Hargate Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Hargate Primary School Hargate Lane, West Bromwich, West Midlands B71 1PG

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Outcome

Hargate Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are exceptionally well cared for at this well-led, friendly and hopeful school. They get a superb education, learn much and grow in many different ways. Whatever their backgrounds, starting points or needs, all are supported to do their best and succeed. Achievement is strong and opportunities beyond the classroom are extensive. There is always a lot happening at Hargate Primary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils speak different languages and some arrive at different times during the year. Staff help them to settle in quickly and to learn English. Deaf pupils and those with social, emotional or other special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) receive expert support. They access the full curriculum and do very well. In many cases, the school succeeds with pupils who have struggled to cope elsewhere. The highly inclusive approach coupled with high expectations for behaviour and learning, make the school a calm and joyous place to learn. Pupils are happy here and make many friends. They feel safe, optimistic and valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is not a problem. However, pupils know what to do should it happen. Staff take any problems seriously and listen to what pupils and parents have to say.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hargate Primary goes above and beyond to meet pupils’ needs.

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

This is a very successful school with many exceptional features. Leadership and governance are strong and an ethos of putting pupils first shines out in multiple ways. Thoughtful care and informed attention to a diverse range of needs builds pupils’ aspirations and self-belief. The school stands out as a centre of inclusive ambition.

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

Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get an excellent start, and communication with families is crystal clear. This sets the tone for later learning and, throughout the 24 and 25 April 2024

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school, pupils make strong progress. This is typically reflected in national tests and in the work they produce. Achievement in mathematics is particularly high.

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The support provided for pupils with SEND is second to none. Deaf pupils benefit from specialist provision and are fully involved in school life. Similarly, pupils with emotional or other needs learn how to manage their feelings and make the most of lessons. Consistent and fair expectations for behaviour allow everyone to learn without disruption. Attentive, respectful and friendly behaviour is the norm. However, if any problems arise, staff respond calmly and effectively. One of the school’s guiding principles is ‘to be kind’, which is evident in staff’s and pupils’ attitudes to each other.

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The school has a long-established commitment to teaching phonics using a structured scheme, with effective additional input for anyone who needs to catch up. It works very well and builds seamlessly on the school’s successful work to develop children’s early language and communication skills. Staff stay up to date with training, and reading lessons happen daily without fail. With few exceptions, everyone learns to read. Furthermore, reading across the curriculum and for pleasure are firm fixtures on the school timetable.

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Beyond English and mathematics, the rest of the curriculum is broad and ambitious. Enriched by trips that broaden pupils’ interests and fuel their curiosity, different subjects make a considerable contribution to pupils’ cultural capital. Pupils can reflect on how knowledge enriches their lives. In art and design, for instance, they talk eloquently about techniques used by different artists and innovators. They develop informed opinions and can explain what has influenced their own creative work.

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The strengths in the curriculum are testimony to subject leadership that does not stand still. Instead, leaders continue to drive improvements, knowing that things can always be better. This reflective and outward-looking approach means that staff embrace new ideas and work hard to keep up with current curriculum thinking. Senior leaders support them very well in their work and staff report high levels of job satisfaction.

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Beyond the classroom, there are many extra activities that support pupils’ personal development. Residential trips, both near and far, help pupils to develop independence. A range of clubs and competitions from textiles and choir to football and boccia mean there is something for everyone. On top of this, lessons in first aid and opportunities to serve as a school councillor or well-being ambassador teach pupils valuable life skills.

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Parents express highly positive views about the school. They praise the care and attention to their children and the caring visible leadership from the headteacher and others.

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During their time at this school, pupils learn how thoughtful effort and considerate behaviour lead to success and feelings of well-being. The school’s motto of work hard, be kind and dream big is a lived reality at Hargate Primary. 24 and 25 April 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 school to be outstanding in March 2017.

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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.

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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). 24 and 25 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 March 2017

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Information about this school

 The school provides a specialist resource provision for deaf pupils and another specialist provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. In addition, the school has a provision for pupils with autism.  The school has nursery provision for two and three-year-old children.  The school offers before and after-school childcare on site.  The school uses one registered alternative provider for pupils.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors considered published performance data about the school. Inspectors also looked at a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ 24 and 25 April 2024

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behaviour, attendance, the curriculum, extra-curricular activities, school improvement planning and documents published on the school’s website.  During the inspection, the inspectors had formal meetings with the headteacher, other leaders, school staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with governors and spoke on the telephone with a local authority education adviser.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and art and design. In these subjects, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work. They also considered the curriculum in some other subjects to check how they were organised, taught and assessed. An inspector observed some pupils reading to staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central

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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 talked informally with pupils, parents and staff to gather general information about school life. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff and parents’ views.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, at lunchtime, on the playground, at clubs and at other times during the day.

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Inspection team

Martin Pye, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Edgerton Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 April 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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