Heath Hayes Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase the quality of teaching further and continue to raise outcomes for pupils, especially the most able, by:
  • ensuring that all teachers set tasks for the most able pupils that are sufficiently demanding and are matched closely to their abilities
  • ensuring that teachers identify and challenge errors in pupils’ work in spelling and number formation.
• Further develop leadership and management, by:
  • ensuring that support and interventions for disadvantaged pupils are always matched sharply to their individual needs.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher’s commitment to ensure that all pupils attain high outcomes has resulted in improvements in all aspects of the school’s work. She has established a clear vision of what makes Heath Hayes Primary Academy unique. Pupils were involved in drawing up the school’s values which are represented by the word ‘Future’. These values, which include being ‘forward thinking’ and ‘unique individuals’, drive the work that leaders and staff do in school. The headteacher has a deep knowledge of the children in the school and ensures that they have high aspirations about what they can achieve in their lives.
• Leadership at all levels is strong. The headteacher identifies strengths within staff and develops their leadership skills. Opportunities for professional development are tailored to the needs of individuals and are matched accurately to their experience and aspirations. Leaders make good use of the range of support that is provided through the REAch2 (Raising Educational Achievement for Children) multi-academy trust. For example, associate school leaders from within the trust have been at the fore of developing and embedding the improvements in the teaching of writing and the curriculum.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning within school is effective, thorough and accurate. Middle leaders have been provided with support in monitoring their areas of responsibility and have been effective in improving the teaching of mathematics and English.
• Strong systems are in place for the management of teachers’ performance. Clear and challenging objectives linked to the school’s improvement priorities are set annually and reviewed during the year. There are robust links in place between the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ outcomes, and individual teachers’ pay progression.
• An exciting and well-planned curriculum is now established within school. The majority of pupils’ learning is through ‘adventure’ topics. These are very well planned to ensure full coverage of all subjects over a school year and are accurately linked to the specific ages and interests of the pupils. The ‘adventures’ are enhanced and supported through regular visits and visitors. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Years 5 and 6 visited Cannock Chase to support their work on the local environment and pupils in Years 3 and 4 visited Chester as part of their studies of the Romans. The curriculum is further supported through a range of extra-curricular activities and clubs which impact positively on pupils’ personal and social development.
• The primary sports funding is used well to enhance pupils’ participation in a wider range of sporting activities, including tennis and hockey. All pupils in Year 4 attend weekly swimming lessons and there are additional lessons in Year 6 for any pupils who are not confident swimmers. Pupils are encouraged to consider their own health and well-being and take part in ‘bleep tests’ that measure their fitness levels after physical activities. Opportunities to take part in competitive sport have been increased and there are now regular inter-school competitions with other local schools. Teachers have received training in the teaching of gymnastics and dance which has increased their confidence and skills in these areas.
• The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils are taught about other faiths and beliefs and this helps them to develop respect, tolerance and understanding. The clear and positive behaviour expectations that are known by all members of the school community engender a strong sense of right and wrong. All pupils have opportunities during their school life to take part in a drama production and a residential visit to France as these help widen their cultural and social understanding. Pupils demonstrate through their actions and knowledge a strong understanding of fundamental British values and are well supported by the school in their development as future citizens of this country.
• School leaders are reflective and keen to learn from good practice that exists both locally and nationally. An example of this is the revised strategy that has been developed recently to make more effective use of the additional pupil premium funding. Leaders recognise that in the past disadvantaged pupils have not made the same rates of progress as other pupils nationally and regard this as a priority for improvement. Leaders and governors have looked at case studies and have recognised that funding needs to be matched more closely to the individual needs of the disadvantaged pupils in school to help them make better progress. However, the strategy has not been fully implemented yet and it is therefore too early to determine its impact.
• The REAch2 multi-academy trust provides strong and effective support, including with personnel matters and school administration. Staff from the trust regularly monitor and evaluate the quality of all areas of the school’s work and provide good levels of challenge.
• Parental confidence in the work of the school is exceptionally high. All parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, would recommend the school to other parents. Parents also greatly value the support that leaders offer to them and their children and recognise the improvements that have taken place since the school opened as an academy. One comment identified that ‘Heath Hayes Primary Academy is a fabulous little school. The improvements in the last two years have been fantastic. Communication to parents is first class. The headteacher has a great team.’ This comment was fully representative of all the free text comments that parents made as part of the online survey.

Governance of the school

• The local governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and is a strong force in continuing to drive the school forward.
• Governors use a range of information to analyse how well pupils in school are achieving and compare their progress with that of other pupils nationally. They have undertaken training to develop their understanding of how to effectively interpret and analyse the range of external performance information that is available to them.
• The chair of governors meets regularly with the headteacher and asks challenging and searching questions about pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning. Governors also visit classrooms alongside members of the school’s leadership team to gain a greater understanding of the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. Governors also make good use of the support and training that is provided by the multi-academy trust.
• While governors are diligent and effective in their monitoring of most aspects of the work of the school, they have not ensured that all the required information is published on the school website.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The well-being and safety of pupils is at the heart of the work that the school does. A culture of ensuring that children are protected is apparent in all aspects of school life. Leaders have an unswerving belief that pupils need to feel safe and secure if they are to learn well. An example of the priority that leaders place on safeguarding pupils, especially the most vulnerable, is the appointment of an emotional well-being manager who provides very effective support and monitors the impact of actions that the school takes in relation to well-being and safety.
• Staff are well trained in all aspects of safeguarding and regular updates are provided to ensure that all staff understand and can fulfil their responsibilities. All staff spoken to during the inspection were clear about procedures for identifying and reporting any concerns relating to pupils. Links with outside agencies are strong and parents and families are provided with good support and advice.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good across the school, with much that is outstanding. Teachers make learning fun for pupils but also ensure that the activities are relevant and build on what the pupils already know.
• Teachers use questioning effectively to gauge pupils’ understanding and this requires pupils to think deeply. Teachers match questions well to the different abilities of the pupils. Pupils also feel confident to ask questions of teachers due to the positive relationships that exist between adults and pupils.
• Teachers use subject knowledge well to ensure that pupils develop a good understanding of appropriate vocabulary and are able to apply their skills in other subjects.
• The teaching of mathematics is highly effective. Pupils are taught key skills and mathematical knowledge, and are then provided with relevant and challenging problems to solve. An example of this was seen in work that Year 6 pupils had undertaken in ‘cracking the code’ on a combination lock. The pupils were provided with some core information and then had to use logic and reasoning to work out the correct combination of numbers. They then explained the methods and approaches that they had used. This showed their ability to make decisions about how to use their knowledge in relevant situations.
• The teaching of writing has improved in school. Staff in the school evaluated the approaches that they had previously been using in developing pupils’ writing and, with the support of an associate school leader from the multi-academy trust, introduced a new system. Opportunities for the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling are now built into the adventure topics, with frequent opportunities provided for pupils to apply the skills in longer pieces of independent work.
• Pupils are taught the key skills in reading effectively, starting when they first arrive in school. Teachers and other adults in the Reception class and in the key stage 1 classes systematically develop pupils’ understanding of phonics. Pupils are then taught how to blend the sounds together to recognise words and to use this knowledge in spelling and writing. Pupils are actively encouraged to read at home with their parents. Pupils’ love of reading is also fostered through sharing a good book read by the teacher. As a result of the approaches that the school uses, pupils make good progress in reading and develop a strong appreciation of books.
• Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. They work in partnership with the teachers and have a good understanding of the different needs of the pupils they support. Teaching assistants are particularly effective in supporting some of the most vulnerable pupils in school, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Teachers use assessment well to monitor pupils’ progress and to set targets for their next stages in learning. The accuracy of teachers’ assessment is ensured well, with regular opportunities for staff to compare their judgements against teachers in other local schools and other schools within the multi-academy trust.
• Teachers follow the school’s marking policy and provide regular feedback to pupils on how well they have done and the next steps in their learning. However, there are too many occasions where teachers do not identify basic errors in spelling or number formation and this allows these mistakes to be repeated. This slows the pace of learning for some pupils.
• Teachers have high expectations of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, and expect them to do their best. They generally match tasks well to the different abilities within the class and overall progress is good. However, the levels of challenge for the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are not sufficiently high and these pupils sometimes undertake activities that are well within their capabilities. For example, older most able pupils do not find the range of reading books in school sufficiently demanding. This results in some losing interest in reading and making less progress than is expected of them.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are provided with excellent opportunities to be involved in identifying how the school can improve further. Pupils were instrumental in drawing up the key values that the school expects all members of its community to share. These values are reflected through the resilience and enthusiasm that is evident in everything the pupils do.
• Pupils are elected by their classmates as ‘pupil governors’ and have regular opportunities to meet with the headteacher and other leaders to fully express their thoughts and opinions on the future development of Heath Hayes Primary Academy. Activities such as these are used exceptionally well to develop pupils’ deep understanding of fundamental British values such as democracy, respect and tolerance.
• Pupils spoken to during the inspection made strong reference to the fact that the school is like a family and that everyone cares for everyone else. An example of this is the organisation at lunchtimes where pupils of different ages, from the youngest to the oldest, sit together in groups at the dining tables. They spoke enthusiastically about the fact that the group that is identified as being the most caring and responsible gets a reward of a ‘posh’ dinner, with candle sticks and table cloths.
• Pupils have a clear and accurate view of what bullying is. They know about the different types of bullying and the detrimental impact that bullying can have on others. As a result of their belief that people need to be treated with respect and consideration, they are confident that bullying does not happen in the school. Their view is shared by parents.
• The school’s systems to support pupils’ emotional well-being are particularly effective. The emotional well-being manager provides daily support through a ‘nurture group’ for a small number of potentially vulnerable pupils. This helps them to grow in confidence and to feel secure in school.
• Pupils are encouraged to be aware of the need to take responsibility for their own and others’ safety. An example of this is the pupils’ involvement in discussing any potential risks before they go on one of the school visits.
• Pupils are also taught about how to keep safe when using the internet. They know that there are secure systems in place in school to limit their access to unsuitable materials when using computers as part of their learning and also understand that social media can pose threats if used inappropriately.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils are polite, well-mannered and show high levels of responsibility for managing their own behaviour. During the inspection, pupils were keen to talk to the inspectors and expressed their pride in Heath Hayes Primary Academy. They believe that behaviour has improved considerably over time.
• The school keeps detailed records of any less than acceptable behaviour and there are clearly defined sanctions that can be applied if necessary. However, the behaviour of the very large majority of pupils is impeccable and reflects the positive attitudes that they have towards each other and towards adults.
• Attendance has improved over the past two years and is now above the national average. A significant reason for this is that pupils are reluctant to miss any time at school as they greatly enjoy their learning and get pleasure from being at school. The improvement in attendance is also due to the strong measures that the school has taken to challenge any less than satisfactory attendance. These measures include direct contact with families where attendance is below the school average and the use of an educational welfare officer. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils has improved alongside that of other pupils and far fewer now are regularly absent from school.
• The well-run before- and after-school club contributes to pupils’ well-being and helps promote good attendance. School leaders ensure that all pupils are able to attend if they wish to and provide free places for any families who would otherwise be unable to afford the sessions.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes have risen rapidly across all phases in the school over the past two years, since the school opened as an academy, and are now good. Evidence gathered during the inspection, including work seen in pupils’ books and the assessment information that the school keeps, indicates that the very large majority of pupils in all year groups are making good progress from their starting points.
• In 2015, the proportion of pupils that attained the expected standards in mathematics, reading and writing at the end of key stage 2 was broadly in line with the national average. Outcomes from the 2016 national assessments indicate that there has been an ongoing improvement, and that the results will compare more favourably against the unvalidated national average.
• Year 6 pupils in 2015 made at least the expected progress in writing but less progress in reading and mathematics. The well-focused work that leaders have undertaken to improve the quality of teaching in these areas has resulted in rapid improvements in outcomes from the 2016 end of key stage 2 results, although these are yet to be confirmed. Early indications from these tests indicate that more pupils are making rapid progress in all these subjects.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics has improved due to the strong focus that school leaders place on pupils applying their mathematical knowledge to problem-solving and reasoning.
• Outcomes for reading are good across the school, with pupils showing a deep interest in books. In 2015, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was above the national average. In 2016, an even higher proportion attained the expected standard.
• Pupils’ outcomes from their starting points are now good across all subjects. This is due to the well-planned curriculum that ensures subjects such as geography, history and science are all taught thoroughly through the exciting ‘adventure’ topics, with a good balance of time spent on each. Teachers set equally high expectations for the outcomes in these subjects and use assessment information well to match the activities to the different needs of most pupils.
• Progress for disadvantaged pupils has risen alongside those of other pupils. In recent years, attainment for some of these pupils has been lower than that of other pupils nationally but these differences are narrowing due to the raised expectations that leaders have for the disadvantaged pupils. While small-group work and one-to-one support has been mainly effective in recent years, it has not always been sufficiently matched to each individual’s needs and this has slowed the rates of improvement.
• Most pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their individual starting points. The leader with responsibility for this aspect of the school’s provision works effectively with teachers and education assistants to ensure that they put in place the additional support that is required to match the pupils’ needs.
• The most able pupils in school make good progress that is in line with other pupils in school. Occasionally, progress slows when teachers do not set work that is sufficiently challenging. In 2015, the proportion attaining the highest levels by the time they left the school in Year 6 was lower than that found nationally and unvalidated assessment information for 2016 indicates that this will again be the case.
• As a result of the good teaching that now exists in school and the corresponding improvements in outcomes, pupils are in a strong position when they leave Heath Hayes Primary Academy to move to secondary school. The school ensures that pupils are enthusiastic learners with secure knowledge and skills across all subjects.

Early years provision Good

• The majority of children start at the school with skills and knowledge that are slightly below those that are typical for their age. As a result of good teaching, they make rapid progress across all areas of learning. In 2015, the proportion of children who had reached a good level of development was above the national average. In 2016, there was a further rise in the proportion reaching a good level of development with most children at or above the standard expected for their age. As a result, the very large majority of children are well prepared for when they start in Year 1.
• The early years leader provides strong and effective leadership and has an accurate view of how the provision can improve further. She ensures that the activities that are planned for the children are matched accurately to their interests and ages and has high expectations of what each child can and should achieve. She has revised the assessment processes that were in place and staff now have a greater understanding of the progress that children are making. However, she recognises that the initial assessments that are carried out when children start at school need to be more sharply focused on accurately identifying what children can and cannot do. This has led to changes to the assessment systems that are being used with the children who have just started at the school.
• At the time of the inspection, children had only been in school for just over two weeks. As a result of very effective induction arrangements, all the children had settled in quickly and confidently and were already happily engaged in their learning. The teacher ensured that the children understood the daily routines and were clear about what was expected of them. This meant that there was a calm and purposeful atmosphere, with all children behaving well.
• There is a strong focus on developing children’s key skills in reading, writing and early mathematics, from the moment that they start in Reception. For example, during the inspection, children were observed in the ‘health centre’ that had been set up in the indoor classroom. They were encouraged to ask questions of each other related to the activities they were involved in and wrote notes on clipboards about the different ‘patients’ who came to the surgery. These activities helped in developing correct letter formation and extended the children’s speaking and listening skills.
• The teaching of early reading through phonics is strong in the early years provision. Children are accurately taught how to recognise the sounds that letters make and to blend these together to make words. They are encouraged by teachers and other staff to develop an appreciation of reading, through regular visits to the library and regular time for story reading.
• Both the indoor and outdoor classrooms are attractive and well-resourced areas that stimulate children’s interest. Staff ensure that children understand what activities are available to them and the purpose of the tasks they are supporting. They also place a strong emphasis on making sure that the children know how to use the apparatus safely. As a result, children show consideration for each other and relationships within the classrooms are friendly and supportive.
• Staff in the early years provision work effectively to ensure that any disadvantaged children receive additional support if it is required. Additional funding is effectively used to enable small-group work and one-to-one support from teaching assistants to help these children make the same good progress as their classmates.
• There are strong systems in place to ensure that children are safe and well looked after. Safeguarding and welfare arrangements are effective and meet statutory requirements. Parents are well informed about how their children are progressing and are valued as partners in the learning process.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140490 Staffordshire 10019992 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 4–11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 158 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Katy Helps Rebecca Graham 01543 273690 www.heathhayesacademy.co.uk office@heathhayesacademy.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school does not comply with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish about governors’ business and financial interests, the school’s most recent key stage 2 results or a link to the government’s school performance tables for the school on its website.
• Heath Hayes Primary Academy is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those who are supported by the pupil premium funding, is above average.
• Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below that in most schools.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average, while the proportion with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils in Year 6.
• The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club.
• The school is part of the REAch2 Trust which is the main governing body with legal and strategic responsibilities for all REAch2 schools. The local governing body focuses on the day-to-day responsibilities of the school. The school opened as an academy on 1 January 2014.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils learning in 12 lessons or parts of lesson. A number of these observations were undertaken with members of the school’s leadership team.
• The inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read. They met with a group of pupils, including members of the pupil governing body, to gain their views of the school. The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime and at the end of the school day, as well as in lessons.
• The inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including assessments and records of pupils’ progress, the school’s checks and records relating to safeguarding, child protection and attendance, records of how teaching is managed and the school improvement plans.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, and three middle leaders. The lead inspector met with the chair of the local governing body and two representatives from the REAch2 multi-academy trust.
• The inspectors took account of the 70 responses to the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, and considered the 12 free text responses from parents. They also talked to parents at the start and end of the school day and considered the nine responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Adam Hewett, lead inspector Diane Pye Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector