Hurdsfield Community Primary School

Hurdsfield Community Primary School Inspection report

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111233 Unique Reference Number Cheshire East Local Authority 325324 Inspection number 25–26 June 2009 Inspection dates David Law 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 105 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 Ms L Stevens Chair Mrs C Pickard Headteacher 1 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Hulley Road School address Macclesfield Cheshire SK10 2LW

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4–11 Age group 25–26 June 2009 Inspection dates 325324 Inspection number 01625 423225 Telephone number 01625 423680 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 25–26 June 2009 Inspection dates 325324 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. 3 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one additional inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average sized school serving an area where social disadvantage is higher than average. Early Years Foundation Stage children are provided for in a mixed Reception and Year 1 class. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for a free school meal is above average. There are few pupils from minority ethnic groups or at an early stage of learning English. An above average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools Award, Activemark and has an Inclusion Award from the local authority. There is a separate childcare provision on site, which did not form a part of this inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with several outstanding features. Pupils make good progress and thoroughly enjoy learning. Their personal development and well-being are outstanding. Behaviour is excellent: pupils are eager to learn and they talk with pride about what they have achieved. They work and play exceptionally well together. The school's contribution to community cohesion and its promotion of equal opportunity are exemplary. This is demonstrated in the opportunity all pupils have to learn and make progress and in the excellent relationships between groups of pupils, parents/carers and staff. The curriculum is outstanding because it fully meets the needs of all pupils, captures their interest and promotes a strong desire to learn. Children start the Reception with skills generally below those expected and a significant number have skills that are well below those expected in their communication, language and literacy,

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Grade: 2

and number. They settle well and their achievement is good. Outdoor provision has recently been enhanced but there is scope to improve this, for example, to extend children's physical development. In Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress and reach standards that are average by the end of Year 2. Attainment at this key stage has improved in the last three years. Good progress continues in Key Stage 2 and by the time they leave Year 6, pupils reach above average standards. The school is a very happy place and enables all pupils to acquire positive attitudes. They are eager to talk about places they have visited and how they help each other. They are confident in approaching adults if they have a problem because they know it will be dealt with sensitively. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay healthy and describe how they take exercise to keep them well. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent and

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Grade: 2

pupils learn to respect the needs of others. Attendance has improved in recent years and is now average. Good teaching and learning are based on excellent relationships. Classrooms are well organised and enhanced by attractive displays of pupils' work. Teaching challenges pupils and they are actively involved, for example, when conducting investigations in science. Learning is carefully planned to match pupils' needs. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are provided with excellent support and they make good progress. Care, guidance and support are good and pastoral systems are very effective in ensuring pupils' individual needs are understood and met. Pupils know their personal targets. Teachers' marking of work is thorough, but the next step in learning is not always shown. The outstanding curriculum is a significant strength and rich in opportunity to learn from first-hand experience, visit places of interest and to work in

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Grade: 2

cooperation with others. The Monday Academy helps pupils to acquire skills for life, including how to run a business, and generates a tremendous enthusiasm for learning. Good leadership and management create strong teamwork and everyone feels valued. There is a powerful commitment to providing the best for all pupils. The headteacher provides clear direction and all leaders and governors have a strong ambition to improve provision for pupils so that they feel included and achieve well. Performance is evaluated with rigour. What works well and what could be improved are clearly identified and improvement is planned strategically. The governing body is effective, committed and eager to involve the school in the community. Staff and other resources are efficiently managed and the school runs smoothly. All areas for improvement identified at the last inspection have been fully addressed. Changes have been

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Grade: 2

made in a thoughtful way and are often innovative. Value for money is good and so is the 5 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009 capacity to improve. Parents are very supportive of the school as typified by their comments. One summed it up by saying, 'Each child is treated as a whole person.'

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Grade: 2

Good relationships are formed in a warm and caring environment where children feel secure. This is seen in the firm commitment shown by staff to promote children's well-being. Achievement is good and children participate in learning with obvious enjoyment. They enter Year 1 having made good progress in Reception to attain standards broadly in line for their age, although a number are below expectations in language and number. Assessment is used well to plan learning to meet children's needs. There is a good balance between what adults direct and what children choose for themselves. Adults carefully take the opportunity to discuss learning, extend understanding and to improve language skills. Children make excellent progress in their personal, social and emotional development becoming increasingly confident and independent. They play exceptionally well together and take responsibility, for example, in

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Grade: 2

choosing activities and in tidying away. They enjoy being outdoors, but currently, provision for physical development and to help children to find out about the natural environment is underdeveloped. Good leadership and management provide a strong focus on making learning exciting. Adults plan the curriculum very well as a team to ensure children make good step-by-step progress, and particularly to enable children to develop their speaking and listening skills. The day-to-day organisation is smooth and efficient. Good induction arrangements help children settle quickly. Welfare requirements are fully met. Parents/carers are actively involved in their children's learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve provision for outdoor learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of marking so that it consistently tells pupils what they need to do to reach their personal targets.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good. They make good progress across Key Stage 1. Pupils currently at the end of Year 2 are expected to reach average standards in reading and writing but above average standards in mathematics. They make particularly good progress in their writing and more are reaching the higher levels. Pupils make good progress across Key Stage 2. In both 2007 and 2008, standards were above average. School assessment information and work seen during the inspection in pupils' books indicate good progress for pupils currently in Key Stage 2. The progress of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good because their needs are assessed accurately and met through an excellent range of intervention programmes. Throughout the school there is effective teaching of speaking and listening and pupils have many planned opportunities to explain their thinking. This enables pupils to make good progress

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. They value the many opportunities to learn alongside others and explore ideas. Their 6 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009 spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They have an excellent understanding of other cultures, contribute exceptionally well to their own community and raise money for a range of charities. They have recently established a link with a school in China and were eager to show how they could count in Chinese. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. Pupils respond well to the trust they are given and are eager to take responsibility, for example in the school council or as recycling officers. Pupils take great pride in their school, their achievements and are concerned about others. Attitudes to learning are

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Grade: 1

exceptionally positive and pupils concentrate, work hard and apply themselves with enthusiasm. They say they feel safe and report no incidents of bullying. They express great confidence in the adults that support them and are particularly grateful for the contribution of the learning mentor. They have an excellent understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and are able to make sensible choices, for example, eating healthy fruit and salad. The development of workplace and other skills is excellent in contributing to pupils' future economic well-being. For example, pupils showed great independence in working on their laptops to solve mathematical problems. Others were eager to talk about their 'Dragons Den' where they were applying their enterprise skills. Attendance has improved year-on-year and is now average. There is now no persistent absence.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and this helps pupils to make good progress. Relationships between pupils, their teachers and other adults supporting in the classroom, are excellent. In response, pupils show excellent attitudes and this helps them to learn at a brisk pace. They show a high degree of independence in carrying out their work and are keen to take responsibility. Teachers plan lessons carefully to meet the needs of all pupils. This is based on good assessment of pupils' progress over time, although the marking of their work does not always let pupils know how they can reach their targets. Pupils are provided with many relevant opportunities to share ideas and to improve their speaking and listening. There is very effective use of the interactive whiteboards to engage pupils and capture their interest. Expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they should conduct themselves are high and they rise to the

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Grade: 2

challenge. Teaching assistants make an important contribution in supporting learning and are deployed to great effect to meet the range of different needs. This is successful in engaging pupils and keeping them involved.

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Grade: 1

Pupils are provided with an outstanding curriculum. It engages their interest, promotes great enjoyment of learning and meets their individual needs exceptionally well. There is a strong focus on enabling pupils to become active learners, to develop an enquiring mind and to take responsibility. On Mondays, the school operates an Academy where pupils learn a range of skills such as badminton, ballroom dancing and practical craftwork. Pupils cooperate in groups that are made up of all ages and they learn to understand the needs of others and to work as a team. They talk about this with great pride and enthusiasm. They make links between areas of learning as they explore exciting topics through first-hand experience. French is taught throughout the school. 7 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009 Personal, social and health education forms an integral part of the curriculum and supports

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Grade: 1

pupils' personal development exceptionally well. Pupils appreciate the opportunities they receive to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns with others during class discussions, including sessions on philosophy. They develop much self-confidence and acquire skills that promote their future economic well-being through group work and planning and carrying out their own investigations. An extensive enrichment programme is open to all pupils and includes regular visits to places of educational interest. They thoroughly enjoy music, particularly playing Caribbean steel drums. Pupils have recently worked alongside pupils from other schools to perform Macbeth. They have good opportunities to develop their team-building skills and experience outdoor pursuits as a result of the excellent residential trips on offer.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good and make a positive contribution to pupils' personal development. Teachers and other adults in the school are committed to promoting learners' health and safety. Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils meet government guidelines. They are regularly reviewed, and health and safety is carefully managed. Systems to ensure the good attendance of pupils are beginning to have an effect.The school provides a safe and supportive environment. Pupils take considerable pride in their achievements and the school successfully promotes opportunities for everybody to learn. Any pupils at risk are identified early and very effective arrangements are put in place to keep them engaged and to ensure they are on course to reach their targets. The achievement of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is carefully monitored and their provision is thoughtfully mapped out to

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Grade: 2

ensure their good progress. The school works exceptionally well with other agencies to remove any barriers to learning. The assessment of pupils' progress is thorough and carefully tracked as they move through the school.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The school has made a good improvement since the last inspection, often applying creative solutions such as the Monday Academy. There is a strong emphasis on raising achievement through improving teaching, learning and the curriculum. The school is very inclusive and all pupils are treated equally. They feel valued as individuals and this enables them to acquire self-esteem and be well motivated to learn. Self-evaluation is rigorous, comprehensive and involves all levels of leadership and governors. First-hand evidence of the quality of learning and teaching and of pupils' progress is carefully monitored. From this, school leaders have a good grasp of strengths and weaknesses. They agree clear and relevant priorities for improvement and act as a team to achieve them. The impact of this effective leadership is seen in the improved standards and attendance and in excellent personal

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Grade: 2

development. There are robust procedures to eliminate discrimination. All pupils are well cared for and feel safe. The school makes an excellent contribution to community cohesion. There is an ethos that promotes understanding of the needs of others. Pupils who might be vulnerable and at risk of underachieving are identified early and given the support they need. There are extensive links with local organisations and other schools. Internationally, the school has contacts with children in other countries. The headteacher has instilled a common sense of purpose and ambition for pupils. A well informed body of governors is committed to enabling 8 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009 pupils to enjoy learning. They hold the school to account for the standards pupils reach. Parents are very pleased with the school. One summed it up by saying, 'My child has flourished and is

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Grade: 2

highly encouraged by all staff.' The capacity to improve is good and the school can demonstrate a track record of success. 9 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 10 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 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? 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. 11 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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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 3 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? 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 1 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? 12 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Hurdsfield Community Primary School, Macclesfield, SK10 2LW I enjoyed my visit to your school and you made me feel very welcome. Thank you for contributing to the inspection by being eager to talk to me and to tell me about your school. I found that your school is providing you with a good education. You are all very proud of your school and enjoy coming very much. You show an excellent understanding of the importance of exercise to keep healthy. You told me that you feel safe and I was impressed by your excellent behaviour. You work exceptionally hard in your lessons. This is helping you to make good progress in your learning. The teachers and other adults take good care of you and the teaching and learning you receive is good. The curriculum provided for you is outstanding. You have exciting things to do including the Monday Academy and visits to interesting places. It is good that your teachers give you many chances to work together and you are very sensible when

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you do this. It helps you to understand the needs and feelings of others and not just to think about yourself. I was pleased to see you know your personal targets. Teachers mark your work carefully, but I have asked them to tell you even more about how you can improve it. Children in Reception really enjoy learning outdoors but I have asked the school to improve facilities so they are even better. Your attendance has improved. I hope you will play your part in helping to achieve the improvements. You can do this by continuing to work hard and by trying to reach the targets your teachers set for you. 13 of 13 Inspection Report: Hurdsfield Community Primary School, 25–26 June 2009

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