Hankham Primary School

Hankham Primary School Inspection report

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114395 Unique Reference Number East Sussex Local Authority 311581 Inspection number 11 November 2008 Inspection date Jacquie Buttriss 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 Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 140 School (total) 20 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 Ivan Birch Chair Michael Round Headteacher 22 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Hankham Road School address Hankham Pevensey BN24 5AY 01323 763265 Telephone number 01323 763265 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 11 November 2008 Inspection date 311581 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: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 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 a smaller than average primary school in a rural area. Most of the school's pupils come from outside the local community. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is lower than most schools, as is the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. There is a higher than average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There is considerably higher mobility than is usual in small primary schools, with several pupils joining or leaving the school every term. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) children in the Reception year are in a class with some Year 1 pupils. All pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.

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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: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Good teaching helps pupils to achieve well overall, so that by the time they go on to their secondary schools, pupils reach above average standards in English, mathematics and science. Children in the Reception class enjoy a good start to their school lives and make good progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well. Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils and staff all know each other very well and this helps the school to have 'a good sense of family' and 'a lovely community feel', as two parents commented. Pupils demonstrate outstanding enjoyment of coming to school and highly positive attitudes to their learning, as reflected in their good attendance rates and their enthusiasm for all that the school has to offer. Behaviour is very good throughout the school. Pupils know how to keep safe and healthy and enjoy involving themselves in the community.

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Grade: 2

They learn a good range of skills to prepare them for their future lives. Pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is good overall, although they are less aware of the lives of people from other cultures in the United Kingdom or abroad. The high quality of teaching leads to good learning in all aspects of the exciting curriculum. Teachers make good use of assessment to plan their lessons so that work is usually well matched to pupils' varying needs. 'Lessons teach us a lot', said one Year 6 boy. 'The best thing is our lessons', said a younger pupil. However, occasionally, although they make good progress overall, one or two of the oldest and more able pupils in some mixed-age classes do not make as much progress as their younger classmates. This is reflected in the comments of a few of the more able older pupils that 'we sometimes go over the same stuff'. Teaching assistants provide good

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Grade: 2

support. 'The school has a strong, caring ethos', said one parent, echoing the views of many. Vulnerable pupils are well supported. Good child-protection and safeguarding procedures are in place. There are good links with other schools in the area although transition arrangements to the secondary schools are hindered by the rural location of the school. Good academic guidance enables most pupils to know how well they are doing and how to improve their work. The clear direction of the headteacher and the strong support of the senior leadership team ensure that the school is well led and managed. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection and this indicates that there is good capacity to continue to improve. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and speak favourably about all aspects of provision. One parent represented the views of many when she commented, 'I am delighted

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Grade: 2

with the school and the way my children are thriving here.' Another agreed, 'Keep up the great work and well done everyone!'

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Grade: 2

Good induction arrangements and good teaching enable the Reception children to settle quickly and make good progress, especially in communication, language and literacy. By the time they reach Year 1 the majority of children have met most of the early learning goals and are ready for the National Curriculum. The Reception teacher's good questioning skills, flair and high expectations encourage children to engage fully in their learning and to develop their speaking and listening skills very well from the start. They quickly gain confidence and are helped to develop very good relationships 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 2008 with staff and with each other. Their behaviour is very good. Children are cared for well and thoroughly enjoy the stimulating range of activities provided by the good curriculum. The leadership of the EYFS is good. There is a good outside area adjacent to the classroom, but it

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Grade: 2

is not used as fully as it could be in order to help develop children's outdoor learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that all lessons provide greater challenge for the more able older pupils in mixed-age classes so that they make even quicker progress in their work. ■ Ensure that the outside area is used more regularly and thus incorporated more fully into the EYFS curriculum to promote children's outdoor learning. ■ Strengthen pupils' awareness of the diversity of British culture and how people live in other countries.

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Grade: 2

When children enter the Reception class, their attainment is broadly in line with expectations. They make good progress, especially in reading and writing, although their progress in aspects of their outdoor learning is slower. Many pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2, although the small numbers in these year groups and the high mobility mean that standards vary at the end of Year 2. Overall, pupils make increasingly good progress as they go up through the school as the level of challenge rises. This accelerates in Year 6 so that, by the time they are ready to move on to their secondary education, pupils attain above average standards. The small number of pupils who have remained in the school from start to finish achieve very well. As a result, they attain well above average standards. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Achievement is good overall. The recent priority of raising standards in

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Grade: 2

writing through the school is successfully increasing progress and improving attainment in all age groups.

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Grade: 2

The excellent enjoyment of pupils is demonstrated in many aspects of school life. Parents comment on how happy their children are to come to school and this is supported by the considerable recent improvement in attendance. 'There is a real sense of belonging', was one parent's observation. Another praised the school's 'personal touch and friendly family feel'. Pupils speak very knowledgeably about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. They say they 'feel safe at school', there is no bullying and they know who to turn to with any concerns. They behave very well both in lessons and around the school, calmly respecting and looking after each other as a matter of course. Pupils are actively involved in community activities, both through their work as school councillors and in a range of local events, such as the youth radio project and winning a garden design competition. However, their awareness

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Grade: 2

of other cultures in the wider community, nationally and internationally, is less well developed. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Good teaching is a feature of this school, successfully motivating pupils to enjoy their learning and make good progress. 'Teachers are nice, fun and helpful', said a Year 5 pupil. 'They help us if we have problems and make it clear', said another. Teachers have good subject knowledge and set clear learning objectives. Lessons are well paced and tasks are suitably varied. Teachers' good questioning skills help pupils to develop thoughtful responses across the curriculum. Work is well matched to the needs of pupils. However, in some classes work planned for the more able, older pupils is not always sufficiently challenging to support even better learning. Assessment processes are good and pupils are often asked to evaluate their own understanding at the end of a study unit, which helps them to know how well they are doing.

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Grade: 2

The stimulating curriculum is enriched by a wide range of popular and well-attended extra-curricular activities. A variety of visits and visitors help broaden its appeal further. There is very good use of writing across the curriculum and a range of approaches help engage the interest of boys as well as girls in writing tasks. Very good use is made of the school's laptop computers in a variety of lessons and classes, which ensures their information and communication technology (ICT) skills are well developed. There are very good opportunities for pupils to undertake a range of sports activities, but, along with missed opportunities to raise pupils' awareness of other cultures, art and music are not as strongly developed.

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Grade: 2

All staff work hard to ensure that pastoral care is a strength of the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and other vulnerable pupils are well supported. There are good arrangements to help children coming into the school from pre-school settings to settle happily into the reception class. Transition to secondary schools is hindered by the rural location of the school, which means their transition to the next stage of learning is satisfactory rather than good. However, there are good links with a number of local primary schools which help support pupils' learning and personal development. For example, the sporting links with the local community college help develop sports and social skills. Academic guidance is also good. Pupils know their individual learning targets and feel that these 'are a good idea because they help us to learn'. Teachers' marking of pupils' work is both informative and constructive, helping

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Grade: 2

learners to know how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The good leadership and management is characterised by clear vision and strong staff teamwork in the drive for improvement. There is good subject leadership and some clear action plans to support work across the curriculum. Leaders track pupils' progress effectively and use this information to set suitably challenging targets for pupils. The school has worked hard to raise 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 2008 the levels of attendance, which is now good. The school's self-evaluation processes are robust so that the wide-ranging school development plan identifies the right main priorities for improvement. The dedicated governing body is very supportive of the school and is active in making classroom visits to monitor provision. However, governors currently do not extend their monitoring roles across the full range of activities and do not provide as much challenge as they could to hold

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Grade: 2

the school to account. Community cohesion is satisfactory overall, with good equality of opportunities in school and very good, involvement in the local community. As yet, however, there are no links beyond the local community, though the school does have plans to develop these in the future. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 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: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 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? 2 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 2 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: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 2008

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learners?

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

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 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: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

November 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Hankham Primary School, Pevensey, BN24 5AY Thank you for being so friendly, polite and helpful when we came to inspect your school. You made us feel very welcome. We enjoyed talking with you. Yours is a good school. It helps you to do good work and cares for you well. These are the things we especially like about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress and achieve above average standards in your work. Well done!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have very good relationships and you look after each other well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You understand well how to be healthy and stay safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have good teaching which helps make your lessons exciting and fun.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your enjoyment of school is outstanding and you are keen to do your best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher, teachers and governors are leading the school well and are working hard to make it even better. ■ Your parents and carers tell us that they are very pleased you come to this school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

This is what I think your school could do even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The teachers could plan your lessons to provide even more challenge for the older pupils in each class so that they often do different work to other groups. ■ The reception children could be helped to make more use of their outside area to develop their learning skills more fully. ■ Teachers could help you to become more aware of different cultures in Britain and abroad.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You could help by continuing to work hard and enjoy your lessons. I would like to wish you lots of success in your future learning. Keep up the good work! Jacquie Buttriss Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hankham Primary School, 11 November 2008

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