Heighington Millfield Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy and proud to attend this warm, welcoming and inclusive school. They play enthusiastically together and chat sociably at mealtimes.

They are kind and treat each other well. Pupils feel safe and cared for in school. They trust adults to help them if things go wrong.

Pupils enjoy learning. They are motivated and do their best. The class text is at the heart of pupils' learning each term.

Pupils enjoy reading and discussing the texts with their teachers. Reading ambassadors recommend other books and authors in assemblies. The library is well used by pupils.

It is also home to the school guinea pig, which pupils help to look after.Th...e school prioritises pupils' well-being. Pupils say where they are on the 'well-being scale' every day.

This is important to pupils. They learn ways to improve their well-being. They learn that is normal to have a bad day sometimes.

They get support if they need it. As one pupil said: 'You can be yourself and you don't have to put on an act.' Pupils enjoy the many opportunities they have to contribute to the school community.

For example, pupils run elections and take this duty very seriously. 'We do democracy here,' one explained.

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

Under the dedicated leadership of the headteacher, leaders have put reading and cultural capital at the heart of the curriculum.

Leaders are highly ambitious for pupils' academic and personal development. Subject curriculum design supports this ambition. In each subject, leaders have identified the precise knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn.

Teachers know exactly what to teach and when to teach it.Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Most explain new learning clearly.

They model how pupils should apply knowledge to tasks that develop their understanding. Teachers choose resources well, adapting them when necessary to meet the needs of individual pupils. Consequently, pupils learn well in most areas of the curriculum and their work shows this.

Leaders and teachers use assessment information effectively in English and mathematics. They adjust the curriculum for individuals or groups. This is not yet the case in the foundation subjects.

Children in the Reception Year benefit from a meticulously planned curriculum. For example, teachers consider what vocabulary children will learn. They plan carefully how and when to introduce it.

In the classroom, their interactions with pupils are of a high quality. Children have warm, trusting relationships with the adults. They are motivated and usually listen well to teachers and each other.

Reading is a priority for everyone at this school. Children in Reception learn phonics from the start. Leaders have ensured that staff are experts in early reading.

They make sure that pupils who need it get extra help to keep up or catch up with their peers. Pupils at the early stages of reading read books that match the sounds they know. Consequently, they apply their phonic knowledge with confidence.

Pupils enjoy reading the class texts with their teachers. Leaders have chosen these carefully to widen pupils' knowledge and understanding of the world.The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school.

Leaders have set up highly effective systems for identifying pupils' needs. They give clear guidance to staff about meeting each pupil's needs. Leaders think carefully about how to support all pupils, including those with SEND, when they arrive in or leave the school.

This means pupils are well prepared for each stage of their education.Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to their learning are exemplary. Pupils want to do well and they work hard.

The school has high expectations that everyone understands. The school teaches pupils to behave well. They reward pupils when they behave according to the school values.

When things go wrong, staff support pupils to understand the impact of their actions and help them to put it right. Pupils said they like this and they feel better when things have been sorted out.Pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education and in life.

There is a well-planned programme for pupils' personal development. For example, careers education aims to challenge stereotypes. Pupils meet visitors who do lots of different jobs.

Leaders plan educational visits that enhance pupils' learning. They have plans to extend this further. Pupils can develop their talents through the clubs and activities the school provides, including the annual Year 5 and 6 production.

Governance is strong. Trust leaders and governors provide very effective support. For example, they ensure that staff receive relevant training that improves their practice.

Staff are very happy at this school. They call themselves the 'Millfield family'. Staff, including those early in their careers, said how supportive leaders are.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

School and trust leaders make sure that all staff receive high-quality training. As a result, staff have the knowledge and understanding they need to protect pupils from harm.

They report concerns and leaders act on them promptly.Leaders are knowledgeable. They are alert to the risks to pupils' welfare.

They keep detailed records. They work closely with local safeguarding partners. The school provides extensive support to vulnerable pupils and their families.

Leaders prioritise teaching pupils to stay safe, including online. They make sure that pupils know how to maintain good mental and physical health. They teach pupils to ask for help when they need it.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not fully developed their approach to assessment in the foundation subjects. Consequently, leaders cannot be fully sure what pupils know and remember in these subjects. Leaders must make sure that there is a clear system to make checks on pupils' learning that enables leaders and teachers to plan next steps so that they can be confident that pupils learn as well as they should.

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