progress. Teachers are consistent in their high expectations across the school and quickly pick up on areas of work that need further improvement. A real strength in teaching is the high quality of questioning that probes pupils' understanding and challenges their thinking. Very effective use of modern technology enables staff to present lessons in visually interesting ways, securing pupils' interest. Governors fulfil their responsibilities to a very high standard, providing the school with a very

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Grade: 1

good level of challenge coupled with support, for example by helping in classrooms and after school, and in fund-raising. The school has made excellent progress since the last inspection. It has an outstanding capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 1

Children's attainment on entry is very low. In the main, they make very good gains in all areas of learning, but their limited command of English means that significant numbers of children do not reach expectations by the end of Reception. Girls attain more highly than the boys in all areas of learning. Boys' attainment in physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world is weaker than other areas of their learning. The assessment systems in the 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 2007 Foundation Stage are not picking out the reasons for this because the remodelling of them has not yet been fully refined. Excellent teaching and very caring relationships support children's development very well. Staff's good use of the spacious accommodation and their very imaginative ideas really absorb children in learning, widen their experiences and develop their understanding of English. For

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Grade: 1

example, Reception children acted out their own bear stories in the 'bears' cave'. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage is excellent.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise the attainment of the more able pupils in reading by the end of Year 2.

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Grade: 1

Pupils build on the very good progress in the Foundation Stage in Years 1 and 2, especially in developing their understanding and fluency in English. This helps to provide a firm base for pupils' outstanding progress. Pupils' attainment by the end of Year 2 is broadly average. Results in 2007 were above average by the end of Year 6 in mathematics, science and writing and continue the rising trend of recent years. Pupils' progress from Year 2 was exceptional and amongst the very highest in the country. The percentages of pupils reaching the higher level in mathematics and science were above the national average, equalled it in writing and were extremely close in reading. There is no significant difference in the attainment and progress of different groups.

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Grade: 1

Pupils display very good levels of interest in lessons and participate fully in the wide range of extra school activities. They say, 'We never have boring things to do.' They contribute well to both the school and local communities. For example, the choir sings to the elderly and pupils meet with community professionals to suggest ideas for improving their neighbourhood. The effective school council manages its own affairs extremely well. It makes a significant contribution to school life by raising money for various charities, which support pupils' understanding of the needs of others. Some pupils, trained as mediators, ensure happy playtimes and they sort out minor problems or find friends for those who are feeling lonely. Pupils' behaviour is excellent. They show high levels of respect for their teachers and for other children. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They value each other's

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Grade: 1

cultures, respect differences and work together harmoniously.

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Grade: 1

Teaching is never less than good and is sometimes outstanding. Teachers manage pupils very well. Teaching is frequently imaginative, for example, teachers sometimes dress up in role to reflect the content of the book they are sharing with pupils. One pupil remarked, 'Our teacher makes it fun but we are still learning.' Lessons proceed at a brisk pace. They are effectively structured and tasks usually well matched to pupils' different needs. Resources are well prepared for the activities so that pupils can quickly engage with their work. Pupils use activity time 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 2007 wisely and profitably. Staff teach the basic skills very effectively and are working hard to improve reading even further in Years 1 and 2, especially for able pupils. Marking is thorough and very helpful to pupils in improving their work. Excellent use is made of pupils talking together in

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Grade: 1

pairs to share ideas, which supports their acquisition of English as they move up through the school.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is extremely rich in content, broad in scope and enjoyable for pupils and meets pupils' needs effectively. Provision in English, mathematics and science is particularly strong. High quality role-play and drama maximise opportunities for pupils to develop speaking and listening skills. Provision in physical education is outstanding. Some specialist teaching in this, together with that in music, supports the excellent opportunities for the practical side of learning. The residential visit for older children adds a new dimension to pupils' own experiences while supporting their geographical work. The exceptional range of extra-curricular activities caters for a wide range of interests. Visits to places of interest, such as museums, support work in history and art, enrich the curriculum and enhance learning. Excellent provision for personal, social and health education assists pupils to understand their different backgrounds and faiths.

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Grade: 1

The school provides very well for gifted and talented pupils. The introduction of Spanish has added an extra dimension and been well received by pupils.

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Grade: 1

The school provides excellent care and support for all pupils and particularly for vulnerable pupils. The very effective work of the home-school liaison officer and her support for whole families helps significantly in resolving a range of difficulties that some pupils experience. This effective work contributes to the good level of attendance and enables pupils to focus on their learning in school. The learning mentor is most effective in supporting those with emotional difficulties. There is a very high level of staff commitment to pupils' safety and well-being. The school's close links with other agencies are very supportive of those with particular needs. Child protection procedures are very secure and staff understand fully the school's procedures. Pupils have confidence in the adults. As one pupil says: 'If I'm not comfortable with something, adults sort it out.' A Local Authority's audit has recognised the excellent measures the school takes in health and

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Grade: 1

safety matters. Tracking systems and records are very effective in monitoring pupils' progress and are used extremely well in providing for pupils' individual needs.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher, deputy and other senior leaders provide a clear direction for the school and are ambitious for its future, for example in raising attainment levels even more. The school improvement plan links closely with monitoring and evaluation, and this practice has a significant impact on pupils' outstanding progress and their well-being. Challenging targets are used very well to secure continuous improvement and are extremely well grounded in the detailed analysis and tracking of pupils' attainment and progress. Senior leaders continuously reflect on and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 2007 evaluate their work. They are never complacent and constantly strive to improve their school and raise standards. Subject leaders monitor their subject areas thoroughly, and set challenging targets in action plans. The governing body is very effective and committed to the school and its pupils. It has a very

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Grade: 1

clear understanding of the school's strengths and where development may take place. It is very well led by its chair. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 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? 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? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 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 disabilities make progress

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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 How well 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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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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Hallsville Primary School,London,E16 1LN Thank you for talking to us about your school and showing us your work when we visited. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting you. You attend an excellent school because of your headteacher's outstanding leadership, the excellent support that other staff provide and your own hard work. The school's governors also do a really good job. The teaching in the school and your own learning are excellent. You clearly enjoy school and like your lessons. This is enabling you to make excellent progress and many of you reach standards above those expected for the end of Year 6. The staff take excellent care of you. Teachers provide you with an outstanding range of interesting things to study in your lessons. We were also thrilled to see so many of you taking part in the extra activities at lunch-times and after school. You are developing very well as

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

young people. Your behaviour is excellent and you respond very well to your teachers and show high levels of respect towards them as you do to each other. We were most impressed with the work of the school council and the way it has suggested improvements for playtimes and brought about changes. You show a real concern for others and raise lots of money to help needy people through your imaginative ideas. We have asked the staff to help more pupils in Year 2 reach the higher level in reading. We thank you once again for your help and kindness. We would like to wish you continuing success in the future and hope that you will fulfil your ambitions. Yours sincerely, Peter Sudworth Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hallsville Primary School, 12 °13 November 2007

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