Hovingham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not thought carefully enough about the important knowledge that they want pupils to remember. Teachers do not build on what pupils have been taught in the past.

Pupils forget much of what they have been taught and cannot recount basic information such as their times tables.

Staff are warm and encouraging to pupils. Pupils are mostly attentive to their teachers and want to do well.

However, some pupils too often use poor language that upsets other pupils. Pupils say that staff do not always deal with this even if they hear it. Pupils have faith in some staff to sort out issues with bullying but feel that this is not always resolved quickly enough....

Leaders have designed an effective personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. Leaders listen to pupils and take account of what they feel that they need to know about to be successful citizens. For example, pupils wanted to learn more about how to manage their money and so representatives from a local bank came in to teach them about how to look after their finances.

Leaders want pupils to get better at speaking clearly and gain a wider vocabulary. This is not happening as well as leaders would like. Leaders have not planned what vocabulary pupils should be taught.

Pupils do not build up their knowledge of words as they move through school. They do not get enough opportunities to practise new language that they have been taught.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

There has been a significant turnover in staff in school since the last inspection.

Leaders have identified that the curriculum and teaching that was used in the past simply wasn't good enough. Leaders have recruited new staff and introduced new curriculums. These new curriculums are not fully understood by staff.

Leaders have focused too much on how teachers should teach pupils. Leaders have not given enough thought to what pupils should be taught. Leaders have asked teachers to decide what to teach from some broad ideas.

Teachers do not choose knowledge and skills that build on what pupils have been taught in the past. Pupils forget what they have been taught and are not getting better at skills such as handwriting or striking the ball in hockey.

Teachers do not effectively assess what pupils know and have remembered.

Leaders have not provided a curriculum for teachers to check this against. Leaders ask teachers to give pupils tests to see what they know. Some of the tests have content in that pupils have not been taught.

Pupils do not build up secure knowledge in subjects. Teachers do not address this, because they are too busy reacting to test results.

Leaders have identified that the curriculum in the early years needs improving.

They now have plans in each area of learning. Leaders have trained some staff in how to question and interact with children. Leaders have altered the environment so that it matches the curriculum better.

These recent improvements have shown some early promise. However, curriculum plans still lack the detail that staff need. Some staff do not know how to support children effectively.

Some children in the early years are not getting the support that they need and are already falling behind with where they need to be.

Some older pupils have not been taught phonics well in the past and struggle to read fluently. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme.

Staff have been trained in how to teach this new programme. Staff make sure pupils practise the sounds that they have already been taught, and then they teach them new sounds that they need. Staff show pupils how to form sounds by shaping their mouth in the correct way.

Teachers match books to the sounds that pupils are learning in lessons. Pupils can read these books successfully but need help from adults to do this. Staff give appropriate help to pupils because they have been well trained.

Governors are not supporting or challenging leaders in the school sufficiently. Governors do not know enough about the curriculum in the school. They take what leaders tell them too readily.

Governors have not got effective systems to reassure themselves about the quality of education in the school.

Leaders use a 'we are worried' list to talk about pupils who are causing them some concern. Leaders focus on language, behaviour or other possible barriers to success.

A new inclusion team has been formed and it meets to discuss these pupils and what it can do to help. This team gets guidance and advice from external agencies. Pupils receive tailored and effective support that is helping them meet with some success.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get appropriate help with their work. Teachers know their pupils well and support them using plans devised by leaders. These plans are reviewed regularly by the inclusion team.

Pupils are now getting more precise support than they were.

Too many pupils are absent from school. There are so many pupils who are regularly off school that leaders struggle to keep a track of them all.

Leaders have strategies in place to encourage good attendance. However, attendance continues to be an issue that is affecting the success of pupils.

Pupils say that behaviour in lessons or outside is often noisy and rowdy.

Pupils occasionally fight with each other and disrupt learning. Teachers often deal with this, but not always. The behaviour of some pupils makes others feel uncomfortable.

Pupils enjoy the assemblies that leaders provide. Pupils remember a good amount from them as they are carefully linked to PSHE lessons. Pupils know what words like tolerance and respect mean and the importance of showing them in everyday life.

Pupils have a good knowledge of different religions, such as Christianity and Islam, and some of the customs in them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture in the staff around safeguarding.

All staff are well trained and know what to do if they have a concern. Leaders use the 'we are worried' referral method to keep a close check on pupils or families that might need extra support. Leaders work well with other agencies, such as the police or youth workers, to ensure that pupils get the help that they need when they need it.

Leaders take seriously the risks of harmful behaviour that pupils may show. All staff have had helpful and detailed training in peer-on-peer abuse. Staff know that it could happen in their school and talk to leaders about problematic behaviour that could lead to more serious sexualised behaviour.

Leaders know that they might not be aware of all that happens but have trained staff to spot issues and take all reports seriously.

Leaders respond to incidents in a sensible way and with a sense of urgency. They take problems seriously and change systems to reduce the risk of other future issues.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not coherent or progressive. Leaders have not ensured that subject leaders know how to identify the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn in each year group. Planning of knowledge is left up to the teachers.

Teachers plan in isolation of other year groups, so pupils do not remember more over time. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders get the training that they need to design appropriate curriculum plans. ? Governors have not checked on the quality of education robustly enough.

They have accepted what leaders have told them. The quality of education has declined, and leaders have not developed curriculum plans to address this. Governors need to develop strategies to check on the substance of what is being taught in school within their strategic role.

They should challenge leaders to ensure that curriculum plans are clear and being implemented successfully. ? Leaders' intent that teachers use oracy throughout the curriculum is not being realised in classrooms. Leaders have not planned out how the curriculum will widen the vocabulary that pupils use.

Pupils do not use vocabulary successfully. They are not able to articulate what they know. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum identifies the most important vocabulary pupils should know and use.

Leaders should train teachers on how to teach pupils to use this vocabulary. Pupils occasionally swear or use racist language in school. This is sometimes not dealt with by teachers.

Pupils feel that it is not always taken seriously and so some pupils continue to do it. Teachers should pick up on all poor language in school and report it using the school's policy. Leaders should work with both victims and perpetrators so that everyone knows that this language is unacceptable.