Hayward's Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hayward's Primary School East Street, Crediton, Devon EX17 3AX

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Outcome

Hayward's Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff love coming to school. Pupils discuss what they are learning with enthusiasm. They behave well, particularly in lessons. Pupils focus on tasks because the curriculum is closely matched to their needs. Incidents of low-level disruption and bullying are rare. Pupils are safe. Staff and parents who completed the online surveys agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff truly care about the pupils who attend the school. They know pupils’ backgrounds and interests. The school’s approach is underpinned by the ‘Haywards’ Heroes’ values of maturity, perseverance, respect, honesty and focus.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum for most subjects. These plans are ambitious and deepen pupils’ knowledge in and across subjects. Staff training and well- sequenced lessons help pupils to learn the school’s curriculum effectively. Staff make effective use of the local area to bring the curriculum to life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have instilled a rich, inclusive culture that permeates everything the school does. Staff share leaders’ determined belief that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can and should succeed. These ambitions are realised through the high-quality implementation of the school’s curriculum.

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

Leaders and governors know the school’s strengths and areas to improve. Governors check the impact of improvement priorities with tenacity. Leaders have promoted a culture of innovative practice across the school. This is evident in the school’s approach to developing the curriculum. Staff have played a key role in designing the curriculum. They love working at the school, feel well supported and know that leaders have their well-being at heart.

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

The school’s curriculum builds on pupils’ prior knowledge. In most subjects, pupils know what they are learning and why they need to know it. For example, one pupil stated it was 8 and 9 December 2021

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important to learn about history as it helped modern society to ‘avoid making the same mistakes again’.

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Leaders have given considerable thought to what they want pupils to know and remember. Staff make regular checks on how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Pupils receive timely feedback, so they know how they are getting on. Pupils value this, particularly in mathematics. Leaders and staff monitor pupils’ progress through the curriculum closely so they can put in place extra support when it is needed.

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The school’s curriculum supports pupils’ language and vocabulary development well, starting in the early years. Children join in with stories and rhymes enthusiastically. Older pupils continue their exploration of vocabulary. Through high-quality books, they unpick what makes writing effective and apply this knowledge well. Staff weave the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar throughout the curriculum, which helps pupils write accurately. For example, they know how to use commas in a list when writing a letter.

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Leaders implemented a new phonics programme at the beginning of the previous academic year. This approach is now firmly embedded. Pupils read with increasing accuracy, using the sounds they know to read unfamiliar words. Mostly, adults are on hand to support pupils who find reading tricky. However, this is not yet consistent. A few pupils read books that do not match their level of phonics knowledge

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Leaders support disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND well. They have increased pupils’ access to the curriculum and wider opportunities. School leaders’ efforts to overcome barriers are well thought out. As a result, pupils thrive. Some older pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan receive a bespoke curriculum for some subjects in the ‘hub’. The curriculum for these pupils is ambitious, helping to support a successful transition to their next phase of education.

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Leaders support pupils’ wider development well. Pupils have rich opportunities to find out more about their local area and community through the curriculum. For example, they learn the importance of farming in Crediton and how Exeter began as a Roman town. Pupils go on trips and visits to help deepen their understanding further. The school’s approach to managing pupils’ behaviour is effective. Pupils know right from wrong. They understand how to use the school values to support their learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure safeguarding processes are robust. In-depth recruitment procedures ensure they only appoint staff who are suitable to work with children. Once appointed, staff receive a high-quality induction. Leaders ensure ongoing training is current. Staff know their safeguarding responsibilities and fulfil them well. They use their strong knowledge of pupils to notice any change in behaviour or mood, which may point to wider concerns. Staff record their concerns on the school’s electronic system, which leaders review closely. Leaders take appropriate action to ensure pupils are safe, including working with external agencies. 8 and 9 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The phonics approach is taking root well. However, a few pupils on the phonics programme read books that do not match their phonics knowledge and there are pockets of inconsistency in the support that adults provide. Leaders need to continue implementing the phonics programme, ironing out inconsistencies in these areas, so that all pupils achieve their potential.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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.

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Inspection number 10206979 Type of school Primary

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection 7 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school use one alternative provider, which is registered.  The school has set up a hub, which caters for a few pupils in Years 5 and 6 who have an EHC plan. Pupils work in the hub for some lessons of their school week.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with designated safeguarding leaders to consider: the school’s recruitment procedures; staff induction and training; how well staff notice and pass on concerns about pupils’ welfare; and the actions leaders take to keep pupils safe, including their work with external agencies. 8 and 9 December 2021

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 The inspector considered pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection, including during lesson visits. He also met with the headteacher to discuss behaviour incidents and exclusion records.  The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority and met with four representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also met with the special educational needs coordinator and a member of the inclusion team to consider the quality of provision for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.  The inspector considered responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys alongside 49 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including 37 free-text responses from parents and carers.

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Inspection team

Nathan Kemp, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector 8 and 9 December 2021

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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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