Highfields Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Highfields Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a highly inclusive, happy school. At the centre of everything is pupils' learning and development and the whole child.

Staff are passionate about providing the best for pupils. Parents, carers and their children know and appreciate this. A phrase that several used to describe the staff was, 'They genuinely care about the children and go above and beyond.'



Pupils' positive behaviours and attitudes shine through in class, in the playground and around school. Staff expect high standards of behaviour. Staff support pupils through conversations rather than sanction...s if behaviour falls below these expectations.

Pupils recognise and value this approach. As a result, pupils are kind, calm and feel safe. They understand equality and acceptance and consider their school to be just like 'one big family'.

Aspirations are high for pupils, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are relentless in encouraging pupils to do their best. They have high expectations of what pupils can learn, and this shows in how well pupils do.

Pupils are excited by and engaged in their learning. As the school motto states, the pupils here are given the 'roots to grow and wings to fly'.

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

In all subjects, the school has put in place a curriculum that builds systematically over time.

The school has been careful to select the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils most need to know. Pupils become confident in using subject-specific vocabulary to talk about their learning.

Staff are expert at explaining concepts.

They ask questions that elicit deeper thinking. They routinely revisit previous content at the beginning of lessons so that pupils can make links with what they have learned before. Pupils are remembering what they learn.

Revisited key learning also cements pupils' abilities to carry out procedures such as solving multiplication problems in mathematics or perfecting balances in physical education (PE).The school has in place a systematic way to teach early reading. The staff who deliver the daily phonics sessions are highly trained to do so, and they understand the approach deeply.

Throughout lessons, they keep a close eye on pupils so that they know which sounds pupils know or do not know. This enables them to give extra help when it is needed. A love of reading is baked into Highfields.

Pupils love to read and to be read to. They are supported well by parents who regularly listen to them at home. This all results in pupils becoming confident, independent readers who develop their own literary tastes and opinions.

The school ensures that the books that pupils become familiar with are of high quality and represent the diversity in modern Britain and beyond.

Levels of absence have been high in recent years. A significant number of pupils have missed more than 10% of their school time.

The school, supported by the local authority, has changed the ways in which absence is monitored and analysed. This has had a positive impact on attendance this year but there are still too many pupils, including a number who are disadvantaged, who are missing too much school.

The inclusive culture of the school is evident in how it supports pupils with SEND.

Staff are skilled and knowledgeable about the needs that pupils have. They routinely put in place additional support for them. There is an ambition that all pupils follow the same, broad curriculum but teachers make adaptations to learning where necessary.

The school has effective systems of monitoring how well those with SEND are doing. Staff regularly review the provision for those with SEND to ensure that it is working well.

The curriculum extends well beyond the academic and the classroom.

Pupils benefit from an extensive array of opportunities that are aimed at supporting their wider development. There are clubs to join, leadership roles to fill and many trips to go on, including two residential trips. Whether pupils are learning sign-language or helping younger pupils with their reading, they throw themselves into tasks with enthusiasm and delight.

They become confident, articulate individuals who are keen to offer their views and opinions. The school curriculum has been successful in providing pupils with a mature understanding of respect and equality. Pupils are well prepared for their next school and for later life.

Governors and school leaders at all levels share a dedication to the pupils and the school community. They listen to the views of pupils, staff and parents. They seek and act swiftly on external advice.

There is a genuine and positive culture of continual improvement and growth at Highfields Primary School.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The attendance of some groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, is not as high as it should be, despite improvement this year.

This means they miss lessons and fall behind. The school should further implement strategies to work with parents of pupils who attend poorly so that these pupils have good attendance and take full advantage of the school's curriculum offer.

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 March 2019.