Hillesley Church of England Primary School

Hillesley Church of England Primary School Inspection report - amended

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115716 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 326256 Inspection number 26 February 2009 Inspection date Mo Roberts HMI 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 Voluntary aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 52 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 Rebecca Arkle Chair Jill Brookes Headteacher 7 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Kilcot Road School address Wotton-under-Edge GL12 7RH 01453 843551 Telephone number 01453 843551 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 26 February 2009 Inspection date 326256 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report updated to resolve formatting inconsistency

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector. They evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following:

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Introduction

■ the quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Introduction

■ the impact of the pupils' involvement in their own target setting, and the quality of academic guidance that pupils receive ■ the impact of the grouping of Key Stage 2 pupils - especially on pupils' progress in mathematics. Evidence was gathered by observing lessons, scrutinising pupils' work and school documentation, and from discussions with staff, parents and pupils. Other aspects of the school's work were not evaluated in detail but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, are not justified and these have been included where appropriate.

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Description of the school

This is a small school in an advantaged area. Children usually join the school with skills that are at least at the levels expected for their age. Numbers on roll have increased but many year groups remain small. The school has three classes: Reception to Year 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6. The older classes are sometimes combined as some staff work part time. A refurbished chapel is now used as the school hall; it is a few yards down the road from the main school building. Pupils are mostly White British and none speaks English as an additional language. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. A new headteacher joined the school in 2007. The school has gained the Intermediate International School Award, the Quality Mark for Basic Skills, as well as county recognition for its achievements in sport.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where the pupils achieve well. They get off to an excellent start in the Reception Year, where the provision for them is outstanding. Pupils make further good progress as they move up through Years 1 to 6. As a result, the standards attained by the end of Year 6 in all subjects are above, and in some instances well above, national averages. Pupils make good progress because they feel well supported, receive good individual attention and have begun to take responsibility for their own learning. The new system encourages them to alert teachers when they think they have reached their learning targets, and to be ready to justify their claims. The recent focus on mathematics has resulted in improved standards in the subject, although the school's evaluation of the grouping arrangements is not rigorous enough to quickly spot any potential underachievement. The quality of the teaching and the curriculum is good in all three mixed-aged classes. The

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Grade: 2

range of additional activities is exceptionally good for a small school. Numerous visits, visitors and clubs all enhance pupils' experiences and develop their knowledge of the wider world. These opportunities enable pupils to do well in sports and music and also contribute to their good personal development. Pupils develop good skills in teamwork with others of different ages. They are kind and considerate to the younger children and behave well. There are good opportunities for older children to take responsibilities, for example by leading the morning exercise session in assembly. Much is done to ensure each pupil's self-esteem and inner resourcefulness are developed. They join with other schools for some outdoor and adventurous activities. The curriculum is further enriched through the good teaching of French. Information and communication technology provision and skills have improved since the last inspection.

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Grade: 2

Ongoing developments are planned for the curriculum. Pupils take a very active role in the community, tending their allotment and participating in church-related events. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. School assemblies offer opportunities to consider moral dilemmas and how to solve them. Pupils are self-aware and know, for example, that name-calling hurts others' feelings. They are sure that adults will help them if the need arises and they say that bullying is not tolerated. Within the good care, guidance and support for pupils, some areas are outstanding. Pastoral care and the attention to pupils' personal welfare are excellent. One parent of a child who had numerous difficulties in other schools spoke of how exceptionally responsive the school had been in helping solve the problems. Pupils with learning difficulties are given a high level of care. They achieve as well as others by the time they leave for secondary school, although the

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Grade: 2

analysis of their rate of progress in not fully developed despite the data being available. Academic guidance through the marking of work is generally good. The Healthy School award is reflected in the pupils' good understanding of how to keep fit and healthy. They enjoy growing vegetables and eat their 'snack time' fruit with relish. They learn how to stay safe when out walking in the village between the main building and the annexe on public roads. Pupils have recently received an award for good basic skills in literacy and numeracy, and these skills, together with their personal strengths, prepare them well for secondary school and later life. Attendance is good and careful support is offered to the few families experiencing some difficulties. The school is doing well but it is striving to do even better for its pupils. This is typified by the way it participates in choir and arts events in the local region, the high quality work reflected

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Grade: 2

4 of 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 2009 in the award of the Silver Arts Mark. The headteacher, who has many creative talents, makes a good contribution to this work and provides clear direction for the school's future development. Staff have moved well to fulfil the recently introduced national requirements to promote community cohesion. Governors contribute effectively to the school's leadership and management, although they are not well known to all parents. The school has a good knowledge of its own performance through good self-evaluation. Most parents are very supportive of the school, although some feel that communication with them could be better. This suggests that the numerous changes the school has made in this regard have not been sufficiently reviewed and considered. Nevertheless, overall the school has made good progress since the last inspection and has a good capacity to continue to improve.

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Grade: 1

Children make excellent progress in the Foundation Stage and they reach or exceed the expectations for children nationally entering Year 1. This is because the teaching is outstanding and the curriculum is very stimulating. Learning through play is encouraged throughout the day, both indoors and in the superb new outdoor area. A canopy offers year-round shelter and care has been taken to incorporate the natural environment into the provision. The equipment promotes appropriate risk-taking and good physical challenges. Planning includes an effective balance between teacher-directed and free-choice activities. This makes learning enjoyable and exciting, such as when the children made shelters for their toy animals in the woods. Excellent relationships between all adults and children help give children confidence and a love of learning. Children's mathematical and social skills are very effectively developed. They enjoy

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Grade: 1

learning French. Support for all children, including those with learning difficulties or developmental delay is outstanding. The nursery nurse takes the main responsibility for this age group within the mixed-age class, and makes a profound contribution to the excellent progress of all children. The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. Assessment is accurate and is used effectively to adapt activities to meet children's emerging interests. Children have already begun to take some responsibility for their own learning by selecting and recording items for their 'learning journey' record books. Self-evaluation is thorough and the staff team have obtained a prestigious quality assurance standard award for Early Years Education.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Rigorously monitor the effectiveness of the mathematics groups in Years 3 to 6, and maximise the use of data to ensure that any pupil at potential risk of underachievement is identified and supported. ■ Refine the evaluations made of changes to the organisation and work of the school to ensure they identify any further adjustments needed. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 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?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 2009

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learners?

1 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 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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Hillesley Church of England Primary School, Hillesley. GL12 7RH. We very much enjoyed seeing your work when we visited your school recently. Thank you for making us both welcome, and particularly those of you who took time to talk to us. We especially enjoyed attending one of your French lessons and watching the younger children making dens for their toy animals in the woods. They certainly found out how hard animals work to create shelters for their families! Yours is a good school in which you make good progress in your work. Some of the best things about the school are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Pupils do well in the national tests in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. ■ You are taught well because teachers and teaching assistants give you very interesting work to help you learn more each day. ■ You are good at looking for yourselves to see when you are ready for a new learning target, and you are given good advice on how to improve your work. ■ You say correctly that there are lots of exciting things to do, especially outdoors on the allotment and in your joint projects with other schools in your cluster. ■ You look after each other and generally behave well. The older pupils are good at taking responsibility, for example by leading 'wake and shake'. ■ You all help other people through your charity work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You know a lot about keeping healthy and safe. I do hope you get a new lunch-time meal service soon, as I know some of you miss the hot meals. ■ The youngest children make an outstanding start to their learning and are enjoying their outdoor area. Your school is led well and your headteacher, the governors and staff understand how to make the school even better. I have asked them to improve the way they use the school's knowledge about your learning, so they can check that your groups are arranged well and can spot anyone in danger of falling behind. I also asked that they check regularly how well any changes they make to the school are helping you and your parents. With best wishes Mo Roberts Her Majesty's Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Hillesley Church of England Primary School, 26 February 2009

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