Forest Hills Primary School

Overview

Forest Hills Primary School is described as a “warm and welcoming school where inclusion sits at its heart.” Leaders demonstrate a “moral purpose” to support pupils, many of whom face significant barriers, ensuring they “thrive” through expert care and high-quality education. The report highlights a culture where pupils feel safe, respected, and well-prepared for secondary school.

Strengths

• Attendance and behaviour are rated at a “Strong standard,” with leaders being “relentless” in ensuring pupils attend and learn in a “calm and distraction-free environment.”
• The curriculum is “ambitious, broad and balanced,” with teachers acting as “subject experts” who provide “precise explanations” and quickly address gaps in understanding.
• Inclusion is a “strength,” with staff swiftly identifying needs for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and adapting provision “highly effectively.”
• Personal development is rated at a “Strong standard,” with pupils showing a “deep understanding” of how to use their knowledge and feeling “safe, happy and ready to learn.”

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure staff interactions in the early years are maximised so children benefit consistently from “high-quality modelled language.”
• Leaders should continue work to secure “consistently high standards of teaching in all subjects and year groups” to ensure pupils attain consistently well.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns being actively identified and managed.