High Leigh Primary School

Westfield Community Primary School Westfield Road, Hoddesdon, EN11 8RA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, ably assisted by the deputy headteacher, other leaders and governors, has been very effective in leading changes that have resulted in improvements in teaching and achievement.  Pupils achieve well. They have made rapid progress over the past two years in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school provides effective extra help for disadvantaged pupils and those who are disabled or who have complex social and emotional special educational needs.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils are helped to learn and respect different faiths and cultures. They are being prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. They question pupils skilfully to consolidate and extend their thinking skills.  Pupils are keen to learn. They behave well and demonstrate good attitudes to learning. Pupils are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

kept safe. They feel well cared for and valued.  Children get off to a good start in Reception. They benefit from an exciting and well-planned classroom learning environment and make good progress.  The governing body has a good grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors are effective in holding leaders to account for continued improvement in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, activities set for pupils are not at the right level of difficulty to ensure that all groups of pupils, including the most able, achieve as well as they can.  Marking is not always effective in giving pupils guidance about how to improve. Teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils respond to the advice given and learn from their mistakes.  The outside learning area for the Reception children is not well organised and outdoor activities do not always provide sufficient opportunities for children to extend their language skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 17 lessons, two of which were seen jointly with the headteacher. They made a number of short visits to lessons and observed small groups of pupils taught by teachers and teaching assistants. The inspectors also listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 read to them.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of staff, the Chair and six other members of the Governing Body, as well as a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 98 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. They talked to parents as they brought their children in to school.  Inspectors considered the 19 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ books and at a number of documents, including: the school’s own data on pupils’ current attainment and progress; the school’s evaluation of its performance; school improvement planning; documentation relating to teachers’ performance over time; and records relating to

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Inspection team

Tusha Chakraborti, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children are taught full time in the Reception class.  Most pupils come from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for disadvantaged pupils in local authority care and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  An above-average percentage of pupils join or leave the school part way through the school year.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The headteacher was absent during the previous inspection due to illness. The school also experienced

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Information about this school

some changes in staffing, including some senior leaders. The headteacher returned to the school in January 2014. The special educational needs coordinator is currently on leave.  The school works with the cluster of local primary and the secondary schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching further by ensuring that:  teachers consistently set tasks that are suitably challenging for all groups of pupils, including the most able, to extend their knowledge and skills and to deepen their understanding  teachers always provide pupils with clear guidance on what they need do to improve their work to achieve even higher standards  teachers make sure that pupils respond to the guidance they are given and learn from their mistakes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the provision in the early years outdoor learning area and ensure that teachers plan activities for the outdoor area that extend children’s language skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The strong leadership of the headteacher, with the support and commitment of other leaders, governors and other staff, has improved the quality of teaching and the standards of achievement significantly since the previous inspection. Leaders have high expectations of staff and pupils. They successfully promote a culture where pupils behave and achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Arrangements for monitoring staff performance are rigorous. Senior leaders gather a wide range of evidence to evaluate teachers’ performance. They set challenging targets and ensure that all teachers are held responsible for their pupils’ achievement. Teachers are well supported to improve their expertise and practice through an effective training programme. They also benefit from working with their colleagues from the local primary and secondary schools, sharing good practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and make a positive contribution to teaching quality and to pupils’ achievement. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher lead the special educational needs provision in the absence of the special educational needs coordinator. They have taken decisive actions to speed up the progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. As a result, these pupils are making accelerated progress. The family support workers are very effective in supporting the leaders and pupils in this.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is planned effectively to provide a range of topics based on the new curriculum that pupils find interesting and engaging. Pupils are given good opportunities to enhance their learning and skills through additional activities, events and clubs. The school places a strong emphasis on deepening pupils’ understanding of British values and preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils develop a good understanding of democracy. They discuss and understand the importance of mutual respect and tolerance in daily life. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through a range of subjects, including religious studies, art and sporting activities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school sport premium is used to provide specialist coaches for competitive sports activities and to train staff to raise their expertise in sports. The increased number of sports clubs promotes pupils’ health and physical well-being, and almost all pupils participate in sports. Pupils thoroughly enjoy joining in with, and winning, district sports events. For example, the girls’ football club recently won second place in the district sports competition.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding systems meet current requirements and policies are applied consistently, so that pupils are safe and well cared for.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium funding is used effectively to support the disadvantaged pupils through a well- organised intervention programme. Consequently, these pupils make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is committed to equal opportunities for all its pupils and focuses strongly on raising the achievement of all groups and tackling any discrimination. All pupils are given opportunities to extend their learning and skills through a range of subjects, events and clubs. The school ensures that the pupils with social and emotional difficulties are supported effectively alongside their families. Consequently, these pupils are now making good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works closely with the local authority, which has provided very effective support in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning and in ensuring a comprehensive training programme for staff. The school also works closely with other local schools to share skills and expertise.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works hard to foster positive relationships with parents, supporting them effectively to involve them in their children’s learning. Some of the parents reported that they received excellent support from the school through the family support workers.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well organised and committed to improving all aspects of the school’s work. It has a good knowledge of the school’s strength and improvement priorities. Governors know how well pupils are performing compared with national standards. They are well informed by the headteacher and by their own monitoring visits to school. Governors ask probing questions about pupils’ performance, and they support and challenge leaders in equal measure.  The governing body knows about the quality of teaching and how underperformance is tackled. Governors have a good awareness of the school’s pay and promotion process and make sure that

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The leadership and management are good

teachers are rewarded only when they raise pupils’ achievement.  The governing body is fully aware of how the school is spending additional funding and the impact this has on pupils’ achievement. It ensures that safeguarding arrangements meet national requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are proud of the school values: ‘achieve, believe and create’. They are keen to follow those in their work and behaviour. They play and work well together, readily discussing their ideas and sharing resources.

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Behaviour

 Teachers are consistent in applying the school’s procedures for managing pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respect school rules and display good attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are keen to take on responsibilities. School council representatives meet the governing body every year to discuss how the facilities in the school can be improved to benefit pupils’ learning and well-being; for example, by securing more playground equipment. Pupils have organised a football team where boys and girls, including those who have any physical disabilities, play together in equal terms.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ attendance has improved and is in line with the national average. This is because the school rewards good attendance and follows up poor attendance rigorously, particularly persistent absences.

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Behaviour

 Occasionally, when work is not demanding enough, a few pupils lose concentration.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school at all times.

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Safety

 The vast majority of parents, including those who responded to the parent questionnaire and those who talked and wrote to the inspectors during the inspection, appreciate the good quality of care and support the school provides for their children.

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Safety

 Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe because this is closely considered and discussed in assemblies and lessons. They are able to explain the dangers of the misuse of the internet, social networking sites and drugs.

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Safety

 Pupils are well aware of the different forms bullying can take. They say that it is rare in school. They are confident that any incidents of bullying will be dealt with quickly by teachers and other adults.

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Safety

 The school’s ‘buddy’ system is very popular with pupils. This allows them to choose an adult from the staff as their buddies. Pupils read to them and discuss any difficulty they might face. This contributes well to pupils’ behaviour and their achievement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved. Teachers have benefited from a well-organised training programme to enhance their expertise. As a result, teaching is now consistently good and pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Relationships between all adults and pupils are very positive and help to promote good learning throughout the school. Staff provide an encouraging and purposeful climate for learning. Consequently, pupils respond readily to tasks with interest and enthusiasm.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan activities that make learning interesting and engaging. They ask probing questions to assess pupils’ progress and to extend their knowledge and understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use reading sessions effectively to promote stimulating discussions on different styles of writing by different authors. These activities support pupils’ reading and writing skills well. In mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils develop their calculation skills successfully and consolidate them through regular practice.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Phonics (the sounds that letters make) is taught well in the early years and in Key Stage 1. This has helped pupils to become fluent readers and to make rapid progress in reading across the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants work effectively alongside teachers and provide good support to disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and any newly arrived pupils are also supported effectively within the class. As a result, these pupils are making good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most classes, teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and give clear guidance on what pupils should do to improve their work so they make faster progress. However, in some classes, the guidance and comments on pupils’ work are not always clear enough to enable pupils to know how to improve their work. Pupils are not always required to respond by correcting and learning from their mistakes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers skilfully build on pupils’ prior learning. For example, pupils in Year 6 were observed to use their understanding of algebraic formulae to solve problems in mathematics. In most cases, teachers provide pupils of all abilities with suitably challenging tasks. Nonetheless, occasionally, the tasks are not sufficiently demanding to stretch all groups of pupils, including the most able.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now good. Observations of learning, pupils’ work, individual case studies and the school’s own assessments show that pupils have made much faster progress over the past two years in all subjects and are on track to achieve above-average standards. The proportion of current pupils exceeding the expected level of progress is above the 2014 national average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, at the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils attained standards that were in line with the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, and were much improved compared to the 2013 results. Currently, attainment is rising and the proportion of pupils on track to attain Level 5 and above in Year 6 is above the 2014 national average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in Year 1 apply their knowledge of phonics accurately to their reading and writing. They have achieved standards that are high in the phonics screening check and which are well above the national average in 2014.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making good progress from their different starting points. This is because the school has acted decisively to improve the support system for these pupils that meet their learning needs effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils achieve well. They currently attain standards at least in line with those of their peers and often better. Their success is due to very effective support for them within each class and on a one-to-one basis. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and newly arrived pupils also make good progress as a result of the effective support they receive in their classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was similar to that of their classmates in reading and writing, but disadvantaged pupils were around one and a half terms behind their classmates in mathematics. Compared with other pupils nationally, they were about a term ahead in reading. They were one term behind in writing and close to others in mathematics. Inspection evidence shows the gaps have narrowed further in the current year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as they move through the school. They analyse different styles of writing by a range of well-known and popular authors and then write extended pieces for different purposes. They are increasingly applying their mathematical skills in calculations and problem solving. However, not all of them achieve as well as they could because teachers do not always plan tasks that challenge them enough.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership of the early years is good. The leader ensures that adults provide a very high level of care, guidance and support for all children, and that children learn and grow up in a very safe and secure learning environment. By the end of the Reception Year, children are well prepared for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Children start in Reception with skills that are below those typical for their age, especially in communication and language development. Good teaching and stimulating indoor resources support their learning and development well, and have accelerated their progress markedly. Consequently, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is above the most recent national average. This shows a significant improvement since 2014.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. A good range of engaging and stimulating learning resources and activities are used to capture children’s imagination. This moves their learning on quickly.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s behaviour is good. Children have an excellent relationship with their teachers and teaching assistants. They listen carefully, support one another and take on simple responsibilities, such as tidying up. Their health, safety and well-being are always of the utmost importance to staff and, as a result, children are very safe and secure in school.

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The early years provision is good

 Phonics is taught regularly and effectively. This supports children well in rapidly developing their reading and writing skills. Disabled children and those who have special educational needs are integrated well and benefit from good support from skilled teaching assistants.

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The early years provision is good

 The school works very effectively with families and supports parents to help their children’s learning at home. The vast majority of parents, consulted during the inspection at the start of the day, stated that children are safe and secure in school at all times.

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The early years provision is good

 Adults encourage children to become confident in pursuing activities that match their own interests as well as those directed by staff. However, a lack of resources means that the outdoor provision is not developed well enough to extend children’s language and other skills. Leaders are aware of this and plan to address this issue in near future.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing

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Grade Judgement Description

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 117270 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 462090

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 199 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Linda Williams Headteacher Diane Ashmore Date of previous school inspection 4 July 2013 Telephone number 01992 465739 Fax number 01992 447548 Email address admin@westfieldjm.herts.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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