Hetton Lyons 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 below those typical for their age. They make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage due to good teaching and a caring approach by all staff. Pupils continue to make good and sometimes outstanding progress in all year groups.

As a result, by the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics is above average. This represents good achievement from their starting points on entry to school. Pupils' achievement is rapidly improving because the proportion of outstanding teaching is increasing as teachers develop their skil...ls further.

Teaching is usually good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use their questioning skills very well to improve pupils' understanding. Lessons proceed at a good pace and staff are very effective at engaging pupils in learning.

Pupils' behaviour in and around the school is exemplary. They have an excellent understanding of how to keep safe in different situations. Relationships are strong in this very caring school.

Pupils enjoy coming to school work hard and are keen to succeed The curriculum is good. It provides themes that enhance pupils' understanding of the world and engages them well in learning. The school's commitment to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding underpins pupils' excellent personal development.

The headteacher's excellent leadership, well supported by a strong and skilful deputy headteacher, show great determination in driving forward improvements. Consequently, the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement is rapidly improving. The governing body provides increasingly good support and challenge in order to help the school improve further.

Governors know about the quality of teaching and pupils' progress. They ensure that the pupil premium funding has a positive impact on pupils' progress. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not enough teaching is outstanding.

Pupils do not always know how to use the school's success criteria so they can improve their own work. Work set does not always sufficiently Not enough most-able pupils reach sufficiently higher levels in their writing across the school. They do not have the advanced reading skills needed to understand more difficult texts to enable them to achieve their full potential.

challenge all pupils.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the 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 eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and children of service families.

An above average proportion of pupils are supported through school action. An above average proportion of pupils are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational need. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.

The school has achieved the Science Quality Mark, Basic Skills Quality Mark and Eco Green Flag 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 a separate Reception class unit with three teachers.

The school has a breakfast club each morning managed by the governing body. A new headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2011. Over the last two years the school has experienced turbulence in staffing, with a significant proportion of staff having varying amounts of time away from the school, including staff that hold key leadership roles in the school.

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