Heathfield Primary and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning and of assessment by ensuring that:
  • pupils’ understanding is systematically checked during mathematics lessons and in their books, and that any misconceptions are promptly addressed.
• Improve pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that:
  • pupils’ attainment in mathematics, including that of disadvantaged pupils, meets national expectations by the end of key stage 2, and that more girls reach the higher standard
  • pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics screening check continues to improve to be at least in line with national expectations, particularly that of boys.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • ensuring that pupils’ attendance improves, particularly that of disadvantaged pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Despite the challenges of a new school build, leaders have been relentless in their high expectations for all pupils and have not let anything get in the way of their determination to improve the quality of pupils’ learning. Leaders have ensured that the ‘Heathfield pledge’ of unambiguous high aspirations for all pupils has been seamlessly integrated across the two sites. All pupils receive a consistently good quality of education. Leaders’ uncompromising commitment to raising standards has led to impressive improvements in pupils’ outcomes. However, leaders are determined that these successes are built on further, so that all pupils’ outcomes are at least in line with national averages.
• The appointment of two heads of school from September 2016 has further strengthened leadership capacity. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s areas for development and have put in place an appropriate improvement plan. This has been clearly communicated to all staff.
• Leaders have recognised that the recent changes have brought about challenges in establishing consistency in expectations. Nevertheless, they have been successful in ensuring that the quality of teaching is good across the school. This has been achieved by senior leaders making very explicit their expectations of staff and by providing good-quality professional support for teachers. Teachers have access to a range of training through a teaching school alliance, the school’s partnership with a group of local schools called ‘the P6P’ and in-house expertise. Teachers, including those new to the profession, told inspectors that they are well supported by senior leaders and leaders provide strong role models through their professional expertise. The executive headteacher has also successfully supported other schools to improve, and works closely with the local authority on piloting educational projects. For example, leaders have started a project in mathematics, starting in the early years, to address pupils’ recent underperformance at the end of key stage 2 in this subject.
• The school has successfully capitalised on this professional development network to share good practice and to ensure that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work are accurate. As a result, leaders ensure that the school is outward-looking and leaders keep up to date with new developments and research in education.
• Middle leaders are now more accountable for pupils’ outcomes in the areas for which they are responsible. Middle leaders are clear about senior leaders’ expectations and value the support they are given them to help them lead whole-school improvement. They told inspectors how senior leaders have created a positive and collaborative culture of learning in the school. This enables teachers to support each other, plan together and, therefore, have a continual focus on improving the quality of teaching, learning and outcomes for pupils.
• Leaders have ensured that the school provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which pupils find interesting and enjoy. All pupils study Spanish. The most able pupils are awarded the title of Spanish ambassadors. They support other pupils’ learning in lessons and have visited Madrid to develop their own linguistic skills. Leaders have organised pupils to undertake scientific investigations and invited in experts from Nottingham University to teach pupils about topics such as aerodynamics. The curriculum is enhanced by regular trips, residential stays and visitors, such as actors dressed as Romans and Tudors coming into school to help pupils understand events in history. Leaders are determined that pupils will have memorable experiences which motivate and excite them so they want to learn. As a result, pupils say they enjoy school because learning is fun.
• Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their artistic, academic and sporting talents. All pupils in Year 4 learn a stringed instrument, and pupils provide the strings section for a city orchestra. A resident artist works with pupils to create artwork, using innovative approaches and materials. Leaders have established close links with the Royal Shakespeare Company and pupils enjoy performing in plays. Pupils also appreciate the wide range of extra-curricular clubs provided for them.
• British values are promoted well by leaders. They feature in assemblies, for example where pupils learn about justice and democracy, and are reinforced through activities, such as voting for the school councillors. Leaders are also very aware of the need to ensure that pupils value diversity. They look for opportunities to broaden pupils’ experiences of people from other backgrounds, cultures and faiths. For example, pupils visit different places of worship. As a result, pupils are respectful and considerate of views different from their own.
• Leaders have ensured that the primary school physical education and sport premium funding is used well to promote pupils’ engagement with sport. A range of sporting clubs and competitions are provided and pupils’ participation in sports has increased. By employing a specialist coach, who works with teachers, leaders have ensured that teachers are now confident in delivering physical education lessons and assessing pupils’ skills in this subject.
• Leaders invite parents into school for regular workshops to help them to support their children’s learning at home. The majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, are positive about the school and would recommend it to other parents.
• Leaders have identified that pupils’ attainment in mathematics and the phonics screening check needs to improve to meet national expectations.

Governance

• The governing body provides strong support and challenge for leaders. Governors have willingly accepted training and support, for example from the local authority, to enable them to be more effective in their roles. They know the school well because they visit regularly, meet with leaders and with pupils, and receive regular reports about pupils’ progress. Governors are also very reflective and look for ways to improve their performance further, auditing the skills of the governing body so that governors’ skills can be best utilised. They have ensured that they have a sharp focus for their regular visits, which are closely linked to the school improvement plan.
• The governing body carefully monitors the school’s finances and the use of additional funding, such as that provided for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and for disadvantaged pupils. They know how the funding is spent and what actions are having the most impact. They acknowledge that attainment for disadvantaged pupils has been variable but is improving, and that more needs to be done to ensure that disadvantaged pupils’ attainment improves in mathematics.
• The governing body identified that pupils’ attendance, in particular that of disadvantaged pupils, had fallen below the national average. Governors recommended that the school use a proportion of the pupil premium funding to employ a second attendance officer in April 2016, to specifically support these pupils. While attendance is still below the national average, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are repeatedly late or absent from school is decreasing as a result.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All statutory checks on staff are carried out and recorded carefully. Records of any concerns about pupils are meticulous because leaders know that keeping pupils safe is of central importance. All concerns are recorded accurately by staff and passed swiftly to designated leaders who follow these up rigorously. Leaders liaise with external agencies to ensure that action is taken promptly when concerns are raised. Training is updated regularly and so all staff know exactly what to do if they have a concern. Staff are aware of current safeguarding issues, such as the risk of extremism, and are knowledgeable about how this might apply in the context of their school. Senior leaders review all safeguarding concerns for all pupils on a regular basis, and check with each other that all follow-up action has been taken. This frequent double-checking ensures that nothing is overlooked and pupils are kept extremely safe in school.
• Parents who spoke to inspectors were unanimous in their praise and appreciation of the school’s site managers, who greet them every day and give them reassurance that the school site is safe and secure.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good because teachers plan and organise the majority of learning tasks well based on pupils’ ability. Teachers across each year group plan together so that pupils in different classes in the same year group enjoy comparable lessons. At the time of the inspection, two teachers were new to the school and were quickly getting to grips with the needs and strengths of the pupils in their classes. They were supported well by other adults in their year groups in doing so.
• Teachers and pupils have positive relationships and pupils willingly follow teachers’ instructions in lessons. Teachers plan lessons which capture pupils’ interests and imaginations. As a result, pupils enjoy learning and make good progress.
• Leaders rightly identified reading as a whole-school priority and have taken effective action to address this. Reading is successfully promoted across the school. The school library is well resourced. The most able pupils are provided with books that are suitably challenging. Pupils who spoke to inspectors said they enjoy reading and could all name their favourite books. Parents who spoke with inspectors said the school has encouraged them to read regularly with their children at home. Pupils’ attainment and progress in reading have improved dramatically as a result of the positive actions leaders have taken.
• All staff have had training on the new phonics system. Pupils who read to inspectors used their phonics skills to decipher less familiar words. While pupils’ attainment is not yet at the national average, it has improved significantly since leaders have introduced the new phonics system.
• Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills in other subjects, for example science and topic work. Teachers also ensure that pupils use their prior learning to build on their skills and to deepen their knowledge and understanding. For example, pupils looked at a range of different biographies before having ‘a go’ at writing their own. Pupils’ books demonstrated that their stamina in writing about topics at length has improved.
• Questioning is used effectively by most teachers to check pupils’ understanding of concepts. Teachers ask pupils open questions starting with ‘how?’ and ‘why?’, which help pupils to develop their thinking and deepen their knowledge.
• Homework is used well to support learning in lessons and pupils told inspectors that it is set regularly. Pupils enjoy carrying out projects which help them to apply their skills independently and so extend their learning.
• Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and follow the school’s marking policy. In many cases, teachers’ comments are effective in helping pupils to improve their work. Occasionally, teachers do not identify early enough pupils’ mathematical misconceptions in lessons or in their books. As a result, pupils do not always have a secure understanding of fundamental mathematical concepts.
• Equally, when pupils’ handwriting in their books becomes messy and illegible, mistakes in number and letter formation, and incorrect spelling, go unnoticed and inaccuracies prevail.
• Evidence seen in pupils’ books during the inspection shows that all pupils are making good progress often from low starting points, including boys and disadvantaged pupils, who had previously underperformed.
• However, the most able pupils are not always given the appropriate challenge to help them make the accelerated progress of which they are capable. Evidence in books shows that the most able pupils do not always have opportunities to study subjects in greater depth. The school has identified that more girls need to reach the higher standard at the end of key stage 2 in mathematics.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are welcoming and confident in speaking with adults. When asked, pupils explain what they are learning because adults make the purpose of learning clear to pupils. Pupils are proud of their work. Leaders have ensured that the best examples of pupils’ work are celebrated on a ‘high five’ wall in the main hall for everyone to see.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Values, such as respect, friendship and equality, are reinforced regularly in lessons and assemblies. As a result, pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. They know they should treat others as they wish to be treated themselves. Pupils particularly value being allowed to access the school’s ‘VIP area’ when they have been nominated by their peers for being a good friend. Pupils develop their social skills through working in pairs and groups in lessons. Inspectors saw pupils supporting each other’s learning and helping each other to improve. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility, for example being ‘playground buddies’ and representing their class as school council members. All Year 6 pupils have first-aid training. This is helping pupils to understand how to be good citizens and preparing them well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils and their parents are well supported in many ways. For example, leaders have used some of the pupil premium funding to employ a family support worker. She works with parents and pupils on issues relevant to their needs, including attendance. This has improved the attendance of a number of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. Leaders have ensured that speech and language support is provided within school, because they have identified this as a particular barrier to learning for some pupils. This helps these pupils with their speech, and also with reading and spelling. Special play is provided in school to support pupils with social and emotional difficulties so that they can be successful in school.
• Pupils are taught effectively about healthy eating in their technology lessons. They complete a project where they learn to grow, prepare and produce their own food. The school has received a national award for its positive work in this area.
• Pupils know about how to keep themselves safe, for example learning about e-safety regularly. Leaders have also provided pupils with well-planned opportunities from outside organisations to enable them to learn about healthy relationships with each other and with adults. For example, ‘GREAT’, a countywide project, teaches pupils that ‘Good relationships are equal and trusting’.
• All pupils who spoke with inspectors said they feel safe and, although there is the occasional name-calling from a minority of pupils, that any bullying is rare. Pupils have complete trust in their teachers and playground buddies to support them if they have any concerns. However, some parents who responded to Ofsted’s free text service expressed concerns about bullying. School records supported pupils’ views that any incidents are extremely rare, and that the school’s effective actions mean that incidents are not repeated.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The vast majority of pupils are keen to learn. They told inspectors that they love coming to school because learning is fun.
• Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They enjoy the activities provided for them outside at lunchtime and play happily together, taking turns with equipment.
• Pupils wear their school uniform smartly and are proud of their school. However, some pupils’ handwriting in books is messy and not all pupils’ work is well presented.
• Over recent years, pupils’ attendance has been below the national average, particularly that of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have put in place more robust procedures to follow when any pupil misses school too often. Two attendance officers make home visits for any pupil who is absent from school. Leaders inform parents about the importance of good attendance and reward pupils with high attendance. Leaders also fund an ‘early birds club’, where pupils can enjoy a meal before school. All these actions are starting to yield improvements in pupils’ punctuality and attendance. However, leaders acknowledge that attendance is still just below the national average and disadvantaged pupils still miss school more often than other pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils’ outcomes. As a result, pupils’ progress, from low starting points, has risen over the last few years. The school’s current in-year information shows that this improvement is set to continue. Evidence seen on inspection and in pupils’ books supports this. Leaders predict that all pupils’ attainment will be at least in line with current national averages by the end of the year.
• In 2016, pupils’ attainment at key stage 2 was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics combined, at both the expected and higher standard, as was pupils’ attainment and progress in reading.
• Pupils’ attainment in writing was above the national average at the expected standard. Their attainment and progress in grammar, punctuation and spelling were in line with the national average.
• However, pupils’ attainment was below the national average in mathematics at key stage 2.
• Historically, boys have underperformed compared with girls. The school have successfully put in place a number of strategies to engage boys’ interests and to capture their imaginations. Boys’ attainment is improving as a result. In 2016, more boys reached the higher standards in mathematics and reading than girls at key stage 2.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. School records indicate that they make progress in line with other pupils in the school.
• Most pupils who begin school with little or no spoken or written English make good progress. This is because they are given effective support to develop the language skills they need to access learning.
• The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has improved by over 20% in two years and is now close to the national average. Boys’ performance has also improved at a similar rate.
• Despite year-on-year improvements, over the last three years, the proportion of pupils who passed the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 has been below the national average. The proportion of boys who pass the phonics test is significantly below the national average. Leaders acknowledge that pupils need to meet national expectations in the phonics screening check by the end of Year 1. They have invested in a new system to teach phonics from September 2016. During the inspection, all adults were seen using this system consistently to successfully support pupils to develop their phonics skills.
• Key stage 1 results are still below the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. However, consistently good teaching across the school is helping these pupils to catch up to age-related expectations by the end of Year 6.
• Although the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has been below the national average in some subjects, they make good progress from their often low starting points. This is because leaders have carefully reviewed and monitored the impact of the additional pupil premium funding, and do not continue with interventions if they are not working. Leaders effectively used some of the additional funding last year to improve disadvantaged pupils’ writing. In 2016, disadvantaged pupils’ attainment was above the national average in writing at the end of Year 6. Leaders have identified that they now need to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in mathematics.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have rapidly improved outcomes for children over the last two years. Children’s attainment is now close to the national average, including that of disadvantaged children. Most children, therefore, are well prepared and ready to start Year 1. However boys’ attainment, although improving, is still behind that of girls. Evidence seen during the inspection, however, shows that boys in the early years are rapidly catching up with girls.
• Leadership of the early years is strong. The early years leader has a detailed knowledge of what children can do and, therefore, plans effective learning to help them make good progress. At times, adults could provide the most able children with even greater challenge to help them make even more progress.
• The early years leader has put in place effective support to improve children’s early phonics skills. The pupil premium funding for disadvantaged early years children has been used appropriately to support interventions to improve these children’s progress. Leaders have identified mathematics as an area for whole-school improvement. The school has started a pilot scheme, in partnership with the local authority, to develop children’s mastery of mathematics, starting in the early years. It is too early to judge the impact of this as yet.
• Leaders have put in place a highly effective assessment system, using a range of evidence about children’s learning, which includes information where available from children’s pre-school settings. Parents also contribute to these records. Therefore, leaders have a very accurate picture of children’s learning journeys throughout their first year at school.
• Leaders make sure that they meet children and their families before they start in the Nursery. All children are visited at home and are invited into school for one session a week for half a term, before they start officially at the school. As a result, children settle very quickly into the early years.
• Adults provide a caring and supportive environment which effectively promotes children’s safety, welfare and social skills. Staff are suitably trained in paediatric first- aid.
• Teachers and teaching assistants make sure that activities develop children’s literacy and numeracy skills. They ask children questions which help them to speak in sentences and improve their vocabulary.
• The curriculum engages children’s imaginations. Leaders have provided children with plenty of opportunities to develop their learning indoors. The early years leader has identified that the outdoor play area could be further developed and has prioritised this in the improvement plan.
• Most children behave well. They listen carefully to adults’ explanations and follow instructions promptly. However, on a few occasions, when expectations are not reinforced, children lose concentration and focus.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 122442 Nottingham 10000481 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3–11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 525 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Executive Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Phil Haywood Gary Fullwood 01159 155 725 www.heathfieldprimary.org.uk headteacher@heathfield.nottingham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection

Information about this school

• The school is an above average sized primary school on two sites. The second site opened in October 2015.
• Thirty new staff, including seven teachers, took up post when the new building opened.
• Two heads of school were promoted in September 2016 from the existing leadership team, to oversee each site and to support the executive headteacher.
• The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language are much higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is much higher than average.
• The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Some lessons were seen jointly with school leaders.
• Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, senior and middle leaders, and representatives from the governing body, including the chair of the governing body.
• The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised in detail a range of pupils’ books from all year groups.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance and the development plan, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, behaviour, bullying and attendance records, safeguarding procedures, reviews of the use of the pupil premium and primary physical education and sport premium funding, and minutes of the governing body meetings.
• Inspectors observed behaviour around the school, including at break and lunchtimes. They spoke formally to two groups of pupils, and informally with others around the school. One inspector listened to pupils reading.
• There were 28 responses to Parent View for inspectors to view. Inspectors spoke with parents before school and considered 21 responses from parents to the Ofsted free text service.
• Thirty-nine responses to the online pupil questionnaire and 19 responses to the online staff questionnaire were also considered.

Inspection team

Sally Smith, lead inspector Kate Nash Jeannie Haigh Caroline Evans Aileen King

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector