Petts Hill Primary School

Inspection of Petts Hill Primary School Newmarket Avenue, Newmarket Avenue, Northolt UB5 4HB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 28 and 29 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this welcoming and friendly school, where all pupils are included and valued. The core values of creativity, compassion, courage and community are at the centre of everything this school does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff know the pupils very well. Pupils are safe and enjoy belonging to this small, family orientated school. They receive an education that engages their interest in a wide range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high aspirations for every child. Pupils show an enthusiasm for learning. They produce artistic and written work of a high quality. Pupils develop academically, personally and socially here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils demonstrate both exceptional behaviour and exceptional attitudes to learning in lessons. Adults promote high expectations for positive behaviour across all year groups. Incidents of low-level disruption are rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During their social times, pupils play happily together. Pupils learn and show respectful manners to others. Bullying seldom happens. If it does occur, then adults deal with it swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents spoke highly of school leaders and teachers. They value the quality of education and the support that their children receive. One parent’s comment, which was typical of many, was, ‘My kids are happy at Petts Hill.’

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better?

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum which provides pupils with exciting learning experiences. Leaders have organised content well so that pupils can see connections between subjects. For example, pupils used their knowledge of electricity to install light bulbs into models that they constructed in a design and technology project.

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better?

From the early years onwards, effective teaching enables pupils to know more and do more. Teachers check pupils’ understanding and revisit what pupils have learned before. This helps pupils build their subject-specific knowledge and skills across many parts of the curriculum. However, in a few subjects, the development of the sequencing of knowledge and skills is not as strong.

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better?

Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Staff support pupils with SEND and those pupils who speak English as an additional language effectively. Identified pupils receive speech and language therapy to enhance their communication skills. Teachers adapt their teaching to meet pupils’ needs, including in the early years provision. This gives all pupils, including pupils with SEND, the foundations for future learning. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Leaders prioritise reading throughout the school, starting in the early years. The phonics curriculum ensures that books are matched to the letter sounds pupils know. Pupils who struggle with their reading receive the time and support to help them catch up.

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Pupils become fluent readers because reading skills are taught systematically. They benefit from an approach to group reading which emphasises pupils’ comprehension. Pupils discuss their favourite books, characters and stories with enthusiasm.

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Children make a good start to their education in the early years and quickly become confident and enthusiastic learners. Effective systems and routines are securely in place so pupils learn how to behave. Pupils are self-disciplined and have a real thirst for learning. By the end of Reception, most children achieve well and are ready for the next steps in their school life.

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Personal development of pupils, including children in the early years, is strong. Extra- curricular clubs, such as sporting activities, music and exercise classes help pupils build their talents and interests. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND take up the many opportunities on offer. Pupils visit a variety of places, including local landmarks and museums.

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Staff take pride in preparing pupils to be active citizens. The school’s choir performs regularly at school and in the local community. Pupils have many responsibilities that they delight in. For example, they take on roles as school councillors and sports ambassadors. Pupils who are interested in gardening tend the school’s edible garden.

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The broader curriculum is diverse and extends pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the local area and the world in which they live. Pupils are taught about other cultures and faiths, equality and fairness. Pupils show respect for other beliefs, cultures and opinions.

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Leaders have established a caring environment for staff. Staff value the ongoing support they receive for their professional development and well-being. Leaders make sure that staff are well-equipped to provide a consistent approach to learning.

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The governing body shares school leaders’ vision for all pupils to succeed. They challenge school leaders on certain aspects of the school’s work. For example, they check that resources are managed well. However, they provide less challenge on the quality of education provided by the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are extremely mindful of pupils’ welfare. They report any concerns, no matter how small. Training reflects current government guidelines. Staff can identify possible indicators when a child might be at risk of harm. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Leaders engage effectively with parents, carers and external agencies. If a concern does arise, leaders make prompt referrals to the relevant services to secure pupils’ safety.

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Pupils learn to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. They learn what appropriate and inappropriate behaviour is, so they can report any worries they may have to adults.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the sequencing of knowledge and subject-specific skills is not organised with sufficient detail and precision across the curriculum. This means that pupils do not build up their knowledge and skills in these subjects in a suitably coherent and progressive way. Leaders should refine the curriculum further, making sure that it enables pupils to build their knowledge and skills securely across all subjects.  The governing body does not hold school leaders accountable enough for the quality of education provided by the school. As a result, school leaders’ evaluation of the quality of education and proposed improvement strategies are not sufficiently tested and scrutinised. The governing body should ensure that it possesses the knowledge needed to challenge school leaders about the quality of education. The governing body should challenge school leaders with more rigour to ensure that leaders’ strategies to improve the quality of education are effective.

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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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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10242114 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 Mark Wild and Shabana Davison (co- chairs) Headteacher Katherine Flewitt

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant changes in leadership since the last inspection. Both the current headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2022.  From September 2022, there have been two co-chairs of the governing body. One of the co-chairs was the chair of the governing body at the time of the previous inspection.  The school offers a breakfast club and a range of after-school clubs.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors held meetings with leaders responsible for pupils with SEND and early years.  The lead inspector spoke with two members of the governing body, including one of the co-chairs of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. The lead inspector also listened to several pupils read.  Inspectors considered other subjects, including looking at curriculum documentation for science, physical education, music and computing.  Inspectors spoke with subject leaders about the science curriculum, physical education and the personal, social, health and economic education at the school.

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 To inspect safeguarding, inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the record of staff suitability checks. The lead inspector met with leaders responsible for safeguarding. Inspectors spoke to staff to check how well they understand safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school. They also met with groups of pupils and spoke to pupils formally and informally during breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with some parents at the start and at the end of the school day.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss their work and experiences at the school.

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Inspection team

Rosemarie Kennedy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 March 2023

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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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