Hounslow Heath School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Hounslow Heath Infant and Nursery is a unique and innovative school serving a rapidly expanding community highly effectively.

The visionary headteacher, supported by a highly committed senior leadership team and staff, is making constant improvements to the quality of teaching and learning whilst developing the site to accommodate more families. Governors, enthusiastically led by the Chair of the Governing Body, know the school well and provide a good level of challenge and support to the senior team. They have taken a leading role in developing the partnership with parents and through the introduction of a new home-school learning approac...h.

Teachers share the headteacher's ambitious vision for the school and there is a high degree of consistency. Warm and professional relationships contribute to exceptional attitudes to learning. Teachers make lessons active and fun.

Pupils love coming to school and are always enthusiastic and ready to learn. Behaviour around the school and in lessons is excellent because the rules are few and readily understood. The outdoor learning environment is stimulating, thought provoking and enthralling.

It has been designed to provide a safe and stimulating area for play and exploration. Specially designed structures provide quiet spaces and endless possibilities for learning. Children achieve exceptionally well and make outstanding progress from their individual starting points.

By the end of Year 2, most pupils are close to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has maintained these high levels of achievement, while successfully accommodating a large influx of families in recent years; many who have come directly from other countries and have little or no English on arrival. All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium, make excellent progress.

Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make outstanding progress as a result of the innovative and effective teaching. The school has adopted inventive ways to ensure that these pupils can begin to take full advantage of the many learning opportunities it provides. Pupils feel safe at school.

Not only are they exceptionally well looked after, they are actively encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and each other. As a result, they have a highly developed sense of personal safety. Children in the early years make excellent progress and benefit greatly from a stimulating environment and outstanding care and support from the staff.

Information about this school

The school is much larger than the average-sized primary or infant school. There have been significant increases in pupil numbers since the last inspection. The building has been modified and improved to accommodate these pupils and work continues in order to accommodate this continuing growth.

The vast majority of pupils are from different ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions. A high proportion is learning to speak English as an additional language and receives support in the school's language unit. Many come from homes of multiple family occupancy.

The proportion of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs is below average. However, the school has a centre for children with physical disabilities and a centre for children with moderate learning difficulties. These centres take pupils with specific needs from across the local authority.

The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. This additional funding is provided for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority. The school has two part-time Nursery classes and seven full-time Reception classes.