Hopton Primary School

107665 Unique Reference Number Kirklees Local Authority 309464 Inspection number 10 °11 June 2008 Inspection dates Julie Price Grimshaw 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 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 244 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs L Swire Chair Mr A Blakeley Headteacher 22 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Woodend Road School address Lower Hopton Mirfield West Yorkshire WF14 8PR 01924 326600 Telephone number 01924 326601 Fax number

p.1

3-11 Age group 10 °11 June 2008 Inspection dates 309464 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

This is an average sized school serving a mixed socio-economic area. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average, as is the number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most pupils are of White British heritage, and very few speak English as an additional language. Following an inspection in 2004, the school was deemed to require special measures and was removed from this category during a subsequent inspection in 2006. The school has received the Activemark Award.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008

p.3

Grade: 1

Hopton Primary School provides an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. Within four years, the school has made remarkable progress, having moved from being placed in a category of concern to its current position. At the heart of this transformation are the excellent leadership and management of the headteacher, senior staff and governors, who have carried out a systematic and focused review of all aspects of the school's work. Staff are now strongly committed to building pupils' self-esteem and encouraging them to be enquiring and motivated learners. Pupils have responded very positively and, as a result, are now proud to attend this school. The great majority of parents recognise this; a typical comment being, 'My child has grown, not only academically, but also in terms of self-esteem.' Achievement and standards have improved significantly since the last inspection. From starting points that are broadly in line with the national average, pupils make outstanding progress to

p.4

Grade: 1

reach standards that are significantly above average. Achievement is particularly impressive in mathematics and science. The outstanding curriculum plays a major part in ensuring that learning is always interesting, while providing opportunities for pupils to develop a wide range of skills. The excellent use of data means that pupils' progress is meticulously tracked by senior managers, so that any potential underachievement can be very quickly identified and addressed. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary and they are very happy to come to school. Parents fully appreciate the work by staff to ensure that the school is welcoming. This is reflected in comments that refer to 'the happy and friendly environment' and 'the real sense of community'. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. The majority are mature and articulate and support each other throughout the school. Staff positively encourage pupils to give praise to each other.

p.4

Grade: 1

The high quality of care, guidance and support pupils receive ensures that they have an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles and safe practices. They are well prepared for the next stages of their education. Pupils enjoy their lessons. Teaching and learning are good and some lessons are outstanding. All lessons include a good variety of activities and teachers use praise very effectively. In the best lessons, very carefully planned tasks ensure a high level of challenge for all. However, in a minority of lessons, this is not always the case and thus progress is satisfactory or good, rather than outstanding. The excellent progress made by the school since the previous inspection, combined with highly effective self-evaluation and high quality planning, means that the school has outstanding capacity for further improvement. One parent summarised this in the comment, 'Hopton Primary is now an excellent school compared to when my son started some years ago. The results now

p.4

Grade: 1

Children's skills when they start Nursery cover a wide spectrum of ability but, overall, attainment is broadly in line with expectations. Teachers' planning is of superb quality and reflects a wide range of children's interests and abilities. Staff work together extremely effectively as a team, providing ongoing support for each other. Much of this successful teamwork is due to the outstanding leadership and management of the Foundation Stage. Children benefit from a very attractive and stimulating learning environment, which supports them in producing high quality 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008 work. For example, children produced impressive pictures of umbrellas based on the works of Renoir on display in the classroom. There is a very good balance of child-led and adult-led activities on offer, with children having the opportunity to move freely between the indoor

p.4

Grade: 1

and outdoor areas. Staff are skilful in knowing when to take the lead and when to support children in their own learning. For example, a group of children invented a game with excellent guidance from a member of staff, who supported the development of their skills in problem solving and collaborative working. Systems to assess children's progress are very thorough. These include staff regularly observing children at work and play, which enables them to make detailed notes about children's development. As a result of this excellent provision, children, especially those who join with low levels of skills, make outstanding progress.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that those elements that make some teaching outstanding are evident in lessons throughout the school, especially in planning work that fully challenges pupils of all abilities.

p.5

Grade: 1

As a result of good teaching, a first-rate curriculum and excellent support and guidance, pupils make outstanding progress across both key stages. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are above average and by the end of Key Stage 2 are exceptionally high. Almost all pupils reach the nationally expected levels in English, mathematics and science by the end of Key Stage 2. The number of pupils reaching the higher levels in the Year 6 national tests is above average in English and well above average in mathematics and science. Pupils' achievement in other subjects is also outstanding. For example, they make great strides in the development of their musical skills, due to the high quality specialist provision, and their artwork is of excellent quality. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make excellent progress as a result of the very effective support provided.

p.5

Grade: 1

By the time pupils leave school, they are mature, confident and enthusiastic learners. Pupils are extremely happy, polite, friendly and welcoming. They form good relationships with each other and work harmoniously in lessons, drawing on each others' knowledge and understanding well. This was apparent in a mathematics lesson, when pupils showed excellent collaborative skills when working together to solve problems. They behave very well, both in class and around the school, and are always ready to offer help to others. They enjoy everything that the school has to offer and attendance is above average. The school council plays an active part in improving the school and carries out its role with a strong sense of responsibility. Pupils' spiritual and cultural development is good; their moral and social development is outstanding. Pupils feel safe in school and say that bullying is not an issue. They are very knowledgeable about healthy

p.5

Grade: 1

choices for eating and understand the importance of taking exercise. Their exceptional attitudes to learning are evident in all they do; this is reflected in comments such as, 'I learn new things every single day.' 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008

p.5

Grade: 2

The overall quality of teaching and learning is good and there are examples of outstanding classroom practice. In all lessons, excellent relationships are evident, and teachers have high expectations of pupils. Attitudes to learning are exemplary, with pupils commenting, 'Our teachers always try to make learning fun.' Teachers use constant encouragement, which very effectively builds pupils' confidence and self-esteem. Lessons include a good variety of tasks and typically involve a balanced mixture of whole-class work, group work and independent learning. The pace of learning is usually brisk. Classrooms are exciting and displays motivate and inform pupils very well. Where teaching is outstanding, teachers have excellent subject knowledge and use this very skilfully to plan activities that offer a consistently high level of challenge for each individual pupil. Consequently, pupils make outstanding progress. In a minority of lessons, planning for

p.6

Grade: 2

pupils' individual needs is not sufficiently detailed and, as a result, the level of challenge is not always high enough.

p.6

Grade: 1

The wealth of high quality displays throughout the school reflects the lively and exciting nature of the curriculum. This brings learning to life and adds much to pupils' academic and personal development. A wide range of visitors to school, and exciting educational and cultural visits to places such as local museums and residential centres, enrich the outstanding curriculum. An excellent range of extra-curricular activities, including gardening, dance and art, enhances pupils' learning. Pupils are highly enthusiastic about the rich variety of after-school activities and genuinely appreciate the opportunities that are offered to them. During a health and sports week, the curriculum is enriched by activities such as karate and yoga. Topic and theme-based work has developed well. For example, a lesson on the Tudors focused on the attitude of rich people to vagrants and beggars; pupils considered, with sensitivity, typical attitudes towards

p.6

Grade: 1

the homeless in modern society. There is excellent use of drama in lessons, which enhances pupils' understanding and builds confidence. French and Spanish have been successfully introduced. Staff from local secondary schools make a good contribution to specialist subject teaching, for example, in information and communication technology, and modern foreign languages.

p.6

Grade: 1

Outstanding care, guidance and support for pupils have been key to developing this happy and friendly community. The level of care shown by all staff contributes enormously to the purposeful atmosphere throughout the school, and promotes pupils' personal and academic progress extremely well. Arrangements for health and safety, including safeguarding arrangements, are well established. Risk assessments are conscientiously carried out. Pupils feel safe and are very well cared for. They know there is always someone to talk over any problems with them. High quality support is provided for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school works closely with outside agencies to support vulnerable pupils. Systems for tracking pupils' 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008 academic and personal development are very effective. Information is used well to identify where support is needed, and to set challenging targets.

p.6

Grade: 1

The headteacher has successfully raised staff morale and built a highly effective team, who have a very clear vision for the school's future. All staff show high levels of commitment and dedication to their work. Regular checks on the quality of teaching and learning have helped to improve the quality of classroom practice across the school, and senior managers carry out very thorough evaluations of work within their areas of responsibility. A rigorous cycle of planning, checks and reviews has been established. As a result, the school has a very clear overview of its strengths and areas for development. Improvement planning is of excellent quality. Priorities are identified by senior managers in collaboration with all staff. The excellent use of data means that senior managers are able to set challenging yet achievable targets. Governance is outstanding. The governing body has made an excellent contribution to school

p.7

Grade: 1

improvement over the past few years. Governors support senior leaders by exploring issues in great detail and provide challenge by asking probing questions. Governors are fully involved in the life of the school and their strong commitment to training means that they are fully equipped to carry out their roles and responsibilities. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008 .

p.7

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: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008

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? 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

p.9

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

p.9

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 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?

1 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: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008

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 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: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Hopton Primary School, Mirfield, WF14 8PR Thank you very much for making the other inspectors and me so welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking to you, hearing your views and watching you learn. You told us that you think your school is 'brilliant', and we agree with you. Hopton Primary is an outstanding school. One of the most impressive things about it is that it has improved so much over the past four years. This is due to the excellent work of your headteacher and his staff. They have worked very hard to make the school as good as it is now, and we know that you and your parents appreciate this. All the staff are really committed to helping you do as well as you possibly can and, as a result, you make outstanding progress to reach very high standards; in fact, they are well above the national average. You study many subjects and topics and there is a fantastic range of activities for you to be

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

involved in; we know that some of you loved the karate and yoga! The school leaders keep a very close check on your progress, so that if any of you might sometimes be falling behind a little, they can make sure that you quickly catch up. It was wonderful to see you making excellent progress in some of your lessons. Teaching and learning are good overall, but some lessons are really outstanding, often because the teachers have taken very special care in designing work that is just right for each one of you. We have suggested that the school thinks about how the staff could make all lessons as good as this. The staff in the Foundation unit do an excellent job in helping the children to get on really well. We really enjoyed watching the children play and learn! One of the best things about our visit was being able to talk to you about how you enjoy learning. Your behaviour is first-rate and we were very impressed with your caring attitudes and your confidence. Your drama work

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

is great and we saw some marvellous work in art and music, too. We are delighted that you are so proud to be pupils at Hopton Primary. Keep up your excellent work and please accept our best wishes for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hopton Primary School, 10 °11 June 2008

p.11