Heatherlands Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 29 March 2022

Right from the early years, staff ensure that children understand why routines and being kind and polite are important. This continues throughout the school. Staff know all pupils well. They encourage and guide pupils to grow into responsible and caring young people. The school is inclusive. Everyone is welcome. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and try hard in lessons. They study a broad curriculum and gain a lot of knowledge. Pupils learn about current world issues. For example, they learn about the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the recent events in Ukraine. Staff have a sharp focus on pupils' physical and mental fitness. Sport is for all. 'The Valley' provides an interesting space for pupils to learn outside. Pupils say that lunchtimes are fun. There are lots of physical and creative games to play. A highlight for some is relaxing in the 'writing shack' or enjoying the story times led by adults. If bullying happens, pupils say that staff sort it out quickly. There are many extra-curricular activities to enjoy. Parents and carers are highly positive about their child's experience of school.

What the school should improve

• At times, teaching is not adapted astutely to prioritise the most important knowledge pupils need to know next. A minority of pupils do not receive work that builds firmly on what they already know. Leaders must ensure that teaching includes all the building blocks of knowledge that pupils need to achieve well.
• Leaders' checks do not consistently assure themselves of curriculum quality well enough. Leaders do not always identify when pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge they could. Leaders must ensure that their checks identify any relative weaknesses in curriculum quality, and that any weaknesses are acted on swiftly.

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