Homefields Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 29 November 2023

Homefields Primary School is a caring and happy school. The school's values of 'be kind, be courageous, be respectful', underpin all the school does. Pupils say that these values reflect their lived experience in this school. As a result, pupils feel happy at Homefields. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school's five 'attitudes to learning', to be responsible, reflective, resourceful, resilient and reciprocal, are incorporated into all lessons. Pupils live up to these expectations and give full attention in lessons. The school provides a nurturing environment. Pupils feel safe. Their behaviour and attitudes are outstanding. They are respectful, well mannered, and polite. This has not happened by accident; staff model the respectful and positive relationships they encourage in their pupils. Pupils value the school's wide range of opportunities to develop their leadership and sense of responsibility, such as being school council members, librarians, stick insect keepers, or being a younger child's 'buddy'. Pupils say these roles 'improve our mental health as we are doing something good for others'. Parents appreciate the care and support their children receive. One comment typical of many was: 'It is wonderful to see the nurturing care that the school provides. They create a very healthy environment for children to learn and grow in.'

What the school should improve

• The school's curriculum is well planned and sequenced in most subjects from Year 1 to Year 6. However, in some subject areas, not enough thought has been given to how the curriculum in the early years links to the curriculums in Year 1 to Year 6. There are some foundation subjects, where curriculum plans need to be more specific in the detail they contain. It is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of reviewing some of these curriculum plans. The school needs to complete the process of refining and then embedding the curriculum in all subjects.
• The school has not ensured that all teachers use all the available information about pupils with SEND precisely enough, or that they adapt their lessons consistently well enough to enable all pupils with SEND to access the school's ambitious curriculum. The school must ensure that all teachers precisely meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

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