Hazel Community Primary School

Hazel Community Primary School Inspection report - amended

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120071 Unique Reference Number Leicester City Local Authority 331608 Inspection number 6–7 July 2009 Inspection dates Pat Walsh 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 Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 182 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 Mark Fisher Chair Gillian Blatherwick Headteacher 3 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Hazel Street School address Leicester LE2 7JN 01162 338411 Telephone number 01162 334591 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 6–7 July 2009 Inspection dates 331608 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to Ofsted notification

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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 11 Inspection Report: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

This average-sized primary school serves an area of social and economic disadvantage and admits three quarters of its pupils from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average and the number whose first language is not English is high when compared with the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average, and significantly more pupils join or leave the school at times other than the usual starting or leaving points.

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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: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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Grade: 3

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. It provides satisfactory value for money. This is a satisfactory and improving school. The highly committed headteacher, ably supported by the associate headteacher, has been successful in strengthening morale and establishing a renewed common purpose among staff that is firmly fixed on raising standards. As a result of this teamwork, pupils are making satisfactory progress from their very low starting points to attain standards that are below average by the time they leave Year 6. This inclusive school has strengths in the pastoral care provided by all adults, resulting in pupils' satisfactory personal development. The staff work hard to include all pupils in school life. As a result, pupils of all abilities and from different backgrounds feel welcome in the school, behave satisfactorily and

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Grade: 3

work well together. Children settle well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress. Although standards are below average by the end of Year 2, they have improved recently as a result of better teaching. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Standards by the end of Year 6 have been well below average for a number of years. Recently introduced strategies to identify and support pupils who are falling behind are having a positive impact on raising standards and reducing underachievement. However, standards in writing in all year groups remain stubbornly low. Pupils' current work shows that standards and achievement overall are improving and pupils are making satisfactory progress. The school manages a highly mobile pupil population well and pupils with little or no English are effectively supported in learning English as an additional language. As a result, they make satisfactory progress overall.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. In the most effective lessons, tasks and activities are closely matched to the needs of the pupils and they make good progress. However, this good practice is not yet consistent throughout the school to ensure that all pupils, particularly the more able, are sufficiently challenged to reach their full potential. Although the curriculum provided by the school is now satisfactory, teachers do not always make full use of information and communication technology (ICT) to engage and motivate pupils in their learning. Furthermore there are too few opportunities for pupils to write in other subjects. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. The school places great emphasis on pastoral care and has established effective partnerships to promote pupils' well-being. However, teachers' marking does not always give pupils enough guidance on how to improve their work, and the

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Grade: 3

use of pupil targets to identify the next steps in learning is inconsistent. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Subject leaders are beginning to develop their roles, but there are too few systematic opportunities for them to monitor and evaluate the impact of teaching on pupils' learning. Governors are an active presence in the school, speak knowledgeably about their role in supporting improvement and promote community cohesion satisfactorily. The school's capacity to make further improvement and the improvement since the last inspection are satisfactory. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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Grade: 2

The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed; consequently, the curriculum and teaching and learning are good in the Nursery and Reception class. Good arrangements exist to ensure the children's safety, health and well-being, and they get off to a good start. Although they vary from year to year and between areas of learning, children start in the Nursery with standards that are significantly below those typically found for their age. Aspects of language and personal development are particularly poor. Support for children in the early stages of learning English is good. Children make good progress in most areas of learning because of well-planned activities and good-quality adult support. Teachers and teaching assistants plan lessons that children find interesting and that are generally matched well to their abilities and needs; however, at times there is too little challenge for the more able. By the end of the

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Grade: 2

Reception Year, some children reach the expected goals but despite the good provision, many enter Year 1 with standards that are below expectations. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is firmly rooted in practical activities that appeal to children. Progress in personal development is good. Children grow in confidence and independence. They play happily together and learn to share and to make choices. They eagerly choose from the wide range of indoor activities; however, the opportunities for free-flow into the outside classroom are limited by the lack of an accessible purpose-built area.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards and improve achievement in writing by improving the use of ICT and developing a curriculum that meets the needs and engages the interest of all pupils. ■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning by raising the level of challenge for more able pupils in lessons. ■ Improve target setting and marking to ensure consistency across all classes.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Strengthen the role of all subject leaders in monitoring and evaluating teaching.

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What the school should do to improve further

A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory, but which have areas of underperformance, will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

When children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage, their knowledge and skill levels are very low compared with those expected for their age. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, despite recent improvement, are below average overall. Given the very low starting points of many pupils, this represents satisfactory progress. Underachievement is being successfully addressed and standards are improving throughout the school in response to focused strategies and good support from the local authority. The school's most recent assessment data indicate that pupils are making accelerated progress in all year groups because the more stable staffing has led to consistently higher expectations of what pupils can achieve. A robust system for tracking pupils' progress in all classes has already improved achievement but there is still some work to do, particularly in improving pupils' achievement in writing. The support for pupils with

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Grade: 3

English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is effective and as a result, these pupils make similar progress to their peers. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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Grade: 3

Pupils say they like coming to school because 'lessons are now much more interesting than they used to be'. They appreciate the improved opportunities for outdoor games and sport, and speak enthusiastically about the recent sports day. They know about healthy eating and have a satisfactory understanding of how to live a healthy life. They feel safe, enjoy being with their friends and have positive attitudes to their work. Their behaviour and attendance are satisfactory. Pupils say that the rare incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively and speedily by staff. The school council provides pupils with good opportunities to represent the views of others and helps the school make decisions, for example reorganising the house team system. Pupils also contribute satisfactorily to the wider community through raising funds for local and national charities. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils'

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Grade: 3

growing confidence and their improving basic literacy and numeracy skills prepare them satisfactorily for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory with some good elements. The most effective teaching and learning are characterised by a lively pace that engages pupils, with lessons organised to provide a range of activities matched to individual needs. In these lessons, teachers use questioning techniques to good effect. In other lessons, there is not enough challenge, particularly for more able pupils, and pupils are unclear about what they need to do to succeed. This means that progress, while satisfactory, is limited. Resources such as interactive whiteboards are generally used effectively during lessons; however, pupils have too few opportunities to use a range of ICT to engage their interest and improve their learning. There is effective support in most lessons from teaching assistants for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, as well as for those in the very early stages of learning English as an additional language.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum now provides a satisfactory balance between subjects. The focus on developing pupils' literacy and numeracy skills reflects the school's priorities. However, there are missed opportunities for pupils to extend their skills in writing for different purposes in other subjects. Teachers are making better use of assessment to identify and close the gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding, and this is resulting in pupils' satisfactory achievement. More opportunities for pupils to carry out investigations and solve problems in science are now being planned and enjoyed. However, there are too few opportunities for teachers to plan tasks and activities that appeal to the wide range of needs and interests of all pupils. Furthermore, ICT is not used imaginatively or consistently to support learning across the curriculum. There is a satisfactory range of school clubs, visits and visitors that contribute to enhancing the learning of the older

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Grade: 3

pupils. Some parents expressed the view that they would like to see more out-of-school opportunities for the younger pupils. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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Grade: 3

The quality of pastoral care is good. The school is a caring community which welcomes new arrivals and visitors, and works well in partnership with other schools and external agencies. Parents value the care given to the children and also value staff commitment. Safeguarding procedures fully meet current government requirements. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and make satisfactory and, at times, good progress. Pupils who start school with little or no English make good progress in language acquisition as a result of well-targeted support. Academic guidance to help pupils understand how to improve their work is inconsistent. There are examples of good practice but marking is not always sufficiently focused on areas to improve, and targets in some classes are not well used to promote sustained improvement.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher provides clear direction for the work of the school and is strongly committed to improving pupils' learning. The school's self-evaluation is accurate, and the changes introduced after the last inspection are providing staff and governors with a growing sense of optimism. Underachievement is beginning to be tackled effectively and the rate of pupils' progress is increasing. Improved tracking procedures have been introduced and these now provide a clearer picture of the achievement of individuals and groups of pupils. This has resulted in the setting of challenging targets, and in assessment information being used appropriately to inform future school improvement planning. The literacy and numeracy subject leaders have successfully developed their role in monitoring pupils' learning through a range of activities. However, there are insufficient opportunities for all subject leaders to take an

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Grade: 3

active role in checking and improving teaching. Governors are supportive and are keen to help the school improve. They are providing satisfactory support and challenge. The school understands and meets the needs of the local community satisfactorily but has yet to develop wider national and international links. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 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: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 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? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 3 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? 3 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Hazel Primary School and Community Centre, Leicester, LE2 7JN Thank you for making us welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed looking around and meeting you, your teachers and teaching assistants, and seeing what you achieve in school. We found talking to you very interesting and these discussions helped us to come to decisions about how good your school is. We were particularly impressed by how much you enjoy school and get on well together. It was good to see how polite you are and that most of you concentrate and behave satisfactorily in lessons. You told us that you feel safe in school and that if there is any bullying it is quickly dealt with. You know about staying fit and healthy and are pleased to be able to use the local field for games and sports day. The school is now providing you with a satisfactory education. We were pleased to see that

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

there have been some changes in the last year that are helping you to achieve more. I have asked your headteacher, the teachers and the governors to help you to improve your writing by giving you interesting topics and planning more work with technology. They will also make sure that those of you who find the work too easy have more opportunities to really think hard in lessons. Your teachers have already started to improve the curriculum; I have also asked them to help you improve through better marking of your work and by making sure you understand your targets. They will check that your lessons are successful so that you learn as much as you can. I am sure you will help by continuing to behave well and always doing your best. I wish you well for the future. Yours faithfully Pat Walsh Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hazel Community Primary School, 6–7 July 2009

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