Hillmorton Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders and managers must ensure that, as the school expands and assumes responsibilities linked to teaching school designation:
  • the school continues to provide an outstanding quality of education for all groups of pupils
  • leadership capacity is further developed at all levels.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The excellent headteacher, supported by a very strong deputy headteacher, has created an ambitious and highly effective culture throughout the school. Leaders and governors have high expectations of themselves, staff and all pupils.
• Leaders and governors have a deep and accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness. This is informed by their own knowledge of the school and the views of pupils, parents and staff. For example, leaders considered points raised in the pupils’ self-evaluation of the effectiveness of the school when they planned to develop the school further.
• Leaders know their strengths but are keen to continue to improve within this child-centred school. They have addressed all the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection and they have ensured that high-quality teaching has led to outstanding outcomes over time.
• Leadership is developing at all levels and the leadership of English and mathematics is very strong. Middle leaders have the skills and ambition to drive improvements in their areas of responsibility and they are beginning to lead developments within the school and beyond. However, as many of them are relatively new to their role, they are yet to reach their full potential.
• Leaders ensure that all staff receive high-quality training opportunities to help their professional development. Newly qualified teachers are supported and challenged to make a marked impact on pupils’ learning in a short space of time. Performance management is used well to improve the quality of provision within the school. Staff are set incisive targets which focus on the quality of teaching, the progress that pupils make, school priorities and their responsibilities. Progress against these targets is reviewed regularly and swift and effective action is taken to ensure that all teaching is of the highest quality.
• Staff feel deeply involved in their own professional development and reflect on and share ideas about how to help pupils learn well. Leaders have created a climate in which teachers are motivated and trusted to innovate in ways that help the pupils make rapid progress.
• The curriculum is interesting and inspiring. A range of subjects, which are taught very well, help pupils gain a thorough understanding and well-developed skills in all aspects of their education. Classroom learning is supported by a variety of high-quality extra-curricular activities and pupils are able to use and apply skills in different situations. The curriculum promotes positive behaviour and has led to outstanding outcomes for different groups of pupils since the last inspection.
• Fundamental British values and the development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness are deeply embedded in the work of the school. Pupils are tolerant, respectful and kind. Equality of opportunity is evident in all aspects of the school’s work.
• Additional funding is used well. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to make similarly strong progress from their starting points to other pupils in the school. This is the result of the targeted use of special educational needs funding to support staffing, resources and interventions. The provision within ‘The Hub’ is of a particularly high quality.
• The pupil premium funding has been used well to help disadvantaged pupils reach higher levels of attainment than other pupils nationally. A range of effective interventions and staff working closely with families have contributed to outstanding outcomes for this group of pupils. Leaders have also ensured that disadvantaged pupils, along with other pupils in the school, have consistently received high-quality teaching and additional support when required.
• The primary sport and physical education funding has been used to provide equipment, clubs, transport to fixtures and competitions, training for staff and membership of the local sports partnership. It has been used effectively as it has led to increased participation in a wider range of sporting activities.
• Parents are extremely supportive and fully engaged with the work of the school. Communication between staff and parents is of an exceptionally high quality. This is done through meetings, school activities, opportunities to watch learning so that techniques can be used at home, blogs, emails, text messages, phone calls and regular newsletters. There is an active parents’ group known as ‘HIPPO’ and parents believe that their children are well taught and that they make good progress. Consequently, parents are extremely positive about the school. Of the extremely high proportion of parents who responded to Parent View, all believe that the school is well led and managed and all would recommend the school to another parent.
• The school is expanding and staff from Hillmorton offer support to other schools locally though the Rugby Town Consortium. The headteacher became a national leader of education and the school was designated as a teaching school in June 2017. Consequently, leaders and governors are planning for the impact of the growth of the school and the change in designation. As these are relatively new developments, this planning is not completed.

Governance of the school

• Governance is strong. The governing body is well led by a conscientious and most effective chair who ensures that the best interests of the pupils are at the heart of all decisions made.
• Governors have the skills, knowledge and experience to support leaders and hold them to close account. They ask challenging questions about the range of information that they receive and attend regular training so that they keep up to date with developments. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and ensure that resources are managed well, that the website meets requirements and that safeguarding is effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective as there is a strong culture for keeping children safe throughout the school. Leaders ensure that all staff are vigilant about the welfare of pupils by ensuring that they are well trained and kept up to date about safeguarding issues.
• All pupils, staff and parents believe that pupils are safe and there are robust systems within the school to keep pupils safe. Processes for reporting concerns are clear and known by all staff. Records are stored securely.
• Referrals are timely and outside agencies are used appropriately. Procedures to recruit, select and check staff are robust and the school’s single central record is compliant.
• The site is safe and secure and pupils are taught to stay safe in an age-appropriate way.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently of a very high standard. Preparation is thorough and teachers always plan to meet the needs of pupils with different starting points to help them progress rapidly. Assessment is regular and accurate and used to inform challenging activities.
• Teachers have high expectations and deep knowledge and understanding of the subjects that they teach. They confidently adapt what they are teaching to engage pupils and develop their ideas within a suitably flexible approach.
• Activities have a clear focus on learning that is shared with the pupils. Teaching assistants are effectively deployed and staff work well together to help pupils make rapid progress. Interventions and support, both within and outside of the classroom, are having a striking impact on pupils’ learning.
• Staff use questions well to check understanding, assess learning, address misunderstandings and challenge pupils to make rapid progress. Pupils respond enthusiastically with well-considered answers that reflect their love of learning.
• Pupils work well together and with staff. Pupils work equally productively independently and in groups. They are resilient learners who are willing to try to work things out for themselves and learn from their mistakes.
• Learning time is used productively and lessons move on at an appropriate pace. Pupils settle to work quickly and enjoy their studies within a positive learning environment.
• Displays celebrate pupils’ achievements and provide them with additional information to aid their studies. For example, some displays have electronic links which pupils can access by using devices in the classrooms. This provides them with detailed information in an interesting and engaging format.
• Staff use a range of appropriate resources, including information and communication technology, and set learning in real-life contexts. For example, a recent visit to ‘Harry Potter World’ was used to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills during the inspection.
• Cross-curricular literacy is embedded. Pupils write well in all subjects and they are given frequent opportunities to develop communication skills across the curriculum. Pupils also read widely and often. A range of texts are available in every classroom and most pupils read fluently and with expression. Less confident readers can also use the sounds that letters represent to decipher words. The teaching of phonics is a strength of the school.
• Since the last inspection, staff have received additional training on how to teach mathematics well. This has developed their skills, increased their confidence and helped them fully engage pupils in their learning. As a result, pupils have a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and they are achieving higher standards. A love of mathematics is evident across the school.
• Staff promote numeracy effectively across the curriculum and give precise feedback on how pupils can improve their mathematical learning. Consequently, pupils are clear about what to do in order to improve their work.
• Feedback is purposeful and effective across the curriculum. All staff follow the school’s marking policy so that pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. Pupils are also given time to reflect on the comments made by teachers and they are able to deepen their understanding by carrying out follow-up tasks. Pupils have been taught how to use peer marking and self-assessment to improve their work effectively and they use these methods well.
• Homework is used to good effect to extend and reinforce learning and develop skills. Pupils are set open-ended projects, which they enjoy, and they are given regular numeracy and literacy tasks to complete at home. All parents who made their views known during the inspection believe that their children are set appropriate homework.
• Parents are regularly given useful and accurate information about how their child is progressing and how well they are doing in relation to the standards expected of them. Parents believe that they are given valuable information about how their child is progressing in school.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are self-confident and self-aware. They have a well-developed understanding of how to be successful learners. They are keen to learn, present their work well and respond with enthusiasm to challenging activities. They thrive within the trusting ethos of the school.
• Pupils are proud of their school and respond positively to opportunities to take responsibility. Some run the school bank, others sit on the school council and ‘learning detectives’ consider the quality of teaching in the school and share their views with leaders.
• Physical and emotional well-being are promoted very well. Pupils are encouraged to eat healthily and take regular exercise. They can also talk to staff, including the learning mentors, if they are concerned about anything.
• Bullying is extremely rare and pupils are confident that staff would deal quickly and effectively with any unkindness if it should happen. Pupils act as anti-bullying ambassadors and peer mediators and use the skills that they have been taught to help others to resolve issues.
• Pupils are taught to stay safe when using the internet and appropriate controls are in place. There is a pupils’ online safety committee and pupils are taught how to stay safe in a range of situations in an age-appropriate way. As a result, all pupils, parents and staff who made their views known to inspectors indicated that pupils are safe in school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and their conduct around the school is exemplary. They are well mannered, considerate and friendly.
• Pupils play sensibly during social times, often in activities led by pupil play leaders. The atmosphere in the dining hall is calm and orderly.
• The very few pupils who find it more challenging to manage their own behaviour are effectively supported to behave very well. Instances of inappropriate behaviour are very rare and there have been no exclusions since before the last inspection.
• Attendance is above the national average and the vast majority of pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, have excellent attendance. The attendance of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium has improved this year and it is now close to the national average. This is the result of targeted action to support individuals to reduce their levels of absence.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Throughout each year group and across the curriculum, including in English and mathematics, current pupils make substantial and sustained progress from their starting points. They develop excellent knowledge, understanding and skills in a range of subjects.
• In 2015 and 2016, all groups of pupils achieved outstanding outcomes in reading, writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. Attainment and progress in reading in 2016 were exceptional.
• Pupils read widely and often across subjects to a high standard, with fluency and comprehension often beyond their chronological age. Pupils in Year 1 consistently achieve highly in the national phonics check.
• The pupil premium funding is used most effectively. Disadvantaged pupils have achieved well over time and continue to make rapid progress in the school. In 2016, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was higher than that of other pupils nationally. This was the result of high-quality teaching and interventions as required.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities continue to make strong progress from their starting points. Other groups, such as those from minority ethnic backgrounds, also make outstanding progress.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress once they have acquired spoken English and begin to read. They are supported to do this very well and so they learn to communicate in English quickly.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are challenged to reach the highest standards of attainment. Outcomes are strong for these pupils and leaders are taking action to ensure that the level of challenge for this group of pupils remains consistently high.
• Key stage 1 outcomes have been strong over time and improved in 2016. Children in the early years setting make outstanding progress from their starting points.
• Pupils from every year group are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education. They are able to move easily into the challenges presented by subsequent key stages.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years provision is very well led and managed. Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting’s strengths and areas for development. They have taken effective action to improve teaching, outcomes and personal development, behaviour and welfare since the last inspection.
• Leaders are responsive to the needs of every child and they have used rigorous performance management and highly focused professional development to improve the quality of provision.
• Teaching is consistently of the highest standard and worthy of dissemination to other practitioners. There is a careful balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities that are focused on purposeful learning.
• Children’s independence is developed well. They are given opportunities to explore and find things out for themselves and make decisions about their learning. For example, during the inspection, a group of children decided that the pirate ship that they were building needed a flag so they worked with a member of staff to construct one. They also make decisions about which snack to select and take responsibility for tidying the classroom.
• The curriculum is creative and engaging and provides rich, varied and imaginative experiences. Leaders are working to further enhance creative development, particularly through outdoor learning.
• Assessment is accurate and based on high-quality observations by all of those involved in the children’s learning and development. Provision across all areas of learning is planned carefully so that every child undertakes highly challenging activities.
• Outcomes are outstanding and children are extremely well prepared academically, socially and emotionally for Year 1. They read, write and use mathematical skills very well. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development is consistently above the national average.
• All groups of children make exceptional progress from their starting points. Children who need to catch up, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children are well supported to make rapid and sustained progress. Additional funding is used well to improve the outcomes achieved by disadvantaged children.
• Children’s behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary. Children enjoy positive relationships with adults and other children and they are willing to share resources and take turns. Children also develop a very good understanding of how to keep safe and manage risks within the early years provision and beyond.
• Safeguarding is effective and all statutory welfare requirements are met. Children’s health, safety and well-being are greatly enhanced by the vigilant and consistent implementation of robust policies and procedures.
• Staff communicate with parents very well. High levels of parental engagement and regular contact between staff and parents allow the learning and development that take place in school to be supported at home. This contributes to the rapid progress made by all groups of children.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 130887 Warwickshire 10032672 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 Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 239 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Julia Kenny Catherine Crisp 01788 544 309 www.hillmortonprimaryschool.com admin2628@welearn365.com Date of previous inspection 5–6 March 2013

Information about this school

• The school is expanding and is now an average-sized primary school.
• There is one class in each year group, except in Year 1, where there are two classes.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• A small number of pupils who have been identified as having social and emotional and mental health needs spend time in specialist provision known as ‘The Hub’.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding is similar to the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language are broadly average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The headteacher became a national leader of education and the school was designated as a teaching school in June 2017. The school provides support to other schools through the Rugby Town Consortium.
• There is an on-site children’s centre, a breakfast club and also a pre-school. The children’s centre provision is inspected separately.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other leaders and a group of staff.
• The lead inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body, and spoke to a representative of the local authority and to a consultant who supports the school.
• Inspectors also spoke to pupils formally and informally and heard a small number of pupils read.
• Short visits were made to every class on both days of the inspection. Most of these were with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also looked at pupils’ work in books.
• The views of parents were considered by talking to parents and through 208 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and 43 free-text comments.
• Inspectors analysed 21 responses to the staff questionnaire and 20 returns of the pupil survey.
• Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation, information about managing teachers’ performance and staff training records.
• Minutes of meetings of the governing body and information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety were analysed.
• Inspectors looked at published information on the school’s website.

Inspection team

Simon Mosley, lead inspector Collette Higgins Jeremy Bird

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector