The school was last inspected by Ofsted in March 2007 and the report is available from the school and on
the Ofsted web site. The following is a quote from the beginning of the report.
“This is a good school with some outstanding features. Pupils flourish in the small, friendly ‘family’ type
atmosphere created by all staff. Pupils enjoy school, behave well and attend very regularly. They say that the
wide range of in- school and extra-curricular physical education and music activities contribute to their
enjoyment of school. They make a good contribution to the school and wider community although the
temporary suspension of the school council has reduced the children’s opportunities to contribute to its
development. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Most parents are very supportive
of the school. They recognise the strong family atmosphere in which children are encouraged and supported
to do their best.
Pupils achieve well and the standards they attain in national tests are usually above or well above the
national average. Children make a good start in school because the range of activities and the teaching in
the Foundation Stage are good. Pupils’ progress from Year 1 to Year 6 is good. In Years 1 and 2 pupils often
make excellent progress. At the end of Year 2, standards in the national assessments are very high in
reading, writing and mathematics. In the Year 6 tests in recent years, pupils reach standards that are above
or well above the national average in English and mathematics and average in science. Since 2003, science
has had the weakest test results. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress in
reading, writing and mathematics and generally satisfactory progress in science.
Good teaching and an interesting and relevant curriculum make a significant contribution to the standards
achieved by the pupils. Teachers know their pupils well. This means they set work that meets their needs
and captures their interest. Teaching assistants provide effective support for individuals and groups. Pupils,
however, are not always aware of how they can improve their work. All members of staff are highly
committed and provide good quality care for the pupils.
Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has successfully guided and supported staff and
governors towards becoming more active in identifying strengths and weaknesses in the school. Although
the staff have accurately identified the school’s strengths and areas for development, the lack of a robust
evidence base often leads to more initiatives than a small school can undertake. Governors discharge their
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duties well. Resources are deployed efficiently and effectively to achieve good value for money. The higher
than average budget surplus is used effectively to develop the teaching areas. The school has made good
improvement since the last inspection and its capacity for further improvement is good.”
Good Behaviour
By good behaviour we mean showing respect for themselves, other children and adults and taking care of
personal and school property. It involves;
- listening without interruption,
- sharing things eg. Time, resources, space,
- showing good manners eg. Saying please, thank you, excuse me,
- helping younger children
- moving sensibly around school eg. walking not running,
- speaking in a quiet rather than loud manner,
- responding to instructions,
- following agreed routines,
- asking questions
How we aim to achieve good behaviour in Hart School
In order to achieve our aim of a well behaved school, we need the co-operation of all involved ie. pupils,
teachers, parents and governors.
We take a positive approach, seeking where possible to;
- reinforce good behaviour,
- setting examples by the way we react and behave towards children and one another,
- using praise and encouragement wherever possible for work, effort, progress, good manners, co-
operation with others, listening and helping,
- giving reward symbols such as stickers, certificates, recognition in class or assembly with reinforcement
by other adults/children,
While the Head Teacher has overall responsibility for the discipline within the school, teaching staff have the
responsibility of promoting good behaviour in their classrooms and throughout the school.
Where incidents of inappropriate behaviour occur, it is our policy to intervene promptly and decisively, using
strategies which direct the children towards acceptable behaviour. These may normally include;
∙ distracting the child from the incident by refocusing the attention of the child on to the task in hand,
- having a quiet word with the child,
- changing task of working group
∙ removing the child to another part of the room temporarily,
- temporary withdrawal of privileges,
In cases where children fail to respond to normal classroom strategies, children are referred to the Head
Teacher who may instigate a monitoring and modifying behaviour programme in consultation with the child
and parents.
In isolated cases of serious misbehaviour, parents will be informed and asked to support the action taken
which will be in the best interests of the child and the school.
Curriculum
The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. Notwithstanding its name, it does not apply to Independent Schools, who by definition are free to set their own curriculum, but it ensures that state schools of all Local Education Authorities have a common curriculum.
The Education Reform Act 1988 requires that all state students be taught a Basic Curriculum of Religious Education and the National Curriculum.
The purpose of the National Curriculum was to ensure that certain basic material was covered by all pupils. In subsequent years the curriculum grew to fill the entire teaching time of most state schools.
There are two principal aims to the National Curriculum:
- Aim 1: The school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve.
- Aim 2: The school curriculum should aim to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.
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