Harby Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management and secure sustained improvement by ensuring that leaders:
  • use the outcomes of rigorous monitoring checks to ensure that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently good throughout the school
  • establish consistently strong subject leadership across all areas of the curriculum
  • provide regular assessment information to governors so that they have an accurate overview of current pupils’ attainment and progress
  • provide opportunities for pupils to learn about a range of faiths and cultures.
• Eliminate the inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • teachers’ expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work are consistently high throughout the school
  • teachers give feedback to pupils which is consistently in line with the school’s policy so that pupils understand how to improve their work
  • teachers set work that is consistently well matched to pupils’ abilities, especially for the most able pupils.
• Improve pupils’ rates of progress and attainment at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in key stages 1 and 2 to be at least in line with the national averages.
• Increase the proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 to be at least in line with the national average.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Since the last inspection, the school has undergone a period of decline. Significant changes in staffing, leadership and governance resulted in a period of instability. This had a negative impact on the quality of teaching and on standards.
• Leaders do not carry out systematic checks on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They have not used the findings from their monitoring to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently good in all year groups.
• Leaders have not made sure that teachers consistently apply the school’s policies. For example, sometimes teachers do not use the marking and feedback policy accurately to address pupils’ misconceptions and to ensure that pupils understand what they must do to improve their work.
• Middle leadership is not consistently strong. Where subject leaders carry out checks on the quality of teaching in their subject and review pupils’ progress, they have an accurate and up-to-date overview of provision. This is not the case in all aspects of the curriculum. In some cases, curriculum plans are outdated and have not been reviewed for several years to establish whether they are relevant to current pupils.
• Leaders and staff do not promote pupils’ cultural understanding and awareness as effectively as they do other aspects of pupils’ development. Evidence from current workbooks, from discussions with pupils and from displays around school shows that pupils’ learning about a range of faiths and cultures is limited.
• The coordinator for the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. She makes sure that pupils’ needs are quickly and accurately identified and that appropriate support is provided. The coordinator arranges for regular staff training in relation to SEND so that staff are familiar with requirements. As a result, pupils with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is much smaller than average. Leaders make sure that the funding is used effectively to support those pupils’ learning and welfare needs.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is successfully promoted through the curriculum. This includes making sure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through an understanding of fundamental British values. Leaders and staff provide a wide range of activities to enhance and enrich the curriculum. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about opportunities such as the school council, the ‘eco warriors’ and the debating club.
• Leaders ensure that the additional funding provided through the primary physical education and sport premium is used appropriately. For example, leaders’ analysis shows that there has been an increase in pupils’ levels of physical activity over the past three years. This has been achieved through the provision of good-quality activities such as ‘Little Springers’ for key stage 1, and other sports, such as football and gymnastics, for key stage 2.

Governance of the school

• There have been significant changes in governance in recent years. In order to ensure that they were fulfilling their duties effectively, governors requested an external review in 2017. Records show that governors acted promptly on the small number of recommendations from this review and most actions are now complete. There is still some residual work to do to make sure that the information on the school’s website is fully up to date.
• Evidence from minutes of meetings and from discussion with a group of governors shows that they ask challenging questions of leaders. However, governors have not yet requested or received an overview of the school’s latest assessment information this academic year. Consequently, they do not have an accurate overview of how well pupils are currently doing.
• Governors fulfil their statutory duties in regard to safeguarding. They have made sure that their training is up to date, and the chair of governors regularly checks the school’s procedures.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of care for pupil’s safety and welfare, upheld by all staff at the school. Pupils stressed that they feel safe because there are trusted adults who will listen if they have any concerns. Pupils receive regular teaching, both in lessons and assemblies, about how to stay safe.
• Leaders have ensured that all pre-employment checks are in place, in line with statutory requirements.
• Records show that there is a strong system in place for identifying and managing any welfare concerns that may arise. Leaders and staff know the pupils, and their needs, very well. Liaison with parents and carers and referrals to outside agencies, when necessary, ensure that children thrive and are safe at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not consistently strong across the school.
• Sometimes in lessons, teachers do not set work that is well matched to pupils’ abilities. This means that the work is sometimes too easy for the most able pupils, and their attention wanders. At other times, pupils finish the work quickly and are not given opportunities to deepen their knowledge or to apply their skills across a range of subjects.
• Evidence from workbooks shows that teachers’ expectations for the standard of presentation they wish to see are not consistently high. Workbooks also show that teachers do not provide feedback that is consistently in line with the school’s policy. As a result, pupils do not receive a clear message about how to improve their work.
• The teaching of phonics has improved following a recent review. Pupils respond enthusiastically to the teaching, and their progress is regularly assessed. This informs the way that pupils are grouped and taught for phonics. Pupils who read to inspectors used their phonics knowledge successfully to read unknown words.
• The teaching of mathematics is also improving. The mathematics leader has set clear expectations for improvements and there are early signs that this is having an impact on pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics, especially in key stage 2.
• Teachers set clear guidelines for pupils’ behaviour in lessons. As a result, cooperation is good, and pupils show positive attitudes to learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils who spoke with inspectors expressed positive views about the school and the teaching they receive. They said that they especially appreciate the wide range of extra-curricular activities that are provided for them, for example the debating club and sports activities. They described with enthusiasm the ways in which the school council leads initiatives such as a recent recycling project.
• Pupils in all classes support each other well, both in their learning and around school. For example, pupils in the Year 5 and 6 class worked successfully in pairs to edit each other’s pieces of writing conscientiously and sensitively. On another occasion, pupils worked in a similar, cheerful way to solve a series of mathematical problems.
• Pupils stated clearly that they feel safe in school. Pupils and parents alike value the close-knit family atmosphere that underpins the school’s ethos. Pupils and parents value the quality of care provided in the breakfast and after-school clubs.
• As seen in their books, pupils’ pride in their work is inconsistent. This is because, in some classes, teachers’ expectations are not high enough.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Throughout the inspection, pupils’ conduct around school and their smooth responses to routines were good.
• The layout of the school presents certain challenges, which pupils handle admirably. For example, there is no school hall, which means that pupils and staff need to make daily adjustments for assemblies and lunches. This is achieved with the minimum of fuss and disruption to learning.
• Pupils who spoke with the lead inspector were confident that bullying at the school is rare. They have a mature understanding of what constitutes bullying as a result of the teaching they have received.
• Pupils are aware of the school’s behaviour policy and say they have confidence in staff to apply the policy effectively if the behaviour of some pupils occasionally disturbs learning. Pupils spoke positively about the introduction of the ‘happy lunchtimes’ scheme, saying that this has improved the lunchtime experience.
• Records show that any incidents of disruptive behaviour associated with pupils’ SEND are managed effectively, in line with regulations.
• Attendance is typically high, and rates of persistent absence are consistently below the national averages.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 have been in line with the national averages over time. In 2018, progress in reading and mathematics declined. Progress in mathematics has been in the lowest 20% nationally for several years.
• Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stages 1 and 2 at the expected standard has fluctuated. In key stage 2, standards fell below the national averages in 2016 and 2018.
• Standards of attainment at greater depth in writing at the end of key stage 1 were below the national averages in 2017 and 2018.
• The proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 has been below average for four years.
• Standards of attainment at the higher standard at the end of key stage 2 improved to be above the national averages in 2017 and in 2018.
• Pupils with SEND receive effective support and, as a result, typically make good progress from their starting points.
• The school’s latest assessments show that the progress and attainment of current pupils are improving in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils in key stage 2 are on track to achieve challenging targets in relation to age-related expectations.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership and teaching in the early years are strong. Warm, supportive relationships enable children to flourish.
• Children enter the early years at a stage in their development that is broadly typical for their age and sometimes above. They make good progress during the Reception Year and are well prepared for Year 1.
• Staff carry out accurate assessments which enable them to plan and adapt activities based on their accurate knowledge of the children. The curriculum is broad, interesting and engaging. Children have regular opportunities to pursue their interests, both inside and outside. For example, during the inspection, children were enthusiastically involved in a range of well-planned activities linked to the theme of dinosaurs.
• Children are increasingly able to work independently, guided and supported by adults when necessary. This includes children who have SEND, who receive appropriate support for their needs. Staff take regular and frequent opportunities to promote children’s spoken and written language development, and their numeracy skills.
• Safeguarding in the early years is effective. As in the main part of the school, staff receive regular training and provide a good level of care for pupils’ welfare.
• There are frequent opportunities for parent liaison, both face to face and by contributing to the online assessment tool. Parents speak positively about the teaching their children receive.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120132 Leicestershire 10086757 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 96 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Myles Ponsonby Bridget Bye 01949 860 553 www.harbyprimary.org office.school@harby.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 February 2010

Information about this school

• Harby Church of England Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• There are four classes in the school. Except for the Reception class, these are mixed-age classes.
• The school runs an on-site breakfast club and after-school care.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 10 lessons or parts of lessons, some jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors looked at work across a range of pupils’ books and considered the school’s assessment information on the progress and standards achieved by current pupils.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked with them about their reading.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher and leaders with responsibility for English, the early years, science and pupils with SEND. Inspectors met with leaders responsible for attendance, behaviour, bullying and exclusions, disadvantaged pupils and the sport premium. They also met with other teachers and support staff.
• The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.
• The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day.
• Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation summary, minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s current information on pupils’ attainment and progress, attendance records, behaviour and exclusion logs, external reports on the work of the school, monitoring and evaluation records, and a range of documents relating to safeguarding.

Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector Jay Virk Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector