Heighington Millfield Primary Academy

Inspection of Heighington Millfield Primary Academy Mill Lane, Heighington, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN4 1RQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 6 and 7 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy and proud to attend this warm, welcoming and inclusive school. They play enthusiastically together and chat sociably at mealtimes. They are kind and treat each other well. Pupils feel safe and cared for in school. They trust adults to help them if things go wrong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning. They are motivated and do their best. The class text is at the heart of pupils’ learning each term. Pupils enjoy reading and discussing the texts with their teachers. Reading ambassadors recommend other books and authors in assemblies. The library is well used by pupils. It is also home to the school guinea pig, which pupils help to look after.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises pupils’ well-being. Pupils say where they are on the ‘well-being scale’ every day. This is important to pupils. They learn ways to improve their well- being. They learn that is normal to have a bad day sometimes. They get support if they need it. As one pupil said: ‘You can be yourself and you don’t have to put on an act.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many opportunities they have to contribute to the school community. For example, pupils run elections and take this duty very seriously. ‘We do democracy here,’ one explained.

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better?

Under the dedicated leadership of the headteacher, leaders have put reading and cultural capital at the heart of the curriculum. Leaders are highly ambitious for pupils’ academic and personal development. Subject curriculum design supports this ambition. In each subject, leaders have identified the precise knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. Teachers know exactly what to teach and when to teach it.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Most explain new learning clearly. They model how pupils should apply knowledge to tasks that develop their understanding. Teachers choose resources well, adapting them when necessary to meet the needs of individual pupils. Consequently, pupils learn well in most areas of the curriculum and their work shows this. Leaders and teachers use assessment information effectively in English and mathematics. They adjust the curriculum for individuals or groups. This is not yet the case in the foundation subjects.

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better?

Children in the Reception Year benefit from a meticulously planned curriculum. For example, teachers consider what vocabulary children will learn. They plan carefully how and when to introduce it. In the classroom, their interactions with pupils are of a high quality. Children have warm, trusting relationships with the adults. They are motivated and usually listen well to teachers and each other.

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better?

Reading is a priority for everyone at this school. Children in Reception learn phonics from the start. Leaders have ensured that staff are experts in early reading. They 6 and 7 June 2023

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make sure that pupils who need it get extra help to keep up or catch up with their peers. Pupils at the early stages of reading read books that match the sounds they know. Consequently, they apply their phonic knowledge with confidence. Pupils enjoy reading the class texts with their teachers. Leaders have chosen these carefully to widen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school. Leaders have set up highly effective systems for identifying pupils’ needs. They give clear guidance to staff about meeting each pupil’s needs. Leaders think carefully about how to support all pupils, including those with SEND, when they arrive in or leave the school. This means pupils are well prepared for each stage of their education.

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Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to their learning are exemplary. Pupils want to do well and they work hard. The school has high expectations that everyone understands. The school teaches pupils to behave well. They reward pupils when they behave according to the school values. When things go wrong, staff support pupils to understand the impact of their actions and help them to put it right. Pupils said they like this and they feel better when things have been sorted out.

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Pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education and in life. There is a well- planned programme for pupils’ personal development. For example, careers education aims to challenge stereotypes. Pupils meet visitors who do lots of different jobs. Leaders plan educational visits that enhance pupils’ learning. They have plans to extend this further. Pupils can develop their talents through the clubs and activities the school provides, including the annual Year 5 and 6 production.

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Governance is strong. Trust leaders and governors provide very effective support. For example, they ensure that staff receive relevant training that improves their practice. Staff are very happy at this school. They call themselves the ‘Millfield family’. Staff, including those early in their careers, said how supportive leaders are.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

School and trust leaders make sure that all staff receive high-quality training. As a result, staff have the knowledge and understanding they need to protect pupils from harm. They report concerns and leaders act on them promptly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are knowledgeable. They are alert to the risks to pupils’ welfare. They keep detailed records. They work closely with local safeguarding partners. The school provides extensive support to vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise teaching pupils to stay safe, including online. They make sure that pupils know how to maintain good mental and physical health. They teach pupils to ask for help when they need it. 6 and 7 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not fully developed their approach to assessment in the foundation subjects. Consequently, leaders cannot be fully sure what pupils know and remember in these subjects. Leaders must make sure that there is a clear system to make checks on pupils’ learning that enables leaders and teachers to plan next steps so that they can be confident that pupils learn as well as they should.

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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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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. 6 and 7 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10212512 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Priory Federation of Academies in 2017.  The headteacher took up his post in October 2017. Two assistant headteachers joined the school in September 2018.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has a breakfast club.

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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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: computing, early reading, English, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke 6 and 7 June 2023

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to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. For the early reading deep dive, an inspector listened to some pupils read.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the trust board, the local governing body and senior leaders from the Priory Federation of Academies.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, the lead inspector reviewed the school’s policies, procedures and records. She met with the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors also spoke with staff, governors and pupils about the school’s approach to keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. An inspector visited the breakfast club.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s parent and staff questionnaires. They spoke with parents and carers at the school.

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Inspection team

Aoife Galletly, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Edmonds Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 June 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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