Halley House School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes for all groups of pupils in writing by:
  • ensuring that the best practice is shared by staff so that all pupils receive high-quality provision
  • making sure that high expectations for writing are consistently evident across the curriculum
  • providing opportunities for the most able to excel and achieve their best.
• Continue to develop strategies to improve behaviour so that pupils’ learning is not interrupted.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The highly effective headteacher has a clear vision for the future of this growing school. She leads a strong team. Leaders are supported by an effective governing body and trust board. Leaders and those responsible for governance have an accurate understanding of the quality of education in the school and the key areas for development.
• Leaders and those responsible for governance have worked effectively together during a time of instability in staffing structure. This has ensured a smooth transition, for example during a period when the school was without its substantive head.
• The curriculum is suitably broad and pupils benefit from specialist teaching in physical education, music and art. The outdoor curriculum is a strength of the school and is held in high regard by parents. The curriculum is supported by educational visits and after-school clubs that include, art, basketball, ukulele and Mandarin.
• Staff said that they are happy to work at the school and feel part of an effective team. They value the high level of professional development and can talk about where training has made a difference. For example, in mathematics, they are now more confident in helping pupils tackle challenging questions that deepen their understanding.
• Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is evident throughout school. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong. They respect and celebrate their diversity and understand the importance of treating others equally. Pupils are able to talk about the characteristics of different religions.
• Funding for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is used effectively. The support that they receive means that the curriculum is accessible and that they can make strong progress from their starting points. Teachers regularly check how well pupils are doing and make changes to the support where necessary.
• The school also uses the pupil premium funding carefully, based on the identification of the key barriers to learning faced by pupils. For example, one of the school’s strategies is that pupils attend at least one after-school club, in order to widen their experience and develop their confidence.
• The school makes good use of the primary sport premium. Plans include giving pupils experience of sports that are new to them, for example archery. The provision of new equipment in the playground has been supported by effective training for staff to encourage pupils to use it purposefully. This was evident at playtimes when pupils played safely together.
• Leaders acknowledge that there is an inconsistency in the quality of teaching. Leaders have ensured that additional staff provide support to ensure that pupils continue to achieve well.

Governance of the school

• Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. The governing body is well led. Governors recognise the school’s strengths and areas for development. Their visits to school are focused, with outcomes fed back at full governing body meetings.
• Governors work effectively with the trust board, and there are clear lines of responsibility. Governors and the chief executive officer have worked effectively to ensure continuity of staffing.
• Minutes from governing body meetings show that governors ask probing questions to challenge leaders and address all aspects of the school’s work.
• The chair of governors works effectively with the chief executive officer to manage the performance of the headteacher.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All staff have received appropriate safeguarding training, which is up to date with current legislation, including the ‘Prevent’ duty. Staff are clear about the procedures to follow if they have any concerns, and these are dealt with in a timely manner. Governors complete regular audits of safeguarding procedures, including ensuring that checks on newly appointed staff are thorough. Risk assessments are detailed and tailored for individual pupils.
• All staff know the pupils and their families well and so can identify changes in behaviour that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm, and respond swiftly. Leaders contribute to multi-agency meetings and work effectively with external agencies.
• Pupils say that they are safe. They know how to be safe when crossing the road and when using the internet, for example. Parents said that they believe pupils to be safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers know pupils very well. This enables them to ask questions that are well matched to pupils’ abilities, for example. Pupils are keen to please adults and feel confident to contribute in lessons and share their ideas. In most lessons, and reflecting teachers’ high expectations, pupils move swiftly from one activity to the next and work purposefully so that learning time is maximised.
• Some highly effective teaching engages pupils through effective questioning based on good subject knowledge and the thoughtful use of resources. For example, in design and technology, pupils used the variety of resources provided by the teacher to design their own aeroplane, and were then able to discuss similarities and differences in their designs, which they did with excitement.
• Teachers’ capacity to make the most of learning opportunities was seen in the trip to watch the flyover, celebrating 100 years of the Royal Air Force. Pupils showed good understanding of the role of the air force and were totally engaged by the activity. A comment from a pupil typifies the appreciation of them all: ‘I can’t believe this is happening; I have never seen anything like it.’ Work produced after the trip was of a very high standard.
• Effective teaching challenges pupils’ use of vocabulary, ensuring that they use the correct terminology when discussing their learning and when writing. Pupils’ work is well presented and tasks are properly completed.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported to enable them to work alongside their peers. Additional adults are successfully deployed and know how to meet the complexity of pupils’ needs. They use appropriate questions and a broad variety of visual resources to enable pupils to succeed.
• Effective support was also evident to help disadvantaged pupils overcome specific barriers to learning. As a result, they too make good progress.
• The most able pupils are challenged in mathematics, where they are expected to explore concepts with increasing depth. For example, they are asked to tackle more challenging calculations and to explain their reasoning in solving a problem. Consistent challenge for the most able pupils is less evident in writing, although high-quality work is displayed and celebrated.
• Teachers’ assessments are accurate, but this information is not consistently well used to identify where further challenge is needed.
• There are inconsistencies in teaching across the school and teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not as high across the curriculum as in English and mathematics. There are also differences in the effectiveness of behaviour management.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are polite and keen to talk to visitors. Boys and girls and pupils of different ages play well together. Staff and pupils make the most of the limited playground space so that they can enjoy their social times together.
• Pupils show respect for each other and their teachers, which is demonstrated in the way that the majority of pupils respond quickly to instructions. Displays celebrate pupils’ diversity, including different nationalities, cultures and languages.
• Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of British values, including democracy. A member of the school parliament explained how pupils voted for their school and class representatives.
• Pupils also talked about respect, tolerance, making the right decisions and learning about making the right choices.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and know that they can talk to any member of staff if they have a concern. Pupils said that they understand the importance of being healthy and eating a balanced diet. Pupils are encouraged to drink water regularly and eat fruit. They understand that treats can be eaten in moderation.
• Positive working relationships are particularly apparent in the breakfast club. This is a very pleasant experience for pupils. They play and chat well together, enjoying a variety of activities.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well when moving around the school, in the dining hall and at social times, including breakfast club.
• Behaviour is usually good in lessons, particularly when learning is fun and engaging. However, there are also times when behaviour is not consistently well managed, with pupils making the wrong choices and not responding to adult instruction.
• Leaders have focused on improving behaviour across the school. This has led to a significant reduction in the number of behaviour incidents and, consequently, the number of pupils who have been excluded for a fixed period of time. Even so, some pupils are not confident that staff will deal consistently with behaviour issues.
• Attendance has continued to improve over time and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school has reduced significantly. Leaders have been relentless in their drive to improve attendance through a structured approach using a full range of initiatives.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s current assessment information shows that pupils at the end of key stage 1 are likely to achieve above the 2017 national averages. The proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading and mathematics are well above national averages. Writing is likely to be in line with national averages.
• A large proportion of pupils achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. By the end of Year 2, all pupils have achieved the standard. Pupils have developed the necessary phonics skills to enable them to read well. Pupils who read said that they enjoy reading. Most books are appropriate to the ability level of pupils.
• All groups of pupils make consistently strong progress in mathematics. They build effectively on prior learning to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts and are challenged to extend their understanding. As a result, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in mathematics has increased.
• Progress in writing is inconsistent, reflecting different expectations in the teaching. There are also variations in the progress made by different groups of pupils. Very few pupils achieve the higher standard in writing. Leaders have rightly identified writing as a key area for development.
• The quality of presentation of pupils’ work is high in English and mathematics. Many take pride in the work that they have completed. In most cases, work produced across the wider curriculum is of a high standard. For example, pupils’ art work reflects a variety of styles and media. However, standards of presentation in other subjects sometimes fall below those in English and mathematics.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support and make strong progress from their starting points, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding make progress in line with their peers, with stronger progress in reading and mathematics than in writing.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is well led. Leaders ensure that all members of the team have high expectations of what children can achieve. All adults know the children well.
• Working relationships between staff and children are warm and positive. Children respect the adults, respond quickly to instruction and are keen to please them. As a result, children behave well and are happy.
• The early years team is deployed well to promote the welfare of children. The safeguarding procedures are effective. Any concerns are referred to the designated safeguarding lead in a timely manner.
• When teaching is highly effective, children are encouraged to think hard about their learning. This is because the teacher asks engaging questions and children talk excitedly about their own ideas. At these times, behaviour is very good and children are keen to contribute. A variety of activities engage the children in purposeful activity.
• Work in children’s records show that they make strong progress in mathematics in number and shape, space and measure. This is supported by the school’s data. Children are given the opportunity to choose the strategy that they will use to solve problems. Teachers provide a variety of practical resources to support this process.
• Children generally make strong progress in writing. Children use their phonics skills to attempt new words when writing.
• At times, activities are over-structured and children do not have the opportunity to apply their skills. This is particularly evident for the most able children in writing.
• Children benefit from specialist subject teaching in music. The teaching engaged and enthused the children, who sang lyrics and rhythms tunefully.
• Children who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support so that they can work alongside their peers. Disadvantaged children are also well supported. Intervention is clearly planned for and has resulted in their good progress.
• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception is above national averages. The proportion of children exceeding expectations in mathematics has increased in 2018 and is now in line with reading and writing. Children are ready for the transition to Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141750 Hackney 10048337 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 Free school 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 98 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Hugo Hutchison Ms Claire Syms 020 7504 0548 www.halleyhouseschool.org.uk info@halleyhouseschool.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is the first inspection since the school opened in 2015.
• The school is currently a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is above average.
• An average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium grant is in line with that found nationally. The proportion of those who have SEN and/or disabilities is slightly above schools nationally.
• There are two Year 1 classes and one Year 2 class. In the early years, there are two Reception classes.
• The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care provision. The school runs a range of after-school activities.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in seven lessons, the majority jointly with the headteacher. Observations were also made of pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, at breaktimes and at lunchtimes.
• Individual pupils and different groups of pupils spoke with the inspector to discuss their learning and views of the school. Pupils read to the inspector and discussed their reading. The inspectors also looked at a large sample of pupils’ work across subjects and year groups.
• A range of documents were considered, including the school’s development plan, self-evaluation documentation, information about pupils’ progress and attendance, behaviour and exclusion logs and safeguarding arrangements.
• Two representatives from the trust board, the chief executive officer and four representatives from the governing body met with the inspector. Meetings were held with school staff and school leaders. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead.
• The inspector took account of the views expressed in the 46 online responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire, and of contributions from parents who contacted Ofsted directly. In addition, the views of several parents during informal meetings at the school were gathered.
• The inspector took account of the views of 17 staff in responses to the staff questionnaires. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Donna Chambers, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector