Heathland School

Inspection of Heathland School Eastcote Lane, South Harrow, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 9AG

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Inspection dates: 26 to 27 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Fiona Hopkins. This school is part of Heathland Whitefriars Federation multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is not run by a chief executive officer. It is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lynne Malzard.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Heathland school as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly school. Many parents and carers said the school strives to make them feel welcome. Pupils and their parents agree that this is a happy place to be. At breaktimes, pupils enjoy the many games and activities that the school makes available.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Mostly, pupils behave sensibly. Typically, they are kind to each other. If problems between pupils arise, the school sorts them out fairly. The school fosters trusting professional relationships with school staff and pupils. Pupils’ safety and welfare are given high priority. Pupils are safe and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school focuses on encouraging pupils to understand their rights and responsibilities. Staff provide opportunities for pupils to learn about the importance of showing respect for others. For example, in assemblies pupils are taught regularly about the importance of equal opportunities and fairness. Pupils have many chances to share their views through various pupil committees. These include an equalities committee, pupil leaders’ group and a well-being committee. Recently, pupils’ views were consulted to choose the charities that the school will support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils. Published results show that pupils achieve highly in reading and mathematics in particular. Leaders want pupils to understand how feelings and emotions can impact the brain and learning. This is because the school wants pupils to be in the right frame of mind to learn well.

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better?

Reading is given high priority. Pupils have many opportunities to read and borrow books from the library. The school’s approach to supporting early ready is structured appropriately. Phonics teaching begins in Reception. The school checks whether pupils know letters and the sounds they make. Phonics teaching is matched according to what pupils know already. Pupils read books securely matched to the sounds they know. If pupils struggle with reading, they receive extra phonics teaching. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND receive effective support to help them develop spoken language if they need it. The school collaborates with a range of external therapists and experts. This helps them identify if a pupil may have SEND and provide appropriate support.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and well organised. Pupils study a broad range of subjects in line with the breadth of the national curriculum. The most important knowledge the school wants pupils to know and remember is defined clearly. This knowledge is sequenced effectively from the early years onwards. There are many opportunities for pupils to revisit and recall information they have learned before. For example, in the early years, children sing songs in Spanish about numbers and colours regularly. This helps them remember and recall this information readily in Year 1. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Mostly, the curriculum is implemented effectively. Learning opportunities are appropriate and help pupils to know, recall and remember the curriculum. However, on a few occasions activities and learning experiences do not enable pupils, including pupils with SEND, to learn the intended knowledge as securely as leaders intend. Sometimes, adaptations to teaching and resources for pupils with SEND are not made precisely, which limits how well they learn the curriculum.

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Children are taught about routines and expectations when they join the school in early years. Pupils enjoy being recognised and rewarded for behaving well. Typically, they are motivated to learn. In lessons, low-level disruption to learning is dealt with effectively.

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Pupils are taught about a range of different religions and cultural traditions. Many pupils said how much they enjoy taking part in educational visits to different places of worship. Leaders provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. These include touch typing, dodgeball and crochet. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 said how much they are looking forward to attending Japanese club starting soon. Pupils are taught about age-appropriate healthy relationships. They are taught the importance of keeping information private when online.

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Leaders of the trust know their statutory responsibilities. They work collaboratively with the school to make sure that priorities for development are appropriately identified. Typically, school staff appreciate endeavours to reduce teaching workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On some occasions, the curriculum is not implemented as intended. As a result, pupils do not learn and remember important knowledge as well as they could. The school must make sure that the intended curriculum is implemented appropriately.  Sometimes, adaptations to teaching and resources made for pupils with SEND are not precise enough to enable them to learn the intended curriculum securely. The school must make sure that adaptations are clear and effective so that pupils are able to learn the intended curriculum.

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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. 26 and 27 September 2023

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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). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Heathland Whitefriars Federation multi-academy trust. There are two schools in the trust.  There is a before-school breakfast club. It is run by the school for registered pupils who attend the school.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2020.  The school does not make use of 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. 26 and 27 September 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors visited the playground at breaktime and lunchtime to look at pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors reviewed staff and parent responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  Inspectors also spoke with parents before school.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Una Buckley His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 September 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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