Histon and Impington Park Primary School

Inspection of Histon and Impington Park Primary School Glebe Way, Histon, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB24 9AQ

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Jonathan Newman. This school is part of Meridian Trust, a multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mark Woods, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Shirley Jamieson. The trust board delegates some functions to an academy council, a local governing body, which is chaired by Eleanor Bailey. There is also an executive principal, Lesley Birch, who is responsible for this school and four others within the trust. 25 and 26 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their parents appreciate the privilege of being part of such an exceptional school community. Pupils quickly learn to embody the school’s ‘PARK’ values: pride, aspiration, respect and kindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take pride in their schoolwork and achievements. They strive for house points by completing tasks to a high standard. Achieving a coveted ‘crown’ or certificate in the weekly assembly further boosts their self-belief.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Aspirations shine through in pupils’ attentive listening, active participation in lessons and regular attendance. These behaviours enrich pupils’ knowledge. Year 2 pupils, for example, understand how to use colour and line to depict movement in artwork. Year 5 pupils knowingly discuss different monarchs’ reigns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Deep respect is ingrained in pupils’ attitudes about others. They avoid assumptions and embrace opportunities for everyone’s success. Across the school, pupils eagerly engage in performances. These include poetry recitals, singing in the choir and acting. These opportunities not only boost their self-esteem, but also garner support and encouragement from their peers, parents and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Acts of kindness are routine. They foster a happy and safe environment. Pupils build friendships and seek adult support when needed. Older pupils mentor younger ones. The ‘play leaders’ organise imaginative games and sports. This promotes active play and inclusivity at lunchtime.

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better?

Trust and school leaders form a powerful partnership. Leaders foster strong relationships within and beyond the trust. It facilitates sharing expertise and shaping systems that benefit pupils, parents and staff. Teachers, for example, collaborate with colleagues from nearby schools. Together, they plan well-thought-out lessons using the trust’s curriculum plans. It strikes a balance between trust-wide consistency and school flexibility. Trustees and academy councillors ensure decisions support pupils’ learning and development. They scrutinise policies and procedures with meticulous attention. This information informs strategic planning. Such strong engagement drives the school to new levels of success.

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better?

Working with the trust, the school has carefully crafted its curriculum. Every subject undergoes thorough planning. Teachers know exactly which words, concepts and skills pupils should learn. There is also guidance on the best teaching methods. This includes high-quality coaching from leaders in the school and across the trust. The leaders are experts in and enthusiastic about their subjects. They inspire staff to teach each subject with equal enthusiasm and effectiveness. Staff teach using clear instructions. This helps pupils to avoid guessing and prepares them well for answering questions. It also helps them contribute to discussions and complete activities successfully. 25 and 26 June 2024

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Leaders and staff are steadfast in ensuring that pupils learn to read. Structured phonics and whole-class reading programmes are in place. Continuous staff training, including expert coaching, supports this effort. Monthly checks identify pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge. This informs meticulous support. Meanwhile, whole-class reading improves pupils’ vocabulary and comprehension. The school promotes a love of reading. Teachers lead engaging story time sessions. This all contributes to high achievement in reading across all year groups.

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The school’s early years provision excels in fostering children’s independence and understanding. The curriculum starts with personal experiences. Then, it expands to the local community and wider world. Children engage in systematic activities that embed knowledge through routine. For example, they photograph a tree each month to see the seasons change.

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The school is skilled in identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It collaborates with parents, nursery schools and trust leaders to make the right decisions. Trust and school leaders make accurate assessments and work with external partners. For example, Reception-age children with communication difficulties receive speech and language therapy promptly. In lessons, staff appropriately adjust materials, such as simplifying the text in worksheets. Such changes help pupils work with their peers, boosting their confidence and achievement.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. From the early years, staff teach children how to behave during lessons. For example, on the carpet, children know not to touch the equipment at their feet until it is time to use it. This foundation ensures that lessons across the school are conducive to learning. There are occasions when a pupil who struggles with self-control joins the school. When this happens, staff provide the pupil with care and attention. They establish and implement clear rules, routines and strategies to improve conduct.

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The school provides outstanding opportunities for personal growth. These help pupils learn important skills and build a strong sense of community. Activities such as touch typing prepare pupils for future employment, and events such as danceathons raise money for school improvements. However, what truly sets the school apart is how all these positive aspects work together to develop pupils who are confident, clever and kind. Pupils are a credit to themselves, their parents and the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 and 26 June 2024

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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). 25 and 26 June 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 At the last inspection, the school was an infant school. In January 2021, the school moved to a new premises. Since September 2021, it has been expanding into a primary school. Currently, the school has pupils in the Reception Year to Year 5.  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. 25 and 26 June 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the chair of the trust, the CEO, the deputy CEO, the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and three local governors who sit on the academy council.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  To further inspect the curriculum, inspectors explored provision in the early years, support for pupils with SEND and three other subject curriculums: science, geography and physical education.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 reviewed school documentation, including the school development plan, self-evaluation form, minutes from meetings of the trust board and minutes from meetings of the academy council.  Inspectors considered the responses to surveys. These included 32 responses to the staff survey and 219 responses, including 145 free-text responses, to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also held separate discussions with pupils, parents and staff.

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Inspection team

Daniel Short, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Stevens Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 June 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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