Highwood Primary School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
434
AGES
3 - 11
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Community school
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
0300 123 4043

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(27/06/2023)
Full Report - All Reports
57%
NATIONAL AVG. 60%
% pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 8% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 11% of schools in England) Average (About 59% of schools in England) Above Average (About 11% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England)
Mead Way
Bushey
WD23 2AW
01923256210

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Everyone connected to Highwood Primary School will know how much this statement means. The school has recently experienced a series of tragic and unexpected events, including a devastating flood in June 2016. Almost 18 months later, everyday school life is not yet back to normal. Pupils do not have access to their usual outdoor areas because contractors are still working on the drainage. The events of 2016/17 have severely tested the school’s maxim, ‘promoting resilience, achieving potential’. It is hugely to the credit of governors, staff, pupils and parents that the school has maintained and enhanced the quality of its provision during this most challenging period. Your leadership over the last 12 months has been remarkable. Staff morale has remained high, and the universally positive survey responses from staff on this inspection reflect their complete confidence in your leadership and management of the school. Everyone’s work life balance has been severely tested by the recent upheavals, but staff say that leaders take workload into account, citing the recent revisions to the marking policy as a good example of reducing unnecessary burdens. Leaders remain committed to making Highwood an outstanding school, but they are also determined to retain its strongly inclusive character, ensuring that the school meets the diverse needs of local families. One distinctive feature of your school is its strong emphasis on pupils’ welfare. Having a dedicated welfare officer has enabled the school to provide effective support for children who are potentially vulnerable and for families that are susceptible to disengagement from education. The school is proactive in successfully averting problems and in supporting positive engagement, rather than simply reacting to events when they happen. Pupils achieve well at Highwood. By the age of 11, standards are at least in line with those seen nationally and often above average. Standards in reading are a notable strength. In 2017, the proportion of Year 6 pupils reaching the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national figure. This was a marked improvement on the 2016 results, when pupils’ progress in mathematics lagged behind other subjects. Across the school, leaders know precisely where improvements can be made because they keep a close eye on assessment information and the quality of teaching. There is a sharp focus on the progress and achievement of different groups, ensuring that individual pupils catch up quickly if they start to fall behind. Where a subject or year group is doing less well, leaders quickly intervene to support improvement. Parents are very positive about the school. Since September, nine out of 10 parents who have responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, say that they would recommend the school, and responses in the questionnaire reflect this picture. In their free-text comments in the parental questionnaire, most praised the school and said how much their children enjoy attending. Many were lavish in their commendations for the ‘amazing staff’ who ‘go to great lengths’ to support their children. A few parents drew attention to their specific concerns. However, it is clear that the school is aware of these and deals quickly and appropriately with any issues raised. Pupils are particularly enthusiastic about their school, and have taken the recent disruptions in their stride. The older pupils who are ‘ambassadors’, such as those who support younger pupils with their reading, take their roles seriously and really enjoy their responsibilities. In lessons and around the site, pupils are lively but also considerate and well behaved. They enjoy their different subjects and the wider opportunities to join in extra-curricular activities, including sport and music. Adults skilfully support and manage individual pupils who struggle to conform to the school’s high expectations. Since the last inspection, leaders have successfully maintained and improved the quality of teaching across the school, despite staff changes and planned absences. You closely monitor the quality of teaching and make careful decisions about how best to deploy the expertise of your teachers and teaching assistants. This maximises their effectiveness and ensures that individual staff develop their practice and support one another. Governors are well informed, highly committed, and share your high aspirations for the school. They have a good balance of desirable skills and essential experience that enables them to quickly grasp information and efficiently fulfil their responsibilities. The governing body has had to provide considerable additional support during the last 18 months, but governors have not ducked the need to question and challenge senior leaders during this difficult period. External support for the school, from local consultants, has been well focused and constructive, and has helped to keep the school on track during this turbulent period and also to strengthen key aspects of provision. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders, including governors, are thorough in ensuring that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding have up-to-date training and ensure that staff are also suitably trained. Staff are alert to the possible risks and vulnerabilities of individual pupils, and work hard to support children and families. Procedures for referring concerns are efficient and carefully documented, and appropriately involve external agencies. The school’s records are detailed and meticulously maintained. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and are confident that, if they have any concerns, they can share these with an adult. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of how to stay safe, including online. A very large majority of the 98 parents who responded to Parent View agree that their children feel safe and are well looked after. Inspection findings Pupils at Highwood come from diverse backgrounds and a range of different starting points. Although pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve well by the age of 11, there is some variability in their learning and progress across the school. We agreed that I would focus on these specific aspects to see what success the school has had in improving provision. Your self-evaluation of the school’s strengths and priorities is honest and accurate. You acknowledge that the school could do more to increase the numbers of pupils reaching greater depth and the higher standards at the end of key stages 1 and 2. My focus on these priorities was no surprise, and you were able to provide ample first-hand evidence of the effectiveness of the school’s work to strengthen these outcomes. The teaching of mathematics has been comprehensively reviewed and strengthened, with a view to improving pupils’ progress and attainment in key stage 2. Initiatives include starting mathematics lessons with a ‘four operations’ exercise to develop pupils’ mental agility, and setting tasks that are concrete, pictorial or abstract, depending on pupils’ level of understanding. The positive impact of these new approaches can be seen in pupils’ learning in the classroom and in their written work, as well as in better national test results in 2017. Most children in the early years get off to a good start, but outcomes at the end of Reception have lagged behind national figures over the last three years because too few boys reach the expected standards in reading or writing.

Highwood Primary School Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>62, "agree"=>20, "disagree"=>11, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>59, "agree"=>28, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>7, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>40, "agree"=>37, "disagree"=>12, "strongly_disagree"=>6, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>67, "strongly_agree"=>4, "agree"=>10, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>9, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>64, "agree"=>33, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>21, "strongly_agree"=>35, "agree"=>23, "disagree"=>12, "strongly_disagree"=>7, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>26, "agree"=>30, "disagree"=>26, "strongly_disagree"=>17, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 23 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>33, "agree"=>47, "disagree"=>10, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>8} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>47, "agree"=>34, "disagree"=>14, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>47, "agree"=>40, "disagree"=>10, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>52, "agree"=>40, "disagree"=>2, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>44, "agree"=>47, "disagree"=>4, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>46, "agree"=>28, "disagree"=>12, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>8} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023
Yes No {"yes"=>78, "no"=>22} UNLOCK Figures based on 97 responses up to 04-07-2023

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

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