Hayes Park School is a three-form entry school with a nursery and a 13-place Special Resourced Provision (SRP) for autistic pupils. The school is in Hayes in the London Borough of Hillingdon (LBH). There are 700 pupils on roll, and the SRP has 14 pupils. Last year, the Headteacher (HT) spoke about falling rolls, but the development of the school website and the holding of welcome tours mean that the nursery is full for September 2024 and reception is almost full.
The school serves a diverse area. 17.7% of the pupils are Pupil Premium (PP), 65.9% are English as an Additional Language (EAL), and SEND is at 19%, which includes the specialist resource provision (SRP) pupils. There are 44 Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) in place, with 10 in progress and others going through mediation as the request was refused. Pupil mobility is an issue this academic year, with 37 leavers and 61 joiners since September 2023, which has triggered mobility funding. Having investigated the leavers, the HT said they found that none had gone to local schools but had left the area. The new pupils were a combination of transfers from local schools and new arrivals.
I arrived at the school office at the start of a busy Monday morning and had to wait in a line to sign in and have my identification checked. I saw how the staff welcomed each person warmly and gave time to them, using their first name when returning documents and asking if they had been to the school before. As staff arrived at school, they smiled and acknowledged the people in the foyer. I sat next to another person who said she was there to talk about the possibility of doing supply at the school. She said to me, ‘This is a very friendly place, isn’t it?’ I agreed, and this indeed set the tone for my whole day. Everyone I came across, whether walking around the school or those who came to speak to me, was warm and friendly.
The learning walk is always an interesting experience, and mine started with meeting Wilma, the school dog. It was good to see how she is developing in her role, and I enjoyed giving her some attention. I was impressed to see that, despite the gate being open at the office door, she was on her bed and had not wandered off. She has a busy schedule, with some pupils seeing her first thing in the morning to give them a soft start to the day and then groups, like the girls learning to cope with diabetes, and individuals throughout the day. Pupils walk her at lunchtime, and one pupil who hopes to be a dog trainer in the future is quite happy to give the Deputy Head (DH) tips on how to care for her. Visiting her can be a treat, a reward, or some therapy, depending on the needs of the pupils.
At all times, walking through the school, the atmosphere was calm and purposeful, with the pupils engaged in learning and activities inside and outside of the classroom. In the early years, they have been trialling a more natural classroom approach. The rooms had been redecorated, and it was a good time to try this. A teacher told me that she was worried that the removal of things hanging from the ceiling, for example, would make the room feel bare.
She said, though, that the use of the hessian backing on displays and the uniform headings on the boards has reduced the sensory stimulation, and the rooms are much calmer. The reception teacher has been on an outdoor learning course and has a clear vision for how the outside should be used. The development of the reception playground allows for a wider range of activities and looks interesting and inviting. The pupils were clearly engaged and enjoying the activities.
The school has responded to the high level of SEND needs in reception by creating the Nurture Room in Nursery. This was once a storage facility that ran along the length of the room but has now been turned into a more supportive, quieter area for individual and small group intervention. As I was there, I saw a small group about to begin an Attention Hillingdon session.
I heard about and saw how the Year 1 teachers were responding to individual needs. One teacher who had previously been in reception had brought some ideas with him. The Year 1 area has a good outside space that has not really been utilised, and now learning takes place outside. For example, for geography, a map had been drawn on the ground, and the pupils could go and jump and stand on areas. The site team has helped to develop the area with planters and display areas. The Year 1 pupils have a separate, direct entrance into their outside area, and what the teacher does is create a chalk walk of activities that the pupils follow as they come in the gate. This has supported those pupils who find it hard to come into school, and the parents are keen to see what each week’s pattern is.
Flexible seating is being used in the school. The Year 3 teacher that I saw last year is now in Year 6, and I visited a Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) lesson. This was interesting as it was a girls’ group, so the pupils had been taken from the whole year group, and they were happily engaged sitting at desks, on the floor, or on the low cupboards. She told me that more staff in the school were using this. She explained that she had her own flexible seating and that pupils see her going for a walk around the playground at lunchtime as that is what she needs to do. This is excellent modelling for the pupils; not like having to stay sitting at a desk and needing to move around is normal.
Sparrows was a class that was set up to meet the needs of the pupils who struggled to access the curriculum. They can take up to 12 pupils, and there were 5 in the room when I visited. There was a calm and purposeful atmosphere, and it was clear that staff knew and understood the needs of the pupils. It was affirming to hear how positively the teacher spoke of the pupils and the delight she had when sharing their individual success. I felt the same positive atmosphere when I visited Acorns, the SRP. There is a suite of rooms there and a sensory room. All of the pupils in the SRP attend mainstream lessons for a minimum of 25%, with the aim for this to increase over time. They are not isolated from the rest of the school.
The school continues to offer a broad and balanced curriculum as well as additional opportunities through clubs and after-school activities. Specialist teachers are in place for sports, music, and Latin. The Teaching and Learning Department has introduced instructional coaching to support the development of efficient and effective learning experiences. The school’s data shows that educational outcomes are good, but the holistic development of individual pupils is important.
The parents I met with offered no suggestions of how the school could do better. I heard how some had transferred their children to Hayes Park after previous schools said they could not meet their needs. Staff supported them and worked with them so that they understood their children’s needs. Parents recognise that the school does all it can to provide the support that is needed. One parent described how a member of staff who had visited her child at another school had called and said, ‘We’ll take her. I can’t leave her there.’ This exemplifies the care that parents see in their children. Parents welcome the support that Sparrows and Acorns provide and appreciate the honest conversations they have with all staff. Parents said that they are not made to feel embarrassed if they or their children have problems.
The pupils are happy at the school. They know they are safe and who to go to if they need help. They are really enjoying their time at Forest School. They spoke about how they can plant things, play games, and take part in activities. They particularly liked being able to do their own thing and to explore. I was told that you calm down when outside.
Staff were equally positive as they spoke about their work in school. There is no doubt that the needs of the pupils are paramount and that they do all that they can to support them by making adaptations. There is also a strong sense of teamwork in that staff spoke about how they supported each other through changes. For example, some staff have been there a long time, so change can be challenging. There is no doubt, though, that the staff are supportive of the OPAL initiative. They told me that they are well supported and that SLT has an open-door policy.
The Governors are fully involved in the life of the school and are very knowledgeable about what is happening. They said that the quality of education and care is a top priority and that this should not be impacted by the budget. They were pleased to be involved in the OPAL working party and liked the fact that this was an initiative that had come directly from what was shared in the Pupil Parliament.
The school has continued to develop outside links with, for example, The Local Authority Inclusion Commitment, The American Community School, Mental Health Support Teams, the local authority Youth Offer, Tesco, and ASDA, to name a few. The school operates a food bank and supports around 12 families. A collection point has been set up in the local co-op as well as in the foyer.
The HT has a real vision for inclusion that is shared by her SLT. The commitment to inclusion is demonstrated by the team being increased again to include an Assistant Head for EYFS (who is undertaking a SENCO qualification) to help support the younger pupils. SLT is a strong team, and the close, respectful working relationships that they have with each other really do set the tone for how the staff work. Throughout my time at the school, I saw example after example of how individual needs are met and how important individuals are. It was an inspiring visit.
