Harlowbury Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Harlowbury is a place where pupils gain impressive communication skills. Pupils have daily opportunities to learn and apply new words that are important for their increasing knowledge.

Pupils say that everyone is included, no matter what.

They know that everyone is unique and that their differences are celebrated. This is shown in how pupils of different ages and classes work and play side-by-side in harmony.

During their time in school, pupils are guided appropriately to understand the world in which they live.

They draw on their learning from lessons effectively. Pupils can see how the knowledge they are amassing will support them to make important... choices, both now and in the future. For example, pupils shared, with compassion, their understanding of the impact of deforestation and use of palm oil.

They also make links with subjects they learn and jobs they might want to do when they grow up.

Pupils make positive behaviour choices across the school, and disruption to learning is rare. Pupils typically said that bullying does not happen in school.

They know that it is important to tell an adult if they are concerned about something. They are confident that adults in school listen and will take action to remedy any issues that arise.

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

Leaders have set out an ambitious plan for what pupils should learn.

This ambition begins from the moment children join Reception. It includes a sharp focus on learning vocabulary and the development of pupils' speaking and listening skills. All staff contribute to the important work of helping pupils become expert communicators.

A strong ethos of inclusion is well established throughout the school. This means that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make very good progress. Staff working with pupils in the speech and language centre have notable expertise.

Staff plan lessons that are precisely matched to the needs of each individual pupil. Strategies that support pupils with the greatest needs are clearly understood by staff and used consistently effectively across the school. This is giving all pupils the skills to listen and speak with confidence.

Teachers are effective in helping pupils to remember what they are learning. Assessment routines include the chance for pupils to have extra practice and reinforce their understanding. Classroom 'floor books' and helpful displays are useful to pupils.

They access these independently to find solutions or prompt their memory when they are stuck. There are a couple of areas in the curriculum where leaders' curriculum thinking is more recently developed. Leaders are working with teachers to ensure that pupils draw just as confidently on knowledge gained in these areas.

Pupils are taught phonics effectively from the moment they start school. Pupils enjoy practising and applying their phonics knowledge. They do this successfully as they read and explore new stories in their classrooms.

Pupils quickly take advantage of these established building blocks of early reading. Staff provide high-quality, daily opportunities for pupils to use story maps. In these sessions, pupils rehearse storytelling, using the visual prompts provided.

This helps pupils make strong connections between their thoughts and their speech. It supports pupils, including those with SEND, to commit new, important language to their memories. This is having a significant impact on pupils' achievement across the curriculum.

In early years, leaders have set curriculum goals that match the needs of the children in the class. These curriculum goals support meaningful learning activities, which are developing children's confidence effectively. Staff listen skilfully and observe carefully as children explore their learning through play.

Staff use these opportunities to maximise learning, so children achieve their best.

Pupils' understanding about important values is secure. Through assemblies, pupils can hear from interesting and expert visitors.

This helps to explore issues that pupils need to know about, such as fire safety. Pupils know that exercise and a healthy diet are good for both your body and mind. Pupils are mature when talking about a recent assembly topic on individual liberty.

They show good understanding of diversity and equality issues. Across the school, behaviour is consistently good. Pupils engage fully with their learning and have fun during playtimes.

Governors have a comprehensive understanding of the important roles they play in school improvement. An established partnership with leaders is supporting effective improvement where weaknesses are identified. Parents and carers appreciate that the school is a safe environment where pupils are happy to learn.

However, a substantial minority of parents say that they want to know more about their child's learning in school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding.

Designated safeguarding leads in the school meet routinely to review the support in place for pupils. All staff have regular and effective training to support this shared responsibility. Pupils feel able to communicate their worries to trusted adults.

When concerns are communicated, leaders are quick to respond.

The curriculum is carefully designed to help pupils know how to keep themselves safe. This includes areas such as road and online safety.

Pupils share confidently the strategies they use to keep themselves safe when using social media.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of areas in the curriculum, leaders' plans are established, but more recently introduced. Leaders should continue, with clarity and focus, to make sure that the content of newly developed plans is presented by teachers in a way that supports pupils to confidently recall important knowledge, as seen in other areas of the curriculum.

• Leaders have not always communicated their plans or visions clearly enough for parents. As a result, a substantial minority of parents feel that they lack understanding of the learning of their children in school. Leaders and governors should continue the work started to build constructive links with the parent and carer community, providing the clear information that parents need.