Heartlands High School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Heartlands High School Station Road, Wood Green, London N22 7ST

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Outcome

Heartlands High School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Elen Roberts. This school is part of Search Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Elen Roberts, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Vikram Dilip Gandhi.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff at this school are passionate and highly dedicated. Parents and carers describe the school as a caring community and value the quality of communication they get from staff. The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic success. The quality of education has improved, and this is reflected in strong academic outcomes. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make very good progress as they move up the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are clear about the expectations for behaviour. The high standards are evident in pupils’ conduct in lessons and around the school. Where pupils struggle with their behaviour, staff help them to get back on track. Support for pupils’ mental health and well-being is very strong. This helps pupils make positive choices about their behaviour and learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lunchtime and after-school clubs meet a wide range of interests. These include music, photography, basketball, debating and cooking club. Some pupils have leadership responsibilities, for example, as student ambassadors and class representatives. The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and university visits. These opportunities prepare pupils well for the next stage in their education. 8 and 9 October 2024

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

The school is determined that every pupil should succeed. Since the last inspection, the school has undertaken work on the curriculum to ensure it is well sequenced, broad and ambitious. The school has worked collaboratively to develop a clear and consistent approach to teaching. This has been successful. In lessons, routines are well established. This helps pupils to settle quickly and to focus on their learning. Typically, pupils behave very well in lessons. Disruption is rare, and where it does occur, it is dealt with promptly.

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

Staff are proud to work here and have a shared commitment to achieving the best outcomes for pupils. There is a thriving learning culture and staff at all levels are supported to develop professionally. Leaders are highly reflective. This supports their continuous drive for improvement. For example, the school has made it a priority to ensure that the gap seen nationally between boys’ and girls’ attainment is addressed at Heartlands.

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

Pupils study a broad range of subjects from Years 7 to 11. In lessons, there are frequent opportunities for pupils to revisit and build on prior learning. This helps to deepen pupils’ knowledge over time. For example, in science, pupils draw on their knowledge of compounds and mixtures to learn about solids, liquids and gases. In art, pupils build on their knowledge of graphic artists to develop their own mosaic pieces. Sometimes, pupils do not get as much time as they need to practise what they have learned before moving on.

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

The school makes effective use of information to ensure pupils have the additional support they need. For example, weaker readers are quickly identified using nationally recognised tests. Appropriate interventions are put in place to help them become confident and fluent readers. These are carefully checked to ensure pupils are making the progress needed. Pupils with SEND benefit from suitable adaptations to the teaching of reading. This helps secure the knowledge pupils need to access the wider curriculum.

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

There is a broad and ambitious personal development offer. This includes a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence and broaden their horizons. Pupils have strong knowledge of citizenship, including systems of governance and how laws are made and enforced.

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

The school has an experienced pastoral team that provides targeted support to pupils and families. The team works with external agencies to ensure that pupils get the support they need. This helps pupils to overcome barriers to learning. Overall, there is a positive learning culture. However, some pupils do not have as positive an attitude to the school as their peers. This limits their engagement in the life of the school, and as a result, some pupils do not take up the opportunities available to them.

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

Attendance remains a high priority. While there have been significant improvements, it is not yet where leaders would like it to be. There is a robust system for tracking attendance, which supports the team of staff who are securing these improvements. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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 feel as invested in their school as their peers. As a result, they do not make use of the many opportunities available to them to make a positive contribution to the life of the school. The school should make sure pupils are clear about how they can contribute and encourage them to do so, so they develop the positive character traits needed for them to thrive.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2016.

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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. 8 and 9 October 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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,166

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School details

Website http://heartlands.haringey.sch.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Search Education Trust.  The school makes use of five registered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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. 8 and 9 October 2024

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff. They also met with the chair of governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  The inspectors considered the responses of pupils, parents and staff to Ofsted’s surveys.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.

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Inspection team

Polly Haste, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Verity Lane Cartledge Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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