Harton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Children enter the school with skills that are well below what is typical for their age. They make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage. A caring staff are very effective in settling them into school.

As a result, they make very good progress in their personal development. Pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress across Key Stage 1. They reach standards that are securely average and this is due to consistently good and sometimes outstanding teaching.

Pupils continue to make good progress across Key Stage 2. They reach standards that are above average in mathematics and rising rapidly in reading and wr...iting, as teaching has improved. Teaching is consistently good and an increasing proportion is outstanding.

Pupils engage well in lessons. Teachers plan well to meet pupils' needs. Questioning is used effectively to promote pupils' learning and teachers have good subject knowledge.

Pupils make good progress in their personal development and their behaviour is good both in and out of lessons. They play well together and enjoy coming to school. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying stating that it is rare in school.

They also have a good understanding of how to keep safe in different situations. The headteacher's determined and excellent leadership has rapidly improved the school. She is exceptionally well supported by a very skilful deputy headteacher.

Subject leaders and a committed staff are helping to drive the school forward at a fast pace. Consequently, teaching is improving and standards are rising. Governors provide good support and challenge to the school.

They know about the quality of teaching and the school's data. They spend the pupil-premium money wisely to improve pupils' progress. They are very committed to the school and want pupils to have equality of opportunity to achieve well.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not enough teaching is outstanding. Marking does not always help pupils to improve their work. Pupils are not always given enough time to work independently or challenged to reach higher levels in their work.

Standards in reading and writing are not high enough at Key Stage 2. Pupils do not always have the more advanced skills needed to understand more difficult texts or reach a high enough standard in their writing.

Information about this school

The school is much larger than an average-sized primary school.

A well-above average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and children of service families. An average proportion of pupils are supported at school action. Similarly, the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.

The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The school has achieved the Healthy School award. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is taught in a Nursery and three Reception classes who share a large outdoor and indoor learning area. The school provides a breakfast club managed by the governing body. The school experienced a significant amount of disruption during the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools into the new school building up to and including 2011.