Hovingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching to be consistently good or outstanding so pupils make rapid progress by:
  • having high expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • providing purposeful work in lessons when pupils have finished a task
  • making sure that mathematics work challenges high-ability pupils.
• Enable pupils to reach higher standards in writing by ensuring that:
  • there is a consistent approach from teachers to correcting pupils’ spelling
  • pupils’ written work is tidy and well presented
  • pupils apply the skills they learn in English lessons when writing in other subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the previous inspection, leaders have mostly addressed the areas that required improvement and have raised standards in English and mathematics. The headteacher has an accurate view of the school’s effectiveness. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the changes the headteacher has made and value the ‘family feel’ of the school. As one pupil put it, ‘School feels like a home from home.’
• The headteacher has created a culture where staff are willing to challenge themselves and are keen to improve their teaching. The school actively seeks partners to help improve its practice. It works with other schools and advisers from the local authority. This has successfully helped to improve pupils’ achievement across the school.
• Professional development and training, with regular monitoring and evaluation of teaching in English and mathematics, have ensured that all staff are now skilled in teaching these subjects. Assessment in these subjects is used effectively to track pupils’ progress and ensure that pupils achieve well.
• Subject leaders are now accountable for their subject areas. The leader for mathematics has introduced changes to the teaching of this subject and this is accelerating pupils’ progress, particularly in developing mathematical reasoning skills. There are still too few opportunities for the most able mathematicians to solve problems at greater depth in the subject.
• The teaching of writing has been reviewed. Although pupils are developing some good use of language, leaders have been less vigilant in ensuring that there are high expectations of the quality and presentation of written work in subjects such as science, history and geography. The approach to correcting spelling is not consistent in all subjects. Teachers pay insufficient attention to pupils’ spelling of technical language, for example when pupils are writing up science experiments.
• The school has a system for assessing the performance of teachers. Performance management targets are linked to pupils’ progress and attainment but, for some staff, these targets are not always specific enough to set challenging and ambitious end goals.
• The school is highly regarded by parents and there is a close working partnership between the school and parents, as well as the local community and church groups, which reflects the school’s ethos.
• A small number of pupils are eligible for support through the pupil premium and they are well supported by the school’s use of this grant. The school provides extra teaching and programmes of support for disadvantaged pupils, helping them to achieve well.
• There are very few pupils on the school’s roll who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and their needs are well met in class by good-quality teaching, so they make good progress.
• The school has put in place a good structure for teaching a broad range of topics. Topics are enhanced by ‘special days’ celebrating the work of particular authors or welcoming visitors such as the local bishop. Pupils enjoy visits, for example to York, and residential trips to Edinburgh, which help ‘bring to life’ some of the topics they are learning.
• Pupils consider issues like fair trade which provide them with a wider insight into issues and dilemmas outside their local community. Pupils give thoughtful consideration to these, which helps them develop a good understanding of spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues.
• Pupils’ spirituality is also promoted through participation in regular prayers. The school’s assemblies and visits promote effective reflection on faith, culture and personal choices. Pupils show respect for people from all backgrounds and faiths and have a good understanding of fundamental British values.
• The primary physical education (PE) and sport funding has been used effectively. Specialist coaching ensures that teachers are trained to deliver good-quality PE lessons. Clubs and special activity days offering sports such as boxing, archery and badminton provide exciting opportunities for pupils to experience and participate in a wide range of sports and extra-curricular activities.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective.
• Governors are enthusiastic about their role and have a strong commitment to the school, ensuring that it continues on its road to further improvement. They hold senior leaders to account and effectively challenge the headteacher.
• Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching across the school and monitor the school’s work through regular focused visits. They have restructured the way they work, linking governors to areas of the school’s work so that they evaluate the effectiveness of the key issues in the school’s improvement plan.
• Governors scrutinise the use of the pupil premium funding effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve well.
• Governors understand that pupils’ achievement should be the focus when awarding pay increases to teachers and the headteacher. Support where teaching has been weaker has been brokered from partner schools and the local authority, and this has led to improvements in the quality of teaching.
• Support from the diocese has helped governors to develop their role to ensure that the quality of teaching for all pupils is consistently good across the school.
• Governors are fully conversant with their statutory duties for safeguarding and ensuring that staff are recruited with careful consideration.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has created a safe culture to take care of its pupils and staff are vigilant in checking that procedures are implemented to protect pupils. All staff understand their obligations for safeguarding and this is emphasised throughout the school’s work, as well as in lessons.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and talk about what the school has in place to look after them. All parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, agree that their child feels safe in school. The school conducts a range of risk assessments to keep pupils and staff safe.
• All members of staff are checked for their suitability to work with children. Accurate and up-to-date records of these checks are maintained.
• Leaders, teachers and other staff are aware of the school’s procedures for safeguarding. They take appropriate action when necessary. They liaise with outside agencies when they have a concern and they work hard to support families in need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Teachers have developed good strategies for planning and teaching mixed-age classes. This ensures that the learning needs of pupils are mostly well met. Sometimes teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of what pupils could achieve. For example, when pupils finish an activity in a lesson, they are not given purposeful work which challenges them.
• The teaching of reading is good. Pupils have opportunities to practise their reading skills through reading lessons. Pupils enjoy their own reading books, some of which they bring from home. Older pupils review what they have read and this is monitored by the class teacher to ensure that they read a range of genres and make good progress. The teaching of phonics is effective and young pupils quickly learn to decode words and develop the early skills of reading.
• The quality of the teaching of mathematics has ensured that pupils are proficient in using and applying the basic mathematical skills. They are expected to share their mathematical reasoning to explain their solutions to problems. The most able pupils are now benefiting from more challenging mathematics work but there are still too few opportunities for them to investigate mathematical problems which would help them develop a greater depth of learning in the subject.
• Teachers have adapted their teaching of writing and this is having a positive impact on pupils’ use of language and their ability to write for an audience in English lessons. When pupils write in other subjects, teachers are not consistent in their expectations of well-presented work or accurate spelling, particularly when the words are specific to the subject.
• The quality of teaching in other subjects is good. Pupils’ books show that they have a good understanding of subjects such as science, history and geography. For example, in a geography lesson, pupils were fully engaged in learning about volcanoes. Pupils watched a video of Japanese pupils cleaning their school of volcanic ash before they could start lessons. Pupils showed a good understanding of the impact of natural cause and effect and articulated clearly how soil nutrients are enhanced by volcanic ash.
• The few pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are sometimes supported by a teaching assistant or work on an individual learning programme. This support enables them to access the curriculum and achieve well alongside their peers. A few pupils have individual learning plans but these lack precision in detailing what pupils need to achieve and by when.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Teachers establish a productive working atmosphere. There are good relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils.

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 is an integral part of the local community and the needs of pupils and families are well known and support provided where necessary.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. Pupils understand how to manage risk and what to do if, for example, they see a stranger on the school site. They understand the risks of using the internet and social media.
• Pupils have a good understanding of bullying, including bullying related to race and gender. They say that there is little or no bullying in school and any misbehaviour is dealt with quickly. Pupils respect the school rules and know that there are consequences for bad behaviour.
• The school’s ethos promotes effective reflection on faith, culture and personal choices. A theme, for example ‘generosity’, is promoted in lessons and assemblies. Time for reflection and prayer is used to help pupils consider what qualities they need in order to show generosity.
• The school’s ethos promotes tolerance and understanding of differences. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of British values, which prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• All parents and pupils who responded to the inspection survey agree that pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. The school’s provision in supporting pupils to manage their own behaviour is effective.
• Pupils are proud of their school. They are courteous, well mannered and confident in engaging in conversation. They listen well to adults and their peers, and show respect for the views of others. They play cooperatively in the playground and older pupils are quick and eager to help younger pupils.
• Pupils attend school regularly and are prompt and ready to learn, but occasionally pupils lack self-motivation and rely on the teacher to redirect them to the next task.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Throughout the school, the rate of pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is rapidly improving and is now good. The very small number of pupils in each year group means that each pupil’s performance has a marked impact on the school’s overall figures. Consequently, the standards pupils reach at the end of key stage 2 vary from year to year.
• Pupils’ work shows that pupils now at the end of key stage 2 are working at age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils’ writing in English shows that they are confident writers and can apply adventurous vocabulary and write appropriately for an audience. They do not always apply the skills they have learned in these lessons when they write in other subjects. The spelling of technical vocabulary, for example in science, is often incorrect and the presentation of work and handwriting is not always of the same high standard as in English books.
• Improvements in the teaching of mathematics now mean that pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 are achieving well in this subject. They can apply their understanding of number to a range of mathematical word problems and explain their reasoning, both verbally and in writing.
• In mathematics, the most able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged to develop their mastery of the subject. Consequently, too few pupils exceed the standards expected for their age.
• Pupils clearly enjoy reading. The youngest pupils read with enthusiasm, tackling words using their phonics skills and anticipating what is coming next in a story. Older pupils read with confidence, sharing their opinions about the text and expressing preferences for authors and genres.
• The teaching of phonics in the early years and Year 1 is good. Most pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check, a proportion higher than the national average. Pupils quickly develop secure early reading skills so that they can decode unfamiliar words.
• The very small number of disadvantaged pupils make good progress overall. Leaders regularly assess how well these pupils are doing and respond to address any gaps in learning with additional teaching time.
• The achievement of the few pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good because of the quality of teaching and support from teaching assistants.
• Pupils’ achievement from their starting points across the full range of subjects is good. Many of the subjects are linked together so that they are more relevant to the experiences of the primary-aged pupil, and pupils enjoy the subjects they learn, as well as developing their skills across the curriculum.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the early years with skills and knowledge which are broadly typical for their age. They quickly adapt to a mixed-age class and are happy, motivated and ready to learn. Children have good relationships with adults, as well as with each other. By the time they leave the Reception Year, a large majority reach a good level of development and are well equipped for key stage 1.
• The teaching of phonics is good. Children learn the basic skills of reading and apply the sounds they have learned to their spelling. During the inspection, they enjoyed practising their letters by writing them in chalk on the hard surface of the outside area.
• The teaching of mathematics is focused on acquiring early number skills and children reliably count out items as they present them to an adult.
• Children’s behaviour is good, both in the classroom and the outside area. Within the restrictions of the classroom and the outside area, they show some degree of independence and confidence.
• Some activities planned by teachers lack challenge or are too dependent on adult supervision. This means that pupils’ time is not always well spent engaged in purposeful learning.
• Pupils’ physical development is good. They can use scissors with a good handgrip. They were observed cutting carefully when making their lolly stick puppets to act out the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Outside, they particularly enjoy the climbing equipment and they are happy riding on the trikes or using the building blocks, for example to make a bridge to walk over.
• Leaders frequently record children’s achievements to plan their next steps in learning. Staff share what the children have been doing with parents, who then contribute to their child’s ‘learning journey’, recording their child’s achievements in their comments from home.
• The leader of the early years ensures the welfare and safety of children. The school works with external agencies and specialists to support children who have specific needs so that they are motivated learners and are able to participate fully in school life.
• All health and safety requirements are met. The unit is a safe place for children. Transition arrangements are good. Staff visit pre-school providers or offer home visits prior to children starting to ensure that they quickly adapt to school life.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121500 North Yorkshire 10036537 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 controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 39 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mark Wilson James Pynn Telephone number 01653 628 358 Website Email address www.hovingham.n-yorks.sch.uk headteacher@hovingham.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 November 2015

Information about this school

• This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are two classes of mixed-age children. Children are admitted to the Reception class from a range of pre-school providers.
• Nearly all pupils are White British and speak English as their first language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium fluctuates from year to year. It is currently below average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is also below average.
• The school is federated with St Hilda’s Ampleforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. Both schools share a governing body and headteacher.
• The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• There are too few pupils at the end of Year 6 for the school to be eligible to meet the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector visited lessons in both classrooms, some together with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector observed small groups of pupils being taught.
• The inspector scrutinised pupils’ work, listened to some pupils read and spoke with some pupils about their enjoyment of school and their opinions of behaviour and safety.
• The inspector held discussions with staff and governors.
• The inspector considered a wide range of school documents. These included the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan, behaviour and attendance records, governing body documents and documents relating to safeguarding and the monitoring of teachers’ performance.
• The inspector considered parents’ comments during the inspection, as well as taking into account the views of 17 parents who submitted responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

Inspection team

Karen Heath, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector