Heatherley Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Heatherley Primary School Heatherley Drive, Forest Town, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG19 0PY

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Outcome

Heatherley Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this inclusive school. They attend regularly. Pupils and staff describe it as a family. The pupils are a credit to the school. They are respectful, polite and kind to each other. Pupils understand the school’s value of integrity and do their best to demonstrate it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour, and pupils respond well to these expectations. They behave well in lessons and around the school. In lessons, most pupils are enthusiastic about what they are learning. Classrooms and playgrounds are calm, and pupils play well together. They enjoy spending time with their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well looked after. They say bullying sometimes happens but when it does, they are confident that staff will sort it out quickly and it will stop. If pupils have a concern or a worry, they know how to report this. Pupils know that staff will listen and help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value taking on responsibilities such as well-being and anti-bullying ambassadors and sports leaders. They enjoy helping others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate being included in school life when possible, such as by attending assemblies and special breakfasts.

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

The school provides pupils with a good quality education. Leaders have a clear vision for how they want to develop the school further. They have worked hard to improve the curriculum they offer pupils. However, leaders have a little more work to do in a few subjects to make sure that pupils continue to deepen their knowledge over time.

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

In the majority of subjects where the curriculum is well considered, pupils understand what they are learning and how it builds on what they know already. Teachers use their 7 to 8 March 2023

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good subject knowledge to explain new ideas to pupils clearly. They support pupils in lessons by modelling high expectations and addressing pupils’ misconceptions. In mathematics, teachers are skilled at using questions to deepen pupils’ understanding of key concepts. Pupils have opportunities to explain their thinking and solve problems and make effective use of subject-specific vocabulary. For example, pupils confidently explained how to identify ‘faces’, ‘edges’ and ‘vertices’ when discussing 3-D shapes. Others explained the differences between bar and line graphs and when each type of graph should be used. Children in the early years were fully engaged with their learning and spoke knowledgeably of their understanding of the number four. They explained that four was the same as double two and an even number.

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In history, leaders have not identified all the key knowledge pupils should learn or the order in which they should learn it. Some pupils do not always recall important knowledge or use subject-specific vocabulary confidently in these subjects. However, pupils in Years 5 and 6 are beginning to do this well. These pupils explained the concept of invasion through different periods in time such as the Romans, the Vikings and the Second World War.

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Leaders have made reading a high priority. Pupils enjoy reading. They are keen to discuss their favourite books and their knowledge of authors. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils settle well into the routines of learning phonics and are keen to join in. The books given to pupils to help them learn to read are well matched to the sounds they know. The teaching of phonics works well for the vast majority of pupils. However, for a small number of pupils, planned learning does not always meet their needs.

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Teachers ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the full curriculum. However, occasionally, teachers do not help every pupil, including some with SEND, to progress through the planned curriculum well enough. When this happens, these pupils are not given the right support, resources or tasks in lessons to allow them to learn new things.

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Pupils relish the exciting opportunities offered, such as residential visits, during their time in school. Visitors to school help bring learning to life, such as authors and theatre groups. Pupils also enjoy different experiences during their forest school sessions.

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Pupils’ mental health and well-being are a priority in school. Several pupils and some parents spoke highly of the support provided. The curriculum helps pupils develop an understanding of relationships, difference and diversity. Careers week is a highlight for many pupils.

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Governors visit the school regularly. They ensure that leaders keep them well informed. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel valued by senior leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils and families well. Pupils and parents say that school is a safe place. Pupils know that adults in school really care about them and look after them well. Many parents 7 to 8 March 2023

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describe the school environment as ‘positive’ and ‘friendly’.

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Staff teach pupils how to stay safe, both inside and outside school. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online.

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Leaders ensure that staff are well trained. Staff follow clear systems to report a concern about a pupil. Leaders work closely with external organisations to ensure that pupils and families get the support they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the foundation subjects, leaders have designed and implemented a curriculum that rotates on a cycle. However, in history, for example, the precise knowledge that pupils should learn is not yet fully identified. Teachers are not always clear about exactly what pupils need to learn. Pupils cannot always recall what they know. Leaders must identify the most important content that they want pupils to learn and when in all subjects.  Occasionally teachers do not adapt the curriculum well enough to meet the needs of all pupils. A small number of pupils, including some pupils with SEND, do not always get the support they need to achieve as well as they could. They do not always gain the same knowledge and skills as other pupils. Leaders should ensure that the provision for all pupils consistently matches their needs 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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 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. 7 to 8 March 2023

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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. 7 to 8 March 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is currently making use of the services of one registered alternative provision.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders.  The inspector met with two members of the governing body, including the chair. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the virtual school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke with parents. Account was taken of the responses to Ofsted’s 7 to 8 March 2023

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online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also spoke with groups of pupils and staff.  The inspector met with leaders to discuss safeguarding. She met with staff to discuss their understanding of the safeguarding risks and reviewed the school’s procedures to keep pupils safe. The inspector considered documentation relating to safeguarding, the school’s single central record and the system for undertaking checks on new staff.

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Inspection team

Heidi Malliff, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 to 8 March 2023

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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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