High Peak primary school praised by Ofsted following latest inspection

Hayfield Primary School, on Swallow House Lane, received a two-day visit from inspectors on January 19-20 and their newly-published report concludes it has retained the overall rating of Good – the second highest possible – which it first achieved in 2012.

As part of their evaluations, inspectors found: “This is a happy school that pupils feel very proud to be a part of … Pupils come first at Hayfield. Leaders and staff know pupils and their needs very well. They work together closely, and in shared ways, to meet those needs.

“Pupils say that staff have also worked hard to support everyone’s well-being during the pandemic.”

The inspection covered all aspects of school life and singled out the reception class for its work, with children being taught to read well along with staff teaching mathematics effectively, so pupils learn with speed and accuracy.

The report also praised the use of outside space, concluding: “The many activities available complement the high-quality curriculum and means that pupils can thrive.”

Headteacher Stefan Papadopoulos said: “Everyone across Hayfield Primary School is incredibly proud. I was particularly pleased to see the positive comments about our pupils’ behaviour and how happy and safe our pupils are here.

“This is a fantastic reflection of what life is like in our warm and welcoming school that is at the heart of the local community. We create an environment where pupils feel happy, secure and supported.”

He added: “Within all the positives of the report, the one line that sticks out to me is that the inspector noted that one child cried out joyfully, “Oh, my lucky day!” when asked to do a maths task. That love of learning is what we work so tirelessly to achieve.”

The inspectors appear to have found no glaring flaws preventing the school from achieving the top Outstanding status, but noted how the turbulence of the past two years had hampered efforts to bring the curriculum fully up to date in small number of subject areas.

The report notes: “This means that leaders cannot be sure that, over the longer term, these subjects will continue to have the desired impact on what pupils have learned.

“Leaders should ensure that all subjects are monitored effectively, and adjusted if needed, to provide assurance that pupils are learning and remembering all they are capable of.”

Chair of Governors Jane Creed said: “We thank the inspectors for recognising the work our staff have done to ensure our pupils are catching up quickly with the education they may have missed or forgotten over successive lockdowns.

“The single development point raised is one that we are already working on as we move out of the pandemic, so we are not only proud of the outcome of this Ofsted inspection – but we are also very excited about our future.”

To read the findings in full, go to reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/112554.

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