Haylands Primary School

Haylands Primary School Inspection report

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118168 Unique Reference Number Isle of Wight Local Authority 312831 Inspection number 3–4 March 2009 Inspection dates Peter Thrussell 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 4–9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 276 School (total) 0 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 Mrs Angela Evans Chair Mr Stefan Hopper Headteacher 9 May 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Playstreet Lane School address Ryde PO33 3LJ 01983 563372 Telephone number 01983 810704 Fax number

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4–9 Age group 3–4 March 2009 Inspection dates 312831 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 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Haylands is a large two-form-entry primary school with a non-maintained Nursery, and provision for before- and after-school care which includes a holiday club and is also managed by the governing body. The majority of pupils are from a White British background. The proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. A higher than average proportion have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. These pupils have a number of needs, including behavioural, emotional and social needs. Pupils currently transfer to a middle school at the end of Year 4.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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Grade: 3

Haylands Primary is a satisfactory school. The headteacher, ably assisted by his deputy and well supported by governors, ensures that all pupils are well cared for and develop a good level of personal skills. Strong links with parents and agencies also contribute to this high level of care and well-being. Behaviour has improved and is now good, resulting in pupils' greater enjoyment of school. A nurture group provides very good support for vulnerable pupils, including those with behavioural needs. Pupils particularly enjoy using computers and taking part in the wide range of well-attended clubs provided. Developments to the curriculum have created links between subjects that are starting to add further interest and enjoyment to pupils' learning. Pupils in Year 2 worked enthusiastically alongside parents, preparing costumes and food for afternoon tea on board ship, as part of their work on the Titanic. This has helped pupils to start

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Grade: 3

making better progress in their learning, especially in Key Stage 1, but overall progress remains satisfactory and inconsistent throughout the school. Pupils achieve satisfactorily. At the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average. When pupils leave the school in Year 4, the majority are working at the levels expected for this age in these subjects. The school has recognised that standards are not as high as they could be and that rates of progress, along with the quality of teaching and learning, need to be improved. The newly formed senior leadership team is focused on these aspects, and shows a determination to bring about school improvement which is shared by all staff. However, many of its planned actions, although appropriate, have yet to be monitored and evaluated in order to show their impact on achievement and standards, and more work needs to be done. In English, a programme that develops reading and writing skills alongside each

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Grade: 3

other is well focused on developing early literacy skills. An analysis of assessments and test results in mathematics has identified areas that year groups need to do more work on, and planning is being modified accordingly. In science, more attention is now being given to a hands-on, investigative approach. Recent monitoring of teaching and learning has shown where improvements are required, especially in the use of assessment information. These form the main thrust of school improvement planning. There are good procedures for assessing and tracking pupils' progress, showing the levels at which they need to be working, and where they need to get to at the end of the year. However, insufficient use is made of this information to plan pupils' learning and the next steps that they need to take. Consequently, there is often insufficient challenge and support in lessons, so slowing pupils' progress. The use of this information to guide pupils in

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Grade: 3

their learning is also insufficient. Although individual targets show pupils how they can improve their work, their purpose is not always understood. Pupils are not sufficiently involved in evaluating their learning in lessons, and teachers do not give enough constructive comments in marking. Given that the school has set out a clear direction for development, it has a satisfactory capacity for further improvement. 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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Grade: 2

The overall provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Leadership and management are good, and children achieve well. Their personal development and well-being are good, and are supported by the excellent promotion of children's welfare. The pre-school ('Puddleducks') manager provides good leadership and management for the setting and ensures that staff work well together as a team. The setting is set out, equipped and organised well. The range of exciting indoor and outdoor activities provides a very good stimulus for talking, and helps all children to develop their speaking and listening skills well. Good links with parents ensure that children settle very quickly. The use of the key person system provides children, parents and carers with a central point of contact. Children enter pre-school with a level of skills that is below that expected at their age. Staff are well aware of children's individual needs and plan a wide range of activities to ensure their good

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Grade: 2

development in all of the areas of learning. Children build good relationships, feel secure and thrive. Throughout the pre-school and Reception, children's welfare is of paramount importance, and contributes to children's good personal development and well-being. This is helped by the very close links between the pre-school and Reception. Teaching in Reception is good. Consequently, children make good progress and are working securely in almost all areas of learning by the time they enter Year 1, although some fall short in writing and calculating. Skilful adults work on focused activities which successfully support children's learning in different areas, such as knowledge and understanding of the world. Children learn to organise their own indoor learning during the day. They do this independently and demonstrate maturity in collaborating well with others and in their attention to self-chosen tasks. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader has correctly identified that the outdoor area

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Grade: 2

for Reception children is too small and does not offer the same quality of experience across all learning areas as the indoor activities. The provision in the Reception is well led and managed. The leader is relatively new to the role but has already identified clear areas for improvement. Adults plan together as a team and have a clear understanding of how young children learn. A major success of the curriculum in Reception is the 'Read Write Inc.' programme. Staff, observe, record and track children's progress carefully, providing a helpful picture of what they need to learn next. Extremely close links with the pre-school and other playgroups mean that a precise picture of each child's background and potential emerges. The environment is safe, and relationships between adults and children are very warm. Relationships with parents and carers are very positive. One parent commented, 'My daughter has thrived at Haylands and loves going to school.'

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that the planned actions to raise achievement and standards, and to improve the quality and consistency of teaching and learning, are rigorously monitored and evaluated for their effectiveness. ■ Ensure that teachers make full use of the information they have on how well pupils are doing, to plan an appropriate level of work for all. ■ Use marking, personal targets and evaluation in lessons to guide pupils in their learning and to show them how they can improve further. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009 A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory, but which have areas of underperformance, will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils achieve satisfactorily. By the end of Year 4, standards are in line with those expected at this age. Pupils with learning difficulties, and the few with English as an additional language, make broadly similar progress. There has been a slight decline in standards at the end of Key Stage 1 since the last inspection, which resulted in a significant but unexpected dip in 2007. Improved monitoring of pupils' progress enabled this dip to be reversed in 2008, and is now helping the school to keep a sharper eye on progress across the school and to identify where this needs to be improved. Plans are in place to raise achievement and standards, but these are quite recent and have yet to show any significant impact.

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Grade: 2

This is a happy school. Pupils say they feel safe and secure because adults take good care of them, and they know who to turn to for help. They get on well with each other and behaviour is good. Most pupils enjoy school life and their attendance is broadly average. Punctuality has improved and is good. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. They are thoughtful in assemblies and have a good sense of right and wrong. However, their understanding of life in a multicultural Britain is less well developed. Pupils understand the value of healthy eating and the importance of keeping fit through exercise. Members of the school council enjoy their responsibilities in school and speak proudly about their role as playground monitors. They particularly enjoyed their involvement in selecting the tableware for the lunchtime top table. Pupils understand the importance of charity fund-raising and make

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Grade: 2

a positive contribution to the community through their involvement in activities such as the local carnival. This good level of personal development and growing independence, along with their satisfactory acquisition of basic skills, prepares pupils satisfactorily for their future life and learning.

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Grade: 3

Lessons are generally well prepared. Introductions make good use of interactive whiteboards, enabling the focus of lessons to be shared with pupils. However, this is not always followed up with opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning and how well they have done. Learning support assistants work closely alongside class teachers, confidently taking responsibility for the groups they are working with. There is inconsistency in the use of assessment to plan for pupils' different learning needs. In particular, there is sometimes an insufficient level of challenge for more-able pupils. This slows the progress that pupils make in lessons, and at times results in them losing focus and becoming restless. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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Grade: 3

The curriculum makes satisfactory provision for literacy and numeracy. It has recently been revised, and this is leading to improved enjoyment for pupils. It is now better focused on developing their learning through topics in which they are interested. However, this revision has not yet been fully evaluated for its impact on raising achievement and standards. The levels at which pupils are working in numeracy and literacy, and the particular skills they need to be working on to make good progress, are not yet sufficiently evident in this approach. A good range of visits and visitors provides first-hand learning experiences for pupils. The school provides many clubs that add to pupils' enjoyment of school, which are often oversubscribed. Along with the well-planned provision for pupils' personal, social and health education, these contribute considerably to their personal development and well-being. The provision for pupils

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Grade: 3

with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is satisfactory. This has very recently been reorganised to draw more fully on the different strengths of learning support staff.

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Grade: 3

The school is strongly committed to caring for pupils. Policies and procedures to protect them are rigorous, ensuring that arrangements for their safety, care and welfare are secure. Staff know the pupils well and relationships are good. There are a number of pupils who require extra support in developing personal, social and emotional skills. Consequently, the school rightly places a strong emphasis on supporting these pupils and their families. Sensitive, well-focused support is provided for vulnerable pupils through the school's nurture group. The extended school facilities operate a successful breakfast and after-school club, 'PlayZone', which is well subscribed. It provides good opportunities for active play and the chance for pupils to complete homework within a familiar and safe setting. The support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is sound, and has very recently been reorganised. Academic guidance and

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Grade: 3

support is limited in its impact. Much of the school's work on assessment is too new for its impact to be clearly measured. The use of individual targets for literacy and numeracy is inconsistent and, along with marking, is not yet having a sufficient impact on raising achievement and standards.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher, with the new senior leadership team, has made an accurate evaluation of the school's performance and has constructed a school improvement plan that maps the way forward. This is running alongside a 'raising of achievement' plan that has recently been produced with consultancy support. This planning is largely focused on raising the quality of teaching and learning. It does not make sufficiently clear how the success of its actions will be measured in relation to raising achievement and standards. Pupils' progress is carefully tracked, and the information used to set challenging end-of-year targets for pupils to aim for. However, records show that pupils' progress towards these targets is inconsistent. Governors have recognised this and have challenged the school to raise achievement and standards with some urgency. Through their strong monitoring role they have also recognised that the quality of teaching

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Grade: 3

and learning needs to be improved. The school has carried out an audit of the links that it has 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009 with both local and global communities, in order to plan ways to promote pupils' greater recognition and understanding of them. Links with parents are strong. Family learning days and meetings to look at the curriculum effectively encourage them to be involved in their children's education. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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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? 3 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

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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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 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 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? 3 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 March 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Haylands Primary School,Ryde,PO33 3LJ I am writing to let you know what we found when we visited your school. Thank you for taking part in the inspection. We spoke with some of you during our visit and you were always interesting to talk to, polite and helpful. You spoke enthusiastically about enjoying school and all of the things in which you take part. Haylands Primary is a satisfactory school. We liked these things the most:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you get off to a really good start in Puddleducks and Reception

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the school makes sure that you are safe and well looked after

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you enjoy school and are all keen to keep fit and eat the right things

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you have lots of exciting events, and many school clubs

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you are keen to take on responsibilities.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked the school to work on the following things now.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school looks carefully at how well you are doing in lessons. It must use this information more to plan work that is just right for each one of you, neither too easy nor too hard. This will help you all to make the best progress possible. ■ The teachers need to help you become aware of how well you are doing and how you could do even better. Marking, understanding the importance of your targets, and having more opportunities to talk about how well you are doing in lessons, would all help. ■ The school has plans to help you all do even better in your learning. It must check that these plans are working, so that your lessons are both challenging and enjoyable, and that you all do as well as you can during your time at school. We did enjoy visiting your school and watching you learn. Yours faithfully Peter Thrussell Lead Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Haylands Primary School, 3–4 March 2009

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