Hermitage Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hermitage Primary School Belmont Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1RB

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Outcome

Hermitage Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Colin Tucker. The head of school is Mrs Parmjit Kaur Varaitch. This school is part of Vanguard Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Dr Martina Lecky, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Davies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of being part of Hermitage Primary. Pupils, including children in the early years, are happy, well cared for and they feel safe. Working relationships between pupils and adults are highly positive. Pupils know that staff are there to help them if they have any worries or concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to work hard to ensure they succeed. Pupils are keen to talk about what they have learned. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in most subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand and follow the school rules. They behave well and are polite, well- mannered, and thoughtful towards each other and staff. Pupils and staff strive to follow the school’s values, ‘excellence surrounded by care’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to take part in a number of clubs on offer, including sports team clubs. Some activities are adapted to meet the interests of pupils with SEND. The school provides pupils with many opportunities to take positions of responsibility. For example, older pupils support the younger children to read and act as well-being champions.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has developed a curriculum which is ambitious for all pupils. It is designed to build up important knowledge that pupils need to learn over time. The curriculum places great emphasis on well-sequenced activities that excite pupils’ curiosity. For example, pupils joined together as a class to illustrate electrical circuits in science. Pupils learn 20 and 21 March 2024

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about significant people, for example Charles Darwin. Links which teachers make between subjects are well considered. Consequently, pupils expand their understanding of the world they live in.

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Teachers ensure that pupils revisit prior learning regularly. This helps pupils to link their previous knowledge to new ideas and concepts. Staff check pupils’ understanding and are alert to any misconceptions they may have. Teachers address these effectively. Typically, staff use assessment information well to deepen pupils’ understanding and build their knowledge securely. However, in a few subjects systems for assessment are not as well developed. Some subject leaders are new to their roles and improving their subject curriculums. In some instances, identification of precisely what knowledge pupils should gain is not thought through in sufficient detail. Planned activities and resources are not routinely adapted quickly enough to enable some pupils to develop a secure understanding of key concepts.

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The school has prioritised implementing an effective reading programme. Pupils spoke with knowledge and interest about their love of reading. They value the library and its range of texts, and happily share their favourite authors and genres. This starts in the early years and continues throughout the school. Well-trained staff check regularly on pupils’ phonics knowledge and adjust the complexity of books they access to match their interests and the sounds they have learned. Pupils become fluent readers. Pupils, of all ages, enjoy listening to adults reading to them.

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Children in the early years enjoy songs and rhymes. They access a range of colourful texts linked to their learning topic, for example science books illustrating many mini beasts. Parents and carers are supported to help their children to read, through workshops and online materials. Staff identify any children that fall behind and ensure they catch up quickly.

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Pupils with SEND are skilfully supported to learn and progress. Leaders accurately identify their needs and provide appropriate support. Information about how to support these pupils is shared effectively with teachers. However, where subjects are still in development, adaptions to the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND are not routinely in place.

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Leaders ensure that the school is calm and purposeful and that pupils attend regularly. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. As a result, pupils respect and show great care for each other and adults. Pupils manage their behaviour well in class, allowing teaching to proceed smoothly.

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The school has developed a well-thought-out programme to broaden the curriculum. Pupils are taught about how to manage their feelings, including grief and anger. Pupils are given a detailed view of equality and fairness. They are well prepared to contribute positively to society as responsible, active citizens. Pupils are taught age-appropriate knowledge about healthy relationships. Staff make clear to pupils that discrimination and bullying should never be tolerated. 20 and 21 March 2024

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Governors and trust leaders have detailed knowledge about the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They provide appropriate support and challenge to school leaders. Most staff are positive about the support they receive from the school, including managing their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified precisely the knowledge they want pupils to learn and when, nor what adaptations teachers should make to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that in these instances, pupils, including those with SEND, do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that subject leaders have the expertise to design an ambitious well sequenced subject- specific curriculum that takes account of the needs of the range of pupils, and that they monitor the effectiveness of its implementation.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour, or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Hermitage Primary School, to be good in July 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 20 and 21 March 2024

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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). 20 and 21 March 2024

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School details

Headteacher Mr Colin Tucker (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Head of School Mrs Parmjit Kaur Varaitch

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Hermitage Primary School converted to become an academy school in October 2021. When its predecessor school, Hermitage Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school provision.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 March 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, science, and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and spoke with pupils and reviewed samples of their work.  The inspector listened to pupils read with a trusted adult.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders. The inspector also spoke with members of the governing body and the trust.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.

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 The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses as well as the online surveys for pupils and for staff.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 March 2024

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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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