Hadley Wood Primary School

Inspection of Hadley Wood Primary School Courtleigh Avenue, Hadley Wood, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN4 0HT

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 14–15 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values are central to everyday life at the school. Leaders and teachers routinely encourage pupils to become ‘confident, capable and caring’ members of society. Staff model these attributes and support pupils to apply them in their work and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and staff are professional, respectful and warm. Pupils are safe. They enjoy coming to school and value their education. Staff know pupils, their interests and personal circumstances well. Pupils know that they can trust the adults at school to provide the support they need if they are worried about anything.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of pupils. The curriculum is well planned and broad. As a result, pupils achieve well across the subjects. Pupils speak confidently and eloquently about their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in class and as they move around the school. Pupils said that bullying is rare, and that they have confidence in their teachers to address any issues that may arise. Leaders deal with any incident of bullying effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents, carers and pupils are pleased that leaders provide a range of clubs and activities to enrich the school’s curriculum. Uptake is high, which makes a strong contribution to promoting pupils’ personal development. Parents value the school’s nurturing environment, combined with leaders’ drive to achieve high standards.

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better?

Leaders have a sharp focus on the quality of education. They have given careful thought to what they want pupils to know and be able to do. Across the subject curriculum, they have planned teaching of new knowledge in a logical, step-by-step way. This helps pupils to build securely on their previous knowledge and achieve well. Pupils enjoy opportunities to reflect on, and to discuss, the knowledge they have gained. Leaders have also considered carefully what children in the early years need to know and be able to do. This results in children gaining the foundational knowledge they need to make a good start in Year 1.

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better?

Teachers use effective approaches to help pupils retain in their long-term memories the knowledge they have been taught previously. They set out clearly how new learning builds on what pupils have learned in previous units of work. Pupils are familiar with the concept of ‘building blocks’ that help them to deepen and retain their knowledge.

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better?

Teachers are appreciative of the professional development opportunities they receive. Training is planned carefully to ensure that teachers are clear about how pupils build up subject-specific knowledge. 14–15 June 2022

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Teachers use assessment well to check pupils’ understanding during lessons. They give pupils prompt feedback about their work, recognising their successes and pointing out where they have gone wrong. This helps to address pupils’ misconceptions and supports pupils to gain deeper knowledge. In most subjects, leaders track carefully how well pupils acquire new and deeper knowledge and understanding over time. This work is at an earlier stage in physical education (PE) and music, where the curriculum has been more recently established.

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Leaders make the teaching of reading a high priority. From their first days in the early years, children secure phonics knowledge through a consistent and well- structured teaching programme. Weaker readers receive the support they need to catch up. Pupils read books that match their phonics knowledge. This helps them to become fluent readers. Leaders have chosen books which all pupils will encounter in class as they progress through the school. Staff select books carefully to reflect a broad range of topics including race, disability, transgender and culture. This helps pupils to gain a good understanding of equalities and diversity.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to study the same curriculum as their peers. The support they get is carefully considered to promote independence and resilience. This enables them to achieve well.

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Children in the early years work and play cooperatively, taking turns and making sensible choices about the activities they choose. Pupils’ positive attitudes lead them to concentrate hard during lessons and achieve well. Leaders promote the value of regular and punctual attendance at school. They have been successful in improving the attendance rates of pupils who were regularly absent in the past.

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Leaders support pupils’ wider development effectively. Their drive to promote independence and resilience begins in the early years. There are numerous opportunities for pupils to attend clubs such as football, Zumba and cooking. Opportunities to take responsibility include class-based roles such as book and eco monitors, and whole-school positions such as membership of the school council. The process of applying for, and being elected to, these roles supports pupils’ understanding of democracy.

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Pupils in Year 6 are well prepared for their transition to secondary school. Leaders encourage good habits from an early stage, for example learning to adhere to expectations about behaviour. Pupils understand the benefits this will have as they begin the next stage of their education.

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Leaders take account of teachers’ workload and well-being, making sure that their time is used profitably to support pupils’ progress. All staff can access on-site weekly counselling sessions should they wish to.

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Governors have a highly professional approach to their work. They support and challenge leaders to ensure that the school’s development is well focused and monitored. 14–15 June 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders and staff are well trained to identify and respond to any concerns. Leaders carry out the required checks on staff before their appointment. Weekly updates for staff ensure that safeguarding is always at the forefront of staff’s minds. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including while online. Leaders act quickly to make sure pupils and families get the support they need. Pupils speak highly of the sources of support available to them, such as the class worry box. Leaders keep detailed records of any concerns raised, tracking cases carefully until they are resolved.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In PE and music, leaders’ systematic approach to checking what pupils know and remember is still developing. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies are firmly embedded in all subjects so that pupils who need to catch up are identified quickly and provided with the support they need.

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How can I feed back my views?

or 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. 14–15 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228780 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Joanna Elise Lee

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2008

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in September 2019.  School leaders do not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 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.  The inspection team completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and design and technology. To do this, inspectors met with subject leaders, held discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders and a range of staff. They also had formal meetings with groups of pupils and spoke with pupils informally during social times. 14–15 June 2022

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 Inspectors met with five members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair. They also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered the arrangements for safeguarding by reviewing the school’s child protection policy, records and through discussions with pupils and staff.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered as gathered through discussion and Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Jeremy Loukes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Dawn Titus Ofsted Inspector 14–15 June 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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