The Hawthorns Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Attainment of pupils at the end of Year 6 is well-above average and has been for several years.

Pupils make good progress across Key Stages 1 and 2. In 2011, boys made outstanding progress across Key Stage 2 in English, as did more-able pupils. Teachers create a positive climate for learning with lessons that are interesting and where effective questioning helps pupils to make good progress.

Since the last inspection, pupils have become more aware of their individual targets and have a good understanding of what they need to do to improve their attainment. Effective support from additional adults helps to guide pupils well. The school is... a happy, friendly community where pupils and staff interact well and where pupils' behaviour and safety are outstanding.

The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills especially well through a wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities, and opportunities to contribute positively to the community. Additional training for the governing body has meant that it gives effective support to the school, and holds senior leaders to account well. Senior leaders and governors have worked successfully to address the dip in progress in reading for Year 6 pupils in 2012.

Pupils make good progress in reading across almost all year groups and standards of reading in both Key Stages 1 and 2 are above average. It is not yet an outstanding school because: When marking pupils' books, teachers do not always give pupils clear enough next steps in learning, or time to respond to advice. Teaching in Reception classes, particularly during child initiated activities, is not always sufficiently structured for adults to make a significant impact on children's learning.

Leaders and managers do not use assessment information effectively to increase the progress of different groups of pupils, especially a very small number who have special educational needs or are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Some of the targets in the school's action plans are not always easy for leaders to measure.

Information about this school

The Hawthorns Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.

It benefits from extensive playing fields, is oversubscribed and the number of pupils has increased since the last inspection. The headteacher joined the school in September 2012. The school had an interim headteacher for six months prior to her arrival and the deputy headteacher has been at the school since January 2011.

There have been a number of changes to the governing body, as well as teaching staff, since the last inspection. The large majority of pupils are White British, with other pupils coming from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. There are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is well-below average, as is the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. There are very few pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils eligible for free school meals, in the care of the local authority or with a parent or carer in the armed services). The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

Also at this postcode