Highwood Copse Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this ambitious school.

They build strong relationships and feel happy and safe. Children in the early years quickly make friends and learn the school's routines. They develop confidence and make secure progress through the curriculum.

Staff want all pupils to reach the highest standards. Lessons are engaging. The school prioritises implementing the curriculum effectively, which helps all pupils to achieve well.

Staff create a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Behaviour in classrooms and around the school reflects the school's high expectations. Pupils are rightly proud of their positive attitudes to learning.

Pupils enjoy helping each ...other by, for example, sharing playground resources or setting out equipment for each other before lessons.

Pupils learn about and demonstrate the school's values of hope, love, peace, joy, trust, respect and integrity. They enjoy celebrating these together in assemblies.

Pupils are respectful towards each other and staff. They can describe healthy relationships and know about leading physically and mentally healthy lives. One pupil echoed the views of many, saying, 'Everybody is welcome at our school.'

This is reflected in the friendly way that pupils work and play together. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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

The school has a clear focus on helping all pupils to achieve the highest standards.

This is fully realised in the early years. The curriculum in other year groups equips pupils with the essential knowledge and skills they need to achieve strongly overall. Staff adapt the curriculum well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

In Reception, support for these pupils is highly effective.

Staff have secure subject knowledge. Subject-specialist teachers support learning across the curriculum effectively.

Staff teach using motivational, purposeful approaches. Pupils are highly articulate. They discuss ideas together in balanced ways.

Pupils are keen to contribute to lessons. In most subjects, such as mathematics and phonics, teachers check pupils' errors and misconceptions carefully, modifying subsequent teaching appropriately. However, in some subjects, the school is still refining how teachers check what pupils have learned so that there are no gaps in pupils' learning.

Exceptional phonics teaching unlocks reading for all pupils. Highly skilled staff support any pupils who are at risk of falling behind. They make sure that these pupils catch up with their peers.

As a result, pupils learn to read quickly and fluently. Pupils read books that are matched to the sounds they are learning. They extend their reading well through the carefully chosen texts available to them.

This helps pupils to develop a love of reading.

The school's provision for pupils' personal development is exemplary. Pupils learn about democracy in the early years by understanding rules and decision making.

Pupils across the school discuss and vote on issues that affect life at school, such as the use of play boxes and equipment in the playground. Pupils link these discussions to such concepts as how people can be responsible for others. These experiences help pupils to feel part of their school and wider community in positive ways.

Disadvantaged pupils benefit consistently well from extra-curricular opportunities such as playing sports and developing artistic knowledge and skills. All pupils learn to play a musical instrument. Pupils talk excitedly about the activities organised for them, such as trips to the farm and to London to visit the Natural History Museum.

There is a programme of rich experiences that is planned in a systematic and coherent way.

In the early years, children are very settled. They respond well to the adults around them and join in with rhymes and songs and have thoughtful conversations.

Children talk about their learning with confidence and enthusiasm. They demonstrate high levels of curiosity and take pride in their achievements.

The school engages well with parents.

Parents are overwhelmingly supportive. There is a shared commitment for all to work together effectively. One parent said, 'Staff are great role models and really care.

Children are treated as individuals and are given the tools to achieve their very best.' Trustees share an ambitious vision for the school. They ensure that strategic decisions taken by leaders at the school have a positive impact on all pupils.

Leaders support and engage effectively with almost all staff regarding workload and well-being. Staff are very proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the wider curriculum, pupils have some gaps in their knowledge. As a result, pupils are not always able to make links in their learning and achieve as highly as they could. The school should develop assessment processes further in efficient and effective ways.