Schools & FE · Report card

Highfields Primary AcademyOfsted report card, 22 Sept 2026

Inspected 22 Sept 2026 · URN 138083

Ofsted inspected Highfields Primary Academy on 22 Sept 2026, led by Georgina Chinaka. This is a report card inspection; the lowest area grade was Strong standard. Source: Ofsted (Open Government Licence v3).

Summary

Report card, graded by area · lowest StrongSafeguarding met

Georgina Chinaka (lead), Chris Jennings

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Strong standard
Early years verified
Strong standard
Inclusion verified
Strong standard
Leadership and governance verified
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Strong standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
22 Sept 2026
Inspectors verified
Chris Jennings, Georgina Chinaka
Postcode verified
DN6 7JB
Name on report verified
Highfields Primary Academy
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
138083

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Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementStrong
Attendance and behaviourStrong
Curriculum and teachingStrong
Early yearsStrong
InclusionStrong
Leadership and governanceStrong
Personal development and wellbeingStrong

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+86Very positivemore positive than 39% of report cards whose lowest area grade is Strong standard

StrongExpectedNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

In line with other report cards whose lowest area grade is Strong standard.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praiseenjoyambitioushighly effectiveconfidentlyproudextremelyexcellentexceptional

Criticismconcernsgapsabsence

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1823w+86
Leadership252w+89
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve41w+60

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 16
Words of findings: 2,164; about usual (typical 1878)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 47, typical 42
Average sentence: 14 words
Next steps: 3; typical 1
Hedged sentences: 1%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 58%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 1%About the inspection 31%

Full report text

Highfields Primary Academy

Address: Coppice Road, Highfields, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN6 7JB Unique reference number (URN): 138083

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Achievement Strong standard

By the end of key stage 2, pupils perform well in national tests. Disadvantaged pupils and those who face other barriers to learning, attain better than their counterparts nationally.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Leaders prioritise securing pupils' core knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics, ensuring all pupils develop the skills and knowledge that they need. Staff expertise and school systems ensure daily checks on what pupils know. This helps staff to close any gaps quickly.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Leaders provide an engaging and relevant wider curriculum that pupils enjoy. Pupils remember their learning in foundation subjects. For example, they enjoy talking about their learning in science and history during social times.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Staff provide additional and tailored teaching if needed to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. Leaders closely track the impact of these interventions, so they are always impactful and help pupils to progress.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to their learning make great progress across the curriculum. Pupils discuss their learning with confidence. They can recall previous learning and make connections confidently across subjects.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders continually promote the importance of attending school daily and on time. Leaders are proactive and address absence quickly.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have a precise understanding of pupils’ barriers to attendance and take timely, effective action that is meaningful to parents and families. For example, carefully communicated letters and helpful support in the mornings. As a result, attendance across school has rapidly improved. Parents now know that regular attendance is important. Most importantly, pupils want to be here.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have clear expectations for how pupils should behave. Pupils understand the school rules well. Staff demonstrate the school values and model these well for pupils. Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons, social times and when moving around school. They are considerate of others, polite and helpful.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The school’s values of “Be Proud, Be Brave, Be Safe, Be Ready and Be Kind” are evident in pupils' interactions. Staff embody the school values and live these out throughout the school day. Pupils make lovely relationships across year groups. Bullying and unkind behaviour are not tolerated and are dealt with swiftly.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils are engaged and excited by their learning in lessons. They listen attentively to teachers, contribute to lessons and work independently when expected. Pupils play well together at playtimes and meet expectations during social times consistently. The school provides tailored and caring support for pupils that need additional help to regulate their emotions. Staff work with families and other professionals to ensure the school put the right support in place.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have carefully designed an ambitious curriculum across subjects. School and trust leaders provide high-quality professional development for staff. Staff’s expertise across subjects is evident. Leaders closely monitor how well staff teach the curriculum and consider how they can make improvements.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

In lessons, staff introduce new learning clearly. Staff regularly check pupils’ understanding and confidence in the curriculum. They do this effectively and have a clear understanding of what pupils know and remember. Leaders have embedded effective lesson structures across all subjects. In each lesson, staff provide pupils with opportunities to quickly recall previous learning, understand vocabulary and the pronunciation of new words. This is because staff explicitly model specific skills and strategies to help pupils learn confidently. All staff do this well across classes and subjects, which helps pupils to develop knowledge over time.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The school prioritises securing basic skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics for all pupils. This is highly evident in lessons and staff prioritise developing pupils' accuracy in these areas. Staff quickly address any gaps in pupils' knowledge, and when necessary provide additional support.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have adapted spaces around the school to provide additional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to their learning. For example, they have established a sensory movement space and extended classrooms. In these spaces, staff quickly provide personalised teaching or mentoring to help pupils succeed throughout the school day.

p.3

Early years Strong standard

Children get off to a great start. Staff care for them well and understand their personalities, needs, likes and dislikes. The school involves parents in their child’s education. Children are very well settled and happy.

p.3

Early years Strong standard

Leaders have made careful choices about the provision for Nursery and Reception, thoughtfully balancing children's development needs with making secure progress. The curriculum identifies clearly the steps of learning and progress across the early years, so children secure the important knowledge and skills that they need.

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Early years Strong standard

All staff know the learning, vocabulary and skills children need to develop from each activity. Children enjoy joining in with songs, stories and rhymes, filling in the blanks and repeating lines in familiar stories. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively, for example through 'now and next' boards, visual communication boards and personalised 'caddies' with useful resources. They quickly build a clear understanding of their needs. The recently redeveloped outdoor area provides many opportunities for what leaders have identified that children need. For example, children develop large muscle strength and fine motor skills in den-building and hanging washing. Indoor and outdoor areas offer many opportunities to practise developing fundamental knowledge, including mark making, writing and number skills. Staff maximise opportunities to help children rehearse their learning and

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Early years Strong standard

make regular checks on their understanding. For example, deepening understanding of 'more' and 'fewer' and practising counting with picture games and fruit on plates and correcting pencil grip.

p.4

Early years Strong standard

Children achieve well. Staff develop an accurate picture of where children need additional teaching or time practising skills and provide this at various points during the school day. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders are committed to quickly identifying and understanding pupils’ needs and the support they require to achieve their full potential and feel fully included in school. The school uses expertise from across the trust and other professionals to provide the exact support that pupils need to reduce barriers to their learning. Staff have a clear understanding of the precise support that pupils need during lessons, social times and other aspects of their day. The school frequently reviews any support given, adjusting whenever is necessary.

p.4

Inclusion Strong standard

Staff have a precise understanding of pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities. Detailed plans capture parental and school views on pupils’ support needs. The school is committed to helping all pupils to be successful throughout the school day, learn alongside their peers and engage with the wider offer.

p.4

Inclusion Strong standard

Staff ensure that pupils' wellbeing is at the forefront of all decisions about their support. Whether pupils need sensory breaks, emotional support or academic interventions, staff provide the exact support when needed. This removes barriers to learning promptly, enabling pupils to learn alongside their peers and enjoy school life to the fullest.

p.4

Inclusion Strong standard

The school partners well with the local authority and other external agencies to best support pupils who face challenges in their lives and their families. Leaders make highly effective use of additional funding to remove barriers wellbeing and learning outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders understand the context of the school extremely well. They know the strengths of the school and are reflective when refining the areas for development. Leaders, trustees and governors are highly ambitious for pupils and the school. There are high expectations for what pupils can achieve and for their future lives.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

The support from the trust has a positive impact across school. The additional expertise, capacity and oversight helps to further strengthen the school’s work. There are robust and rigorous quality assurance conversations and systems for strategic oversight. This means that leaders, trustees and governors have an accurate picture of every area of the school. This drives consistently high standards across the school and rapid improvement where needed in the past, for example in attendance.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Those responsible for governance have a highly accurate picture of the school and the local community. The systems for quality assurance and information sharing across the trust are robust and highly effective. This means that trustees, members of the academy advisory body and leaders across the trust have a detailed understanding of the school priorities, progress and context. All layers of leadership work seamlessly together towards a shared common vision for Highfields.

p.5

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff feel valued. They benefit from support from their colleagues and trust expertise to help them to do their job well. The school ensures that managing staff workload is a priority. Leaders give staff the support and resources to do the best for pupils. Parents are happy with the education and experiences their children receive.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders know their school community extremely well. They provides a varied and ambitious personal development programme. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that help them enjoy their time at school and look forward to their futures.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have tailored the personal, social and health education curriculum to meet the needs of pupils. They consider the risks and challenges that pupils may face and provide pupils with the tools to navigate these well. Pupils have the confidence to stand up for what is right, treat others fairly, be ambitious and keep themselves healthy. They learn how to keep themselves safe, including recognising risks when using technology and the internet.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders design opportunities rooted in their knowledge of the local community. They recognise what is important for pupils to develop, know and celebrate while fostering a sense of community pride, for example through 'Here and Now' project. Pupils make a positive contribution to their local area, for example, by building bird boxes, litter picking and paying their respects at the local cenotaph.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders provide many ways for pupils to develop their talents and leadership skills. Pupils love the range of extra-curricular clubs, competitions and leadership opportunities available to them and many pupils take up these roles in school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other challenges in their lives, benefit from this wider offer along with their peers.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils are confident and comfortable to speak to staff with any concerns they may have. Pupils know that staff will listen and look after them. Leaders provide reassurance in a number of ways for pupils, whether that is a quiet space to access at playtimes, using the worry boxes around school or mentoring support.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils have a comprehensive understanding of equalities, fairness and fundamental British values. They know why it is important for them to learn about these.

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