Halsford Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils fully embrace the school's values of responsibility, respect, courage and compassion. The values permeate through all of school life.

Pupils show remarkable levels of understanding and empathy towards new children who arrive at the school having experienced varying cultural and life experiences. Pupils know who they can talk to if they have any worries. They appreciate and use their class 'worry boxes' and know that staff always help them.

Staff explicitly link the values to their high expectations for behaviour and learning. Pupils are encouraged to behave well. They know that bullying is unacceptable and that if it occurs, staff deal with it swiftly and effec...tively.

Pupils appreciate their clear learning routines and how they link with the school's values. As a result, they work hard in their lessons and achieve well.

There are many positions of responsibility available.

Pupils show pride in carrying out their duties on the school council and as prefects. They know they have a strong voice in the school and that they are listened to. Their recent suggestions have been acted on by leaders.

This has included a subtle adjustment to how pupils can ask for help in lessons or with their behaviour.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

This school has strong leadership at all levels. Trustees, governors and school leaders share a clear ambition for pupils to achieve well.

Expertise from across the trust is used well to provide staff with extensive professional development opportunities and continually drive improvement.

Leaders are building strength across many areas of the curriculum. This is particularly the case with mathematics and reading, where many pupils achieve well by the end of Year 6.

In all subjects there is a clear sequence of what pupils need to learn and remember, starting from the Reception Year. However, in a few subjects some curriculum changes are very recent and subject champions are still in the process of embedding and checking the impact of these changes.

Most pupils are supported well when they are learning to read.

Staff training has resulted in consistency in phonics teaching. Younger pupils have appropriate reading books and they are able to use their phonic strategies to read with increasing fluency. However, some older pupils do not receive effective targeted support with their reading.

This also includes some pupils who speak English as an additional language.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and feel well supported by the subject champions. Across the curriculum, there is a clear emphasis on the use of subject-specific vocabulary.

Teachers routinely check what pupils can remember about their previous learning and then use that information to adapt their teaching appropriately. This includes making appropriate adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In many subjects, this results in pupils being able to recall and make clear links between learning.

In a few subjects, this is not as evident due to recent curriculum changes.

The curriculum in early years is well considered. It is built around what children need to learn ready for Year 1 as well as their needs and interests.

Planned activities mostly ensure that children develop their skills across all areas of learning. Staff skilfully encourage talk through role play and by modelling conversations in whole sentences. The recent learning about 'people who help us' included visits from the fire service and medical professionals.

Teachers use these visits to promote and develop children's language and communication skills.

Leaders have an unwavering belief in inclusion and equality of opportunity. The impact of this is far reaching.

Teachers have the necessary knowledge to accurately identify pupils with SEND and support them with curriculum adaptation. In addition, leaders work relentlessly to ensure that all pupils have access to wider opportunities. Their actions include detailed analysis of take-up in terms of clubs and trips.

They work to ensure that pupils' talents and interests are celebrated and built on through support in many ways. The club offer is routinely reviewed and adapted in terms of timings, cost and necessary equipment. Consideration is given to the needs of pupils with SEND and how they can be fully included.

Pupils' personal development is a strength of the school. As a result, pupils show high levels of resilience. They enjoy being challenged and have a measured view about how making mistakes helps with their learning, rather than feeling demotivated.

Pupils are incredibly knowledgeable and accepting about differing faiths and cultures. They are unequivocal in their belief that their school is a fair and welcoming place for all.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong school-wide understanding about the importance of safeguarding. Staff receive regular training and are confident at being able to identify and report any concerns. Leaders are diligent in the way they analyse and follow up these concerns.

They show tenacity when securing support from other agencies and in then checking that families receive the help they need. Pupils know how to identify risk and the measures they can take to keep themselves safe, particularly regarding their online activity. Governors have robust procedures to check the effectiveness of the school's safeguarding procedures.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, the curriculum has recently been reviewed and updated. As a result, pupils cannot always remember key knowledge and make links with their previous learning. Leaders need to embed the teaching of clearly sequenced knowledge and skills in these subjects.

• Support for pupils who need extra help with their reading is not always targeted precisely enough on the specific gaps in their learning. This means that these pupils are not catching up quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that reading interventions are focused and effective.

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