Harefield Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Harefield Infant School High Street, Harefield UB9 6BT

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Outcome

Harefield Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

School staff form caring, nurturing, professional relationships with pupils. Children settle quickly when they join the school in the early years. This is because leaders and teachers have clear expectations. From the Nursery Year onwards, they teach children the importance of being kind and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. Many pupils speak confidently about the importance of speaking up if they are unhappy with the way they are being treated by others. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying appropriately. Pupils are safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Recently, leaders made changes to the arrangements in the playground. They provide a wide range of activities for pupils, including sports, construction equipment and adult-led games. As a result, pupils enjoy breaktime and are highly engaged. The school is a lively and happy place. Typically, pupils said how much they enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want pupils to play their part in the local community. Pupils’ personal and emotional development are encouraged, for example through talking about their feelings. Pupils are taught about remembrance and respect, for instance through the school’s tradition of laying flowers at the First and Second World War graves at a local cemetery.

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

Leaders place high importance on reading fluently. Pupils are taught the knowledge and skills they need to read confidently. Pupils enjoy borrowing books from the newly refurbished school library. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read receive effective support. Phonics teaching begins in Reception. Leaders and teachers ensure that teaching matches pupils’ starting points in reading. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils read books that are aligned securely to the letters and sounds they know. Leaders provide information to parents and carers so that they know how to help with their child’s reading at home. Pupils receive extra phonics teaching to help them keep up, where needed. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Teachers adapt teaching and resources appropriately for pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. Leaders work with external experts to ensure pupils’ needs are identified. Leaders regularly check how well pupils with SEND learn and remember key knowledge and skills.

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Leaders make sure that the curriculum is broad and in line with the national curriculum. Typically, leaders sequence the curriculum so that pupils know more as they move up through the school. Leaders check that the curriculum is taught consistently across the school and in all subjects. As a result, pupils build knowledge of subjects cumulatively. For example, pupils in Year 1 can name the countries within the United Kingdom. In Year 2, pupils build on this knowledge, and learn the locations of capital cities and some features of the different countries.

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Mostly, knowledge is sequenced effectively, from the early years onwards. For example, children in the early years are taught important knowledge about numbers and counting. This prepares them well for mathematics in Year 1 and beyond. However, in a few subjects, leaders have not identified clearly the essential knowledge that children need to learn in the early years. Where this is the case, some teaching in Year 1 does not build on what children learn in the early years.

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Typically, teachers check that pupils know and remember important subject content. Teachers and leaders use this information to find out whether pupils are ready to learn more difficult things. Sometimes, these checks of pupils’ recall do not pinpoint specific gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, sometimes, pupils’ missing knowledge or misconceptions are not identified and addressed as effectively.

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Leaders want pupils to be able to understand and talk about their emotions. Teachers and pupils discuss vocabulary to express feelings. Leaders and teachers have consistent expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them in class and during less structured times. Low-level disruption does not interrupt learning.

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Pupils have opportunities to share their opinions with school leaders. For example, pupil school council representatives gathered pupils’ ideas for the design of the newly refurbished school library. Leaders organise educational visits linked to the subject curriculum. This includes, for example, walks around the local area linked to pupils’ learning in geography.

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The governing body provides appropriate support and challenge for leaders. It works closely with leaders to check that staff’s workload levels are acceptable. School staff value the support they receive from leaders regarding their well-being. Leaders ensure that teaching staff who are at the early stages of their career receive the support and guidance that they need. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and school staff have appropriate safeguarding training. As a result, they know the signs that a pupil may need help or support. Leaders form appropriate working relationships with external safeguarding partners. Leaders regularly seek advice and refer concerns in a timely manner. Leaders keep appropriate safeguarding records. They monitor ongoing issues vigilantly.

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Safeguarding

The governing body members know their responsibilities when following up any concerns that may arise. Pupils are taught about safety in an age-appropriate way.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not identified clearly all the essential knowledge that children need to learn in the early years. Where this is the case, children are not as well prepared for learning in some subjects when they move into key stage 1. Subject leaders should ensure that subject knowledge is identified and sequenced from the early years onwards in all subjects.  Sometimes, teachers’ checks on pupils’ recall of prior learning do not pinpoint specific gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, sometimes, these are not addressed effectively. Leaders should ensure that formative assessment is used to identify gaps or inaccuracies in pupils’ knowledge so that they can be addressed.

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher and head of school took up their posts in September 2019. They lead this school and Harefield Junior School.  The school does not use alternative provision.  There is a breakfast club provision for pupils registered at the school.

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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 held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. The inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body and an education consultant who works with the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 21 and 22 March 2023

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 The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector examined records and documentation about safeguarding. This includes information gathered and checks done on staff before they start working at the school.  The inspector scrutinised staff’s and parents’ responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 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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