Halfway Houses Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher and senior leaders have continued to bring about steady improvements in teaching. This means standards have continued to rise and are now slightly above average.

Children make particularly good progress in the early years provision. Progress accelerates as pupils move through Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 6 pupils have made good progress from their starting points, particularly in mathematics, reading and more recently in writing.

Achievement is good. The curriculum provides pupils with very interesting topics to study. They develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills well across a broad range of contexts..../>
Teaching is good because teachers are confident in their knowledge of different subjects. Together they develop new approaches which make learning effective. Most teachers have high expectations of the pupils in their class.

Pupils have very positive attitudes towards learning, their work and each other. Around the school pupils are very polite and courteous. They go out of their way to be kind to one another or help anyone who may need it.

Pupils know a lot about how to keep safe and to think carefully about situations they may find themselves in. They feel safe at school. The headteacher has successfully ensured that all senior and middle leaders share the vision for high-quality education.

They are effective in bringing about improvements where required. Leaders use the information available to assess the performance of the school accurately. Governors make sure that they get plenty of information about all aspects of the school so that they are well informed.

They use this to ask challenging questions, alongside the practical support they provide. Governors and senior leaders make sure that all the statutory requirements are met and that pupils are kept safe. They check that all staff understand clearly their safeguarding responsibilities and are confident to act if concerned.

It is not yet an outstanding school because: Progress is not yet as consistently rapid across Key Stage 1 as it is in the early years provision and in Key Stage 2. Teachers do not always expect enough of the most able pupils, particularly in Key Stage 1. Improvements in the progress of pupils in English grammar, punctuation and spelling have not been as rapid as in other subjects.

Not all teachers have implemented the best practice which has been developed in the school.

Information about this school

This school is larger than the average size for primary schools. There are two classes in most year groups, although there are currently three classes in the Reception class and in Year 6.

Children in the Reception classes attend full time. Almost all pupils are White British. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is average.

However, the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs is higher than average. There are slightly more disadvantaged pupils in the school than average. These are pupils who are eligible for free school meals or children looked after.

The government provides the school with additional funding to promote the attainment and progress of these pupils, known as the pupil premium grant. The school is in the planning stages of building a new school on another site. It is anticipated that the school will move to these new buildings in September 2016.

The school meets the current floor standards. The government sets out these minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. The school runs a breakfast club for those who need it.

Also at this postcode