Heaton School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 May 2024

Pupils, who all have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well cared for at this school. They enjoy positive working relationships with staff and are happy to attend every day. For example, pupils receive a warm welcome when they arrive at school. This helps to create a calm, positive start to the day. Staff are well trained to support pupils with their behaviour. The school uses its environment effectively to support pupils' behaviour. Some pupils are increasingly able to manage their own behaviour and emotions. They behave well in lessons, at lunchtime and when they move around the school. They know who they can turn to if they have any worries or concerns. The school ensures that pupils receive a wide variety of experiences and trips. For example, pupils consolidate their understanding of different life-skills in the community by visiting local shops and cafes. The school wants the very best for its pupils. Currently, the school is adapting and improving the curriculum which pupils receive. While some progress has been made, there is still not enough clarity around the curriculum content in some subjects. The school does not give enough thought in specific subjects to how pupils' learning will build year on year. Changes to the reading curriculum, particularly for phonics, are still in the earliest stages. This means that the reading curriculum does not support pupils well enough to develop their reading skills. Across different subjects, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

What the school should improve

• Some subject curriculums are still at an early stage of development. In these subjects, there is still not enough clarity around the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn. As a result, teachers find it difficult to know what pupils should learn and by when. The school should finalise its curriculum thinking swiftly in these final few subjects.
• In some subjects, the school has not ensured that curriculum leadership is able to evaluate the implementation and impact of the curriculum. Staff do not have the necessary guidance that they require in these subjects to deliver the curriculums consistently. The school should ensure that curriculum leadership in these final subjects is further developed.
• In some subjects, the school's methods for assessment are not used well enough. Teachers do not have a secure enough knowledge of pupils' learning to identify any gaps in pupils' understanding. This means that they cannot plan to ensure that these gaps in knowledge diminish over time. The school should ensure that staff gain a deeper understanding of the assessment systems in these subjects so that they can identify gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Some staff do not have the subject knowledge needed to support pupils at the early stages of reading. This means that some pupils do not develop the skills and knowledge that they need to become more fluent, confident readers. The school should ensure that staff have the required knowledge to teach phonics and reading skills effectively.

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