Highfields Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 February 2022

Leaders have made Highfields a haven of calm in the heart of the community. There are high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Trust and school leaders support pupils to live up to these expectations through emotional and practical support. For example, each pupil is given a personalised electronic tablet to use in computing and other subjects. Staff work hand in hand with parents and carers to provide support for pupils and their families. Staff chat with parents and knock on doors to pass on information or support. This personal touch is well received by the community. Pupils are mature and polite to each other and staff in school. Pupils have a deep understanding of what respect means and how to show it. They have confidence in staff to sort out issues like bullying or silly behaviour, but think that they all get on so well that this is not needed most of the time. Pupils are taught about the importance of treating each other with kindness. They are aware of different family structures, such as same-sex parents or children living with their grandparents. Pupils know that everyone is welcome and that it is important to be respectful to all. Pupils enjoy the clubs and activities that staff put on for them. They improve their resilience through their forest school lessons and enjoy learning about camp craft. Leaders make sure that all pupils get to attend the clubs like cooking or football at some point in the year if they want to. Parents and pupils appreciate this. One parent said, 'Children have equal opportunities to extra-curricular activities'.

What the school should improve

• Some aspects of how the phonics curriculum is implemented lack important rigour. This is particularly the case for the common exception words that pupils need to read on sight. Some staff are not sure how to teach these words. Pupils do not practise reading them enough. Some pupils then struggle to read these words in books, and this means their reading fluency and confidence are affected. Leaders should ensure that all staff are trained in how and when to teach these words and to enable pupils to practise using them. The books that pupils read should be matched with both the sounds that pupils know, which is currently the case, and the common exception words that they know.
• Although revisiting knowledge is built into the curriculum design in a way that should strengthen pupils' long-term memory, some teachers are not implementing this successfully. Pupils can forget important knowledge that they have been taught in the past in foundation subjects. Leaders should train teachers in pedagogical techniques that ensure pupils remember what they have been taught in previous terms or years so that the memory of this knowledge is strengthened and subsequently utilised in further learning.

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