CREDITON’S Hayward’s Primary School has received another thumbs up from Ofsted.

The 394-pupil school was inspected on December 8 and 9, 2021 and in a report published this week, was highly praised and given a further "good" rating.

Nathan Kemp, lead inspector, said of the school: "Pupils and staff love coming to school. Pupils discuss what they are learning with enthusiasm. They behave well, particularly in lessons.

"Pupils focus on tasks because the curriculum is closely matched to their needs. Incidents of low-level disruption and bullying are rare. Pupils are safe. Staff and parents who completed the online surveys agree.

"Leaders and staff truly care about the pupils who attend the school. They know pupils’ backgrounds and interests. The school’s approach is underpinned by the ‘Hayward’s Heroes’ values of maturity, perseverance, respect, honesty and focus.

"Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum for most subjects. These plans are ambitious and deepen pupils’ knowledge in and across subjects. Staff training and well-sequenced lessons help pupils to learn the school’s curriculum effectively. Staff make effective use of the local area to bring the curriculum to life.

"Leaders have instilled a rich, inclusive culture that permeates everything the school does. Staff share leaders’ determined belief that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can and should succeed. These ambitions are realised through the high-quality implementation of the school’s curriculum."

Mr Kemp said that the leaders and governors know the school’s strengths and areas to improve.

He continued: "Governors check the impact of improvement priorities with tenacity. Leaders have promoted a culture of innovative practice across the school. This is evident in the school’s approach to developing the curriculum. Staff have played a key role in designing the curriculum. They love working at the school, feel well supported and know that leaders have their well-being at heart.

"The school’s curriculum builds on pupils’ prior knowledge. In most subjects, pupils know what they are learning and why they need to know it. For example, one pupil stated it was important to learn about history as it helped modern society to ‘avoid making the same mistakes again’.

"Leaders have given considerable thought to what they want pupils to know and remember. Staff make regular checks on how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Pupils receive timely feedback, so they know how they are getting on. Pupils value this, particularly in mathematics. Leaders and staff monitor pupils’ progress through the curriculum closely so they can put in place extra support when it is needed.

"The school’s curriculum supports pupils’ language and vocabulary development well, starting in the early years. Children join in with stories and rhymes enthusiastically. Older pupils continue their exploration of vocabulary. Through high-quality books, they unpick what makes writing effective and apply this knowledge well. Staff weave the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar throughout the curriculum, which helps pupils write accurately. For example, they know how to use commas in a list when writing a letter.

"Leaders implemented a new phonics programme at the beginning of the previous academic year. This approach is now firmly embedded.

"Pupils read with increasing accuracy, using the sounds they know to read unfamiliar words. Mostly, adults are on-hand to support pupils who find reading tricky. However, this is not yet consistent. A few pupils read books that do not match their level of phonics knowledge.

PUPILS THRIVE

"Leaders support disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND well. They have increased pupils’ access to the curriculum and wider opportunities. School leaders’ efforts to overcome barriers are well thought out. As a result, pupils thrive. Some older pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan receive a bespoke curriculum for some subjects in the ‘hub’. The curriculum for these pupils is ambitious, helping to support a successful transition to their next phase of education.

"Leaders support pupils’ wider development well. Pupils have rich opportunities to find out more about their local area and community through the curriculum. For example, they learn the importance of farming in Crediton and how Exeter began as a Roman town. Pupils go on trips and visits to help deepen their understanding further. The school’s approach to managing pupils’ behaviour is effective. Pupils know right from wrong. They understand how to use the school values to support their learning."

Mr Kemp said the school’s safeguarding was "effective" and "robust".

The main area of improvement he mentioned was the phonics programme and said: "There are pockets of inconsistency in the support that adults provide. Leaders need to continue implementing the phonics programme, ironing out inconsistencies in these areas, so that all pupils achieve their potential."

It was the first routine inspection the school has received since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and had taken that into account in the evaluation.

The inspector considered responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys alongside 49 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including 37 free-text responses from parents and carers.

He also met with the Chair of Governors, Nicola Frost and four other governors, a representative from the local authority, as well as others from the school.

Head Teacher, Andy Smith, said: “I’m really pleased with the outcome of the recent inspection and how it has captured life at Hayward’s.

"I’m extremely proud of all of the staff, for their endless commitment to the school, and the children who, in spite of the many challenges that they have faced over the last two years, continue to excel and give everything to their learning.”