Heathfield Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Heathfield Infant School Cobbett Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 6EN

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Outcome

Heathfield Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like their school very much. They were keen to tell me about all the exciting things that happen here, including the many outings and clubs. One pupil said, ‘This school is really good for your brain because we learn lots.’ This comment reflects pupils’ typically positive attitudes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff expect pupils to learn well. In most subjects, staff plan learning which inspires pupils to work hard and achieve highly. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are skilled in meeting these pupils’ needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get off to a strong start in reading. They particularly look forward to their daily story times. They enjoy joining in with stories that they know well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe here. Unkind behaviour is rare. Staff expect pupils to behave well and be considerate towards one another. Pupils are not worried about bullying. As one pupil put it, ‘We do not allow meanness here.’ Staff deal effectively with any issues that arise. They are always on hand to comfort pupils if they feel upset.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is popular with parents and carers. Many parents described the school as ‘wonderful’ and ‘amazing’. They particularly value the school’s ‘community feel’.

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

Leaders and staff think carefully about how to help each pupil achieve highly, particularly in reading and mathematics. The school’s caring atmosphere also supports pupils to learn successfully. Staff nurture pupils’ self-confidence and motivate them to try their best. They provide strong support for pupils with SEND, including those who attend The Willow Centre. This ensures that pupils with SEND learn and behave as well as their peers. 11–12 February 2020

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Leaders and staff know the importance of reading here. All pupils learn to read well. Staff read aloud stories that they know pupils will enjoy. During my visit, pupils gasped and giggled when they heard that one character in a story had ‘ants in his pants’. Staff also choose texts that support pupils’ language development. I saw how pupils take great delight in learning new words, such as ‘rustle’ and ‘orbit’. They used these words confidently when they talked about the story.

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The phonics programme is ambitious. Reception children start the programme straight away. Staff teach new sounds clearly and correct pupils’ misconceptions. Throughout the day, pupils have plentiful opportunities to practise their phonics knowledge. Staff also expect pupils to practise reading at home. Parents receive guidance to help them support their children’s reading. However, some lower-attaining pupils read books that are too hard. Sometimes, instead of reading the words, pupils try to guess words by looking at the pictures in reading books. This holds pupils back from learning to read accurately and fluently.

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As well as reading, writing and mathematics, leaders give a great deal of thought to pupils’ learning in other subjects. They are currently reviewing how each subject is planned and taught. Leaders have started with history and science. Their work has secured clear improvements, including in the early years. Plans set out the knowledge that leaders expect pupils to learn. Pupils study new ideas in a logical order. Teachers plan activities which build on what pupils have previously learned. These strengths enable pupils to achieve highly. Subject leaders have reviewed plans together with colleagues from the junior school. As a result, staff know what pupils need to learn in order to be ready for Year 3.

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Leaders intend to review art and geography next. Leaders’ goals for these subjects are based on the national curriculum. However, leaders have not fully considered what pupils need to learn in order to achieve these goals. Teaching is not sharply focused on building pupils’ knowledge progressively. In art, for example, teachers expect pupils to create their own work inspired by artists such as Kandinsky and Hokusai. However, pupils have not learned and practised the knowledge and skills that they need to do this well.

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Leaders and staff organise lots of outings and clubs for pupils. They listen to pupils’ views on the experiences they would like. For instance, following a visit to a local pet shop, pupils asked if the school could get some guinea pigs. Leaders readily agreed to this request. This helps pupils to learn how to respect and care for other living creatures.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, including in the early years. ‘Golden rules’ remind pupils to be gentle, kind and helpful. In classrooms, pupils listen respectfully to staff and each other. Pupils’ positive attitudes help them to learn well.

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Staff are proud to work here. They share leaders’ commitment to making sure that the quality of education continues to improve. Staff know that their well-being is a priority for the leadership team so that workload is not excessive. 11–12 February 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff care for pupils very well. Pupils told me that adults always look after them, for instance if they feel unwell or fall over in the playground. Parents and staff agree that pupils are kept safe here.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know which signs and symptoms may indicate a pupil’s welfare is at risk. Staff know what they must do if any issues arise. Leaders follow up concerns effectively. They work well with families and external agencies and make sure that pupils get suitable help when they need it.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ learning in all subjects. However, leaders have not made sure that pupils’ learning in art and geography is sufficiently well planned and sequenced. In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders intend to improve how art and geography are planned and taught by September 2020. Leaders’ plans are credible. For this reason, the transition arrangements have been applied. Leaders need to ensure that subject planning sets out how teaching will enable pupils to build up their knowledge step by step, and in turn achieve the ambitious goals that leaders expect.  Pupils achieve well in reading, including pupils with SEND. This is because leaders and staff have high expectations and plan pupils’ learning carefully. However, some lower- attaining pupils read books that do not closely match their reading abilities. This prevents them from becoming accurate and confident readers. Leaders and staff need

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

to ensure that pupils’ reading books only contain sounds that they have been taught and know well.

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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 Heathfield Infant School to be good on 25 and 26 May 2016. 11–12 February 2020

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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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121595 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Paul Clayton (executive headteacher)

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School details

Website www.heathfieldschoolspartnership.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25–26 May 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized infant school. Each year group typically has four classes. The school also provides part-time and full-time places for Nursery-age children.  The school has an additional resourced provision for up to 18 pupils with SEND. The provision is called The Willow Centre. The provision caters for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. Most pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school shares a governing body with Heathfield Junior School. The executive headteacher is also the headteacher of the junior school.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the executive headteacher and deputy headteachers. I also met with members of the governing body and an adviser from the local authority.  I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, art and science. I listened to Reception children and pupils from Years 1 and 2 read to their teachers. Together with leaders, I visited lessons in all year groups, including during story time. I spoke to pupils, staff and subject leaders and looked at subject plans and samples of pupils’ work. 11–12 February 2020

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 I also considered pupils’ learning in other subjects, including mathematics, geography, computing, history and physical education. I visited lessons and reviewed subject plans and pupils’ work. This included lessons in The Willow Centre.  I met with leaders to discuss safeguarding arrangements and looked at documentation and policies related to safeguarding. I also spoke to staff about how they keep pupils safe.  I looked at records related to behaviour and bullying. I observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at lunchtime. I also spoke to leaders and staff about how the school promotes high standards of behaviour.  I met with groups of pupils from Years 1 and 2. I spoke to pupils informally during lessons and at lunchtime. This included discussions about how the school supports their wider development. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.  I spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day. I also considered the 42

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responses received to Parent View, as well as the school’s most recent survey of parents’ views.  I considered the 60 responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Sarah Murphy, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11–12 February 2020

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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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