Heygarth Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Heygarth Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Heygarth Primary School is friendly and welcoming. The school's core values of resilience, honesty, courage, determination, readiness, respect and thoughtfulness are embedded throughout the school. Pupils enjoy the recognition that they receive when they model these values.

They are keen to celebrate the rewards that they receive and this makes them feel happy.

Pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy learning and display a curiosity in the world around them. They are considerate and accepting of others.

Pupils support one another and act kindly towards each o...ther. This helps them to feel included and safe in school. They know that there is always a trusted adult they can turn to for help.

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). To this end, leaders have established clear routines, which pupils follow diligently. During lessons, pupils try their best and this helps them to achieve well.

They move around the school in a sensible way. At playtime, they play together happily and use the equipment together. For example, older pupils, who act as sports leaders, set up games during lunchtime for younger pupils.

Pupils understand what constitutes bullying. Incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively by staff.

There are many different opportunities on offer for pupils to enjoy and broaden their experiences.

For instance, pupils spoke excitedly about a recent trip to Anglesey and an adventure holiday. There are many clubs that pupils enjoy, including board games, gymnastics and drama.

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

Leaders' vision for all pupils is 'learning and achieving together for life'.

To this end, they have designed an ambitious curriculum from the Nursery Year to Year 6 that provides pupils with the knowledge that they need to succeed at secondary school. For example, children in the early years are supported well by staff to develop their communication skills. They enjoy listening to stories and singing rhymes.

Leaders have taken swift and appropriate action to improve pupils' achievement in mathematics at key stage 2. For example, leaders have acted to strengthen the delivery of the mathematics curriculum. Leaders have also ensured that those pupils who fall behind in mathematics receive appropriate and carefully tailored support.

As a result, current pupils learn and achieve well in mathematics.

Leaders ensure that staff have the relevant expertise to deliver curriculums with confidence. Teachers explain concepts clearly to pupils and revisit earlier learning.

In most subjects, teachers use assessment strategies effectively to identify and address pupils' misconceptions quickly. However, in a small number of subjects, some staff do not check that pupils' earlier learning is secure before moving on to new content. This hinders how well some pupils learn in these subjects.

Leaders have developed a culture of reading. A plethora of books are on display around the school and in classrooms for everyone to enjoy. Children in the early years begin learning phonics from the start of the Reception Year.

Staff ensure that the books that pupils read match the sounds that they have learned. This helps pupils to become increasingly confident and fluent in reading.

Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they are reading in school and at home.

Leaders have prioritised staff's expertise in delivering the phonics programme. Staff are equipped to deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. Staff ensure that those pupils who fall behind in phonics are identified quickly and receive appropriate support to catch up with their peers.

However, leaders have not ensured that a small number of pupils receive sufficient opportunities to secure some of the sounds that they need to read fluently.

Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently well. For example, they praise the specific positive behaviours from pupils that they expect of them.

Low-level disruption is not tolerated by teachers. As a result, pupils' learning is rarely interrupted.

Pupils learn about tolerance and diversity.

For example, they learn about the similarities and differences between world religions. Pupils learn about democracy and often take part in votes and ballots. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy.

Leaders ensure that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Leaders work with teachers, parents and carers to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND swiftly. Staff work together to meet the needs of pupils with SEND and provide the support needed for this group of pupils to access the curriculum.

Pupils with SEND learn and achieve well.

Staff spoke positively about how leaders consider their well-being and workload. Members of the governing body have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development for the school.

They hold leaders to account effectively and offer appropriate support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding.

They ensure that staff receive relevant and up-to-date training. This means that staff are alert to signs of potential abuse and neglect. Staff report any concerns quickly and leaders act promptly on these concerns.

Leaders work closely with outside agencies, when needed, to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families receive appropriate support and the help that they need.

Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe, including when playing online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders do not ensure that a small number of pupils who have fallen behind in their reading have sufficient opportunity to practise and secure some of the sounds that they have learned.

As a result, these pupils do not become fluent and confident readers as quickly as they should. Leaders should ensure that these pupils receive appropriate support to practise new sounds so that they can become confident and fluent readers. ? In a few subjects, staff do not check that some pupils have understood learning before moving on to new content.

This means that some pupils do not have the secure foundations on which they can build. Leaders should ensure that staff check pupils' understanding of earlier learning before moving on to more sophisticated concepts.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 October 2017.

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