Old Heath is a good school that gives its pupils the skills they need not only for their future education but also life beyond school. The exceptionally high level of parental agreement with all the positive statements in the questionnaire indicates that this was also the opinion of almost every parent.
Good leadership and management at all levels has refined procedures and put in place effective systems to monitor the quality of the school’s work. All of these have led to improvements in many areas. The school’s own evaluation of its performance gives an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. All the issues identified for development feed through into a well constructed improvement plan.
A lively and varied curriculum, linked to consistently good teaching, leads to all pupils achieving well and making good progress in their learning. Children get a super start in the Foundation Stage. While not all of them attain all the early learning goals by the time they move into Year 1, they make outstanding progress in their personal development and in improving their writing skills. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils have made much better progress than would normally have been expected and achieve above average standards.
Good attention is also given to pupils’ personal development. Pupils develop good attitudes to work, enjoy school and behave well. They form strong relationships and feel secure in the knowledge that they will be supported if they have any concerns. The provision for the care of pupils, ensuring their safety, and supporting and guiding their academic and emotional needs is good. Pupils understand the need for healthy lifestyles and how they can keep themselves safe and free from any form of harassment. Accurate target setting and good tracking of pupils’ progress enable teachers to provide additional support quickly where it is needed.
There have been many improvements since the last time the school was inspected and as the rate of improvement continues to gain momentum, it demonstrates a good capacity for future development. Linking this to the improvements in standards and the effective systems for maintaining good quality provision, the school provides good value for money.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/
