The Jenny Hammond Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school. The strong leadership team together with the governing body have developed a vibrant and harmonious community, with a focus on learning. The school is not outstanding because there is inconsistency in assessment and marking across the school and teachers do not always use information to plan learning linked to pupils' targets.

This is particularly evident in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where the very detailed assessments are not used well enough to plan activities that are focused on children's next steps in learning. All pupils make good progress. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is above average in mathematics and has been sustained over the last three years.

Stan...dards in English are also typically above average, with the school having recovered from a dip in writing in 2011. The quality of teaching is good. Daily teaching of skills such as letters and the sounds they make (phonics) and of number facts, such as multiplication tables, ensures that all pupils make good progress.

Teachers have high expectations and pupils listen and respond well to teachers' good questioning in lessons. However, marking and assessment is inconsistent across year groups and results in variable rates of progress across the school. The behaviour of pupils is outstanding, both in lessons and around the school.

Relationships between pupils and adults are exceptionally good and all pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. Parents, carers and pupils are overwhelmingly positive about the extremely safe environment in this community school. Members of the leadership team work well together.

Subject leaders systematically monitor and evaluate planning and provision, ensuring there are opportunities for purposeful writing across the curriculum. However, there are missed opportunities to enhance pupils' learning through information and communication technology (ICT) in lessons, including the use of interactive whiteboards. Teaching and staff performance are well managed.

Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school. The number on roll is increasing and there are two forms of entry in the Reception Year and in Year 1. The proportion of pupils who speak English as their second language is above the national average, as is the number of pupils who come from ethnic minority backgrounds.

A higher-than-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average. The school meets the current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

There is a breakfast club, managed by the governing body. The after-school club is managed by another organisation and is inspected separately. The school has achieved the first level of Rights Respecting School status and Artsmark status and is a Stonewall School Champion.