Hemington Primary School

Age group 4–10 Inspection date(s) 12–13 May 2009 Inspection number 327153 Hemington Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 119934 Local Authority Leicestershire Inspection number 327153 Inspection dates 12–13 May 2009 Reporting inspector Hazel Callaghan

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–10 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll School (total) 41

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Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Debra Woodyatt Headteacher Mrs Anne Kingston Date of previous school inspection 14 May 2006

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School address Main Street Hemington Derby DE74 2RB Telephone number 01332 810447 Fax number 01332 810447 Email address o.office@hemington.leics.sch.uk Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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.

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Introduction

This pilot inspection was carried out by one additional inspector. The inspector visited seven lessons, and held meetings with governors, staff and groups of pupils. She observed the school’s work, and looked at the school’s development plan, minutes of governors meetings and various reports, examined examples of pupils’ work and scrutinised 19 questionnaires completed by parents.

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Introduction

The inspector reviewed many aspects of the school’s work and looked in detail at the following.

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Introduction

 Current standards and achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in both key stages.  The extent to which teaching and the curriculum meet the needs of all pupils, especially in mathematics.  How well the school is helping pupils develop their awareness of the diversity of British society and how effectively community cohesion is promoted beyond the school.  The key positive features that are underpinning pupils’ personal and social development.

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Information about the school

Hemington Primary is a very small school. The numbers of pupils in each age group vary from year to year but are very much smaller than seen nationally. The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A travelling community lives on a showman site close to the school and the children from these families spend part of every year travelling and do not attend school. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes while children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a small room adjacent to the Key Stage 1 classroom. Pupils transfer to their next school at the end of Year 5.

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Inspection judgements

Grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Main findings

Hemington Primary provides a good education for its pupils. They thrive in the family atmosphere, enjoy all that it has to offer and make good progress in their learning. The personal and pastoral care provided for all the pupils is exemplary and as a result they grow in confidence and maturity. Relationships throughout the school are excellent, pupils feel safe and secure and this provides the perfect environment for them to learn successfully. The very positive learning ethos is confirmed by the parents. One wrote, ‘Since our child has been at Hemington she has grown in confidence and progressed so much, she loves school and is passionate about learning which we attribute to the fantastic teaching staff and supportive environment.’

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Main findings

A significant strength of the school is the outstanding provision made for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and for pupils in Key Stage 1. Boys and girls make excellent progress in their learning because of the high expectations held by staff and the stimulating curriculum that builds on pupils’ interest and promotes their desire to do well. Pupils make good progress in Years 3, 4 and 5 and when they leave standards are usually well above those expected for their age, particularly in English. Standards in mathematics have been typically a little lower with fewer pupils reaching the higher Level 5 than in English. Pupils show a keen desire to learn and, when they are given a good understanding of what they need to do to improve, they respond well. Such good quality academic guidance is not consistently provided however, in mathematics and science for pupils in Key Stage 2. Additionally, teachers’ marking is not sufficiently consistent in pinpointing how pupils could

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Main findings

improve next time. Expectations for pupils’ work in terms of its quantity and quality in mathematics are not as high as those in English, and this is one of the main reasons for pupils’ satisfactory rather than good progress in this subject.

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Main findings

The headteacher provides good leadership and is well supported by all the staff and governors who work as a particularly strong team. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses that comes from working closely together. Plans for monitoring the work of the school are effective but limited time and many responsibilities across a small number of staff restrict their implementation. The school works well with the local community, especially with pupils from traveller families to promote community cohesion at the local level. However, governors and staff have recognised the need for pupils to have wider opportunities to learn about people from different cultures and backgrounds. The positive track record of improvement and the strong commitment of all staff to supporting future development demonstrate the school’s good capacity for continuing improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in mathematics and science in Key Stage 2 to equal those in English by ensuring consistently high expectations in the work set for pupils and providing clear and consistent guidance for them on how to improve.  Ensure all managers have sufficient time and opportunity to carry out their monitoring roles successfully and to enable ongoing review of the impact of the school’s improvement strategies.  Widen opportunities for pupils to learn about and appreciate different cultures so they are well prepared for life in a diverse society.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Children start school from different starting points but overall their knowledge and skills are typically above those expected for their age. Children make excellent progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage to reach standards that are usually well above average and most children are very well prepared to begin work on the National Curriculum. Many examples were observed of a variety of children’s writing on display which was of a high standard. In a lesson about letters and sounds, many children were successfully using their knowledge to correctly write new words. Pupils continue to make excellent progress in Key Stage 1, particularly in reading and writing. In 2008, standards reached were well above the national average and pupils are currently well on their way to reaching above average standards again this year. Lessons in this class are typified by high expectations presented in a fun way so that

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

learning is enjoyable. In a mathematics session linked to the topic on fairy stories, pupils worked really hard and with sustained enthusiasm on quite challenging tasks.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2, particularly in English, and reach above average standards. In 2008 standards in mathematics and science were broadly average and reflected satisfactory rather than good progress. Concerns flagged by the last inspection about weaknesses in developing pupils’ ability to use and apply their knowledge in mathematics and science have largely been addressed but the quality and quantity of work is not yet as good as that seen in English.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils show very good attitudes towards their work and their behaviour is exemplary. Social and moral development is particularly strong and pupils show good levels of respect and care for one another. They have well developed understanding of how to keep safe and healthy and play an active part in making their school and the local community a better place to be. They show a keen interest in helping the child they are supporting in Burma through their charitable endeavours so that she can attend school. They keep regular contact through emails and the computer video link with a family just moved to China but opportunities to meet people from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds and cultures are otherwise limited. The majority of pupils attend very regularly and there is a below average number of absences each year. The small group of pupils from traveller backgrounds however are away from school for long periods. The school ensures that these pupils are successfully

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

reintegrated and staff do all they can to help them catch up on lost learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ attainment 1 2 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their progress How well do pupils achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 To what extent do pupils feel safe? 2 How well do pupils behave? 1 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 2 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 2 Pupils’ attendance 1 2 How well do pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being? What is the extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? 2

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is good overall. It is often outstanding in both the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Pupils find the activities interesting and the nursery nurse and class teacher are skilled at planning activities that extend the pupils’ learning very well. Activities are well matched to pupils’ capabilities with sufficient challenge to stretch the more able. In the Key Stage 2 class the quality of teaching is more mixed. In English, pupils are given a good understanding of how to improve. Opportunities for them to effectively share ideas and work cooperatively promote their good progress. The use of editing partners, for example, gives pupils the opportunity to improve their work and extend their vocabulary. In mathematics, assessment of pupils’ work is used well to match activities to pupils’ different needs but the opportunities for pupils to explore and explain the way they work are too

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How effective is the provision?

variable. The quality of marking is inconsistent. At its best it celebrates good work and success and sets targets for improvement, but too often pupils are not given a clear understanding of whether their work is of the required standard or how to improve. These weaknesses have rightly been identified but their impact on slowing pupils’ progress has not been fully monitored.

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How effective is the provision?

The school is very effective in eliminating the difficulties caused by a small site and limited resources by using its many links with other schools and outside agencies. As a result pupils are provided with a broad and interesting curriculum that extends their knowledge and skills well. Teaching assistants not only support individual needs successfully but also use their talents and expertise to enrich the curriculum in music and art. Pupils with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities are extremely

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low. well supported both in school and by staff from the local special school and outside agencies. Effective support from the Traveller Education Service assists pupils from traveller backgrounds to maintain their education while they are away, for example through providing learning packs. Many parents commented on the tremendous support provided not only for all the pupils but for families as well.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching 2 The use of assessment to support learning 2 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher’s clear direction and strong leadership, together with the commitment of the dedicated staff team, have secured improvement since the last inspection. Mathematics is a recognised priority for development and work is under way to bring positive change, but as yet standards still fall short of those in English. Although the school has an accurate overview of strengths and weaknesses, monitoring is currently too ad hoc to ensure its work is effective in securing improvement. Governors are a strong support to the school and ensure all legal requirements are met. They are forward looking and proactive in strategic planning. They have a range of expertise which is used to complement that of the staff in promoting improvement. There are good arrangements in place for safeguarding all learners and promoting equalities. Financial management is good and the school budget is used well to ensure value for money. There are excellent partnerships with

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How effective are leadership and management?

parents whose views are regularly sought. The school is at the heart of the community. Pupils frequently are part of outside events that promote their good learning and well-being.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in communicating ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is excellent and children make good progress in all areas of their learning and development. Children enjoy coming to school and share very good relationships with adults and other children. Well- conceived induction arrangements and excellent partnerships with parents help the children settle very quickly. Staff have an excellent understanding of how children learn and provide a good balance of adult-led activities and opportunities for children to make their own choices, to experiment and explore. Children behave very well and show great enthusiasm for their activities. The outside area is used well to extend activities and to provide exciting new ways to learn. The new adventurous play area is a huge success which is already extending children’s physical strength and confidence in their own abilities to ‘have a go’. The teacher and nursery nurse work

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Early Years Foundation Stage

extremely well together planning activities that successfully challenge children’s ideas and build on what they already know. They monitor progress carefully and plan the next steps so that children’s learning builds rapidly. Strong support is given to those children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and they also make excellent progress in the Reception Year. The work in the Early Years Foundation Stage is monitored well by the class teacher. She provides excellent leadership and support for the nursery nurse. Together they explore the areas that might not be working as well as others and make improvements so that the provision goes from strength to strength.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 1

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Views of parents and carers

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school, as shown in their responses to the questionnaire. They are particularly pleased with the rounded education their children receive within a happy, family atmosphere. Many comments describe the excellent care and support provided by the staff, not only for the pupils but also for the parents themselves. No concerns were expressed in the parents’ questionnaires, being uniformly positive about all aspects of the school. One parent expressed the wish for more homework especially during the holidays, but that was all.

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Views of parents and carers

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Hemington Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. If a parent has more than one child at the school, we ask them to record an answer against all the questions, for each of their children. The inspector received 19 completed questionnaires. In total, there are 31 parents and carers registered at the school.

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Views of parents and carers

Always Most of the time Occasionally Never Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 18 1 - -

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. In 2007/8, 15% of schools were judged to be outstanding. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. In 2007/8, 49% of schools were judged good. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. In 2007/8, 32% of schools were judged satisfactory. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. In 2007/8, 5% of schools were judged inadequate.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, training or development. This may refer to the acquisition of skills, knowledge, understanding or desired attributes. Attributes include qualities or personal competencies which are important to the development of the pupil; for example personal, social, cultural, emotional or health.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. 14 May 2009

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Inspection of Hemington Primary, Hemington, DE74 2RB

Thank you for making me feel so welcome and answering my questions when I visited you recently. You are rightly proud of your school. You and your parents are correct in thinking that you go to a good school that has some outstanding features. Here are some of the things I found out.

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Inspection of Hemington Primary, Hemington, DE74 2RB

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make an excellent start to their education and so do pupils in Years 1 and 2.  You make good progress and you reach standards that are often above those expected for your age and often higher in English, but they are not as high in mathematics and science.  Your behaviour is excellent. You are polite, friendly and helpful to everyone. You want to help others and work to make the school a better place.  You clearly enjoy your lessons and often have lots of fun. You work hard and want to do well.  You are taught well and all your teachers work hard to make sure that your lessons are interesting.  The headteacher and all the staff provide excellent care, support and guidance for you all.  Everyone in the school works together as a strong team and there is an excellent partnership with your parents and lots of others who can help you to learn.

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Inspection of Hemington Primary, Hemington, DE74 2RB

Even though Hemington is a good school there are things it can do to make it even better. I have asked the headteacher and governors to:

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Inspection of Hemington Primary, Hemington, DE74 2RB

 make sure you make the same good progress in mathematics and science as you do in English by helping you to understand how well you are doing and how to improve  take the opportunity to check on how you are doing and what needs to be further improved  give you more opportunities to work and play with people of other cultures.

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Inspection of Hemington Primary, Hemington, DE74 2RB

Good wishes and every success for the future.

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Inspection of Hemington Primary, Hemington, DE74 2RB

Yours faithfully Hazel Callaghan Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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