Hayfield Cross CofE 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:
  • school improvement plans have precise success criteria, which leaders use to measure the impact of their actions on accelerating pupils’ progress
  • middle leaders implement their actions for improvement, especially those relating to the development of pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling
  • senior and middle leaders make effective use of the school’s assessment systems to check and report on the differences in progress for groups of different abilities and between boys and girls.
• Improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress, by ensuring that all teachers ensure that:
  • pupils use accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling in their writing
  • boys make the same rapid progress as girls.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, ably supported by senior leaders and governors, communicates a clear vision for the school. Staff demonstrate a high level of commitment and effective teamwork. They are proud to work at the school and they create a positive learning environment for pupils.
• Many pupils start at the school at different times during the school year. Leaders ensure that good systems are in place to support their transition into school. Teachers make careful and accurate assessments of these pupils. Effective teaching and good support help pupils to settle in well and make good progress.
• The headteacher knows the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Improvement planning across the school is effective in setting out actions that lead to improvement. There is, however, a lack of precision in the criteria they use to measure and improve pupils’ progress now that the pupil population has become more stable.
• Leaders are meticulous in the checks they make on improving the quality of teaching. They use a range of approaches to review the quality of teaching across the school. Leaders provide staff with appropriate training when introducing new teaching programmes. They also use bespoke staff development programmes to eliminate any specific weaknesses they identify. Leaders provide newly qualified teachers with valuable support to help them become effective practitioners.
• Senior leaders plan the school’s curriculum well. Extra-curricular activities, visiting speakers and residential excursions all help pupils extend their knowledge and improve their skills. Teachers use homework to consolidate pupils’ learning. They also make effective use of project-based activities to engage pupils and their families.
• The school’s assessment systems, which check on and record pupils’ progress and attainment, are comprehensive. Pupils across the school make good progress. In-depth ‘pupil progress’ discussions, between leaders and teachers, ensure that pupils receive any help that they need to catch up. Leaders do not yet, however, check the progress of all groups of pupils carefully enough to ensure that they are making the progress they should. They have not ensured that boys’ progress, for example, is as secure as that of girls.
• Middle leaders are knowledgeable and display confidence in the approaches they are taking to improve their respective areas. They review the quality of teaching and plan for improvement. Middle leaders’ checks on the effectiveness of their actions are improving. Some are still developing the skills they need to be even more effective in driving improvements in pupils’ progress and raising their attainment.
• The school has a very small, but growing, number of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Leaders and other staff know these pupils well and they typically make good progress. The leader of the provision for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities provides these pupils with support. Owing to increasing pupil numbers, some actions needed to increase the level of support further are still at the planning stage and have yet to be implemented.
• The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils understand many aspects of British values. Leaders recognise, however, that pupils do not have a deep enough understanding of diversity and different cultures. They have identified the need to provide additional opportunities to strengthen this area of learning in the future.
• Teachers apply the school’s marking and feedback policy consistently. Pupils use the feedback that teachers provide to further develop their skills and deepen their understanding. Leaders have introduced a new approach to correcting pupils’ spelling errors. Although at an early stage, this provides pupils with an approach to rectify, and learn from, their own mistakes.
• Leaders have improved their use of the primary physical education (PE) and sport funding. Pupils have access to a range of sporting activities. Leaders provide staff with training to increase their confidence in the delivery of PE. Pupils show a good understanding of how to keep fit and stay healthy.
• Senior leaders work effectively to engage parents and carers in their children’s learning. All staff give new pupils, and their families, a warm welcome when they join the school. Almost all parents, including those spoken with during the inspection, and those who responded to Parent View, expressed their full support for the school.
• Senior leaders have made some effective partnerships with other educational establishments. These have been particularly effective in checking teachers’ use of assessment with that of teachers in other schools to improve the accuracy of their own pupil assessments. There is a strong desire to create opportunities to share effective practice more readily.

Governance of the school

• Members of the governing body are passionate and committed to providing pupils with a positive learning experience. They have established effective systems to help them fulfil their roles and responsibilities with confidence. They have the skills, experience and expertise to provide strong strategic leadership. They provide leaders with support and a high level of challenge. They are also confident in asking leaders for more detailed information in relation to, for example, pupils’ learning and progress, to improve their own effectiveness.
• Members of the governing body have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Senior leaders provide them with relevant information on the school’s effectiveness. Governors also make frequent visits to the school, for which they are well prepared. Members of the governing body recognise, however, that as the school has grown, success criteria are now required to measure leaders’ effectiveness more thoroughly. They also understand that they need to check on the progress of a wider range of pupil groups within the school to better hold leaders to account.
• Members of the governing body have a good understanding of their responsibility for safeguarding. They make regular checks on leaders’ use of the extra funding the school receives for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Regular discussions keep members of the governing body informed as to how effectively leaders are using the primary PE and sport funding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The leadership team has ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. The designated teacher for child protection and safeguarding is effective in implementing procedures to keep pupils safe. Records are detailed and securely maintained. Leaders carry out thorough checks to make sure that all staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children. Staff receive appropriate training and understand the procedures to follow if they have any concerns.
• Pupils said that they feel safe in the school. The curriculum contributes to raising pupils’ awareness of safe practices, such as online, road and sun safety. Partnership working with parents and external agencies is effective in supporting pupils and keeping them safe. Parents who responded to Parent View and the school’s own surveys, and those who were spoken with during the inspection, agreed that their children are safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching is good. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. This means that pupils, including those who arrive at the school part-way through their primary education, quickly develop confidence in their learning.
• Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to plan interesting activities. They provide clear explanations and check pupils’ accurate use of new vocabulary. Pupils use subject terminology confidently to explain their understanding. Teachers encourage pupils to become independent learners. Staff demonstrated this in English, when pupils showed their initiative and made effective use of different resources to find alternative words to use in sentences.
• Teachers ensure that activities are well planned and resourced. They make effective use of teaching assistants, who contribute to pupils’ learning well. Teachers question pupils effectively to check their understanding and make them think harder. Teachers are also skilled in encouraging pupils to cooperate and share their ideas to support their learning.
• Teachers plan work that matches the needs of pupils, builds on their understanding and challenges their thinking. They provide pupils with opportunities to make rapid progress and reach a greater depth in their learning. Teaching provides immediate challenge for some pupils by using more complex problem-solving tasks in mathematics, for example. Often pupils are asked to explain their answers to show their deeper understanding.
• Teachers are effective at spotting and rectifying inaccuracies in pupils’ understanding. In mathematics, when pupils made errors in their subtraction calculations, the teacher provided quick feedback to prevent pupils from making the same errors again.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ conduct during lessons. Most pupils are hard-working, stay on task and want to do well. Pupils are motivated and engaged in their learning. Occasionally, however, a few pupils do not focus well enough on their learning. Most pupils take pride in the presentation of their work.
• Teaching is effective in helping pupils to become fluent in using their mathematical skills. Teachers use problem-solving activities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical understanding. They also encourage pupils to show their understanding and reasoning by justifying their answers.
• Pupils who read to the inspector said that they enjoy reading. During guided reading sessions, pupils engage in a range of different tasks that help them develop particular reading skills.
• Teaching provides pupils with a secure foundation for the development of reading skills. Teachers check pupils’ understanding of their phonics learning well. They do not, however, routinely provide pupils with opportunities to apply their phonic skills to develop their writing skills.
• In writing, teachers often use effective strategies to help pupils develop good-quality writing skills. Pupils generally write with enthusiasm and imagination. Some pupils also develop their writing through extended writing opportunities in their topic work. However, pupils do not make as much rapid progress or attain as highly in writing as they do in reading and mathematics. Pupils do not yet use grammar, punctuation and spelling well enough to improve the overall quality of their writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The school has a warm, nurturing and friendly atmosphere. Pupils are welcoming and show care and consideration for others. They take pride in being a part of their school community and look after their school environment well.
• Pupils understand the different forms of bullying and racism. Pupils told the inspectors that incidents of bullying or racism are rare in their school. Leaders’ records confirmed this.
• Adults are effective in helping pupils to keep safe, and pupils know how to stay safe. Pupils understand the importance of eating healthily, taking exercise and looking after their own well-being. Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to be physically active at playtime. Pupils explained to the inspectors how they enjoy the one-mile weekly run.
• Pupils have opportunities to contribute as leaders in their school community. For instance, pupils can become sports ambassadors, play leaders or members of the school council. Pupils can take part in philosophy, cooking, street dance and drama clubs. In addition, educational visits and a variety of different clubs also contribute effectively to pupils’ personal development.
• Leaders use themes such as ‘world hearing day’, ‘individual liberties’ and ‘Commonwealth Day’ to enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Acts of worship reinforce the school’s values and pupils develop a good sense of their own faith and those of others. Pupils learn about the Chinese New Year and Diwali as well as Christian celebrations. The school’s chapel provides pupils with a quiet location to reflect. Leaders recognise that pupils’ understanding of diversity and different cultures needs further development. They have identified how they will improve this next year.
• The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View, and those spoken with during the inspection, said that their children are happy at school. In particular, they commented on how their children are cared for as individuals.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils’ conduct in the corridors, in the dining room and at other social times is calm and orderly. Pupils play happily together and make good use of the available facilities. Parents and staff are positive about pupils’ good behaviour.
• Pupils’ attendance is above that of other pupils nationally. This is equally true for different groups of pupils. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is below average. Leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils’ punctuality.
• During the inspection, pupils’ behaviour was typically good. Often it was exemplary. A few pupils, however, at times, did not focus well enough on their learning. Most pupils agreed that behaviour was good, but said that a few pupils sometimes disturb their learning.
• There have been no permanent exclusions since the school opened in September 2015. Fixed-term exclusions are also very rare. Individual class teachers record incidents of poor behaviour that occur through the day. Leaders are aware that, as the number of pupils in the school has increased, incidents of poor behaviour have not been analysed well enough to identify any patterns or trends. They have identified how their systems can be used more effectively to do this.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Since opening, in September 2015, the school has had a high proportion of pupils join and leave the school. This has made it difficult for leaders to make direct comparisons with nationally published pupil outcomes. Some year groups have only small numbers of pupils, making the same comparisons equally difficult. Leaders have worked with determination to provide all pupils with opportunities to make good progress. This is irrespective of when pupils join the school or how long they stay.
• Pupils make strong progress in their phonic skills development. A higher proportion of pupils than that seen nationally achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2017. The 2018 check indicates that similar standards have been achieved.
• Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school is good. In reading and mathematics, progress is often more rapid, for some pupils, than in writing. A high proportion of pupils are now reaching a greater depth in their learning. Pupils are also making good progress in a range of other subjects. Leaders have yet to establish an effective system to check on pupils’ progress and attainment in grammar, punctuation and spelling to identify any support pupils that may need to make good progress.
• Good progress has led to more pupils completing key stage 1 this year with higher attainment in reading, writing and mathematics than have done in previous years. Pupils, currently at the end of Year 2, have reached similar standards to those seen nationally in 2017 in reading and writing. They have reached even higher standards in mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching greater depth in their learning is also similar to the 2017 national averages.
• Effective use of the pupil premium funding helps disadvantaged pupils make good progress. Many of these pupils make rapid progress and catch up with other pupils nationally. The most able pupils also make good progress. However, while the majority of boys make good progress, their progress is not as consistently strong as that of girls.
• There are now more pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities attending the school. Leaders check their progress closely and provide appropriate support to meet the needs of this group of pupils. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are also provided with effective support.

Early years provision Good

• Children start Reception Year with skills and abilities typical for their age. They make good progress and are well prepared for entry into Year 1. The proportion of Reception children reaching a good level of development in 2017 was above the national average. School information shows that current children make good progress in early years and have reached a similar standard.
• The early years area is bright, busy and welcoming. Children enjoy learning in the well-resourced and stimulating indoor and outdoor environments. The curriculum provides a range of opportunities for children to develop their skills, including being creative, making relationships and making choices. All activities have a clear learning purpose.
• The quality of teaching in early years is good. Adults use questioning effectively to check on children’s learning and to make them think harder. Children’s reading, writing and number skills are strong. Children typically make good progress towards the other learning goals. Adults provide effective support for children who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Assessment processes are effective. Leaders use these assessments well to plan activities and target support for individual children. Learning journals provide leaders and parents with an effective record of what children can do. The journals show good progress in mastering the early learning goals. However, adults do not consistently evidence some of the skills that children develop to help them make more rapid progress. This is especially true for children’s physical learning.
• Leaders encourage children to read, write and practise their number skills in the play-based activities they provide. In particular, leaders place a strong emphasis on developing children’s early writing skills. Children enthusiastically create and write their own stories using story maps. The teaching of phonics is effective.
• The new leader for early years demonstrates the same enthusiasm and determination as that displayed by other leaders throughout the school. She has a good understanding of what needs to improve. She is not yet, however, as effective as she could be in bringing about improvements in specific areas to further improve children’s progress.
• Safeguarding in early years is effective. Relationships between adults and children are positive. Routines are well established, behaviour is good and children are happy to share and take turns. The children show good levels of concentration and sustain their play well. Children showed this when they role played for long periods in the well-resourced play kitchens.
• Adults establish positive relationships with parents. Parents contribute to their children’s learning, including through their children’s learning journals. Leaders also make effective use of external agencies to provide any extra support that children may need.

School details

Unique reference number 142113 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 10048113 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 Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 192 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Helen Cracknell Craig Charteris 07834 181699 www.hayfieldcross.org.uk bursar@hayfieldcross.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Hayfield Cross Primary School opened in September 2015. It is a voluntary-aided school overseen by the Diocese of Peterborough. Pupils have joined the school at different times during the school year. It now has two Reception classes, two Year 1 classes and one class in each of Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below average, but is increasing. Most of the pupils are White British, with a few coming from a small range of minority ethnic groups. A growing number of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities or who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is well below average.
• There is currently no published data as to whether the school meets the government’s current floor standards. This is because the school has not yet had any pupils reach the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 24 lessons. Some of this learning was observed jointly with senior leaders.
• Discussions took place with school staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• The inspectors met with two groups of pupils and talked informally with pupils. The 70 responses from pupils to Ofsted’s online survey were taken into account. The inspectors also listened to Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 pupils reading. They observed the school’s act of worship and pupils’ playtime.
• The inspectors took into account the 85 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including 47 free-text comments. The school’s own parent survey was also considered. The inspectors considered the 15 staff responses to Ofsted’s online survey.
• The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a broad range of evidence, including the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, planning and monitoring documentation, the work in pupils’ books, records relating to attendance and behaviour, and the school’s information on pupils’ current progress and attainment in English, mathematics and a range of other subjects.
• The school’s child protection and safeguarding procedures were scrutinised. The inspectors reviewed the school’s website to confirm whether it met the requirements on the publication of specified information.

Inspection team

Vondra Mays, lead inspector Elizabeth Mace Nicola Walsh

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector