Highfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This is an outstanding school. The extremely clear vision of the headteacher, with excellent support from senior staff and leadership teams, ensures that pupils of all abilities have excellent attitudes to learning and achieve well.

The exceptional curriculum and outstanding care, guidance and support contribute significantly to pupils' exemplary behaviour, high levels of attendance and outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The governing body, which has many new members, provides good levels of support and challenge. The thorough and systematic self-evaluation procedures reflect the views of all those involved in the life of the school.

As a result, the school has dev...eloped extremely well since it was previously inspected and has an outstanding capacity for further improvement. Pupils' attainment is above average in English and mathematics by time they leave school in Year 6. The progress of pupils of all ages and abilities is at least good.

Pupils have an outstanding understanding of how to stay safe from harm. They have an excellent knowledge of how to live a healthy lifestyle and take full advantage of challenging physical activities and opportunities to plan and eat healthy meals. They are extremely friendly and considerate towards each other and have an excellent understanding of right and wrong.

They are very mature, reflective and aware of the needs of others. The quality of teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Relationships are excellent and teachers make lessons stimulating through role play and the use of information and communication technology (ICT).

Lessons are often brisk and challenging. Very occasionally, pupils are not given enough guidance during lessons to help them assess and improve their own learning. The leaders sharply focused monitoring is rapidly addressing this relative weakness.

The curriculum provides thrilling learning experiences which are exceptionally well planned to allow pupils to use and apply their learning. As a result, there are many examples of high quality work in subjects such as art, history, ICT and music throughout school. Teachers know their pupils extremely well and track their progress very carefully.

They make excellent use of links with other professionals, such as Autism Partnerships to promote learning and well-being. Exceptionally robust record keeping contributes to the outstanding procedures for caring for pupils and keeping them safe. There is an outstanding partnership with parents and carers who are very proud of the school.'

The school is highly inclusive and my child has had the most amazing experiences,' is one comment which reflects their highly positive views.

Information about the school

Highfield Primary is a larger-than-average-size primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.

The percentage of pupils of minority ethnic heritage is well above average. The majority of pupils speak English as a first language. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.

The school has achieved several awards including a Stephen Lawrence Inclusion Award, Advanced Healthy Schools Award and Arts Mark. There is a before- and after-school club on site which is managed by a private company. This is subject to a separate inspection.

The headteacher was appointed in 2009 and almost half the teaching staff are new to the school since the last inspection, including several who are new to the profession. The school has increased its admission number and there are more pupils on roll since it was last inspected. A large new extension to the school was completed during the last academic year.

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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