Hedworth Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils' understanding of how to keep safe is outstanding. The school is rigorous in ensuring pupils know how to keep safe.

Safety procedures are of a high standard. The school ensures that children get a good start as they enter school. There is a strong focus on settling them down to work and they make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Pupils continue to make good progress across Key Stages 1 and 2. After a dip in 2012, standards in English and mathematics have risen again and are broadly average at the end of Year 6. Teaching is good.

Some is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations and plan lessons th...at inspire pupils to learn and enable them to make at least good progress. Pupils behave well both in and out of lessons.

They have good attitudes to learning and work and play together harmoniously. They make a strong contribution to the work of the school as 'buddies', 'playground leaders' and prefects. The headteacher provides strong and purposeful leadership and is passionate about ensuring pupils achieve well in all aspects of their education.

He is very well supported by a skilful deputy headteacher and staff who are also keen for pupils to achieve well. Consequently, standards are rising. The governors are very supportive of the school.

They have a wide range of skills and have a good understanding of the work of the school. They effectively challenge leaders to do even better and, as a result, the school continues to improve. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teaching is not outstanding.

Marking does not lead pupils to make faster progress. Pupils do not always know how to be successful in their work so they can check it and then improve their own learning and progress. The school does not make enough use of its best practice to improve teaching.

Standards in mathematics are not high enough. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their calculation skills or investigate and solve problems. Curriculum planning does not always enable pupils to reach a high enough standard in their mathematics work.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. An average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding for those pupils eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and children of service families. An above average proportion of pupils is supported at school action.

An average proportion of pupils is supported at school action plus or has a statement of special educational needs. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The school has achieved the Arts Mark Silver, Sports Active Mark and Eco School awards.

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 two Reception classes. The school has a breakfast club managed by the governing body.