Harris Primary Academy Coleraine Park

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a highly nurturing and inclusive community that values and celebrates each pupil as a unique individual. This ethos drives its exceptionally strong, embedded ambition to remove all limits and barriers to what pupils can achieve.

Through a very carefully designed curriculum and tailored support for every pupil, this ambition is fulfilled. Staff set very high expectations from the moment pupils join the school. Pupils rise to meet these expectations consistently.

As a result, they are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour. They show kindness, responsibility and consideration, demo...nstrating high levels of self-control.

This begins in the early years, where children learn and follow daily routines quickly. The school's 'golden' rules, alongside its core values, are embedded in daily life. This creates a calm and purposeful atmosphere across lessons and throughout the school.

Pupils feel safe and supported by strong, caring relationships with adults.

The wider curriculum is thoughtfully designed to promote pupils' independence and confidence. Carefully planned trips, including residentials for older pupils, form a key part of this work.

The school instils high aspirations in pupils. This is exemplified through pupils taking part in external sporting competitions or performing in an annual choir concert at the Excel Centre.

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

The school maintains a sharp focus on embedding ambition through its consistently well-designed and sequenced curriculum.

This begins in early years, with the school tailoring the curriculum exceptionally well to its context. It provides plentiful opportunities for pupils to grow as independent, confident and highly successful learners. The school puts great thought into make learning relevant and inspiring.

For example, history lessons include learning about significant local figures, such as Walter Tull, who played for a nearby football team from 1909 to 1911.

The curriculum builds pupils' knowledge systematically. It prepares them to tackle complex ideas, while fostering language acquisition exceptionally well.

In early years, children learn to use words with high levels of skill. For example, they describe using 'scissors to create a spiky finish' when designing and creating using junk modelling. By Year 6, pupils explain confidently the best type of stitch for a utility belt to ensure its strength, demonstrating their excellent grasp of the language needed across subjects.

A love of reading runs through all aspects of the school. It is given the very highest priority. Pupils are enthusiastic about books and adore reading, as well as being read to.

Highly skilled staff deliver the phonics programme with precision and consistency from the moment children start school. Reading books are expertly matched to the sounds pupils know, providing targeted practice to build accuracy and confidence. As a result, pupils develop the ability to decode and read fluently to a high standard.

The school selects high-quality texts to ensure that each year group experiences an extremely rich range of literature.

The school is highly ambitious for pupils with SEND. It works tenaciously to make sure that pupils with SEND are identified promptly and their needs are supported through bespoke and timely extra help.

The school engages exceptionally well with external agencies and families about any additional provision for pupils. This is central to the school's approach, ensuring that pupils receive the best possible support.

Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour due to the clear and consistently applied expectations.

From early years, children develop a highly focused attitude towards learning, supported by staff who foster their independence and readiness for Year 1 very skilfully. For instance, 'menu' boards across the provision encourage problem-solving and critical thinking through carefully designed questions and challenges. Attendance is a high priority, with staff working closely with parents and carers to promote and maintain remarkably high attendance.

This collaborative approach leads to very positive outcomes for pupils.

The school provides exceptional opportunities for pupils' personal development, fostering well-rounded individuals who demonstrate integrity. From an early age, pupils learn to respect diverse families.

Wide-ranging, targeted leadership roles, such as librarians who take pride in running the reading café, promote responsibility very successfully. Pupils gain a deep understanding of democracy through the selection processes for these roles.

The school develops pupils' cultural capital especially carefully.

It is embedded within its curriculum design. This includes thoughtfully planned trips and an array of enriching experiences. Starting in Nursery and continuing through to Year 6, these trips include visits to museums, theatres and key places of interest across London.

Pupils participate in highly engaging events designed to help them to explore future careers and their roles as citizens. For instance, visitors from various professions deliver talks and lead interactive workshops, inspiring pupils from the early years onward.

Leaders, including trustees and those responsible for local governance, have established an exceptionally ambitious culture that places pupils' learning at the heart of everything they do.

Together with the federation, the school provides staff with high-quality, targeted training, while prioritising their well-being and workload with great diligence. As a result, staff plan and deliver the curriculum with dedication and expertise.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.