Halwill Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This is a good school where pupils achieve well. Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Pupils continue to make good progress and their attainment is above average by the end of Year 6. They achieve well because the school has very high expectations of them and as a result, they make good progress. Nevertheless, in 2010, due to a two-year period of staff turbulence and some weaknesses in the use of assessment, the attainment of pupils in Year 2 fell below the national average.

Leaders and managers moved swiftly and successfully to address this situation through restructuring the roles and responsibilities of staff. The findings of this inspection show an improvi...ng picture. Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities make similar progress to their classmates due to the well-targeted support they receive.

Teaching observed during the inspection was good overall, with examples of outstanding practice, but there is some variation in the quality of lessons. Assessment information is not always used systematically to plan lessons to ensure that all pupils are challenged in their learning and the pace of learning is sometimes too slow. Pupils' behaviour and relationships are excellent.

Pupils feel safe and secure in school and are confident to share any concerns with staff. Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities in the school community and Years 5 and 6 pupils act as excellent role models. Pupils are quick to make friends and a feature of many lessons is the support they give to each other.

They have an excellent understanding of how to maintain healthy lifestyles. There is a high take up of the healthy school meals and a large proportion of pupils are currently taking part in cross-country running. The provision for care, support and guidance is good.

Links between home and school are good and effectively supported through the Parent Support Advisor. The curriculum is good and there is evidence of creativity and innovation through cross-curricular topics, particularly in Years 5 and 6. The school has recognised that this good practice needs to be embedded throughout the school.

There is an excellent range of enrichment activities, such as residential visits, trips and after-school clubs. The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. There is a strong team ethos in the school and a commitment to continuing improvement.

The governing body has improved its skills and is now in a better position to monitor the work of the school. Self-evaluation is accurate, involves all stakeholders, has clearly identified areas for improvement and has already taken effective action to address weaknesses in Years 1 and 2. Strategies to improve the quality of pupils' writing are proving effective, particularly in Years 5 and 6.

Currently the headteacher undertakes the vast majority of monitoring of teaching and learning. The school has a budget deficit which means leaders have an increased teaching commitment. This has reduced the time the headteacher has for keeping an oversight of the performance of the school.

Roles and responsibilities of staff are being restructured to meet the current needs of the school. Leaders are aware that the roles of coordinators are underdeveloped with a need to develop their management skills so they can effectively monitor their areas of responsibility. The key issues from the last inspection have been successfully addressed and there has been a continued rise in the attainment and progress of pupils by the end of Year 6.

The school's track record of continued successful development shows it has good capacity to sustain further improvement.

Information about the school

Halwill is a much smaller than average primary school. The majority of pupils are White British.

The proportions of pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities and those entitled to free school meals are below national averages. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are taught in mixed-age classes. A small number of Year 1 pupils stay in the Reception class until January when they join the rest of their year group in class 2.

Over the last two years there has been a high percentage of staff absence and turnover in one of the classes. A breakfast club was started for three mornings this term run by the school. The school holds the Healthy Schools Award.