Harrington Hill Primary School

Inspection of Harrington Hill Primary School Mount Pleasant Lane, London E5 9JG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 2 and 3 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school guides pupils to value and respect one another. A pupil in Year 2, typical of many, said, ‘The school is like a family.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ academic work and demand excellent behaviour from all pupils. Pupils respond positively to these high expectations. All staff work together closely to support pupils to flourish here. Pupils are kept safe. Staff teach pupils how to behave, and they model the kindness that they expect from pupils. Through playground superhero role models, such as ‘Forgiving Fabio’, the school makes clear to pupils of all ages how to act intelligently in social situations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have multiple opportunities to take on leadership roles. For example, the elected school council recently introduced a ‘buddy bench’ at breaktime, run by well- being champions, so that no one feels left out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have access to a wide and varied personal development programme. They take part in activities regularly, including sports, drama workshops and music. The talent show is popular. The school organises educational visits regularly. Children in the early years visit local landmarks, such as the fire station. As part of ‘no pens’ day, pupils participate in outdoor learning in the school’s forest school area.

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better?

In recent time, the school has redesigned the curriculum across all subjects. The school provides a broad curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Those responsible for governance support leaders to improve many areas of the school. They make sure that all pupils and staff are treated fairly and equally.

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better?

In many subjects, the school’s curriculum thinking is clear. For example, in science, pupils learn about producers, predators and prey. This enables pupils to understand how the animal food chain works. In the early years, the school’s curriculum design is very clear. Here, leaders have identified with great precision the vocabulary and knowledge that children need to learn over time.

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better?

The school provides regular training for teachers and subject leaders. The school also ensures that teachers’ workload is sustainable.

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better?

Staff provide regular opportunities for pupils to discuss what they are learning in class. Pupils enjoy this and participate keenly in learning. Teachers routinely check that pupils know and remember the curriculum. Where the school’s curriculum thinking is less well developed, the key knowledge that pupils should know and remember is not identified as precisely. Where this is the case, pupils’ knowledge of curriculum content is less secure. 2 and 3 November 2023

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In the early years, teaching ensures that children understand and memorise important knowledge carefully. Children build up increasingly complex knowledge and skills. For example, children in the Nursery gradually develop their finger muscles so that they can hold a pencil correctly.

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Pupils with SEND receive appropriate support in and out of class. Leaders work with external experts to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support they need. Pupils with SEND are integrated fully into learning in class and wider school life.

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The school introduces pupils to new ideas and to key vocabulary systematically. The school also provides pupils with a carefully chosen range of books to read. Each week, the school provides pupils with different books to take home to read. Leaders work closely with parents to support them in helping their children to read at home. Pupils who require support to improve their reading fluency attend additional classes to help them to improve.

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Pupils are highly focused on their learning in lessons. The school has established very clear routines, which all pupils follow. Pupils move swiftly and smoothly between different activities in class. This ensures that no learning time is wasted. The school teaches pupils to express their feelings sensibly. This helps pupils to build resilience and establish healthy peer relationships with their classmates. Pupils work calmly in class. This is because the school makes expectations clear and supports any pupils who may need additional help to manage their emotions. In the early years, children take turns, listen and routinely thank each other.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ mental well-being and physical health. As part of ‘healthy choices week’, pupils are taught to cook, and have classes with the school’s in-house chef. Pupils are taught how to understand ingredients labels on supermarket food packaging. During ‘world of work week’, pupils hear about the professional lives of engineers and mathematicians. Pupils are also taught how to manage their personal finances.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that the key knowledge that pupils should know and remember is identified precisely in all subjects. As a result, pupils do not deepen their curriculum knowledge over time equally securely across the curriculum. The school should ensure that the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember is identified equally precisely in all subjects. 2 and 3 November 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). 2 and 3 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Rebecca Kennedy (Head of School) Geraldine Fitzmaurice (Executive Headteacher) Website www.harringtonhill.hackney.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher joined the school in 2020.  The school is partnered with Sir Thomas Abney Primary School, Stamford Hill. The executive headteacher works across both schools. Each school is overseen by a separate governing body.  The school uses no alternative providers.

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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. 2 and 3 November 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, personal, social and health education, behaviour, early reading, pupils’ wider development and early years.  Inspectors met with representatives from the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history and science.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about 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

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the respective responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lando Du Plooy Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 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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