The Harlaxton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of The Harlaxton Church of England Primary School Swinehill, Harlaxton, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 1HT

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of the school. They know, understand and live the school’s seven values and principles daily. Pupils are polite and respectful. They are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. These are met consistently. The school has a calm and focused ethos. Pupils get on well with one another. Older pupils care for younger ones. Pupils relish leadership opportunities. Whether leading assemblies, supervising lunchtimes or actively being part of the eco-club, pupils lead with responsibility and pride. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They engage well with their learning. They take pride in their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the varied opportunities the school provides. Pupils form lasting memories. Older pupils recall with maturity the kindness of staff and the friendships they have made. Younger pupils delight in their recent visit to the ‘enchanted wood’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of parents and carers are very pleased with the school’s provision. They value the kindness and care their children receive. One parent, typical of many, commented: ‘Harlaxton School has such a lovely, friendly atmosphere. My children are loved and cared for by the staff. They are not only being educated but are nurtured.’

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better?

The school has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Subject curriculums build and deepen pupils’ learning over time. These curriculums are suitably demanding. Staff know what they want pupils to learn and when. For example, in computing, pupils learn to design, write and debug programs. They learn to understand the benefits and risks of being online. Pupils learn in age-appropriate ways how to be safe when using the internet. The mathematics curriculum is structured well. Teachers enable pupils to deepen their reasoning skills and apply mathematical knowledge well.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They value training opportunities to deepen their teaching skills further in a range of subjects. Staff check pupils’ learning in lessons. The school checks how pupils’ learning is embedded in some subjects, including English, science and mathematics. However, the school does not fully check pupils’ embedded learning in all other subjects.

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better?

The school has prioritised reading. Children in Reception get off to a swift start in learning to read. Staff understand the school’s chosen phonics programme. They teach phonics consistently well. Books and resources match the sounds that pupils are learning. Staff help pupils who begin to fall behind to keep up with their peers. The school builds on pupils’ reading fluency by carefully developing pupils’ comprehension skills. Books feature prominently in all classrooms. Daily story time nurtures a love of reading. Pupils speak positively about their favourite books. 1 and 2 November 2023

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very effective. Staff identify these pupils’ needs well. They adapt their teaching, for example by providing different resources and breaking down tasks. They work with external professionals when extra support is needed. Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers. They learn very well.

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Children in early years get off to a good start to their schooling. Staff support the development of children’s speech and communication well. The school nurtures a love of stories, books and rhymes. Children learn to understand their number work. They love the opportunities to play, explore and learn. They do so through well- thought-through activities. Staff support children’s personal, physical and social development well.

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Leaders set high expectations of pupils’ attendance. These are met by most pupils. The school appropriately supports and challenges parents whose children do not attend as regularly as they should. Overall, pupils’ attendance is improving, allowing more pupils to benefit from the school’s strong educational provision.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Pupils are prepared well for life in Britain. For example, they gain a mature understanding of democracy and individual liberty. Difference is celebrated. The school has a strong ethos of inclusion and respect. Pupils have opportunities to be involved in the local community. They make mature choices about which charities to support. The school nurtures pupils’ spiritual development. For example, pupils have meaningful opportunities to reflect on their own beliefs and values. The school deepens pupils’ appreciation of right and wrong.

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All leaders, including governors, know the school well. They ensure that the school’s values underpin the school’s provision. Leaders are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being. Staff like working at the school. They are proud to be part of the school. They live the school’s vision ‘together we learn, encourage, aspire, respect and nurture’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The approach to checking pupils’ knowledge and understanding over time is less secure in some subjects than it is in subjects such as English, mathematics and science. As a result, the school does not have as secure an understanding as it should of how well pupils achieve in some foundation subjects. The school should ensure that checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding are secure in these foundation subjects, so ensuring that there is comprehensive understanding of 1 and 2 November 2023

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how well pupils know the curriculum across all subjects, and of what the next stages in their learning should be.

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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). 1 and 2 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school with a Christian ethos. It received its Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools in February 2016.  The school is part of a formal federation of schools. It works with Denton Church of England School, Grantham, NG32 1LG. The executive headteacher and other staff work across the federation. Both schools have the same governing body.  The head of school took up the substantive post in January 2022.  The school does not use the services 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of the 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 1 and 2 November 2023

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school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other leaders. They met governors, including the chair. They spoke with local authority and diocesan officers.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked in samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read.  Inspectors looked at a range of other subjects including: religious education; history; physical education; art; personal, social, health and economic education; and French. They visited lessons and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met formally with groups of pupils to talk about the quality of education and other aspects of school life. They spoke with staff and pupils

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informally.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and reviewed the provision for pupils with SEND. They met with early years leaders.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; reviewed safeguarding records; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation. They looked at the school’s website and published information about the school’s provision, policies, self- evaluation and development plans.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who completed the Ofsted survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Redmond Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 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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