Herringham Primary Academy

Inspection of Herringham Primary Academy St Mary’s Road, Chadwell St Mary, Grays, Essex RM16 4JX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 18 and 19 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know it is important to respect others. They understand the ‘all different, all equal’ ethos that they learn about in assemblies and through the books that they read. Adults in school model these values which are woven into school life. As a result, pupils have kind and positive relationships with each other and adults. Pupils are helped and encouraged to treat others equally. The school is a calm, warm and friendly place in which pupils can learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and attend well. Pupils enjoy learning, and lessons take place without interruption. They take on additional responsibilities and develop independence. Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen, but they are confident that adults are effective in resolving issues that occur. Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils can access a range of support from mental health champions and the pupil leadership team.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Herringham Primary Academy is a constantly improving school. Leaders at all levels have high expectations of pupils and what pupils can achieve. Pupils try hard to live up to these expectations. They treat others well, work hard and improve their academic achievement over time.

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better?

School and trust leaders have worked effectively since the previous inspection to improve the curriculum. They have set out clear and ambitious expectations across the curriculum. Directors and local governors know the school well. They have kept their focus throughout the pandemic on improving the quality of education for pupils, so pupils can achieve as well as possible.

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better?

Teachers know what must be taught at each stage of pupils’ learning journey, including in the early years. Pupils start new learning at the right time because leaders have thought about the order the curriculum should be taught.

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better?

Teachers help pupils to remember what they have learned. Teachers often repeat new vocabulary to remind pupils of the key words they need to learn. Pupils are proud to be able to define words such as ‘cacophony’ and use them appropriately in their writing.

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better?

Teachers implement the curriculum well for all pupils. They work together to ensure that all pupils access the same learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adults support and make necessary adjustments so pupils with SEND can learn independently and well. Leaders of SEND provision identify pupils’ needs quickly. They ensure that pupils with SEND receive the precise support needed.

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better?

The early reading curriculum is well planned and taught. Young pupils quickly become good readers. Leaders carefully check how pupils are progressing. Where 18 and 19 May 2022

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pupils need additional support, it is offered quickly so that they can catch up. Pupils are ready for the next stage of their learning in key stage 2. Pupils read regularly and fluently. The books they read match the sounds they know. This supports their confidence and enjoyment of reading. Teachers read to pupils from a wide range of texts which also celebrate the different cultures in our world. This aids pupils’ understanding of different people and cultures.

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In the early years, children settle to learning quickly. They know and follow the routines well. Leaders continue to revise the curriculum design in the early years classes. This is so children have even more opportunity to choose activities which help children to practise and develop their knowledge and skills further.

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Pupils are interested in their learning. They listen to their teachers and each other and work well together. Pupils stand up confidently in lessons to answer key questions. They speak with understanding, remembering their most recent learning. However, leaders have not ensured that where there are historic gaps in pupils’ learning in a few subjects, the curriculum is as fully adapted to meet all pupils’ needs.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. They organise a range of visits and visitors to enhance pupils’ understanding of the world and expose them to high- quality learning opportunities. Pupils also enjoy the many opportunities to take part in competitions with pupils from other schools in the trust.

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Staff appreciate the investment leaders make in their training and the support leaders provide to ensure that workload is manageable. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are suitably trained to safeguard pupils. Staff receive regular updates so that they can identify safeguarding concerns and report them quickly. Leaders are relentless in pursuing support for families in need. They have developed a wide range of partnerships to help them with this.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have organised the curriculum, including the personal, social health and economic curriculum, to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, including using online technologies

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Safeguarding

All necessary pre-employment checks for staff are carried out and recorded appropriately. 18 and 19 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have made changes and improvements to the curriculum design. However, some pupils have gaps in their learning in a few subjects. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of all pupils in the few subjects that require it. In early years, leaders need to continue their work in designing the curriculum to prepare children for the subjects they will study in key stage 1.

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How can I feed back my views?

to 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. 18 and 19 May 2022

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School details

Website www.theglc-herringham.org.uk/ Date of previous inspection 17 and 18 July 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Herringham Primary is a larger-than-average-size school.  The school runs a breakfast club for its pupils.  There are a larger number of pupils than average who receive the pupil premium.  There are larger-than-average numbers of pupils with SEND.  The school has partnerships with other local schools to support pupils who need alternative provision.  Most pupils are white British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The school converted to be part of the Gateway Learning Community Trust (the trust) in 2012.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 18 and 19 May 2022

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science, history and design/technology. For each deep dive, inspectors considered the design of the curriculum, spoke with leaders, visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ books or listened to children reading and spoke with teachers and pupils.  Inspectors spoke with the chief executive of the trust, those responsible for governance, including directors and local governors, leaders and those with responsibility for SEND and the early years.  To inspect safeguarding, meetings were held with the designated safeguarding lead, teachers, support staff and pupils. The inspector scrutinised the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks.

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 The lead inspector visited and spoke with the leaders of the assessment centre based at another local school.  The inspectors observed and spoke with pupils, including at breaktimes and lunchtime. The inspectors also took account of the 102 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  The inspectors gathered parents’ views. The 80 responses and 75 free-text responses submitted to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, were reviewed.  The inspectors gathered staff’s views. The inspectors took account of the 30 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Debbie Rogan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lisa Massey Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 May 2022

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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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