Heathfield Infant School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Heathfield Infant School Cobbett Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 6EN

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school's work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Inclusivity is at the heart of this school. Pupils receive a high-quality education and are encouraged successfully to meet the school’s ambitious expectations. Teachers support and encourage pupils to succeed and take pride in their learning. The rich curriculum nurtures pupils’ talents and prepares them well for the next stage. Pupils achieve excellent outcomes and are proud to be part of this nurturing school. Well-established links with the junior school help to ensure that pupils have a smooth and confident transition at the end of Year 2.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They listen attentively, are highly motivated and show respect and kindness towards adults and each other consistently. Pupils work well together in groups, sharing ideas and confidently building on one another’s thinking.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Pupils enjoy clubs such as choir, cooking and yoga. These experiences help to build their skills and confidence beyond the classroom very effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a strong sense of character. They are thoughtful and reflective. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of different faiths and cultures. They take on leadership roles such as pupil voice or playground monitors. These roles help them to build self- confidence, take responsibility and contribute to the school community positively.

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

The school's curriculum is highly ambitious. It is designed extremely carefully to ensure that pupils acquire essential knowledge, vocabulary and skills precisely. Pupils develop 23 and 24 April 2025

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detailed knowledge across subjects, which they recall with confidence and ease. The curriculum content is sequenced carefully from the early years, helping pupils to build their learning progressively. For example, in mathematics, children in Nursery begin by counting in ones and identifying number patterns. As they move through the school, they build on this early learning well, for example by using their knowledge to recognise and name fractions of a whole shape.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including those in the specialist resourced provision, are fully included in school life. The school identifies needs quickly and puts effective support in place. Staff work with a range of professionals to provide specialist help where needed. Teaching is tailored carefully to meet individual needs. Visual and sensory resources are used very well across the school to support pupils’ communication and engagement. In the specialist resourced provision, pupils receive highly personalised support, helping them to express their ideas confidently and engage fully in their learning.

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A strong reading culture is embedded across the school. In Nursery, children begin by listening to and identifying sounds that they hear around them. Staff help them to be precise when they do this. This lays a very strong foundation for learning phonics. The phonics programme is delivered with precision and consistency by highly skilled staff. Pupils read books matched very carefully to the sounds that they know. This helps them to rapidly become confident and fluent readers. Effective extra support is given to those who need it. Pupils read ambitious texts and enjoy a broad, rich range of literature.

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Pupils are very polite, helpful and friendly. They behave impeccably, both in classrooms and around the school. They have warm and positive relationships with staff, which contribute to the school’s calm and respectful atmosphere. Attendance is a high priority, with the school working closely with families to promote and secure regular and punctual attendance.

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Classrooms are welcoming and vibrant. Children in Nursery and Reception benefit from a wide range of activities that foster their development effectively. For example, they are supported to develop their communication through high-quality interactions with staff. There is also a strong focus on physical activities to build children’s readiness for writing.

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The provision for pupils’ wider development is of high quality, from early years through to Year 2. A wide variety of enrichment activities are available and highly valued by pupils. Pupils are taught about topics such as equality, diversity and kindness, with opportunities to reflect and discuss these themes during weekly assemblies. Workshops, author visits and themed events are integrated thoughtfully into the curriculum. Pupils enjoy performing through opportunities such as singing at a local festival and participating in whole-school events. This nurtures their confidence and fosters a strong sense of belonging. Pupils are involved actively in decision-making, charity work and presenting to peers in assemblies. These opportunities help to build their confidence and strengthen their collaboration skills. 23 and 24 April 2025

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Governors, together with leaders at all levels, share a clear and highly ambitious vision for the school. They ensure that pupils access a broad, high-quality education. This shared vision underpins the school’s inclusive and cohesive culture. Staff speak very positively about the way that leaders support their well-being and their thoughtful approach to managing workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 May 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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 23 and 24 April 2025

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.heathfieldschoolspartnership.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a specialist resourced provision, funded by the local authority, for pupils with SEND. The provision is called ‘The Willow Centre’. The provision caters for up to 18 pupils with autism. All pupils in the specialist resourced provision have an education, health and care plan.  The school also operates its own additional provision called ‘Fig’. This provision currently caters for 8 pupils with social communication needs. Most pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school shares a governing body with Heathfield Junior School.  The school does not use any alternate provision.  The school runs its own breakfast club and 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. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with all senior leaders, a number of teaching and support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime and at lunchtime.  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.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and

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pupils. They also took into account the views of parents and carers using Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Karen Kent, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 23 and 24 April 2025

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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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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