Highcliffe Primary School and Community Centre

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 October 2022

Leaders have high ambition for every pupil who attends the school. They have identified the personal qualities they want pupils to develop. These are based on 6Rs: reciprocity, respect, responsibility, resilience, resourcefulness and reflection. Pupils know what these words mean and work hard to show these characteristics in their work and play. Pupils share leaders' vision that they can be successful in whatever they choose to be. Pupils know that working hard and doing well will help them to achieve their 'big dreams'. Pupils are happy at school. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and based on mutual respect. Pupils say that one of the best things about their school is the teachers. Adults are role models for pupils. In turn, pupils treat each other with respect and are polite to one another. They are a credit to the school. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Leaders explore every possible avenue to make sure that pupils who struggle to manage in the busy school environment get the support they need. Pupils are clear about what bullying is. They know that it can take a number of different forms. They are confident to report it and say that their teachers will make it stop.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have written curriculum plans for all subjects. A very small number of these plans do not set out precisely the steps of learning that pupils need to make to reach the overall aims. As a result, teachers identify these for themselves as they plan lessons. This could lead to inconsistencies. Leaders need to ensure that these small steps are explicit in all curriculum plans.
• Some adults who read with pupils do not provide effective support. They do not maximise learning opportunities. Not all staff revise pupils' phonic knowledge or develop their inference skills in a meaningful way. Leaders should ensure that expectations of how staff support pupils as they read are consistently successful in enabling pupils to read with improved fluency and comprehension.

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