Hazelbury Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hazelbury Primary School Haselbury Road, Edmonton, London N9 9TT

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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Outcome

Hazelbury Primary 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 Laura Pearce. This school is part of the Connect 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, Androulla Nicou, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alex Monk.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders aspire for all pupils in the school, whatever their background, to receive an excellent education. Across many areas, leaders have achieved this aspiration, and pupils achieve well. One parent or carer, typical of many, said: ‘When I pick up my child, they radiate positive energy. My child enjoys learning and is doing great at school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn keenly here. They are proud to be ambassadors for the school, and they are respectful of their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has an ‘edible playground’, where pupils grow, sell and eat their own fruit and vegetables, expanding their knowledge of science and plants. Children in the early years, as well as older pupils, further build their knowledge of the outdoors and connect with nature by learning in the on-site forest school. The pupil parliament makes decisions about school life. For example, it successfully campaigned for the installation of outdoor gyms for pupils to use during breaktimes. Pupil well-being champions ensure their peers know who to turn to should they have any worries. Hazel and Bury, the school goats, live on the in-school farm where pupils learn to care for animals. 22 and 23 October 2024

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

Pupils are enthusiastic to learn and behave very sensibly in class. Pupils strive to receive a ‘special mention’ or become an ‘always star’ as part of the school’s rewards system. This successfully encourages pupils to behave well. In the early years, children enjoy learning about the world creatively through play, inside and outside the classroom. Pupils regularly make use of their learning from the speaking curriculum to listen intently, debate and build on others’ thoughts.

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

The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum which is ambitious for pupils across all subjects. The impact of this is evident in some of the school’s published results for pupils at the end of Year 6. Pupils across all year groups also develop a range of knowledge and skills. For example, pupils in Year 5 have a secure knowledge of important mathematical calculations and vocabulary, including long division and trigonometry. Staff in the Nursery and Reception gently guide children to use speech to communicate through games, singing and role-play. Sometimes, staff do not identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, some pupils’ recall of key knowledge in a few subjects is not as secure as it could be.

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

Leaders have embedded a reading programme which systematically teaches pupils how to read. This programme includes opportunities for pupils who need extra help to catch up, including those who speak English as an additional language, to do so. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure often. The early writing curriculum does not support pupils to practise and develop their writing skills as effectively as it could. Work has already begun in the early years, for example, where children are given the chance to develop their hand strength in preparation for writing with a pen in Reception. However, this work is recent and ongoing, and it is too early to see the impact of this work across the school.

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

The school is ambitious for pupils with SEND. Typically, pupils with SEND are provided with classwork and resources that are appropriately adapted so that they can learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. The school identifies pupils who may require additional support from the beginning of the early years.

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

Pupils’ attendance at the school is now high, having temporarily declined as pupils returned to school after the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase in attendance is a direct result of the relentless work that the school has put in over several years to support all pupils in attending school regularly. The school communicates its high expectations plainly to families and provides support where necessary to those who may need it.

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

Those responsible for governance know the school well and meet with leaders, staff and pupils regularly to check that the school’s systems are robust. Leaders are mindful of staff workload and well-being. Leaders have worked carefully to reduce staff workload as much as possible and to ensure that teachers’ well-being is a top priority. Staff greatly appreciate this.

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

Pupils have access to a wide range of clubs, including football, gymnastics and archery. The school organises many educational activities for pupils. For example, in Year 4, pupils 22 and 23 October 2024

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visit a castle to learn about crime and punishment in medieval times. Pupils also experience a live musical performance when an orchestra comes to the school to perform. These activities bring the curriculum to life for pupils and help to develop pupils’ talents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of early writing is not as precise in providing opportunities for pupils to practise and master what they have learned, which sometimes hinders pupils’ development of writing fluency and transcriptional skills. The school should continue and expand on their recent work to ensure that writing is taught effectively so that all pupils are well prepared to express their ideas through writing with clarity and fluency.  Occasionally, teaching does not check that a few pupils, including pupils with SEND, have retained some of the key knowledge and vocabulary they should have. This leaves gaps in these pupils’ knowledge. The school should ensure that any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are routinely identified and addressed.

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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 predecessor school, Hazelbury Infant School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2013.

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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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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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,054

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School details

Website www.hazelbury-primary-school.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act, 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has high levels of pupils who join or leave the school within or between academic years.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  This school is part of the Connect Education trust.  The school opened in September 2016 as a successor to two schools, Hazelbury Infant School and Hazelbury Junior School. The graded inspection carried out in 2013 was of Hazelbury Infant School.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.

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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 22 and 23 October 2024

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began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, safeguarding, attendance and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  The inspectors met with representatives from the trust and local governing body.  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.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kieran Bird His Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 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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