Hodthorpe Primary School

Hodthorpe Primary School Inspection report

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112650 Unique Reference Number Derbyshire Local Authority 325653 Inspection number 22–23 June 2009 Inspection dates Alison Cogher 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 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 103 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 Mr Robin Perry Chair Mrs Michelle Chaplain Headteacher 23 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Queen's Road School address Hodthorpe worksop Nottinghamshire S80 4UT 01909 720315 Telephone number 01909 720315 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 22–23 June 2009 Inspection dates 325653 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: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a much smaller than average size primary school with Early Years Foundation Stage provision for children of Nursery and Reception age. These children are taught together in the school's Foundation Unit. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Other ethnic backgrounds are represented in the pupil population, although the number in each group is very small, as is the number of pupils with English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is just above average and most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils with a statement of specific educational needs is above average. The school has undergone a number of staff changes in the recent past. The school has achieved a number of awards in recognition of its work. These include the Investor in People Award and the Derbyshire Anti-Bullying Commitment Intermediate Award.

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Description of the school

The school runs a 'Breakfast Club' during term time. The 'Whitwell and Hodthorpe Playscheme and After School Care Club' that operates on the school site provides after school care during term time and some holiday provision. It is managed by a private provider and is subject to a separate inspection.

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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: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. It has a number of good and improving features. The school is emerging from a period of staffing instability, and many governors are new to their roles. The headteacher, staff and governors are working as a united team and as they focus on raising pupils' achievement and standards, the pace of improvement is quickening. The school has the overwhelming support of parents. 'The school is at the heart of the community, where every member of staff cares for every child, and every child matters,' was typical of the numerous positive comments received. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The headteacher has a clear vision and has used a number of effective strategies to check the quality of the school's work. She has gained an accurate picture of the school's current position. There is work to do, including increasing the contribution made by subject leaders to the process of school self-evaluation.

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Grade: 3

However, increased pupil progress this year indicates that the action taken has been effective in securing improvement. Standards vary from year to year, reflecting the small numbers of pupils in each year group. Attainment in the present Year 6 in English and mathematics is average. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage typically make good progress and achieve well. For several years there has been inconsistent pupil progress between Years 1 to 6. The school's assessments clearly show improvements in teaching have increased the pace of pupils' learning this year, with the effect that they have made up much of the lost ground from previous years. Pupils' overall achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with a statement of special educational needs consistently make good progress and achieve well because they receive effective support. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They behave well and enjoy school.

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Grade: 3

Relationships are productive and pupils treat adults and each other with respect. They make a good contribution to the school and local community and are keen to take on responsibilities, which they carry out with pride. The school has gained the Healthy Schools, Activemark and Active Schools Awards which acknowledge pupils' good understanding of how diet and exercise can support leading a healthy lifestyle. They know how to keep themselves and others safe. Teaching and learning are good. Improvements have ensured pupils make good progress in lessons this year. Activities are well matched to their needs and they receive effective support and guidance from teachers and teaching assistants. Pupils this year build successfully on their previous learning and work hard to improve. When working together, they do so with a good deal of cooperation and maturity. Teachers skilfully encourage and enable pupils to share their

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Grade: 3

thinking and ideas. This effectively reinforces and extends pupils' learning and increases the confidence they have to tackle new and more challenging work. The satisfactory curriculum has a number of strengths. Planning for teaching of literacy and numeracy is good and has supported the rise in pupil progress this year. Identifying opportunities for pupils to use and apply these skills in other subjects is underway. Additional activities provided in lessons and out of school make a good contribution to pupils' learning and personal development. However, too few opportunities are planned for pupils to learn about the diversity of British society and global communities. Pupils benefit from good care, guidance and support. The school's productive relationship with parents and effective links with outside agencies ensure pupils receive the help they need to 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Grade: 3

achieve their personal targets. Pupils receive good academic support and guidance so they understand how well they are doing and what they need to do next to improve.

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Grade: 2

Effective leadership and management ensure children have a positive start to their education. Typically children start with knowledge and skills that are less well developed than those normally found for their age. They are often well below in the areas of personal, social and emotional development, and communication, language and literacy. Children make good progress and most reach the expected goals by the end of their Reception year. They often exceed the expected goals in their personal, social and emotional development. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is good and children are well prepared for their work in Year 1. Accurate assessments are made of children's learning, although this information is not systematically recorded for easy retrieval to aid planning. However, activities are generally well-matched to children's age, ability and interests. The inside and outdoor spaces are used

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Grade: 2

well to stimulate children's curiosity and engage them in productive learning. Positive relationships and good levels of care enable children to develop good levels of independence. Parents are very appreciative of the provision made for their children. The partnership they forge with staff is strong and supportive of children's learning and well-being.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase pupils' progress further to raise their achievement and standards in English and mathematics. ■ Improve the contribution made by subject leaders to the process of school self-evaluation.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide increased opportunities for pupils to learn about the diversity of British society and global issues. A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory but which has areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next Section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

In 2008, standards in Year 2 in reading and writing were above average and high in mathematics. Last year standards in Year 6 were low in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. Pupils' progress and achievement from Year 2 are satisfactory. Boys, girls and pupils of different abilities made suitable progress. As in previous years, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieved well. Inspection findings confirm the school's view that actions taken to improve the effectiveness of teaching mean that achievement is sound in all year groups this year. Consequently, standards seen in the present Year 6 are average.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good and their cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils' strong sense of belonging to their school and local community is clearly evident in their positive relationships and the enthusiasm with which they engage in activities both on and away from the school premises. The attendance of the vast majority of pupils is 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 2009 satisfactory. Pupils express their enthusiasm for school in many ways, such as their good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. They eagerly take on responsibilities, such as being school councillors and prefects and carry out their duties with a good deal of maturity. Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and are particularly keen to be active and take part in a wide range of sports. Overall, pupils develop satisfactory literacy and numeracy skills to use in their next schools. Their well-developed

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Grade: 2

personal skills ensure they are confident about moving on to the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

Key elements of good teaching are present in all classes. Teachers have good subject knowledge, manage pupils well and use resources effectively. Teaching assistants are well deployed and make a significant contribution to pupils' learning overall. Assessment information is used well to guide the planning of lessons so pupils' learning typically moves forwards at a good pace. Lessons begin with teachers explaining to pupils what they will learn and how they will do it, so that they are clear about what is expected of them. Occasionally, introductions are overlong and pupils' interest begins to wane. Pupils are encouraged to share their ideas, offer solutions and be constructively critical of each other's work. In this stimulating environment, pupils rise to the challenges their teachers set for them and work hard to achieve the targets they are set. Good teaching this year has yet to have a full impact on pupils' achievement.

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Grade: 3

A satisfactorily planned curriculum allows pupils to progress suitably. The school is rightly focused on improving pupils' achievement to raise standards further in English and mathematics. Increasing the opportunities for pupils to use and apply their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects is supporting this goal. The use of ICT as a tool for learning in all subjects has improved significantly since the last inspection. A wide range of after school clubs, regular visitors and visits to places of interest, provide pupils with appealing additional learning opportunities. They include learning to speak French, playing golf and working on the school allotment. Links with the local secondary school effectively support pupils learning through, for example, the range of sporting activities pupils experience. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to learn about the diversity of British society and global communities.

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Grade: 3

The provision made to support pupils' personal, social and health education effectively contributes to their good personal development.

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Grade: 2

The pastoral care pupils receive is good and helps them to develop constructive relationships with others. Good quality relationships throughout the school raise pupils' self-esteem and confidence. Pupils will 'have a go' with their learning as they know they will be supported to improve. Procedures for assessing and tracking of pupils' progress are providing good information about what pupils need to learn next. Teachers share this information with pupils and the vast majority demonstrate a good understanding of their targets for improvement. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 2009 Although there are some inconsistencies between classes on how marking is recorded, it provides pupils with clear guidance about how to make their work better. Statutory requirements for safeguarding pupils are met. Links with parents, other local schools and outside agencies are strong. They all make a good contribution to pupils' learning, their

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Grade: 2

self-esteem and the confidence with which they embrace change, such as moving to the next stage of their education. Provision for pupils with specific needs and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is effectively managed and successful. The school is constantly striving to increase the attendance levels of the very few pupils who are persistently absent.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has increased the momentum of school improvement. She has successfully established a shared vision for the future of the school that is focused tightly on ensuring all pupils are enabled to achieve as well as they can. The headteacher has been largely responsible for collecting information about how well the school is doing this year. This information has been used effectively to guide whole school improvement planning and set challenging targets, but they have yet to have a full impact on pupils' achievement. The whole school team is working hard to achieve the challenging targets for improvement. Subject leaders have embarked on training to develop the skills necessary to enable them to contribute fully to the improvement process. Governors have relied heavily until now on the headteacher for information and guidance. As a result of training, they are quickly developing the skills they need to become

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Grade: 3

effective critical friends of the school. The inclusion of all pupils is promoted effectively through the school's close partnership work with outside agencies and other schools, and as a result of the improved focus this year on ensuring individual pupils achieve equally well. Community cohesion at a local level is promoted well although the school recognises that it has more to do at national and global levels. Issues from the last inspection have been largely addressed. This, together with the encouraging improvement in pupils' progress this year, is evidence that the school has a satisfactory and improving capacity to improve further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 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? 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? 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

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 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: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 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? 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: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Hodthorpe Primary School, Hodthorpe, S80 4UT Thank you very much for helping me with the inspection of your school. I really enjoyed talking to you about your work, visiting your lessons and sharing lunch with you. I was very pleased to hear how you enjoy coming to school and I was impressed with the way you get along together so well. There are many good things happening at Hodthorpe, but your school is satisfactory because some things could be better. Your headteacher and the other adults at school agree with this. You told me how much you enjoy your lessons. I think teaching is good and that you are making better progress than you used to. This is partly because your teachers' planning of your lessons has improved but also because you behave well and work hard. I think you could do even better and your teachers and the other adults in school are going to help you to do this. You are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

looked after well in school and you trust the adults to help you if you have a problem. Your teachers have concentrated on helping you to get better at literacy and numeracy and are keeping a close check on how well you are doing. They are looking at ways of giving you more chances to use these skills in other subjects. You already make good use of your ICT skills to help you learn in other subjects. The school is good at giving you personal support and helping you to lead healthy and safe lives. Your headteacher does a good job in leading and managing the school. The other staff and governors are working hard to learn new skills so that they can help more with the job of making the school better. I have asked them to focus on three things and these are to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help you to make even better progress so that you achieve more and reach higher standards in English and mathematics ■ make sure teachers who are responsible for different subjects have the skills they need to find out how well the school is doing and what could be improved ■ provide you with more chances to learn about the variety of people who live in Britain and other communities around the world. You can help by making sure that you keep on working hard and come to school as often as you can. Thank you again for your help. Yours faithfully Alison Cogher Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hodthorpe Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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