Heartsease Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 July 2023

Pupils at Heartsease learn to be independent and polite, respectful citizens. Staff model these values. They provide clear expectations for pupils' conduct around the school. As a result, pupils' behaviour in class is good and learning is very rarely disturbed. Pupils are calm and kind to each other and show good manners to adults. They hold doors for adults and, when thanked, pupils reply with a cheery 'you're welcome'. Older pupils are proud to be play leaders. They organise games at breaktimes for younger pupils, who aspire to take on this responsibility. Pupils told inspectors that bullying is not tolerated in school. They understand what bullying means and who to speak to if they have a concern. Parents, staff and pupils praise the support provided by the pastoral team, who are well trained in supporting pupils' social and emotional well-being. Pupils say they feel safe and happy at school. Some say they do not want to miss a day as 'it could be the day a lesson changes their life'. Pupils say it is a place where they can make lots of friends. They are proud of their work and develop a love of reading from the early years. Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs and activities that broaden their horizons. These enable pupils to develop new talents and interests, such as chess, archery and yoga.

What the school should improve

• In a few foundation subjects, teachers do not yet have a clear understanding of the key knowledge and how this builds over time. This means they do not provide precise instruction or check that pupils have remembered and understood key knowledge. Leaders should continue to develop these curriculum plans as they have for the successfully established subjects so that teachers develop their expertise and are clear about the key knowledge and skills pupils need to learn across the curriculum.
• Bullying and unacceptable conduct is not tolerated by leaders in the school. There is still some work to do with a minority of pupils that do not adhere to the school's expectations for behaviour and use derogatory language. This results in some pupils perceiving that bullying or misbehaviour is not being dealt with. Leaders should work with this small group of pupils to ensure that they fully understand the school rules so that everyone benefits from a positive environment throughout the school.

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