Hutton Henry CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School Inspection report

p.1

114232 Unique Reference Number Durham Local Authority 325970 Inspection number 6 July 2009 Inspection date Clive Petts Reporting inspector

p.1

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.

p.1

Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 36 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 Nicola Bloomfield (Acting) Chair Mrs Jill Jones Headteacher 29 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 Hutton Henry School address Hartlepool TS27 4RY 01429 836219 Telephone number 01429 836219 Fax number

p.1

4–11 Age group 6 July 2009 Inspection date 325970 Inspection number .

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Hutton Henry is a small village school serving a former mining community with some disadvantage. The school, which has a decreasing roll, has two mixed-aged classes. Reception and Years 1 and 2 are in one class and Years 3 to 6 in the other. All pupils are of a White British heritage. About one third is eligible for free school meals, well above average. A higher than average number of pupils has learning difficulties and/or disabilities, with a higher than average proportion with a statement of special educational need. The school provides for Early Years Foundation Stage in a mixed age Reception and Year 1 and 2 class.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school which gives good value for money. The school has a warm, welcoming family atmosphere. It has created strong links with the local community and enjoys their confidence and respect. Parents are very supportive of the school. A comment which reflects the views of most parents was, ‘my children are always coming home and telling me about how they have learnt new things: eating sushi, Bollywood dancing and constructing a wildlife pond’. The school staff work very hard to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to do their very best regardless of their background or experience. Effective teaching, good quality classroom support and an interesting curriculum enable all pupils to achieve well. By the end of Year 6, standards are just above average, with an increasing proportion of pupils reaching higher levels especially in mathematics and science. Since the last inspection, action to improve writing skills is paying off well as more opportunities for

p.4

Grade: 2

writing have been developed across the curriculum. Challenging teaching, especially when it is extremely well matched to individual abilities, helps the pupils to apply their skills more successfully to solve problems. This is raising achievement especially in the class for Year 3 to 6 pupils. Successful classroom support boosts confidence and self-esteem, which enables pupils of all abilities and interests to make similar progress. This all strengthens the push to continue to improve achievement. The pupils’ good personal development is reflected in the comments they make about school life. A comment such as, ‘pupils are never on their own’, sums up their views. They enjoy the broad range of activities provided for them outside the classroom, for example orienteering and practising karate. They appreciate the benefits that first-hand learning can bring, for example, by implementing police advice on safe habits when using the internet and mobile

p.4

Grade: 2

phones. They value the fact that a member of staff is always on hand to share a worry or concern. The care and support available to pupils, including those who are vulnerable and who have personal needs, is excellent and adds to the school’s drive to ensure no child is left out. Leadership and management are good. Since the last inspection the school has made good progress. The Early Years Foundation Stage has been fully implemented and the impact of these recent improvements is strengthening achievement. Good partnerships with local schools, the village community and external agencies help to sustain achievement gains. Pupils’ growing awareness of global issues strengthens their grasp of their diverse world but their development of an understanding of the different beliefs and cultures across the country is limited. Governors play a full and active part in school life, providing much support and expertise. However, there

p.4

Grade: 2

is insufficient rigour in the monitoring and evaluation of practice. Consequently, the judgements as to whether initiatives are having the intended impact on the achievement for pupils are not sufficiently evaluative.

p.4

Grade: 2

Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children start Reception with skills and abilities that are generally below those expected of children of their ages. By the time they leave the Reception class their standards are generally those expected for their age across all areas of learning. This demonstrates that children make good progress overall, and achieve well in relation to their starting points. Those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009 achieve well because the intervention and support they receive is effective. The recent improvements to the outside areas have increased the range of experiences and activities for children. However, it is not yet possible for them to have continuous access to outdoor facilities to enhance their skills and extend the challenge to their learning. Parents are generally pleased

p.4

Grade: 2

with the information that they receive although a small number would appreciate more guidance so that they can play a more active partnership role. Children are confident and happy learners who enjoy very good relations with staff. They are sociable and well-behaved. Staff use observations and assessments effectively to identify what individuals and groups need in their next learning steps. Children’s welfare is promoted effectively. However, although risk assessments are systematically used and updated the checks to ensure that all precautions are still working can be a little irregular. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well managed. Appropriate priorities and areas for development are established to continue to improve children’s learning and development. This has already been demonstrated in the recent efforts to improve speaking, listening and early writing.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Sharpen the rigour of self-evaluation to determine whether action to improve provision has the intended outcomes for pupils. ■ Develop the pupils’ awareness and understanding of other beliefs and cultures in the national context.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well because teaching is good. Cohorts are small and vary considerably especially in the proportion of pupils with weaker language skills. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make the same good progress as their classmates because of the effective support they receive. As a result, most pupils reach above average standards by the end of Year 6. Determined efforts by staff are improving writing skills. Yet there remains scope to raise writing skills higher. Provisional 2009 test results in mathematics and science reveal that nearly all pupils exceeded their challenging targets by the end of Year 6. School checking information predicts that in English most pupils will achieve their targets. At the end of Year 2, standards are average but a larger proportion than average are on course to reach higher levels as more pupils benefit from recent improvements in Early Years Foundation Stage provision.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy their life at school. The strong spiritual, moral and social development strengthens the good personal development. Pupils appreciate that as attitudes to learning have improved, they have become more mature and responsible. Absence has been reduced and most pupils attend well. Behaviour is good, bullying very rare and pupils describe how they feel safe and really well supported. At play times they are considerate and helpful when playing with younger children. They relish the responsibility they have in their school council role making decisions which improve school, for example, by using supermarket vouchers to acquire play equipment. Assemblies provide valuable opportunities for reflection, for example, on how to be thoughtful and kind. There is an extremely strong sense of belonging in daily life. Pupils understand the benefits of staying fit and healthy. Although pupils are developing an awareness of how they

p.5

Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009 fit into their diverse world they have a limited grasp of the variety of community life in nearby cities.

p.5

Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good with some inspiring teaching in the Year 3 to 6 class. Classrooms are interesting places in which to learn with attractive displays of pupils’ work. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive good support from capable and well informed classroom assistants. In the best learning, presentations using new technology provide visual and auditory impact, for example, the noise of the theme park ride combined with the view from the front seat. Tasks are also carefully tailored to challenge the thinking of each individual pupil. This helps them achieve as well as they can. Work is regularly marked and the next steps clearly identified for each pupil. They are expected to review their own learning and consider any difficulties they come across. Where tasks are not as effectively personalised the challenge and pace of learning occasionally slips.

p.6

Grade: 2

The good curriculum captures the interest of pupils and has been crucial in helping staff to improve attitudes to learning and raise achievement. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to use their information and communication technology (ICT) skills, for example, using Skype technology to keep in touch with a partner school. There is good provision for numeracy. However, more could be done to ensure that writing skills match those of reading. Well planned first-hand learning is having a positive impact on raising pupils’ confidence and applying their thinking skills. For example, a production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ in partnership with the local secondary school captured pupils’ feelings and emotions. Developing links and themes across the curriculum are making learning more meaningful to pupils by, for example, using Greek mythology to inspire design thinking. A variety of experiences, for example, adults from

p.6

Grade: 2

Kenya talking about their about their early life and dancing by the Zulu Lions, broadens pupils’ horizons. However, the curriculum offers them insufficient insights into the experience of other community cultures and faiths with the United Kingdom.

p.6

Grade: 2

The calm school atmosphere and the pupils’ eagerness to learn reveal the excellent quality of pastoral care that the pupils receive. The school works well with outside agencies, such as the welfare service and the behaviour support service, to provide specialist support. A large proportion of parents express trust and confidence in staff. This adds to the inclusive practice of the school. Pupils are given good guidance as to how they can improve and the next steps in their learning are normally clearly explained. ‘They tell us how to fix it’, was a remark which reflects the pupils’ view of this. However, sometimes pupils are not consistently encouraged to check their own progress. Statutory safeguarding procedures to ensure pupils are safe are in place and arrangements for child protection are thorough. The progress of individual pupils is regularly checked so that any slips in progress are identified and extra help provided. However,

p.6

Grade: 2

the school pupil checking system is sometimes inconsistently used to inform lesson planning. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009

p.6

Grade: 2

The headteacher leads the school well and is ably supported by staff. More settled staffing has enabled expectations of what the pupils can achieve to be raised. This has helped meeting the challenge of implementing the Early Years Foundation Stage and improving achievement, especially in writing. Self-evaluation correctly identifies strengths and weaknesses, but not all judgements are securely based on a rigorous evaluation of the outcomes for pupils. The pupils’ progress checking system is sometimes unreliable. The school is inclusive, values all pupils and is committed to remove discrimination. Overall, it promotes community cohesion well. It is strongest in its links with the local community and with a school in Rajasthan. Work towards the UNICEF Rights award widens the pupils’ grasp of global issues. Nevertheless, not as much is done to develop an understanding of community beliefs and cultures other than their own.

p.7

Grade: 2

The school is well served by the governing body and under the leadership of the acting chair is developing its ability to check performance and hold the school to account. Together, this provides a good capacity to continue to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009 .

p.7

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: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

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?

p.9

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

p.9

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: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009

p.9

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 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

p.10

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?

p.10

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 3 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: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

7 July 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Hutton Henry CofE (Controlled) Primary School, Durham, TS27 4RY My colleague and I appreciated your helpful, friendly welcome when we visited recently to inspect your school. We were impressed by the happy family atmosphere and your keenness to learn. We really enjoyed talking to the school council and seeing how you enjoy your lessons, playtime and lunchtime with your friends. You go to a good school that provides you with a sound education. These are some of the things the school does well.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You receive really good care and support and your staff make sure you know what the next steps are in your learning. ■ Your behaviour is good. We were very impressed by the responsible attitudes of older pupils towards younger children, and by the school council. ■ You thoroughly enjoy the broad range of interesting activities arranged for you outside of lessons, including work with your local secondary school. ■ Your school’s leaders are determined to continue to improve your school, so that you can all do as well as you can. ■ You are well looked after and your headteacher and staff work extremely hard to make certain that no one is left out. ■ Your parents are pleased with your progress in school.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your school to improve your education by:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ carefully checking that all the activities and facilities provided for you do make a difference

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ developing a better understanding of the range of other beliefs and cultures represented across the country, especially in big cities. You all have an important part to play in improving your school. You can help by continuing to attend regularly, listening very carefully to the advice of staff and working as hard as you possibly can. Thank you for helping us with this inspection. Best of luck to you all! Yours faithfully Clive Petts Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hutton Henry Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 6 July 2009

p.11