Heathcoat Primary School

Heathcoat Primary School Broad Lane, Tiverton, Devon EX16 5HE

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher, together with governors and other leaders, has improved the school significantly since the previous inspection. Their work has transformed the school into a purposeful learning environment where teaching is good and pupils achieve well.  The very dedicated headteacher has inspired everyone in the school community to believe in themselves and in their school. As a result, pupils want to achieve the best they can in their learning and their personal development.  Governors are focused and well organised in their work. They regularly check on what is happening in school. They challenge leaders to raise the quality of teaching and learning still further.  Behaviour is good. The school is successful in promoting positive attitudes to learning and pupils are keen to succeed.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and their parents agree that the school is a very safe place for them to learn.

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This is a good school

 Pupils benefit from effective teaching which results in them making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment is rising across the school as a consequence.  Children make good progress from their starting points in the early years, because of well-planned provision. The large majority acquire the knowledge and skills they need to start Year 1 as confident learners.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some teaching does not provide sufficient challenge for the most-able pupils.  Middle leaders do not yet make full use the information they gather from their monitoring to improve teaching and learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen teaching to improve pupils’ achievement by ensuring that teachers: set work that consistently challenges the thinking and extends the skills of the most-able pupils across subjects provide, in the early years, greater challenge to meet the needs of the most-able children, through questioning and opportunities to deepen their understanding.  Extend the skills of middle leaders so that they make fuller use of the information from their monitoring to further improve teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since the previous inspection, school leaders have transformed the school into a purposeful learning environment. They have taken decisive steps to ensure that effective teaching and good learning and behaviour are the norm.  The drive, vision and ambition of the headteacher have inspired the staff, governors and pupils to believe in themselves and in their school. As a result, pupils have a desire to learn and strive to be successful in their school work and in their personal development.  School leaders know their school well and are continually seeking ways to improve further. They frequently check and discuss in detail the pupils’ rates of progress. In this way, they ensure that whatever support is needed, for example for those who have special educational needs or disability, it is put in place to accelerate their progress.  Self-evaluation is accurate and plans for improvement have clear timescales and milestones for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improvement. This enables leaders, including governors, to measure easily the progress being made towards the school’s targets.  Middle leaders, including the early years leader, work alongside colleagues well to implement new initiatives, such as those to improve pupils’ attitudes to learning. They check teaching regularly but do not yet make full use of the information they gather to implement further improvements to teaching and learning. As a result, they are not clear about the impact of their work in improving progress for different groups of pupils.  Staff morale is high and leaders have promoted effective teamwork across the school. As a result, teachers are well supported, as well as challenged, to improve their practice. Through this approach, teachers are becoming strong, confident practitioners.  The performance management of teachers is closely linked to the school’s priorities to pupils’ achievement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Governors set challenging targets for the headteacher.  The school’s ethos is centred on kindness and respect. Leaders promote equality and success for all pupils in every aspect of their work. This was seen, for example, in an assembly that encouraged pupils to keep persevering until they succeed. The positive culture set by the headteacher, staff and pupils together ensures that discriminatory behaviour is not tolerated.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively across the school to provide high-quality support for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are helped to be successful, both personally and in their learning, and enabled to be part of everything that the school has to offer.  The physical education and sport premium is also used wisely. There is a wide array of opportunities for pupils to be involved in sports competitions and clubs. Staff are able to develop their skills alongside the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

subject leader for physical education as well as specialist coaches.  The broad and balanced curriculum is designed to follow the pupils’ interests and ideas. Leaders have taken effective steps to ensure that there is a range of opportunities for purposeful writing across subjects. This is having a positive impact on standards of writing across the school.  The wide variety of extra-curricular activities, such as beach studies, residential visits and visits by local artists, provide pupils with life-enhancing experiences they might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The school’s core values, such as building aspirations and promoting collaboration, are embedded throughout the curriculum. These are seen in pupils’ daily interactions and relationships with each other. They teach pupils respect for people

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

different from themselves, the value of democracy and a strong sense of right and wrong which help to prepare them for life in modern Britain.  Parents are extremely supportive of the school. They appreciate the approachability of staff, the way their children are kept very safe, and activities such as ‘tea and toast’ that encourage them to become involved in school life.  Effective support from the local authority and other leaders in the Tiverton Cooperative Learning Partnership Trust has been instrumental in helping the school to improve quickly. This support has helped leaders, including governors, to evaluate rigorously the school’s performance and raise expectations of teachers.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school Since the previous inspection, governors have taken steps to ensure that they are better organised and equipped with the knowledge and skills required to check on the school’s work effectively. They have gained an accurate understanding of how well the school is doing in comparison to national standards, as well as the quality of teaching. Governors visit the school regularly and work alongside leaders to evaluate the improvements being made to teaching and pupils’ progress. This information helps them to provide leaders with good levels of challenge and to hold them to account robustly. Governors have a good understanding of how the performance of staff is managed and how it links to pay progression. They know that any underperformance is tackled promptly and rigorously. Governors manage their budget effectively. They check carefully on the way additional funds are spent

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and are clear about the impact they have on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and school sport.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now typically good. Pupils make good progress as teachers set purposeful work that develops pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills.  Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and plan work that is mostly challenging and enjoyable. A good example of this was when Year 6 pupils were asked to evaluate each others’ writing showing the correct use of hyphens and dashes. They did this knowledgeably and thoughtfully, developing their own understanding as they explained their ideas to each other.  Teachers use their subject knowledge well to devise tasks that build on pupils’ prior learning. On the whole, they explain clearly and question skilfully to develop pupils’ understanding. They check frequently on pupils’ work, often adapting or clarifying their instructions to speed up progress.  The marking and guidance given to pupils is clear and helpful. Increasingly, in line with the school’s policy,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

pupils have time to respond to teachers’ comments to make improvement to their work, speeding up progress.  Reading is well taught. Teachers encourage pupils to read widely and often, including through particular initiatives such as the ‘reading bingo challenge’. Comprehension skills are taught systematically through small-group activities.  Good teaching of mathematics is evident in pupils’ improving rates of progress by the end of key stage 2. Number skills in particular are taught thoroughly, with frequent opportunities for pupils to apply their skills and discuss their findings.  The teaching of writing is effective, and teachers ensure that pupils have good opportunities to practise their writing skills across other subjects. For example, Year 2 pupils wrote well about the Great Fire of London as if they were eye-witnesses to the event. Presentation in books is improving due to the recently introduced

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

handwriting script.  Teaching assistants are highly skilled and make a valuable contribution to learning. They provide very effective support for individuals or small groups of pupils who need extra help. They provide good emotional support for pupils which increases their confidence as learners.  Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development systematically through the curriculum.  Good support is provided for pupils who have special educational needs or disability, especially in the development of their speaking and listening skills.  Disadvantaged pupils who need help to catch up with their classmates receive precisely tailored help.  On occasions, the most-able pupils are not challenged sufficiently and the work fails to deepen their understanding or improve their skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils develop good personal and social skills in part because they are an integral part of the curriculum but also because they are the heart of the work of the school.  Adults and pupils promote and model a culture of respect. All staff treat pupils equally and ensure that the school makes them feel welcomed and valued.  Pupils strongly believe that they are kept very safe in school. All the parents who completed the online questionnaire or who spoke to inspectors agreed that their children are happy and well looked after.  Pupils are very clear that bullying, derogatory behaviour or aggressive language are rare and not tolerated at the school. They have a clear understanding that bullying can take different forms such as physical bullying or racist name-calling; they are confident that any such behaviour is dealt with promptly and

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Personal development and welfare

effectively.  Pupils receive good training for maintaining personal safety, both inside and outside of school. Regular evacuation drills ensure that pupils are well trained to deal with any emergency.  Staff work effectively with external agencies to support families and pupils, helping to improve their attendance and punctuality.  Those pupils who have special educational needs or disability are well cared for and participate fully in what the school has to offer.  The school is committed to building strong relationships with parents who, in turn, speak highly of staff and how they support their children. They say that the school communicates with them regularly and provides a range of opportunities for them to find out about their child’s learning or for them to raise any concerns.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are well mannered and friendly. They show a genuine interest in visitors and speak positively about the school and their achievements. They open doors, listen politely and talk respectfully to adults and each other. They ask if they can help and consider each other’s welfare, particularly that of pupils who have a disability.  The school’s system for managing behaviour is effective and encourages pupils to apply themselves well in lessons and concentrate hard on their work. Pupils respond very well to the use of animal characters and their stories, such as resilient rhino, to personify the attributes needed to be successful both in their school work and other aspects of their lives.  Those pupils who have behavioural needs are extremely well supported to ensure that their behaviour does not get in the way of their learning and does not distract others’ learning. As a result, there have been very

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Behaviour

few fixed-term exclusions of pupils since the previous inspection.  Attendance is average and punctuality has improved over the last year. Leaders have taken firm action to eradicate any unnecessary absence, especially for a small minority of pupils whose attendance gave rise to concern.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Achievement is good for all groups of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. Since the previous inspection, pupils have made faster progress which is leading to a rising trend in attainment at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. In 2015, pupils’ attainment was in line with national figures, which represents good progress from low starting points.  Evidence from the school’s own unvalidated assessment information, lesson observations and the work in pupils’ books suggest that progress is speeding up across the school. By the end of each key stage, the very large majority of pupils are on track to achieve the expected standard for their age or better. This prepares them well for the next stage in their education.  Achievement in writing is much improved. Pupils write to good standards across the curriculum and take great pride in their achievements. For example, Year 6 pupils’ ‘fantasy island’ stories were of high quality

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Outcomes for pupils are good

and extremely well presented.  Pupils develop effective calculation skills and good understanding of number in mathematics. They particularly enjoy the lessons when they have to solve problems and use their reasoning skills.  In the past two years, more pupils than average reached the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check (which checks pupils’ understanding of the sounds that letters make), helping them to become competent readers.  Older pupils demonstrate mature levels of understanding of different texts. They enjoy the reading challenges that enable them to experience a wide range of literature and different authors.  Effective use of the pupil premium enables disadvantaged pupils to make as good as and sometimes better progress than their classmates. As a result, their current attainment is similar to that of others in school.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress as their support is matched

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Outcomes for pupils are good

precisely to their needs and, as a consequence, their attainment shows improvement. Extra help that improves their attitudes to learning and increases their self-esteem is successful in speeding up academic progress.  On the whole, the most-able pupils make good progress as their work is becoming increasingly challenging. However, sometimes the work set does not extend their thinking to the full or develop their skills to the highest standards.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years provision is well led and managed. The leader has an accurate view of the strengths of the provision and where further improvement is needed to ensure that all children make rapid progress. Staff have regular opportunities to develop their skills and expertise further through visits to other early years providers and through working with consultants from external agencies.  Parents talk very positively about school, pointing out that children are happy to come to school, enjoy learning and that staff are approachable and reassuring. A number spoke about how helpful staff had been in supporting them to develop their child’s speech. Parents say that the very informative parent sessions ensure that they know how well their children are doing and they feel confident to ask staff questions about their child’s learning at any time.  Good attention is paid to safeguarding so that children are kept safe both inside and outdoors. Adults are

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Early years provision is good

vigilant to ensure that children who have special educational needs or disability, and others considered vulnerable, are supported very carefully.  Children’s behaviour is calm and focused. They settle to school quickly and soon develop positive attitudes to learning because of the well-established routines.  The large majority of children start the early years provision with knowledge and skills below those found typically for their age. They make good progress, especially in their communication and language development and their personal development. As a result, the large majority start Year 1 as confident learners, demonstrating the skills and understanding expected for their age.  Teachers’ assessment and tracking of children’s learning is of good quality and activities are usually matched well to meet their needs. Frequent opportunities are taken to record small steps in learning as they arise.

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Early years provision is good

Learning journals track children’s achievements effectively through the year and demonstrate their learning and progress clearly.  The quality of teaching is good and children benefit from well-planned adult-led teaching, including in phonics which underpins early reading skills successfully. Children also learn well by choosing their own activities, and following their interests. For example, a group of boys greatly enjoyed their role play as policemen searching for a missing toy, developing their imagination and language skills as they ‘interviewed’ suspects.  Occasionally, when adults are supporting children’s learning in activities, opportunities are missed to ask questions that help strengthen and extend learning, especially that of the most-able children.

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School details

Unique reference number 113343 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10012353

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 450 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Vera Southcombe Headteacher Jayne Keller Telephone number 01884 252445 Website www.heathcoat.devon.sch.uk Email address admin@heathcoat.devon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 7–8 May 2014

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Information about this school

 This school is much larger than average in size. Pupils are organised in 15 classes, all of which are single age-group.  The school is part of the Tiverton Cooperative Learning Partnership Trust of 12 local schools.  Almost all pupils have a White British background.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is just above average. This is the additional government funding to give extra support to those pupils who are eligible for free school meals or children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average.  The school provides care for pupils through the breakfast club.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress, at the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection took place over two days. Inspectors observed teaching and learning across the school, some in conjunction with senior leaders. In addition, they made visits to classrooms, assemblies, the dining hall, and the playground.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body and school leaders. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority who supports the school.  Inspectors took account of the 49 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View) and written correspondence, as well as consulting informally with parents at the start and end of the school day. They also took account of the 33 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plans. They examined information on current pupils’ progress, minutes of the governing body meetings, safeguarding procedures and the plans for the use of the primary physical education and

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Information about this inspection

sports premium.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, talked to them in classrooms and evaluated samples of their work.

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Inspection team

Sandra Woodman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Martin Bragg Ofsted Inspector Inge Fey Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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