Item 1 (Appendix)

Appendix 1

Education in Hampshire in the Primary Years

This document summarises the principles that underpin primary practice in Hampshire schools such that children in Hampshire have equal access to excellent learning opportunities regardless of where in the county they live. Further information and amplification are in related County Council policies that are referred to within the text.

1. Primary schools are communities with a culture that promotes and supports effective teaching, with active and participative learning.

Highly effective schools are self-evaluating and strive to provide structured continual professional development programmes for all staff. They operate as professional learning communities, which share their expertise, exercise their critical enquiry and display their professional integrity. They are led with a clear sense of moral purpose that is focused on a broad learning entitlement. This starts with high quality induction of all staff regardless of their role and continues by meeting their ongoing needs and empowering them as they develop in that role. Children's effective learning underpins all that schools do. In teaching, teachers rely on personal insight and a sound theoretical grounding. Schools encapsulate both the precision and artistry of teaching. Professional dialogue in the school continually shapes and improves this.

There is a learning culture within the school which supports this open dialogue and performance management should be used positively to provide accountability, inform school improvement and strategic planning, raise performance and maintain high standards. Performance management and professional learning are seen as natural partners. The Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College (HTLC) provides a county forum for developing the learning culture of all schools and encourages an effective learning dialogue between them.

Indicators of success:

· All adults employed in the school embrace the opportunities for professional learning that the school provides and this has a positive impact on children's learning.

· Leadership at all levels reflects a moral purpose that places children's learning at the centre of all the school does.

2. The school ethos places a high value on ensuring that learning takes place in a stimulating, purposeful and creative environment

Creating the right conditions for effective learning is essential. The physical environment of the school has to support learning. Children need to be stimulated by the learning environment but also experience pride in their school and develop a sense of ownership. The Primary School Design Brief provides guidance for schools in developing the learning environment.

The County Council's policy of managing the supply of primary places, as set out in the School Organisation Plan, aims to ensure that all primary schools are able to offer the breadth and richness of the curriculum that is necessary in a stimulating physical environment.

Of vital importance is the maintenance and promotion of an environment that supports the safety and security of all members of the school community. The County Council also provides support through its long record of substantial investment in the improvement of school buildings and has a national reputation for producing new buildings to an excellent standard. The effective maintenance of existing buildings and investment to update accommodation to meet changing curriculum needs are priorities in the County Council's capital programmes.

Indicators of success:

· The building and its environment are maintained in an orderly and attractive manner, which stimulate learning and are respected by staff, children and the local community.

· Specialist facilities (e.g. IT facilities, music/drama rooms) are contemporary and appropriate for learning.

3. The curriculum is broad, rich and innovative, so that it is responsive to the different learning needs of every child.

Schools need to apply the principles of Every Child Matters, when developing their own distinctive curriculum. This enables the school to make informed decisions about how it will meet the needs of all its children. Particular consideration should be given to provision for vulnerable children as well as those looked after, young carers, ethnic minorities, and particularly able children. Each school is expected to contribute to aim 1 of the Corporate Strategy of the County Council - Maximising Life Opportunities.

Learning experiences for children must enable them to achieve high standards in key skills within a broad, rich and innovative curriculum. The County Council expects schools to provide a curriculum that enables children to progress at a pace suited to their needs and aptitude. Curriculum requirements need to be interpreted in a flexible and responsive way that builds on prior achievement and informs the next steps in learning. Curriculum design should develop understanding through enquiry, creativity and e-learning. Children should be able to see meaning and purpose in their learning and develop the attributes to become lifelong learners. Schools should provide teaching that makes children active learners not passive recipients. For example, the policy on the Education of Able and Talented Pupils stresses the right of access to a curriculum that is challenging and allows achievement to the highest possible standards.

In Hampshire schools, a child should therefore see the curriculum as a whole learning experience both in and out of classrooms - before, during and after the timetabled day. It should encompass out of school and extended learning, including off-site learning or residential experiences. It could include periods of learning at home, supported, ideally, by the on-line resources that the school provides. Structures that enable the voice of the child to influence the direction of more personalised programmes of learning should be established.

Indicators of success:

· Children develop effective learning strategies and enjoy their experiences across the curriculum.

· Access to learning is appropriate to abilities and children are involved in a dialogue about their learning to inform their progress and future learning targets.

· Partnerships between primary schools and their pre-school and secondary partners support progression.

4. There is excellence in attainment and achievement with an entitlement to good progress for every child.

A highly effective primary school builds on prior learning. Based on national curriculum expectations, children make at least two levels of progress in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, across a broad and rich curriculum. The highest attaining children are enabled to achieve beyond the normal expectations for their key stage.

However, it is a school's recognition of a child's wider achievements that will help contribute to the County Council's Strategy for Education in according their worth. This will be reflected in the importance given to learning beyond the classroom and how that is promoted, supported and recognised. It will be linked to the steps taken by a school to secure the participation of all.

Indicators of success:

· All children achieving level 2 by the end of Key Stage 1 progress to at least level 4 by the end of Key Stage 2.

· All children achieving level 3 by the end of Key Stage 1 progress to at least level 5 by the end of Key Stage 2.

· There is a year on year improvement in level 4 and level 5 outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2.

5. Timely and appropriate information is shared and used between and within schools, and other appropriate agencies, to inform effective learning.

High quality self-evaluation, the planning that follows and the effectiveness of subsequent actions are the hallmarks of successful school leadership. Arrangements under the New Relationship with Schools requires the County Council to manage and complement the work of attached inspectors by providing both the information and support necessary to achieve this goal. Every primary school must therefore be able to select, analyse and use data and other information available, both nationally and locally, to evaluate school performance and the progress of all its children. The process contained in Supporting High Standards in Hampshire Schools explains how the County Council validates annually the effectiveness of all its schools and the quality of their self-evaluation.

The National Primary Strategy emphasises the importance of high quality transitions between phases and within phases. This should involve the exchange of information about the curriculum, learning, attainment and the personal development of children. The progress of pupils is then tracked systematically so that early interventions can be made if the learning falters. Only when the whole child is considered can continuity be achieved in important aspects such as personal development. For children who are potentially at risk, the Behaviour Support Policy provides an important framework.

Indicators of success:

· Schools use self-evaluation to inform school improvement and the relationship with the county council.

· Whole school performance data is benchmarked against key contextual indicators and other benchmarks.

· All child information is accurate, appropriate, accessible and updated regularly.

· There is engagement and partnership with parents, appropriate agencies and the community.

6. No child is left out or left behind

Every child matters. Personal, linguistic, religious and cultural diversity are celebrated. All children should be healthy and safe in Hampshire primary schools, enjoy their learning experiences and get the most from life in terms of achievement, economic independence and community involvement. The setting up of the Hampshire Children's Services Board by the Cabinet of the County Council, in July 2004, was a response to this agenda. It means that schools have a responsibility to identify children who may find it harder to achieve because of adverse factors, both internal and external to the school context. In this respect there should be a shared resolve by schools with the Children's Services Authority to address this need whilst ensuring that no other individuals or groups are disadvantaged. This includes ensuring that all children and parents or carers understand the importance of good attendance and its strong link with achievement.

The Co-ordinated Scheme for Admissions applies to all primary schools and aims to ensure that all those with special educational needs, disabilities, children looked after or those that are hard to place, are treated fairly and consistently. This is regardless of the status or location of the school for which they make an application. Hampshire County Council believes that local communities are best served by highly effective schools that serve all children in the locality.

These beliefs are reflected in the policy statement for special educational needs, which states as an aim, the development and implementation of more effective means of inclusion. Physical, emotional or behavioural difficulties must not be an obstacle to children with special needs being educated and supported in local maintained, mainstream provision. The Children's Services Department and schools must also be responsive to the needs of the most able. The county council is working with headteachers, governors, colleges and voluntary and statutory organisations to promote inclusion for a wider and greater complexity of special needs in all our schools. The County Council will continue to maintain special schools for those children whose needs are best met in this way.

Indicators of success:

· All children are fairly treated by admissions procedures and appropriate provision is made to meet their diverse needs.

· All vulnerable children or those at risk of not achieving are identified routinely through school procedures. Early interventions are undertaken and outcomes measured.

· All Hampshire primary schools have attendance levels at the national median or higher when compared with those in similar circumstances.

7. Good behaviour is promoted and poor behaviour is managed well.

Self-esteem, behaviour and academic success are influenced by the ethos of the school as a whole, which should include a strong emphasis on social justice. The Rights, Respect and Responsibilities initiative has highlighted the importance of consistent re-enforcement of responsibilities and the use of a rights-respecting dialogue amongst adults and children. The county council is committed to extending this initiative to all schools and regards it as a key strategy for promoting good behaviour and social responsibility.

Socially unacceptable behaviour impacts on the educational experience and enjoyment of other children and must therefore be addressed. However, exclusion from school has a detrimental effect on an individual child's life chances and society as a whole. The Behaviour Support Policy provides a framework for schools and colleges to develop strategies to manage children's behaviour and tackle bullying, whilst providing a safe and inclusive place to learn. The County Council recognises that it has an important and proactive role in providing preventative advice to schools and in working with partners to promote strong and safe local communities which discourage anti-social behaviour in all forms.

Indicators of success:

· Children display a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities and show respect to all others.

· Policies lead to socially acceptable behaviour being seen as the norm amongst the whole school community. Unacceptable behaviour is addressed within the school and in a just manner.

8. Schools demonstrate a commitment to their local community

Highly effective schools are inclusive schools. This means that they serve the needs of all children who live in their community. The Lifelong Learning Strategy describes the underpinning role of schools as centres of learning in their communities and in promoting generic lifelong learning skills. The headteacher has a key role in the local community as the lead professional for learning and promoting high standards of achievement in the community. Local partnerships that encourage co-operative working in support of effective learning are a vital feature of the work of groups of schools, particularly in helping children as they transfer from one phase of education to another. This is paramount in those localities of relative deprivation where at this point in a child's education, they may be at greatest risk of faltering.

The County Council embraces the concept of extended schools and intends to build on the practice of many schools in Hampshire that already offer services to their communities both within and beyond the school day. It is committed to supporting schools in partnership with the National Remodelling Team to achieving national targets for provision outside the school day.

Indicators of success:

· Schools consult with, and respond to, the interests of pupils, parents and the community that they serve.

· Schools enter into partnership with the parents of their children.

· Schools contribute to learning and development in the community beyond the timetabled day through an appropriate range of provision using their facilities and expertise.

Policies and Strategies Referred to in this Document