Heathlands Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this inclusive school. They feel safe and enjoy positive relationships with staff and one another.

Leaders ensure that there are high expectations for pupils' behaviour. The 'Heathlands Way' is known and understood by everyone. The shared language means that staff manage any incidents of poor behaviour with consistency.

Leaders ensure that strong provision is in place for all pupils. Exclusions have reduced and are used appropriately where necessary. Pupils say bullying is very rare.

When it does happen, they say teachers are good at sorting it out.

Pupils have a good understanding of equality and difference. They respect other... viewpoints and cultures.

Pupils say you can 'be yourself' at Heathlands and you will be accepted. Leaders nurture this ethos through the focus on well-being and mental health following the pandemic.

Pupils have opportunities to take responsibility and are proud to represent the school in a variety of roles.

Leaders set up visits, such as the recent one to Bournemouth University, to encourage pupils to aspire academically.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Teachers provide parents with information to help them support their children.

Parents in the early years enjoy coming in to share activities with their children.

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

Leaders at all levels are ambitious for every pupil. They are determined to remove any barriers and support all pupils to achieve their potential.

Leaders' curriculum thinking is clear. Across all subjects, they have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn. This knowledge is well sequenced.

Leaders have made sure that they consider any missed learning due to the pandemic. This means that pupils know more and remember more across the curriculum. However, the way teachers deliver the curriculum is not always as leaders intend.

Sometimes, the work teachers set for pupils is not helping them reach ambitious curriculum goals.

Leaders have made learning to read a priority. Pupils enjoy reading and having adults read to them.

They read a range of books and develop secure reading skills. Leaders ensure that pupils experience a variety of genres and themes that broaden their understanding. Teachers use the phonics programme consistently to ensure that younger pupils learn to read well.

They identify pupils who might be falling behind and put support in place to help them to catch up quickly. Pupils confidently read books that match the sounds they are learning. Children in the early years who experienced a slow start to their reading are catching up due to the help they receive.

Pupils, including children in the early years, develop fluency in number. They learn to reason and explain their thinking. Teachers successfully develop pupils' ability to talk about their thinking using mathematical vocabulary.

Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs met well. Leaders ensure that staff are skilled in understanding the individual needs of pupils. Teachers adapt the curriculum effectively so that pupils with SEND are able to secure key knowledge.

These pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life.

Leaders' want to develop pupils who are able to communicate, feel part of a community and apply their knowledge and skills. They have successfully made this part of daily life in the school.

Pupils have many varied activities within and beyond the curriculum. Many of these opportunities develop their understanding of relationships, cultural difference and well-being. AFC Bournemouth, the local police and the library service all contribute to these experiences.

Trust leaders and governors have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. They have secured stability in staffing and enabled leaders to focus on ensuring a good quality of education for pupils. Staff appreciate the support from leaders.

They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are vigilant in keeping pupils safe.

They know the pupils and their families well. Leaders work well with a range of outside agencies to make sure families get the right support at the right time. Leaders manage the recruitment and employment of staff rigorously.

Regular training means that all staff know the signs of abuse. They log concerns in a timely manner so that leaders can act quickly.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe.

They learn about ways to stay safe when using the internet and within their community. Pupils are clear about how to raise any concerns they have.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, teachers do not present learning as clearly or effectively as they do in core subjects.

This means that pupils' work can lack rigour and does not match the standards of knowledge set out in the curriculum intent. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers have a clear and shared understanding of how to present learning effectively across the curriculum so that pupils achieve the ambition of the curriculum intent. On occasions, pupils' attitudes to their learning are not consistently positive.

Where teaching is not precise enough, pupils can lose focus and engagement in their learning. Leaders need to continue with their work in developing highly positive attitudes to learning. This is so that pupils are consistently motivated to learn and produce work that is of a high standard.