Highfields School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 January 2025

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. They look forward to coming to school because of the care and dedication that staff provide. Staff model the respect they expect pupils to show. Pupils respond by being polite to and considerate of staff, and caring towards each other. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils are known well by staff. Older students take responsibility for supporting younger pupils. The school has high expectations for all pupils. Staff promote an environment that 'values every individual and inspires them to achieve their full potential'. Pupils rise to meet these ambitions by being inclusive of each other and working hard to achieve strong outcomes. The school is effective in developing learners that are 'responsible, resilient, reasoning, reflective and resourceful'. The school provides for pupils' wider development well. The 'student ambassador programme' helps pupils to develop leadership skills. Many pupils benefit from the opportunity to participate in the high-quality performing arts productions. Most parents and carers are positive about the school. One parent, summing up the views of others, said, 'There is a sense of a great level of care and passion from the staff for the well-being and development of my children.'

What the school should improve

• The school has not identified clearly enough the intended outcomes of all the strategies that it employs to support disadvantaged pupils. This means that some support provided for disadvantaged pupils is not as precisely tailored to their needs as it could be. Some of these pupils continue to make less progress than their non-disadvantaged peers. The school should ensure that all its work to support disadvantaged pupils has the precision needed for leaders to be able to evaluate its impact and plan for further improvements effectively.

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