Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School School Lane, Henham, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM22 6BP

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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 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a welcoming and supportive environment for pupils. Pupils are proud to be part of such a caring community. They enjoy being in school and feel safe. Pupils share worries with staff, who they know will help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn and achieve well. They rise to the high expectations and challenges in place at the school. Pupils enjoy their lessons. Staff make learning exciting and provide support for those who need extra help. Pupils work hard to achieve reward certificates in the weekly celebration assembly. They proudly celebrate the success of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Clear routines are in place and pupils respond to instructions quickly. Incidents of low-level disruption are rare. Pupils respect each other and adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils happily take on responsibilities to help others. They value their roles of becoming helpers in the library, dining hall and playground. Pupils have access to a wide range of enrichment activities. These include participating in the school council, additional clubs, music lessons, visits out of school and visiting speakers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils attend school regularly. This ensures they keep up with their learning. However, some pupils still miss too many days of school.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum from early years to Year 6. Leaders have introduced new reading and writing programmes. These help to support pupils’ learning across other subjects. The school identifies the knowledge pupils need to learn in wider subject areas. Learning is well sequenced. Staff receive good-quality training and support to deliver the intended curriculum. As a result, pupils learn and achieve well. New leaders have introduced many important changes to the school. Pupils’ achievement and welfare are the centre of any improvements they make. However, there is not yet a consistent approach to evaluating the curriculum or the changes made to check that they are making the improvements intended.

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

Reading is a priority for all year groups. Pupils talk with confidence about their love of reading. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start school. Pupils read books that allow them to practise using the sounds that they are learning. Those who require help to read are identified early and given effective intervention and support. Most pupils can read with fluency and confidence before they leave the school.

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

Children in the early years follow a curriculum that focuses on developing their curiosity. They complete tasks using their imagination and creativity. Children have access to a well- resourced learning area. Adults prioritise the development of verbal and written communication. Children can make links between different areas of learning. This means they are well prepared for learning in Year 1. 1 and 2 October 2024

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Leaders provide clear information for staff about pupils’ identified needs. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff receive high-quality professional development. This allows them to provide effective support for pupils in lessons and extra interventions.

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Pupils understand the revised behaviour approach introduced by leaders. Staff are consistent with their expectations, and pupils respond well. Pupils strive to achieve weekly rewards. Pupils understand the consequences of not meeting expectations. The school is a positive and calm environment.

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Leaders have worked to improve the attendance of pupils who are absent frequently. However, there is further work to do to support parents and carers to understand the impact of any absence on pupils’ learning and further improve attendance. There are still too many pupils who miss out on learning.

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The school considers carefully the many wider opportunities it offers to pupils. Pupils understand the importance of fundamental British values, equality and being inclusive. Many pupils take up leadership roles, such as school councillors, eco-leaders and art ambassadors. Pupils are proud of the impact they have made to improve the school environment.

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Pupils enjoy trips, for example to Colchester Zoo, which enrich the curriculum and make learning memorable. Other events such as competitions develop confidence, resilience and teamwork skills. There are a wide range of sports and creative clubs, which are well attended.

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Staff enjoy working at the school and are proud to be part of the community. They have a collective aim to work together to provide a caring environment for pupils. They feel well supported by leaders who consider staff workload and well-being when making changes.

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The governors know the school well. They have high aspirations for the school. Governors are proactive in their role, providing support and challenge to school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means these pupils miss important learning and develop gaps in their knowledge. The school should continue to raise expectations and develop its approach with parents and carers to ensure all pupils have high attendance.  The school does not consistently assess the implementation of the curriculum and 1 and 2 October 2024

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other aspects of its work. This means the impact of any changes are not evaluated regularly. The school should improve its approach to the quality assurance of actions and improvements so that it can evaluate what is working well and what can be improved further.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Neil Richardson and Joanne Goldsmith (Co- Chairs) Headteacher Benjamin Davey

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the role in September 2023.  The school does not use the services of any alternative provision.  The school has its own Nursery and breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 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.  The inspectors held meetings with leaders, including senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and support staff. The lead inspector also spoke with members of the local governing board and the local authority school effective partner,  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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central record; examined safeguarding records; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and parents; 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 documents, including school policies, the school development plan, the self-evaluation form and minutes from meetings of the local governing body.  Inspectors spoke with pupils to gather their views throughout the inspection.  The inspectors gathered parents’ views by reviewing the 61 responses, including 60 free-text responses, submitted to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and reviewed the 15 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey

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Inspection team

Rob James, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Sutton Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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