Highfields school on London Road, Newark, received very positive report from Independent Schools Inspectorate

An independent school has received a glowing report following an inspection which praised its positivity and care of pupils.

Highfields is an independent school and nursery based on London Road in Newark and currently supports over 100 pupils across all levels of education, aged two to 11-years-old.

Inspectors from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the equivalent of Ofsted for non state schools, found that Highfields had met all of its relevant grading criteria.

The report found that teaching at the school is characterised by positive relationships and close attention to pupils' individual needs.

Staff also adjust their teaching strategies appropriately to the needs of individual children so that they have the confidence to develop their own ideas and learn independently.

As a result, pupils at the school were found to develop self-confidence and enjoy learning as the school meets its aim of preparing pupils for their future lives.

It was noted by the ISI that leaders promoted a culture of mutual respect and kindness, which is modelled by staff throughout the school, and praise, encouragement and support is given so that pupils' develop self-esteem alongside appreciation of the talent of others.

One of the most impressive things about the school is its commitment to creativity.

By establishing a well-rounded curriculum pupils are able to engage with the arts, languages, music and sport on a deeper level, alongside more academic subjects.

A new programme to enable pupils to acquire enhanced computer technology skills has also recently been drawn up and is currently in the process of being developed.

The school also makes use of their “Dojo shop”, where children can collect points through good behaviour and academic effort and achievement, which they can then spend on treats and perks — to encourage children to develop financial literacy.

The school’s head, Sarah Lyons, has a strong background in state education and came to Highfields in 2019 shortly after its last inspection.

She said: “I was absolutely delighted and thrilled by the report — it’s fantastic to have that external acknowledgement.

“This school is different, it’s special, we provide education in its broadest sense, to make sure our children are able to contribute to society in the future with bespoke learning.

“The transition between myself and the previous head was very rigorous because that continuity of leadership is really important, and I was visiting the school for around nine months before I took over.

“We set out a really clear school development plans to make sure that it went from strength to strength.

“Wellbeing is our top priority here because happiness, mental health and creating a work/life balance is really important in the outside world.

“Our staff retention is really good, we develop them and grow from within so that we maintain a continuity of care and the children feel safe and are able to learn and grow.

“The curriculum is very strong and evolves with the children’s needs, with a high level of specialist teachers with a wealth of experience.

“We like to reward effort and behaviour, which shows hard work, perseverance and resilience, which is very important for a child’s growth.”

Mrs Lyons added: “The parent questionnaires were glowing, we are very fortunate to have such a positive and supportive parent body who help us to achieve our aims.

“This is an independent school but we are a really diverse community, we have people from different economic backgrounds and I think it’s important to break down misconceptions about the people that go to a school like ours.

“Highfields was set up almost 80 years in a chemist shop in Newark by local families for local children and that is still our remit.”

The school is also committing to reducing waste as part of the Sustainable Schools Project

Highfields School is also registered charity, with all funds received going directly back into the school, and improving its learning environment.