Harefield Infant and Junior School

Inspection of Harefield Junior School Park Lane, Harefield UB9 6BJ

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the close-knit community at Harefield Junior. Pupils are kept safe and included here. The school’s values of happiness, compassion, respect and teamwork underpin all activities at the school. Pupils enjoy celebrating events from around the world such as Anzac Day, World Culture Day and Black History Month.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour that are consistently applied. Pupils understand and follow routines. This ensures learning is not disrupted and movement around the building is calm and safe. Pupils trust their teachers to listen to them. At breaktimes, pupils are sensible and sociable. They are happy and confident and engage well with each other, members of staff and visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are expected to do their best and achieve well. They work hard and produce work of good quality in different subjects. Pupils are confident in lessons and understand that making mistakes are good learning opportunities. Pupils appreciate the regular enriching cultural experiences they access such as visits to the theatre, museums and galleries.

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better?

The curriculum matches the scope and content of what is expected nationally. In most subjects, leaders have identified what pupils need to learn and when. Important subject content is structured in a logical order, so pupils learn key concepts that enable them to understand more complex knowledge that follows. For example, in science, pupils sort everyday objects such as buttons according to similarities such as colours and number of sides. Older pupils apply this approach to classify different animals into their groups such as mammals, insects or birds based on their features.

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better?

There are some areas of the curriculum that are less well designed. In these instances, the skills, vocabulary and knowledge leaders expect pupils to learn have not been clearly identified. Staff do not consistently focus on the important ideas in these areas. As a result, pupils do not develop a secure body of knowledge in these subjects and are less well placed to learn new knowledge.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. In most subjects, staff make appropriate adaptations to tasks and activities. This supports pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum. However, this is not consistent. On some occasions, the adaptations made do not reflect pupils’ needs. In these instances, pupils are less well supported to learn and remember more of the planned curriculum.

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better?

Reading is prioritised. Staff check pupils’ reading. This ensures any those who need additional support and practice are swiftly identified. Highly trained staff offer well- targeted support. As a result, these pupils often make rapid improvements in their 11 and 12 October 2023

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reading. Across the school, pupils develop as confident and fluent readers who are well placed to access the curriculum in different subjects.

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Behaviour across the school is calm and orderly. Pupils listen respectfully to each other and their teachers. This is because leaders have developed a strong and consistent approach to managing behaviour. Pupils are taught about feelings and can readily describe how they influence their behaviour. This helps them to regulate their emotions and calm down when they need to. Pastoral care is a strength of the school. There has rightly been a strong focus on supporting and improving pupil attendance.

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The school’s work to enhance the development of pupils’ character is exceptional. Through the curriculum, assemblies and educational visits, pupils are helped to develop their understanding and appreciation of spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of life. For example, pupils learn to understand differences in the world because of the wide experiences provided by the school. These include visits to different places of worship.

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The school provides extensive opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. For example, a significant number of pupils represent their school in sporting events and competitions. Sports coaches supervise sports at lunchtimes and ensure access for all. Every pupil learns a musical instrument and performs at the annual whole-school concert.

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Those responsible for governance have an accurate understanding of the strengths and priorities of the school. Leaders provide ongoing training and support. As a result, staff feel well supported to implement the curriculum and to manage behaviour. This means staff work efficiently and effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to learn have not been precisely identified. This means in these areas, staff do not consistently focus on the most important ideas. As a result, some pupils do not secure the foundational knowledge they need to access more complex learning. The school should identify the key knowledge they want pupils to know and remember across the curriculum.  The adaptations to tasks and activities made for pupils with SEND are not always effective. This means pupils are not consistently supported to know and remember more of the curriculum over time. The school must ensure that any adaptations reflect pupils’ needs and starting points. 11 and 12 October 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club based at the infant school site.  The school does not currently use 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and geography. To do this, they met with subject leaders, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection. 11 and 12 October 2023

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 The inspection team scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  The inspectors met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors met with those responsible for governance, including the chair of the governing body. Inspectors also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and looking at information collected from Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Una Buckley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janice Howkins Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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