Ashbourne Hilltop Primary and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders fully plan for, and evaluate, the spending of additional funding to ensure that disadvantaged pupils attain at least as well as other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics
  • governors hold leaders to account promptly when they identify weaknesses in school performance
  • leaders improve the mathematics curriculum, ensuring that pupils are more proficient in problem-solving and reasoning leaders, at all levels, closely monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in their areas of responsibility and act swiftly to address any weaknesses
  • the wider curriculum is planned in sufficient depth to ensure that pupils make better progress in all subjects.
• Improve the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment and improve outcomes by ensuring that teachers:
  • use questioning more effectively to deepen and extend pupils’ knowledge and skills
  • plan activities that are matched well to pupils’ abilities, providing sufficient challenge so that pupils make the progress they should in writing and mathematics. An external review of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders have been too slow to address identified weaknesses in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. The quality of education received by pupils is not consistently good in all year groups.
• Leaders’ plans for improvement are unclear. Priorities do not focus sharply on improving pupils’ outcomes. Leaders do not check that actions taken are having an impact. Too many pupils do not make the progress they should, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• Leaders do not ensure that the mathematics curriculum is well taught in all year groups. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics. Too many pupils find work too easy and do not achieve as well as they should.
• Leaders do not have an effective strategy for allocating pupil premium funding to maximise its impact on pupil outcomes. While some actions are enabling some disadvantaged pupils to progress well, others, particularly the most-able, do not make strong enough progress and achieve the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. However, leaders do not ensure that the wider curriculum is planned and taught in sufficient depth in some year groups. Leaders, at all levels, do not check pupils’ learning well enough in subjects other than English and mathematics. Too many pupils do not acquire a deep and rich knowledge in these other subjects.
• In the absence of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, with the support of the local authority adviser, is refining school improvement priorities and starting to tackle identified areas for improvement rapidly. Where stronger practice exists, leaders are beginning to share this across the school to further improve teaching and learning.
• Leaders have established a highly inclusive school culture. Every pupil is valued and cared for. Pupils recognise that they are ‘unique’ and ‘special’. As one parent said, ‘The caring ethos of the school is threaded throughout everything the staff do.’
• Staff morale is positive. Staff are an effective team and feel well supported by senior leaders.
• Leaders ensure that the teaching of reading and phonics is highly effective. Staff are trained well and provide effective reading and phonics teaching that meets the needs of pupils. As a result, pupils in all year groups read well and make good progress.
• Leaders ensure that assessments of pupils’ learning in English are accurate and have introduced initiatives that are improving the quality of teaching and learning in English.
• The physical education (PE) and sports funding is used effectively. Pupils access a wide range of sports and competitive events, including tennis, speed skating, gymnastics and swimming. Funding is used expertly to ensure that pupils with SEND are included in inter-school competitions, such as seated volleyball, boccia and wheelchair basketball.
• The leadership for pupils with SEND is a strength. Additional funding is used well to provide high quality, tailored support. Pupils with SEND make good, and often excellent, progress from their various starting points.
• Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils’ work in religious education (RE) is extensive and of high quality. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures. For example, pupils enjoy learning about Chinese New Year and Diwali. The school also supports many charities, including raising money for a school in Sri Lanka.
• Fundamental British values are promoted in assemblies and through visitors to school. For example, key stage 2 pupils recently invited the local MP to school to ask him questions about democracy and the rule of law. Pupils embody these fundamental values. They are tolerant, caring and respectful. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governance of the school

• Until recently, the governing body has not effectively held leaders to account for the outcomes of pupils in all year groups. The governing body acknowledge that they must act more quickly to challenge underperformance.
• The governing body does not ensure that leaders have an effective strategy in place for the spending of pupil premium funding. Consequently, they do not know the impact that the funding has on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
• The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths. Some governors make visits to school and attend some staff training sessions. As a result, the governing body has an improving understanding of the weaknesses in school performance.
• Individual governors attend training to improve and update their knowledge. This is enabling the governing body to become more skilled in asking challenging questions.
• The governing body ensures that PE and sports funding and SEND funding are used effectively. They receive detailed reports from leaders about the impact of such funding.
• The governing body fulfils its statutory duties. It checks thoroughly the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including recruitment and vetting procedures. The governing body receives regular updates about safeguarding and child protection from the family support worker. It works effectively with the local authority to audit school practice and ensure that leaders follow safeguarding procedures rigorously. This helps to ensure that pupils are kept safe in school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that staff are well trained and remain vigilant. Staff receive regular safeguarding updates and annually read any new policies and relevant guidance in the staff handbook. As a result, staff are knowledgeable and respond quickly to safeguarding concerns.
• The family support worker is effective in supporting pupils and their families. He has a thorough grasp of their needs. He acts in a timely manner to ensure that pupils and families receive early help from external agencies.
• Pupils are taught to how to stay safe and they have a detailed knowledge of online safety. Pupils say that they can always speak to the adults in school about their worries, knowing that they will get help quickly. Most parents agree that their children are kept safe. As one parent said, ‘My child is safe and well cared for at the school.’

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not consistently good. Where teaching is weaker, particularly in key stage 1, teachers do not adapt learning well to match pupils’ abilities. Too many pupils complete the same tasks. Consequently, pupils, particularly the most-able, find work too easy.
• Teachers sometimes do not use questioning effectively. Teachers miss opportunities to extend or deepen pupils’ learning. Too many pupils are not challenged and do not make the progress they should, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• The teaching of mathematics is not consistently good. Too often, teachers fail to sufficiently plan activities to develop pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics. As a result, some pupils are unable to explain their answers or apply the skills they have learned.
• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment in subjects other than English and mathematics is too variable, especially in key stage 2. Learning in subjects such as science, geography and computing is not consistently planned and taught well across the key stage to ensure that all pupils make good progress.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge. Where teaching is more effective, teachers use this knowledge to model tasks well. They carefully explain learning and are quick to address errors or misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. When this happens, pupils learn and understand quickly.
• Where teaching is stronger, teachers use their knowledge of pupils’ prior learning to plan activities. For example, in a key stage 2 mathematics lesson, pupils worked on a range of place value activities. Lower-attaining pupils used physical apparatus to support their learning while higher-attaining pupils were representing numbers using varied, mathematical imagery.
• The teaching of reading and phonics is highly effective. Teachers teach the processes of segmenting and blending to read words. Teachers use a variety of ways to ensure that all pupils can access learning appropriate to their ability. Many pupils are able to read fluently from an early age.
• Teaching assistants are deployed well and are highly effective. They provide effective support to groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Teaching assistants ask thoughtful questions and provide timely feedback to pupils.
• Teachers set homework that pupils enjoy. Teachers offer a wide range of homework to suit pupils’ needs and interests. Homework is of a high quality and pupils say that it helps them to practise the skills they learn in school.
• Teachers have excellent relationships with pupils. Teachers work hard to develop pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. One pupil said, ‘I’m struggling a bit today, but mistakes are OK because I can get better.’

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy being part of this inclusive school. They look after each other and show a high level of respect towards everyone in the school community. As one pupil said, ‘That’s why our school is amazing!’
• Pupils play and cooperate harmoniously. They enjoy social times and the opportunity to be with pupils from the specially resourced provision. Pupils are empathetic and caring towards one another.
• Pupils want to be challenged and are highly motivated. They learn from the feedback staff give them and are eager to know how they can be more successful. Pupils’ books are generally well-presented. They enjoy sharing their work and celebrating their successes. As a result, pupils are proud of their achievements.
• Pupils know how to stay safe and have a good understanding of online dangers. They know how to lead healthy lifestyles. For example, they access a wide range of physical activity, including ‘wake and shake’, weekly PE lessons, swimming and multi-sports at a local secondary school.
• Pupils are aware of all forms of bullying. They are confident there is no bullying in the school and that, if it occurred, it would be dealt with quickly by staff.
• Parents agree that pupils’ personal development and welfare are paramount to the school. As one parent said, ‘My children love coming to school. They are growing into happy, confident individuals.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. There is very little disruption to lessons and playtimes run smoothly. Pupils behave well and show high levels of self-discipline throughout the school day.
• Pupils are well-mannered and polite. They are courteous and friendly, with some pupils even asking staff, ‘I hope you’re having a nice day today?’
• Pupils have positive attitudes. They enjoy receiving ‘learner bands’ for improved behaviours such as listening and responding, resilience and effort. Older pupils wear their bands with pride and are excellent role models to others.
• Attendance is rapidly improving. The family support worker checks pupil absence closely and works with a range of external agencies to help reduce persistent absence. There has been extensive support offered to families to help overcome barriers to weaker attendance. Pupils are punctual at the start of the day. However, attendance is still below that seen nationally.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Current pupils’ work shows that progress in writing and mathematics is not consistently good in all year groups. From their various starting points, some pupils, especially the most able and disadvantaged pupils, do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Pupils’ workbooks in key stage 2 show that current attainment in writing and mathematics is too low for some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils. There are significant gaps in some pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding because of historic weaker teaching and inaccurate assessment in this key stage.
• Pupils’ work in subjects other than English and mathematics is not consistently good in all year groups. Most pupils make strong progress in religious education (RE). Progress in other subjects, such as science, geography and computing, is inconsistent, especially in key stage 2.
• Over the last three years, attainment has improved at the end of key stage 1. Consequently, in 2018, the proportions of key stage 1 pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with, or above, the national average.
• In 2018, the proportions of pupils leaving key stage 1 who attained at a greater depth in reading and writing was above the national average.
• The proportions of pupils meeting the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been broadly in line with the national average for the last 3 years. As a result, current pupils in school make better progress in reading.
• The use of targeted interventions and specialist support from teaching assistants has a positive impact on outcomes for pupils with SEND. From their various starting points, pupils with SEND make good, and often excellent, progress.

Early years provision Good

• The early years is good. Leaders’ self-evaluation is accurate. Consequently, leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the early years and act quickly to improve provision further.
• Children enter the early years with a wide variety of abilities. Some children possess knowledge and skills that are higher than that expected for their age, whereas for other children the opposite is the case. Because of accurate assessment and effective teaching, children make a flying start to their time in school.
• Staff quickly establish routines and know children exceptionally well. Children settle well and are well-behaved. Children show high levels of concentration and perseverance in the tasks they do.
• Teachers and teaching assistants use their knowledge of what children can already do and what they like to do to develop a creative curriculum. They use this information to plan activities that match children’s abilities and interests. For example, in the Reception classroom, boys practised writing their names and other words on Christmas cards to their families. Children are enthused and make good progress.
• Teaching in the early years is good. Staff have high expectations of what children can do. For example, in the nursery class, groups of children are taught how to read simple words in phonics. Children can therefore read two and three letter words and recognise many letters of the alphabet.
• Teaching assistants are used effectively. They ask questions that encourage children to think and investigate. They model spoken language precisely. Children are curious and can explain their learning accurately to others.
• Staff are well trained. They receive regular safeguarding updates and designated staff have paediatric first-aid training. Staff are knowledgeable about safety procedures and ensure that children are safe from harm.
• Additional funding is used effectively to provide a range of support for disadvantaged children and for children with SEND. This includes interventions to improve children’s reading, speaking and fine-motor skills. In addition, funding is used to provide good one-to-one support for children with SEND. Consequently, children with SEND and disadvantaged children make good progress in the early years.
• Staff use a range of external agencies to provide specialist support for children with SEND. Staff call on the expertise of services such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and educational psychologists to ensure that children’s needs are met. As a result, children with SEND can access the early years curriculum and learn together with their peers.
• The partnership between staff and parents is highly effective. The use of ‘all about me’ booklets ensure that valuable information from home is gathered and used to support transition into the early years. Termly ‘wow’ moments are used to allow parents to contribute to their children’s learning and assessment. Termly targets are given, and regular parent workshops are held so that parents can support learning at home. Parents speak highly of the early years and of the progress that their children make.
• Because of good teaching, learning and assessment, the proportions of children achieving a good level of development in 2018 was above the national average. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112686 Derbyshire 10057636 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 143 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Gordon Hart Hazel Jacques 01335 343 041 www.ashbournehilltopschool.co.uk hazelj5@ashbournehilltop.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8 9 May 2014

Information about this school

• The headteacher and the leader responsible for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are currently absent from school. The school is being led by the deputy headteacher with support from a local authority adviser.
• New leaders for English and PE were appointed in September 2018.
• Ashbourne Hilltop is a smaller-than-average primary school. It became a primary school in September 2017, having previously been an infant and nursery school. Pupil numbers are increasing each year.
• The school has a specially resourced provision for five pupils with SEND. Pupils’ needs include profound and multiple learning difficulties.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is significantly higher than the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in all classes. All observations were carried out jointly with the deputy headteacher. The inspector listened to pupils read in Years 1 and 2 and met with a group of pupils to talk about their learning and experiences in school. He scrutinised pupils’ work in English, mathematics, and from the wider curriculum, and observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime.
• The inspector held meetings with the deputy headteacher, acting special educational needs coordinator, leader of the early years, middle leaders and members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair. He also held meetings with members of the local authority.
• A wide range of documents were scrutinised, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, pupils’ performance, attendance, and records of the school’s monitoring and evaluation of the quality of education. The inspector also examined the school’s plans for improvement, plans for the use of, and impact of additional funding, minutes from governing body meetings and information available on the school’s website.
• The inspector spoke with groups of parents and individual parents during the inspection. He considered the 35 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. No responses were received to Ofsted’s online pupil or staff surveys.

Inspection team

Steve Varnam, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector