Henry Moore Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Henry Moore Primary School Kiln Lane, Church Langley, Harlow, Essex CM17 9LW

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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Outcome

Henry Moore 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 Sarah Cowley. This school is part of Harlow Inspirational Learning 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), Mary Evans, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by William Cairns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils settle quickly and grow in confidence at Henry Moore school. Pupils warmly welcome others, including those who join the school from other settings or overseas. This helps to create a very friendly community feel around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to see themselves as positive members of a diverse and multi- cultural society. Pupils are confident and respectful citizens who are kind and polite. Pupils understand that they are the future and can ‘change the world’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and are safe at school, where ‘we will never be lonely because we will always have our friends with us’. Pupils know there will always be a listening ear for any worries they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to behave well, take care of each other and follow the school’s rules. There are high expectations for all pupils’ achievement. As a result, all pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well. Many take part in the plethora of school clubs and team game competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many opportunities to take on the responsibility of looking after their school and each other. For example, global ambassadors proudly represent the school to local community leaders and advocate the rights of children. 22 and 23 October 2024

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

Leaders in the school and trust have recently redesigned the curriculum. It is ambitious and inspiring. It is rooted in what best suits the needs of their pupils. The school has carefully set out the important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn. Across subjects, teachers introduce new content that builds on what pupils already know and can do. For example, in design and technology, pupils progress from basic sewing of finger puppets to more complex tasks involving use of materials to design and make a room inside the Titanic. A particular aspect of the curriculum is the emphasis placed on global learning and human rights. This greatly impacts on pupils’ wider understanding of issues in the world beyond the school. Global learning is expertly woven into the overall curriculum. This enables teachers to be creative and make important links for pupils between subjects and to build on previous learning. Consequently, all pupils achieve well and are ready for

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

Teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects they teach, supported effectively by subject leads and specialists. Teachers present learning clearly, and identify quickly and address pupils’ misconceptions. Teachers make sure that pupils learn a range of key subject-specific vocabulary and develop the skills to apply this knowledge accurately in class discussions. Pupils readily take part in debates and confidently explain their views. Pupils thus develop well their oracy skills across the subjects.

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

The well-resourced and inviting classrooms and outside learning environments in the Reception Year support children to settle well and quickly grow in confidence. Children are taught to read well. Almost all become accurate, confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2. Those who find reading tricky receive effective help from skilled adults. Older pupils know that ‘reading is the key’ to learning. They confidently read rich and thought- provoking books about a range of cultures. This helps broaden their understanding of the wider world through topics like ‘journeys’ or ‘memories’.

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

The school has raised the profile of writing across the curriculum. For example, searching ‘big questions’ stimulate pupils’ discussions about their writing. Displays around the school show the importance of writing in all subjects. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ writing. They give teachers clear guidance on what should be taught and expected in all subjects. This is beginning to have an impact in several areas of the curriculum. Many pupils in upper key stage 2 are skilled writers, using their wide reading to communicate what they have learned. However, opportunities for high-quality written work are not consistent in all year groups and across subjects like geography and history. As a result, pupils’ written work in these areas often does not show what pupils are capable of.

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

Adults provide effective support for the growing number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The individual plans for pupils with SEND clearly set out the extra help and support they receive. As a result, teachers make careful adaptations to activities in lessons where these are needed, for example support from an adult, visual timetables, personalised resources, or prompts. Pupils with SEND therefore learn well and are ready for their next steps. 22 and 23 October 2024

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Leaders and governors take seriously the well-being of staff. The adaptations made to assessment and planning have addressed some areas of work-life balance. These are much appreciated by staff, who are proud to work at the school

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in teachers’ expectations of pupils’ written work. In some subjects and year groups, the quality of pupils’ work does not always reflect how well they are learning or the ambition of the curriculum. The school should ensure that teachers’ expectations of pupils’ written work are consistently high across all subjects and throughout the school.

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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. The predecessor 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, Henry Moore Primary, to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2012.

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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. 22 and 23 October 2024

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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

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2018

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Harlow Inspirational Learning Trust.  The school uses two alternative provisions.  The school runs a breakfast and an after-school club.

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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 o the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the chair of the trust, the chair of the governing body and some governors, the headteacher and senior leaders. The inspector also spoke with the trust’s CEO on the telephone. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, listened to some pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also looked at information about the curriculum, the school’s priorities and its own self- evaluation, and examples of visits from governors and external agencies.  The inspector took account of the views of parents on Parent View and considered the responses to the staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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

Ruth Brock, lead inspector Ofsted 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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