Harris Primary Academy Benson

Inspection of Harris Primary Academy Benson West Way, Shirley, Croydon CR0 8RQ

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a clear vision for the education of pupils at Harris Primary Academy Benson. This is underpinned by their ‘three golden rules’ of: show respect, take responsibility and always make the right choice. All members of the school community live and learn by these rules.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high academic ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have designed a deep and broad curriculum to deliver this ambition. Staff successfully implement the curriculum. Pupils excel in their learning. Parents and carers work as a team with staff to support the academic and personal development of pupils at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff, pupils and parents are rightly proud of pupils’ behaviour at this school. They were all keen to say that it is exemplary. Leaders have created a calm, kind and purposeful learning environment. This supports pupils in thriving academically. Leaders have also prioritised organising for all pupils to have responsibilities during their time at school. The experiences provided are varied, from play facilitators to reading buddies. These responsibilities are part of leaders’ considerable work to develop the pupils’ character.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school. Leaders, teachers and staff all work together to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that there is a highly ambitious curriculum for all subjects, including early reading. Leaders ensure that, through appropriate training, all staff are able to deliver this curriculum consistently well. Curriculum thinking ensures that pupils encounter a deep and broad body of knowledge. Teachers use well-planned strategies to enable pupils to expertly learn and remember this knowledge. For many subjects, the curriculum exceeds the expectations of the national curriculum.

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better?

The depth and breadth of knowledge that pupils learn and remember are particularly impressive. This is true across all subjects. For example, in history, pupils’ awareness of chronology is developed step by step, starting in Reception, where children begin by learning about themselves and the changes in their lives over time. Pupils are also taught to think like historians. In Year 3, for example, they work with simple sources and artifacts. As they progress through the school, they compare different sources and evaluate the relative merits of them with increasing sophistication.

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better?

Assessments are used to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to reinforce pupils’ recall of key facts. Leaders and teachers also use assessment information to further improve the curriculum. Pupils’ work shows that their knowledge is developing very well. 7 and 8 June 2023

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Reading is at the heart of all that takes place in the school. Children begin learning phonics from their first day in Reception. Regular assessments are used to ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to build up and deepen their phonic knowledge successfully. These assessments also allow appropriate extra help to be designed and put in place when pupils need it. Teachers receive regular training, and they deliver the phonics programme with fidelity. All pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, are equally well supported in being successful in learning to read. This is well demonstrated by pupils’ strong outcomes in the phonics screening check.

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Teachers instil a love of reading in pupils. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about reading being a pleasure. Leaders have created opportunities around the school for pupils to read and pupils make use of them often.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND are supported through the provision of the right support at the right time. They identify these pupils’ needs early. Leaders want all pupils to access the full curriculum and lead rich and fulfilling lives. Pupils with SEND flourish in this inclusive school atmosphere.

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Behaviour is excellent. Pupils understand the expectations and follow them. They are respectful and encouraging towards each other. This supports pupils to learn in an environment which is calm and orderly. Pupils know how to manage their own behaviour. For example, they share, take turns and interact with each other in a kind and sensible manner, inside and outside of the classroom.

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Leaders have designed a curriculum that has pupils’ personal development running as a thread throughout it. Plentiful rich experiences are on offer as part of leaders’ aim to develop pupils’ cultural capital and understanding of the wider world. Leaders also help pupils to develop a sense of community responsibility. One example of this is through the work that all pupils complete with a local home for older people. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is carefully designed to ensure that pupils receive age-appropriate information about healthy friendships and relationships.

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All staff at the school take part in a rigorous programme of professional development. Staff appreciate all that leaders do to support their well-being.

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Governors and members of the trust work closely with the leadership team to help the school to be successful.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take a rigorous approach to safeguarding. All staff receive regular training to ensure that they know how to identify any potential concerns and that they are then able to report them correctly. Leaders understand the local context of the 7 and 8 June 2023

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school and they work with the local authority and other agencies to safeguard pupils.

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Pupils receive a well-planned PSHE programme. This helps them to learn about keeping themselves safe, including when they are online. All pupils know that there is a trusted adult at school who they can speak to.

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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. 7 and 8 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The head of the academy has been appointed since the last inspection.  The school has changed from a two-form entry school to a one-form entry school since the last inspection.  Leaders use no 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 is 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 met with the head of academy and senior leaders. They also met with the chair and other members of the governing body and the trust. 7 and 8 June 2023

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 The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: art, early reading, history and mathematics. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning, and met with subject leaders and teachers.  Inspectors also visited lessons and reviewed pupils’ work for some other subjects.  Through discussions with leaders, governors, pupils and staff, inspectors considered how effectively pupils are safeguarded. Inspectors also looked at records related to safeguarding, including records of checks carried out before staff are appointed.  Inspectors met with pupils to discuss aspects of safeguarding. They spoke to pupils during lesson visits. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at break and lunchtimes. The inspection team spoke to staff about behaviour and about their workload in the school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, pupils and

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Inspection team

Luke Stubbles, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ogugua Okolo-Angus Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 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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