Hounslow Heath Junior School

Selwyn Close, Cambridge Road, Hounslow TW4 7BD

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is an outstanding school

 Following the previous inspection, the headteacher, senior leaders and governors implemented an ambitious and rigorous improvement programme. This has been highly successful in raising pupils’ achievement  The headteacher’s determination to make rapid changes has gained the full support of the staff.  Leaders at every level demonstrate an ambition to succeed and to improve outcomes for pupils. There is a very strong focus on safeguarding pupils across the school.  Governors have developed their skills through deep self-reflection and have very robust systems to hold the school leaders to account.  The school is in the process of expanding from four forms of entry to seven. This has not distracted the leaders from their core work in improving standards.  The school’s unvalidated assessment information from the 2016 tests at the end key stage 2 is well above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

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This is an outstanding school

 The school has an outward-looking culture and makes excellent use of the local authority peer challenge system to benchmark pupil outcomes.  Middle leadership has been key to the success of the school’s improving performance and this group has a vital role in successfully implementing the development plan.  Teaching is outstanding. All staff share the determination that no child will fail. As a result, planning is highly effective, lessons challenge all ability groups and learning time is maximised.  School leaders are very accurate in their self- evaluation. Comprehensive monitoring of pupils’ progress is highly effective in detecting any underachievement.  Excellent use of the pupil premium grant has resulted in the disadvantaged pupils making at least the same progress as their peers in reading, writing and mathematics.  Provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is outstanding. The

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This is an outstanding school

centre for pupils with physical disability is a place where these pupils thrive. Staff are determined that the pupils are fully included in school activities.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. In lessons they listen attentively and engage in activities with a relish to learn.  The school ethos of ‘enjoy, learn and achieve’ is clearly embedded in everything the school does.  Parents are appreciative of the support their children get from the teachers, particularly those pupils with complex needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the school maintains its excellent levels of achievement and care throughout the forthcoming period of rapid expansion.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The school leaders’ journey for improving Hounslow Heath Junior began following a disappointing set of results in 2013. This was a catalyst for change that has led to the current outstanding work carried out throughout the school.  Leaders quickly identified the actions that needed to be taken and they have been unremitting in their drive to become outstanding. The headteacher has been highly effectively and supported by an equally ambitious governing body.  The local authority has checked the accuracy of the school’s own self-evaluation and supports the work of a triad system of peer support. This external leadership challenge group helps to benchmark the school’s judgements of pupils’ outcomes. The school has effectively used these external evaluations to continually challenge themselves in the improvement process.  The headteacher and her highly skilled leadership team transformed the systems in the school and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

skilfully link all actions through a comprehensive school improvement plan. Middle leaders’ work brings the plan to life. Senior leaders ensure that the subject leads have the time and training to carry out their responsibilities. Consequently, the school has a group of well-qualified, confident and robust ‘leaders of learning’.  The leaders expect the staff to use a clear standard of non-negotiables that form the basis of ‘The Hounslow Heath Junior Way’. As a result, all teachers are committed to the school’s aspirational approach and demonstrate this in delivering consistently high-quality lessons.  The subject leads have a strong grasp of their role in the improvement of pupils’ achievement based on analysis of outcome data and teacher performance. Their work has had an impressive impact on the outcomes and progress for all pupils in every year group. They lead the regular pupil progress meetings,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

and this means they are able to identify groups of pupils at risk of underachievement. Senior leaders teach groups of pupils to give the support or extension for those pupils. They deliver programmes of learning and model for staff the high standards expected.  The leader for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is diligent in her monitoring of the provision and ensures that each pupil’s needs are met fully. The provision for the pupils is excellent, and well-trained staff are able to support the pupils in their class and to deliver specialist programmes very effectively.  The information the school holds on pupil progress is accurate and used to inform future planning. Consequently, teachers know how to support and challenge their pupils. Performance by all groups of pupils is analysed in great detail. Where gaps are identified, these are closed by the end of Year 6. Leaders use performance management for teachers to set ambitious targets and the cycle is robust and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

rewards success. The school provides highly effective support for the teachers new to post. This group appreciate the support they have received from senior staff.  The very effective use of the pupil premium grant ensures interventions developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills well. As a result the achievement of disadvantaged pupils is in line with other pupils at the school and above all other pupils nationally. The school analyses the performance of this group throughout the school and consequently when gaps occur they are closed quickly. This demonstrates very thorough accountability of spending that has an impact on outcomes.  The sports premium is used well to train staff, particularly the teachers new to their role. Funding is also used to provide specific resources to support pupils. The school is now developing a programme of competitive sports and support for pupils who may not be able to engage in sport to participate in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

physical activities. The school has also used the funding to ensure that the pupils from the centre are fully included in class sports activities.  The curriculum is well planned, with a wide range of experiences for the pupils. English texts are chosen to challenge pupils and to enhance the wider curriculum. For example, a Year 5 music lesson developing compositional skills was linked to their text ‘Street child’ and resulted in high-quality work. The school offers a wide range of after-school clubs and participation is high. Pupils particularly like the ‘Mad Scientist’ club that extends their knowledge of science in a fun way.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a very strong element of the school’s work. Pupils are encouraged to use a ‘growth mindset’ approach and this is evident in displays and how children are encouraged to develop resilience in lessons. For example, mistakes made by pupils are seen as

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

opportunities for greater learning. There is strong evidence of pupil participation in the development of the school as it expands. The junior leadership group have introduced improvement ideas, including decorating the new canteen, new physical education equipment and playground monitors. Displays show progress towards each project and the expected finishing dates.  The governance of the school  Governors have been integral in the school’s journey to outstanding. As a group they are also very reflective and have completed a comprehensive skills audit to ensure that they are able to fulfil their responsibilities. Visits to the school are regular and they work hard to ensure that staff understand their role in the strategic direction of the school.  Governors are very well informed and are able to use the detailed data in the schools’ reports effectively. As a result governors have an excellent grasp of the work of school leaders and hold

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

them to account through incisive questions recorded in the minutes of meetings. They are very focused on ensuring further improvement during the school’s significant expansion. Governors are aware of the most recent guidance and they are trained to fulfil their statutory duties around safeguarding and health and safety. This has been clearly demonstrated during recent building work.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have had the appropriate training, including safer recruitment, female genital mutilation and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Systems for vetting staff are secure and governors regularly check the single central record. The school site is secure and well kept.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding because of the highly effective planning for learning. The teachers’ very strong subject knowledge enables pupils to be challenged in their learning. This is consistent across the school.  Teachers have very high expectations modelled throughout the school. Their excellent management of behaviour ensures that no learning time is lost. Pupils know how to behave in lessons, and as a result they achieve highly in all curriculum subjects.  Teaching assistants are a significant strength in the school. They are used exceptionally well and support the pupils to succeed. The teaching assistants in the centre and those working with the ‘super star’ special needs group are highly skilled and work closely with specialist teachers to support these pupils.  Additional teachers provide highly engaging enrichment in the curriculum. French is well taught and pupils are developing their knowledge of the language through enjoyable and interesting lessons. In a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

lesson about how to order food in a café the pupils were confident in conversing in French. Science is a subject taught very well over the school and pupils are able to apply their literacy skills, including opportunities to write at length.  The teaching of the key skills is excellent. Consequently, pupils make exceptional progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers ensure that pupils have opportunities to apply their skills across the well-taught curriculum.  Teachers use questioning to draw out pupils’ understanding in a highly skilful way. The feedback provided in books is incisive and very detailed. As a result, pupils move successfully through next step challenges. They understand the school system of ‘hot marking’ through the lessons. Teachers set challenging and regular homework, providing a daily club during lunchtime to support pupils should they need it.  The classrooms are effective learning spaces. Pupils take great pride in their work and this is evident

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

through the quality of display across the school.  Assessment is used accurately to inform planning and teachers know how to use the information to extend and support all pupils. This practice has been noted by the local authority as a model of excellence.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Values are strongly embedded evidenced by the exceptional behaviour of the pupils.  Pupils are confident and developing into articulate young people. They appreciate the work the school does to keep them safe. They can explain how to use technology safely. As a result pupils’ understanding of e-safety is very strong.  Pupils enjoy their lessons and are proud of their school. As one pupil said, ‘Over everything, it’s a great school.’  British values are promoted through effective lessons around what it means to grow up in British society. The pupils have a very good knowledge of how democracy works. Pupils told an inspector that they had been a discussing leaving the European Union ‘because we couldn’t actually vote in the polling station’. The school celebrates the diversity of the school’s population. Some pupils were celebrating Eid and the

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Personal development and welfare

pupils could explain why it was important to Muslims.  Pupils with complex needs are given excellent care and the staff know their requirements and meet them exceptionally well. The school is inclusive and all pupils are expected to excel.  Pupils said that they feel safe in school and outside. If issues occur, the pupils know they will be sorted out quickly.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. It is a real strength of the school and is linked to the overall high expectations the school has for the whole community. The pupils are engaging, courteous and polite. They have strong relationships with each other and with all staff.  Behaviour is excellent in classes and in the way pupils conduct themselves impeccably when moving around the school. Pupils are very self-disciplined and thoughtful when responding to each other and their teacher. The strong ethos of inclusion is clear in the sensitive way that pupils care for those with more complex needs.  Behaviour records are kept meticulously. They show how the school effectively deals with any derogatory language or behaviour. Pupils were clear that there was ‘zero tolerance’ for any name-calling or unacceptable behaviour. There have been no exclusions for several years.  The school’s attendance systems are comprehensive. Information is analysed and actions put in place to

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Behaviour

ensure that all pupils attend regularly. The school has a number of pupils with complex medical needs whose attendance has been a concern. Staff have worked with the families to improve attendance, which has been successful. Overall, attendance rates are higher than national figures.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Outcomes for pupils are outstanding. Since 2013 the attainment for pupils has been improving, and above the national average in reading, writing, grammar, spelling and punctuation and mathematics.  The school’s 2016 unvalidated results of the national tests for Year 6 show the school to be above the national average in reading, grammar, spelling and punctuation and mathematics. This is also the case for the combined subjects.  Progress across the school for all groups of pupils is outstanding. Pupils’ books demonstrate rapid improvements over time in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school’s work to the close the gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is highly effective. As a result these pupils perform at least as well as their peers in all subjects and higher than all other pupils nationally.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported extremely well to ensure that by the

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

time they leave the school they too make very strong progress.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, from their starting points, make strong and sustained progress because of the excellent support they receive from staff. The most able pupils are challenged through precise and targeted teaching to make more than expected progress across all year groups in all subjects.  Work in books reflects the high aspiration that staff have for their pupils. Teacher guidance is incisive and very detailed in showing pupils how to excel.  Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their education. The school ensures that each pupil is an articulate and well-rounded individual and as a result they are ready for their secondary schools

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School details

Unique reference number 102489 Local authority Hounslow Inspection number 10009167

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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 Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 559 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Randeep Basra Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge Ritu Aulakh Telephone number 02085701332 Website www.hounslowheathjunior.co.uk Email address office@hhjs.hounslow.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6  7 February 2014

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Information about this school

 Hounslow Heath Junior is a much larger than average junior school. Currently, the school is in the process of expanding from four to seven forms of entry.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs with support or with an education, health and care plan is higher than average. The school has a centre for pupils with physical disabilities.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than the national average. Pupils come from a range of different ethnic backgrounds, the largest group being those of Indian and Pakistani heritage.  The school has an after-school club, Hounslow Heath after-school care scheme, which is an independent child care scheme. It was not part of this inspection  The school currently meets the floor standards, which are the minimum standards for attainment and progress expected by the government.  The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed substantial parts of 18 lessons and 15 part-lessons, including joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. In addition inspectors heard children read in Years 3 to 6.  Pupils’ work, including the work of pupils attending the special needs centre, in a range of curriculum subjects was analysed.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, members of the governing body including the chair, school staff and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 12 responses to the online Ofsted questionnaire Parent View and other communications with parents. Inspectors took into account the school’s own survey of parents’ views. Inspectors spoke to a number of parents during the inspection.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s website and documentation relating to pupil safety.  Inspectors observed pupil’s behaviour before and after school, in lessons and between lessons.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed the school’s work and analysed a range of documents and policies, including the school’s own information on pupils’ current progress. Planning and monitoring documentation, behaviour logs and safeguarding paperwork were also evaluated.

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Inspection team

Sara Morgan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Robert Pyner Her Majesty’s Inspector Julian Grenier 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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