Heckington St Andrew’s Church of England School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Heckington St. Andrew's are polite and friendly.

They enjoy learning in a calm learning environment, which begins in the early years. Expectations of behaviour and work are high. Most pupils rise to these expectations.

They live the school's values, including respect and responsibility.

The school is ambitious to meet the needs of all pupils. This ambition is being realised.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access all activities. They receive effective support to achieve well in line with their peers.

Pupils feel happy and safe at school.

This leads to high attendance. Pupils know that they ...can talk to an adult if anything is worrying them. From the early years to Year 6, relationships between children and staff are positive.

Learning activities capture the interest of pupils. For example, in a geography lesson, pupils interviewed the headteacher about the sourcing of school dinners. Their questions showed great maturity.

Children in the early years enjoy serving customers in their 'restaurant'. One child exclaimed, 'I've made so many pancakes!'

Parents and carers express confidence in the school. As one parent commented, 'The education and care they have shown my child has been second to none.'



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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that begins in the early years. Clear plans identify the key knowledge that pupils must learn and the order in which they need to learn it. The school has developed effective ways of checking pupils' learning in most subjects.

These checks help teachers to understand how much pupils know and can remember. In turn, this helps to move learning forward. In a small number of subjects, this work is not yet complete.

All children, including those who have SEND, flourish in the early years. They are quick to learn the routines of school life and are very well behaved. An exceptionally well-planned curriculum is closely tailored to precisely what children need to learn next.

Well-thought-out activities bring this to life and provide children with ample opportunities to practise what they are learning through play. Children are deeply engaged in these experiences such as constructing Chinese lanterns or creating an imaginary world of dance classes.

Positive attitudes to learning extend throughout the school.

Warm relationships between adults and pupils are well established. Classrooms are calm spaces, where pupils focus on their learning.

Reading is a top priority in the early years and across the whole school.

Children begin learning to read as soon as they start in the Reception Year. The school provides timely support for any pupils who need help to keep up. Staff delivering the phonics programme are knowledgeable.

They work well together, supporting each other to make each lesson count. The school encourages pupils to recommend books to each other. This happens on a regular basis and helps to foster a love of reading.

The school has developed a detailed plan to help ensure a high-quality literary 'diet' for pupils. Pupils enjoy reading. As one pupil said, 'It's like opening up a new world.'



The school makes sure that pupils' mathematical understanding builds in small steps. Pupils enjoy mathematics. They can talk with confidence about their learning.

They are happy to have challenging work because support is available when needed. High-quality support is not limited to mathematics and reading. For example, pupils say that each science lesson helps them connect their learning.

Pupils recall their prior learning in science lessons with enthusiasm. They share their knowledge of the planets, electricity and animal adaptation.

Pupils' personal development is at the heart of the school's work.

The school ensures that the curriculum extends beyond the academic. Through extra-curricular activities, pupils learn the importance of resilience and teamwork. This contributes to their good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning.

Pupils enjoy leadership responsibilities such as worship wardens and sports leaders. Special visitors inspire pupils to follow their dreams. Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds and with different religious beliefs.

Pupils show high levels of respect for others. Although pupils know about fundamental British values, some pupils do not fully understand them.

This is a school where leaders are reflective.

Governors have an accurate view of the school and a clear vision for future priorities. The local authority has provided effective support to help improve the school. Staff say that they are proud to work at the school.

They value the work of leaders to support their well-being and workload. Morale is very high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment arrangements in a small number of foundation subjects are in development. Therefore, teachers are not always confident in knowing how secure pupils are in their understanding of key knowledge. The school should ensure that all assessment information is used well so that pupils know and remember more over the long term.

• The school's plans for teaching British values are not yet fully developed. As a result, some pupils do not have an age-appropriate depth of understanding of the British values they have been taught. The school should ensure that all pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of the key values that are important in Britain today.

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