Harlyn Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Harlyn Primary School Tolcarne Drive, Middlesex HA5 2DR

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Outcome

Harlyn Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for by staff. They know that staff are keen for them to succeed. In turn, pupils rise to the expectations staff have of them. They do this by working hard in all subjects and taking part in lots of exciting lunchtime clubs and after-school activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They are well organised for their lessons and get down to learning quickly. They feel safe to express their views and ask questions. Pupils learn a lot about their rights and responsibilities and what it means to be a good citizen in the modern world. They leave the school well prepared for secondary education, both academically and in terms of their personal development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that the school helps them to build their confidence and self-esteem. For example, they are proud to be members of the school orchestra, sports teams and drama productions. Disadvantaged pupils also access these opportunities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value one another’s views and show respect by listening to what others have to say. In this climate, bullying of any kind is rare and mutual respect is demonstrated well. Staff model such attitudes and behaviour very well. Unsurprisingly, pupils trust staff to sort out any problem in the unusual event of something going wrong.

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

Morale in this school is high. Staff, parents, carers and governors are supportive of school leaders. All believe and aspire to the best for their pupils. Much work is being done to improve the school’s curriculum, teaching and assessment. The quality of education provided is good.

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

Leaders and teachers understand why it is important for pupils to learn things in the right order. In science, for instance, pupils learn about the idea of forces, such as gravity, before moving on to exploring the idea of air resistance. In reading, teachers spend time explaining to pupils the context in which new words and phrases might be used. This 24–25 September 2019

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enables pupils to make more sense of the text and hence make better inferences.

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Leaders have carried out reviews in some subjects to improve plans for what pupils should learn. All curriculum subjects will have been through this rigorous process by the end of the current academic year. The positive impact of this work can be seen in subjects including English, mathematics, art and history. A key principle has been to look carefully at the concepts taught in different year groups. In these subjects, topics have been mapped out so that pupils learn things in a logical order that helps them build a strong knowledge base. While work is ongoing in other curriculum subjects, such as geography, science and physical education, it is clear that leaders understand the importance of good planning.

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Teachers and teaching assistants are skilful at breaking down complex problems into smaller steps that pupils can manage. This is particularly useful for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers ensure that pupils remember earlier learning before they go on to new and harder work. For example, Year 5 pupils can explain the concept of ‘punishment’ in Victorian England in the context of the United Nations Convention on Human Rights.

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Children are exposed to a language-rich environment in the early years. Children in the Nursery listen to lots of rhymes and stories. They start learning phonics early. Outcomes in phonics have improved, particularly in 2019. Pupils are now more confident in decoding words than in the past.

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Pupils achieve well in mathematics and English by the end of key stage 2; this includes disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. The curriculum in these subjects is ambitious for all pupils in that it is designed well to meet all needs. For example, in mathematics, clear links are made between topics. Effective support is provided to all pupils who need it to help them achieve their goals.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff at all levels receive regular safeguarding training, and they know how to identify pupils who are potentially at risk. Staff understand and follow leaders’ guidance for reporting any safeguarding concerns. Leaders ensure that safeguarding concerns are properly recorded. They are tenacious in making sure that child protection referrals are dealt with appropriately. The maintenance of child protection files is effective, and leaders work well with representatives from other agencies. As a result, the most vulnerable pupils are kept safe and free from harm.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is planned and delivered well in most subjects, including mathematics and English. However, the knowledge that pupils need to acquire is not set out in a carefully planned sequence in all subjects. Transitional arrangements have therefore been applied on this inspection. Leaders should ensure that planning in all subjects is well sequenced and coherent, resulting in stronger learning over time across the whole curriculum.

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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 a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 19 January 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 24–25 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110443 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 January 2016

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Information about this school

 This is larger than the average-sized primary school, with three forms of entry in key stage 2.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average. This includes pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is above average.  Children in the early years are taught in the Nursery and in two Reception classes. Not all the Reception Year children transfer directly from the Nursery, with about half coming from other pre-school settings.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Staff mobility in the school is low. The current headteacher has been in post for five years.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, and two groups of teachers who teach a range of subjects. I also held discussions with eight governors, including the chair of the governing body. I held a further telephone conversation with 24–25 September 2019

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the school’s link adviser for school improvement from Hillingdon local authority.  I considered reading, mathematics and history in depth as part of this inspection. This entailed discussions with senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. I also carried out lesson visits jointly with senior leaders. I scrutinised pupils’ work to gain a view about how much they were learning and remembering in the subjects chosen for inspection.  I held discussions with the designated leader for safeguarding, looked at records, and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding practice.  I observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day and spoke to staff about pupils’ wider development.

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Inspection team

Nasim Butt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 24–25 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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