In January 2020 we had our church inspection which looks at how the Christian vision are lived throughout the life of the school. We now judge our school as Good church school and look forward to our next inspection where we can celebrate our journey and Christian Distinctiveness.
Overall we are pleased with the report, and although we strive for improvement towards becoming a 'Good' church school, we believe that as a school community we have worked well together during a challenging time and this is reflected in the report.
The key findings are the report were:
- The school's vision and values are distinctly Christian. They are recogonised and valued by staff and parents and underpin the whole curriculum
- The school has a broad and balanced curriculum shaped by its Christian vision
- The many vulnerable pupils are given considerable support and most pupils make good progress
- The school has a very strong inclusive philosophy. All members of the community are welcomed equally and pupils feel valued
- Collective worship is Good
The inspector decided that although we are requiring improvement in some areas the current leadership has made a significant impact to improve things.
The reports lists areas for development, all of which we have already begun to work towards and had identified ourselves.
The areas of development are:
Develop the monitoring role of subject leaders- We have heavily invested in developing our curriculum and our subject leaders. They have a clear monitoring plan which enables them to support quality implementation and impact of the subjects.
To continue to prioritise improving pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, in order to improve the quality of their relationships and learning- Behaviour at Heartwood is exemplary and we have external validation to support this.
To ensure that the plans for an ethos committee to review distinctiveness are quickly realised- We have set up an ethos committee which includes staff, governors, parents and children and will drive us towards continuous improvement in this area. If you would be interested in joining this team, please contact Mrs Emily McMillen.
To strengthen the relationship with the local church so that it is mutually beneficial and gives pupils a better knowledge of Anglican traditions and worship We have a strong partnership with St Peter and St Paul's church and the clergy. The Development of a clear action plan and investment in relationship building has been very beneficial to support the school in this area.