Havergal CofE (C) Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Havergal CofE (C) Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Dedicated staff and governors have created a school in which pupils are happy and safe. Pupils say the school is like a family because teachers care about them. Leaders have high expectations, and all groups of pupils achieve well.

The school is at the heart of the community, and pupils take part in the full life of both the parish and the school. A strong Christian ethos permeates all aspects of school life.Pupils understand the school's values of respect, hope, caring, fairness, achievement and responsibility.

They behave impeccably, and there is no bullying, but if pro...blems occur, staff support pupils to resolve issues. Pupils know the importance of 'doing the right thing' and understanding different viewpoints.Pupils enjoy learning because they say their teachers are 'just the best'.

Pupils talk knowledgeably about strategies to solve problems in mathematics and explain how through history lessons, they have learned how the school has changed since the Victorian era.Pupils relish leadership opportunities. Older pupils hear the younger ones read, and others help to maintain the school's digital equipment.

Children in the Reception class develop their interests and ideas through an exciting curriculum. They learn in the mud kitchen and explore the outdoors. These routines help them concentrate and develop good learning behaviours.

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

The school provides an ambitious, well-structured, broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils revisit key facts as they move up the school. This helps them remember what they have learned.

However, sometimes curriculum planning does not identify precisely enough the knowledge that pupils need to learn. In addition, teachers check pupils' learning, but assessment practices are more accurate in some subjects than others. For example, in history, teachers ask pupils to write down what they remember at the end of a series of lessons rather than checking crucial knowledge needed for the next steps in learning.

Leaders have already identified this through their thorough monitoring.Leaders have made reading a priority throughout the school. Pupils love reading.

Year 4 pupils talked about Kenneth Grahame's characters in 'The Wind in the Willows', and Year 6 pupils marvelled at Michael Morpurgo's plot development in 'The Giant's Necklace'. Phonics is taught well. Pupils read confidently.

Books are matched to sounds that are taught, and this ensures that pupils remember what they have learned.Teachers nurture every child. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and any pupils who are not keeping up in lessons are quickly identified and are given support by knowledgeable teaching assistants.

This helps them to keep up and achieve well. In all classes, teachers use various strategies such as 'flashback 4's' in mathematics, consistent repetition of key facts and checking of vocabulary to help pupils remember what they have learned.Teachers are passionate about their craft.

They bring learning alive. When celebrating the school's 150th birthday, teachers created a Victorian classroom where 'children were seen but not heard'. Pupils immediately wanted to revert to normal school life, where they are able to learn together and discuss their thinking.

The curriculum provides well for pupils' broader development. Pupils visit different places of worship. They take part in a range of sports tournaments, art, dance and gardening clubs, and sing in the choir.

There are plenty of opportunities to develop leadership skills by being computer monitors, reading buddies and members of the school council.Good learning starts in the early years where children experience a well-planned curriculum that develops their knowledge and skills effectively. Children make rapid gains in early reading and the vocabulary needed for learning in other subjects.

However, some children are not secure in forming their letters and numbers correctly. This prevents them from recording learning accurately when they enter Year 1.Pupils behave very well.

There is no low-level disruption in lessons. The implementation of the rights respecting school charter, the school's behaviour policy underpinned by Christian values and the consistent teaching of British values make this school a highly inclusive community.The school is well led and managed by the executive headteacher and head of school.

They are supported by leaders of the trust and the local academy committee who are regular visitors to the school. Workload is managed effectively, and morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff are suitably qualified and up to date with their training. Staff report and record any small details that may be an indicator of a pupil being at risk from harm. Leaders are prompt in their actions to follow up on concerns.

External agencies are notified as needed, and help is secured in a timely way.Pupils learn to keep themselves and others safe through assemblies and the curriculum. They know who to talk to if they have any worries.

Governors ensure that all necessary checks are in place, and these are monitored regularly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the curriculum does not make clear the most important content that pupils are expected to know and remember. As a result, teachers' assessments are not precise enough.

This means that pupils' recall of curriculum content is inconsistent. Leaders should ensure that the most important content that pupils should know and remember is identified and assessed in all subjects. ? Some children in the early years foundation stage are entering Year 1 unable to form their letters and numbers correctly.

This means that they are not able to record their learning accurately. Leaders should ensure that more emphasis is placed on this aspect of learning so that pupils gain the handwriting skills they need for the next steps in their education.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.

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