Hatch Ride Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Hatch Ride Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 28 February 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings.

The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in February 2013. This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

You and the leadership team promote high aspirations for pupils, which permeate the school. You lead your staff with determination and commitment. Leaders have a very clear and accurate view of what the school does well.

You ...encourage a very supportive team ethos. The sense of community and mutual respect is very strong. As one pupil described, 'We are all equally important.'

Staff are proud to be part of Hatch Ride Primary School and support each other effectively for the benefit and welfare of pupils. Parents have confidence in the school, trusting leaders to look after their children. They say the school provides their children with excellent opportunities to grow and develop into effective learners.

As one parent described: 'We are extremely grateful for the dedication of the headteacher and her team in providing such a wonderful school with an extremely caring, friendly and positive atmosphere.' Governors know the school well and use a range of relevant information to challenge leaders effectively. Governors therefore have an accurate view of the school's performance.

They have identified the correct priorities and carefully check actions taken to bring about improvements to ensure that the school continues to move forward and remain good. Pupils are happy and confident learners who conduct themselves with maturity in lessons and around the school. They demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning and enjoy a challenge.

Pupils are proud of their school. They understand and demonstrate the important values that represent life in modern Britain, showing tolerance and respect for others. Pupils value different cultures and religions, for example, they spoke enthusiastically about a visit to a Hindu temple.

They work well together in class and willingly help each other with their learning. Since the previous inspection in February 2013, school leaders have focused effectively on the areas identified for improvement. Pupils now regularly practise their writing and numeracy skills in other subjects.

Consequently, they write fluently in a range of styles and with increasing stamina, and are able to use their mathematical knowledge well to support their learning in other subjects. The focus on improving writing led to Year 2 and Year 6 achieving in line with expectations in the 2016 national tests. In key stage 1, pupils learn about the features of stories, and then apply these insights effectively to their own writing.

In both key stage 1 and key stage 2, a consistent approach to the teaching of writing ensures that pupils are applying grammar and spelling skills progressively. Mathematics is now a strength in the school. The proportion of pupils in Year 6 achieving the highest levels was well above the national average in 2016.

Leaders now have middle-attaining pupils firmly in their sights, so that they too can excel and reach the highest standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers regularly share good practice and this is now a strong feature of the school's work. As a result, the quality of teaching is consistently good and the proportion of outstanding practice is increasing.

Pupils know what teachers expect of them during lessons and understand the purpose of their learning. They know how their learning builds over time. Teachers use questioning well to check pupils' understanding.

Safeguarding is effective. The safety and welfare of pupils is central to your work and that of your staff. Leaders ensure that all adults who work in the school understand their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe.

Staff and governors are appropriately and regularly trained. They are kept up to date with current guidance, in line with recent requirements, which are captured accurately in the school's policies. Leaders check carefully the suitability of any adults who work in the school, and keep appropriate records of this information.

They work closely and sensitively with pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable, using expertise from beyond the school to provide helpful support for families who need extra help. Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school and trust adults to help them with any difficulties or worries they may have. Pupils enjoyed a recent 'safe and sound week' in which they learned how to keep themselves safe through, for example, learning about the dangers of electricity, dog safety, road safety and e-safety.

Parents reflect that the nurturing ethos and positive relationships enable school staff and families to work together for the benefit of the pupils. Inspection findings ? During this inspection, I looked at the impact of leaders' work on: improving attendance for specific groups of pupils; the progress that middle-attaining boys are making across the school; the progress that disadvantaged pupils are making across the school in reading; ensuring that the quality of teaching of reading and writing is consistently strong across key stages 1 and 2, and how teachers support the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. ? Leaders work successfully to ensure that pupils come to school regularly.

Attendance for pupils overall in 2016 was above the national figure. However, for certain groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, their attendance in 2016 was significantly below others. Leaders understand some of the challenges faced by individual families, and work sensitively but effectively with them to get pupils into school.

These families trust the school and, as a result, attendance for these groups is now improving. ? Leaders and staff have thought carefully about the experiences offered to pupils to promote early writing. Consequently, in the early years boys are confident to use their knowledge of phonics to try and write words.

Leaders have introduced interesting whole-school writing projects, such as the 'eggs and dinosaur project', to inspire pupils and develop teachers' skills further. Teachers know their pupils very well. They use other adults effectively to support both boys and girls to develop the skills, knowledge and vocabulary they need to catch up.

All pupils take a pride in their work. The most able pupils, including boys, reach high standards by the end of Year 6. However, leaders know that, across the school, not all middle-attaining boys make as much progress as girls in writing.

• Leaders use extra funding effectively to enable disadvantaged pupils to make better progress, to help them to catch up with other pupils nationally. As a result, a higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils passed the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2016 than other pupils, and in key stage 2 they are making more progress in reading than other pupils nationally. Readers at all ability levels have books which provide sufficient challenge.

The least able readers use a range of strategies when they find a word challenging. The most able pupils self-correct their mistakes when reading and use expression effectively to convey emotions in the text. All pupils are positive about books.

Leaders have recently introduced a new assessment system for reading across the school, which teachers are currently getting to grips with. The English subject leader has also provided new guidance for parents to help them to support their child's reading at home. As a result, pupils are benefiting from reading more frequently at home.

In addition, the English subject leader is working successfully to address previous shortcomings in teachers' assessments of writing so that learning is even more closely matched to pupils' needs. ? Leaders have accurate views on the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. Leaders support teachers well to develop their skills and make sure teaching is consistently good.

The quality of teaching in the school is improving further as a result of the professional development opportunities that leaders provide to all staff. Teachers are aware of pupils' different abilities and needs within their classes, and target adult support appropriately, while also being careful to develop pupils' independence. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and respectful.

Adults have high expectations and convey these in a way that is both sensitive and clear to pupils. ? Parents spoke highly about the support provided for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, both socially and academically. Parents have confidence in leaders' abilities to meet their children's needs.

Leaders are determined to ensure that all pupils are fully included in lessons. Teachers provide good support in the classroom to pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and, as a result, these pupils are developing increased confidence and independence in their learning. The inclusion manager ensures that pupils' additional and emotional needs are identified quickly, and that well-targeted teaching, tailored to pupils' needs, is put in place and reviewed regularly.

Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? assessment systems are embedded to ensure that teachers accurately identify pupils' next steps in reading and writing ? higher proportions of middle-attaining pupils make strong progress to achieve the high standards of which they are capable ? boys make at least the same good progress as girls in their writing ? attendance continues to improve for all groups of pupils. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Wokingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

Yours sincerely Claire Martin-O'Donoghue Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection I visited lessons with you, to look at learning and talk to pupils about their work. I met with you, your deputy headteacher, your inclusion manager, a range of staff, a group of pupils, and three representatives from the governing body. I had a meeting with a representative from the local authority.

I spoke to some parents at the start of the day, considered 93 responses to the Parent View questionnaire, and noted the contents of one letter from a parent received on the day of the inspection. I also took into account 11 responses to the staff online questionnaire and 89 pupil responses. We evaluated a range of work in pupils' books and your assessment information.

I listened to pupils read, spoke with a group of pupils, and observed a playtime. I carried out a review of a wide range of documentation, including the school's self-evaluation. I considered the school's safeguarding arrangements, including the record of recruitment checks on adults working in the school.

Also at this postcode