Harlyn Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Harlyn Primary School benefit from the positive and supportive environment the school provides.

Staff know pupils and their families well, greeting them warmly at the school gate every day. This helps to ensure pupils enjoy coming to school and are happy here. Pupils are kept safe and know that they can share any worries they may have with trusted adults who will take them seriously.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. This is because the school has high expectations and well-understood systems for behaviour. Pupils rise to meet these and, as they move through the school, they are clear about what the expectations are.

The school ha...s high expectations for pupils' achievement. Published national results indicate that pupils' outcomes are in line with what is achieved nationally, and in a few subjects above national averages. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

Pupils contribute to the life of the school. For example, they benefit from regular opportunities to work with other year groups and the local community.

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

The school has prioritised the development of reading.

Children begin to develop phonological awareness in the Nursery and learn phonics from the start of their reception year. The school's agreed programme is typically well implemented. Staff make careful checks on which sounds pupils know and provide a range of interventions to help pupils catch up.

The books pupils use to practise reading are mostly well matched to the phonics sounds they have been taught. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to read for pleasure. For example, older pupils support their younger peers in 'reading buddy' sessions, which foster a positive reading culture throughout the school.

The school has started to review and develop the curriculum, including in the early years. In some subjects, the curriculum has been effectively designed so that pupils build their knowledge and skills over time. For example, in music, pupils develop a secure knowledge of subject-specific vocabulary and learn how to use notation to compose their own pieces of music.

In these subjects, assessment is used well to check what pupils have learned. As a result, pupils develop an increasingly deep body of knowledge and understanding that supports them to learn more complex ideas later on.

The curriculum in some other subjects is at an earlier stage of development.

In these instances, the fundamental knowledge that pupils need to know is less well defined and sequenced. Ongoing training to develop subject leaders' and teachers' expertise is not as regular as it could be. Consequently, teachers' subject knowledge is not as consistent.

Assessment is not used as precisely to identify and correct pupils' misconceptions. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they should.

Pupils with SEND are swiftly and accurately identified.

Typically, these pupils benefit from appropriate adaptations and interventions that support their needs. Parents and carers are very positive about the school's provision and support for their children.

Pupils demonstrate their understanding of the school's rules and high expectations through their positive behaviour and attitudes to learning.

Behaviour in lessons is orderly, and low-level disruption is rare. This enables pupils to remain focused. Attendance is closely monitored, with current levels in line with national averages.

Relationships between staff and pupils are positive, contributing to a safe and supportive environment.

The school provides a wide range of effective opportunities to support pupils' personal development. For example, pupils benefit from a variety of additional activities.

These include sports, music, and drama clubs, as well as targeted clubs like the celebrating differences club and the young carers club. Opportunities to take on additional responsibilities such as house captains and the Rights Respecting steering group, are accessible to all pupils, including those with SEND. The curriculum promotes mental health awareness, and pupils are taught to manage their emotions effectively.

The school provides enrichment activities, including educational visits and local community projects, to further enhance pupils' development and cultural awareness.

Leaders, including those responsible for governance, are fully committed to the school. They understand and fulfil their statutory responsibilities.

However, checks on how well the curriculum is designed and implemented sometimes lack precision. This limits how well leaders understand aspects of the school and how priorities for improvement are identified and acted upon.

Leaders and governors ensure that staff's well-being and workload are taken into consideration.

As a result, staff are very positive about working at the school. They appreciate the collaborative, welcoming and supportive culture.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subjects are at an earlier stage of design and implementation. In these instances, the specific knowledge that pupils are expected to learn are not as clearly identified or sequenced. Additionally, there are times where the activities provided do not support pupils to sufficiently learn the intended curriculum in these subjects.

As a result, there are gaps in pupils' understanding and they do not build on prior knowledge as well as they should. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum in each subject is carefully designed and sequenced. This should include providing professional development to develop teachers' subject-specific and pedagogical knowledge, enabling them to implement the intended curriculum consistently and effectively.

• The school's systems for overseeing the quality of education are not sufficiently precise. As a result, inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum are not swiftly identified or addressed. The school should develop more rigorous systems for checking the quality of education, as well as providing training for subject leaders so they can carry out their roles effectively.

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