Harper Bell Seventh-day Adventist School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 February 2025

Pupils are not benefitting from an acceptable quality of education at this school. There are ongoing significant staffing changes in several classes. This affects how well pupils behave and achieve. Pupils do not enjoy having different class teachers on a regular basis. Low-level disruption is evident when lessons fail to interest pupils and when teachers' expectations are too low. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not consistently well supported. Outcomes in external tests in 2024, done at the end of Year 6, were well below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Weaknesses remain in several year groups, particularly in reading and writing. Pupils are happy and have fun at playtimes with their friends. They understand the difference between occasional squabbles and bullying. They are adamant that bullying is not tolerated in school and that staff quickly resolve minor incidents. Pupils feel safe at school. They understand how to keep themselves safe, including online, because they learn about personal safety in lessons. Most pupils attend school regularly. The school is rigorous in following up on all absences to ensure that pupils are safe and come to school daily. Pupils enjoy the visits and clubs that staff arrange. These include exciting trips for those with 'perfect' attendance, as well as clubs including chess, choir and drumming.

What the school should improve

• The school has not been rigorous enough in its appraisal of the curriculum, the provision for pupils with SEND, or the standards of behaviour and achievement. Changes are not being made quickly enough to bring about the rapid improvements needed. School leaders, governors, the local authority and the NEC board need to work as a collective body to ensure that there is a well-considered, structured approach to addressing these inadequacies.
• Lessons do not follow the intended curriculum. Staff do not revisit prior learning, or support pupils to build on what they know and can do. As a result, pupils are unable to remember or use much of what they are taught. The school should ensure that staff, including temporary staff, follow the curriculum as intended, identify and address gaps in learning and support pupils to build on from their current knowledge and understanding.
• The school does not have sufficient staff capacity and expertise to provide leadership across the full range of subjects taught. As such, there is limited oversight of the curriculum and its impact on pupil achievement, and staff do not receive the support needed to improve their practice. The school should ensure that it builds the capacity to develop subject leadership as part of its work to improve the quality of education offered.
• The early years curriculum, including phonics, is not implemented well. Teachers' subject knowledge is weak and activities during continuous provision lack a clear learning focus. The school should ensure that staff are provided with the support needed to deliver the curriculum effectively, including with phonics, so that children are well prepared for Year 1.
• The school has not considered carefully enough how to support pupils with SEND, so that they can access the curriculum and are fully included in lessons. Staff do not have sufficient knowledge to be able to assist these pupils as well as they should. The school should support all staff to make the adaptations needed for pupils with SEND, so that they access the full curriculum and are successful in their learning.
• As a result of weaknesses in the school's quality of education, low-level disruption in lessons occurs too frequently. This creates a further barrier to pupils succeeding. The school should ensure that expectations from staff are heightened.
• The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)