The Winns Primary School

Age group 3 – 11 Inspection date(s) 29 February – 1 March 2012 Inspection number 376808 The Winns Primary School Inspection report

p.1

Unique reference number 103061 Local authority Waltham Forest Inspection number 376808 Inspection dates 29 February – 1 March 2012 Lead inspector Jeanie Jovanova

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 809 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Duplock Headteacher Paul Ryan Date of previous school inspection 15 – 16 June 2009 School address Fleeming Road Walthamstow London E17 5ET Telephone number 020 8527 1872 Fax number 020 8503 2292 Email address office@winns.waltham.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

p.1

after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.2

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

p.2

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed 37 lessons taught by 23 teachers. They held meetings with staff, pupils and a representative from the governing body. They attended assemblies and made short observations of sessions on the teaching of phonics (pupils learning letter patterns and the sounds they represent) and listened to pupils reading. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation relating to safeguarding and child protection, the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, minutes of meetings held by the governing body and data relating to pupils’ performance. They looked at the 184 questionnaires returned by parents and carers, together with those completed by staff and pupils.

p.3

Information about the school

This is a much larger than average primary school. Pupil mobility is higher than the national average and the school has expanded since the previous inspection so that there are now four classes in all year groups up to Year 3. The proportion of pupils representing minority ethnic heritages is much higher than in most schools, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils at the early stages of learning English has increased since the last inspection, with a high number joining last year when a fourth Year 1 and Year2 class were created. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is lower than average.

p.3

Information about the school

The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.3

Key findings

 This is a good school. Most parents and carers hold very positive views of the education it provides for their children, describing it as a happy and supportive environment in which to learn. It is not outstanding because the quality of teaching is not consistently good or better throughout the school.  Pupils make better than expected progress from their low starting points. At the end of Key Stage 2, attainment in reading and mathematics is broadly in line with the national average, although there are fewer pupils reaching the higher levels than in most schools. In writing, as a result of the school’s focus since the previous inspection, pupils now perform significantly better than their counterparts nationally.  Teaching is typically good. However, in a minority of lessons, assessment is not sufficiently accurate to ensure planning meets the needs of all pupils, particularly those who are higher attaining. The curriculum offers imaginative

p.4

Key findings

opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy skills across a range of subjects but there are fewer chances for them to apply their mathematical knowledge in other lessons.  Responses from parental and pupil questionnaires confirm the inspectors’ judgement that the good behaviour seen in lessons and around the school is typical. Pupils enjoy being in school and display positive attitudes to learning.  Leadership and management are good. Senior leaders have worked successfully to secure a range of improvements since the previous inspection. Middle leaders have become more accountable for the quality of teaching, particularly in their subject areas, but their impact on raising achievement is uneven. The governing body offers constructive challenge and plays an active role in the life of the school.

p.4

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure consistency in the quality of teaching and learning so that it is equally good across all key stages and in all subjects by:  establishing more rigorous use of assessment so that activities are specifically tailored to the needs of individual pupils Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.4

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 providing a greater level of challenge for higher attaining pupils  embedding opportunities to develop mathematical skills across the curriculum.  Strengthen the role of middle managers by making their monitoring of teaching more robust to ensure greater consistency of learning across the school.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Pupils make good progress in the majority of lessons because the pace is brisk and work is targeted well at their needs. For example, in an outstanding Year 6 mathematics lesson on area, pupils responded so well to the introduction that the teacher adapted her plans and moved straight on to more challenging activities. Children start school with skills that are low in comparison to others of their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. In spite of their good progress, their attainment in reading is still below the national average by the end of Key Stage 1. Progress in Key Stage 2 is significantly better than progress nationally so that, by the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment has reached the national average, including reading. Scrutiny of pupils’ work in books shows that they make good progress because new learning builds upon previous knowledge. For example, in Year 5, work on using speech marks was applied several months later in writing direct speech,

p.5

Achievement of pupils

following an ‘interview’ with a character from a Greek myth.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

While children leave the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are still below those of typical four-year-olds, the percentage of those who achieve age-related expectations is increasing year on year because of good teaching in both Nursery and Reception classes. Girls outperform boys at this stage, but the gap between them is closing because of successful adjustments to the curriculum and the learning environment. Throughout the school, the needs of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals are well met so that, by the end of Key Stage 2, they reach levels of attainment in line with all pupils nationally. Pupils who speak English as an additional language, including those at early stages of learning English, make significantly better progress than their peers nationally because the school has put in good measures to support them since the previous inspection. Pupils from minority

p.5

Achievement of pupils

ethnic groups also achieve well when compared to similar groups nationally. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because teaching assistants support them effectively. Pupils are keen to explain what they are learning during lessons and feel pride in completing their target cards once they have mastered a new skill. The vast majority of parents and carers agree that their children make good progress at school.

p.5

Quality of teaching

Pupils, parents and carers expressed the view that teaching is good and this is borne out by inspection findings. The majority of teachers are skilful in encouraging pupils to learn through tasks that are interesting and relevant. They use questioning well to Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.5

Quality of teaching

promote pupil discussion and understanding of key concepts. Since the previous inspection, teachers and teaching assistants have, by working alongside a specialist, developed effective strategies to support pupils who speak English as an additional language and so support their learning well. Where teaching is less effective, the pace is too slow and activities are not sufficiently well matched to specific pupils’ needs, particularly in terms of challenge for higher attainers.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Guided reading sessions which focus on questions to develop pupils’ understanding of aspects of plot and character result in pupils who are skilled at comprehension from a very young age. On some occasions, however, this is at the expense of deepening their familiarity with the sounds individual letters and groups of letters make (phonics) and their ability to decode unknown words.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Initiatives designed to promote strong links between literacy and other areas of the curriculum have been successful, particularly in raising attainment in, and enjoyment of, writing. During a Year 3 project on Ancient Egypt, for example, pupils used computers to research mummification ceremonies, acted out the process and then wrote corresponding instructions. There are fewer opportunities available to pupils to apply their number skills in other subjects. Pupils are given opportunities in the planned curriculum to develop their emotional awareness, for example exploring emotions in a writing lesson. Links are made between new concepts and the pupils’ own experiences. In a Year 6 lesson on Buddhism, pupils were asked to think about a time when they were disappointed, as an introduction to the concept of suffering. Through such links in subjects, during assemblies, and through carefully chosen trips

p.6

Quality of teaching

and visitors into school, the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

p.6

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour contributes well to a calm and purposeful environment both in lessons and around the school. Through discussions with pupils, analysis of records over time and observations in class and at playtimes and lunchtime, inspectors found that pupils are typically polite and respect each other. Pupils are able to empathise with others or reflect on moral issues through classwork and assemblies. Pupils make healthy choices from the ample selection of salad, fruit and vegetables available at lunchtime. Their physical development is encouraged by participation in a range of sporting activities both during and after school. Attendance, which is in line with the national average, is improving year on year. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are particularly punctual at getting to and from breaks, assemblies and activities where they work in different classes.

p.6

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say they feel safe in school and understand how to keep themselves safe, including against the threat of cyber-bullying. They know not to give out their details online and why. Incidents of bullying, including racist or homophobic name calling, are rare and pupils do recognise the type of language that is unacceptable. Pupils say that when such incidents do take place, teachers deal with them well. Most parents agree that behaviour is good and that the school keeps their children safe. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.6

Leadership and management

Senior leaders have contributed to successfully driving school improvement since the previous inspection and this has led to a rise in pupils’ progress and attainment. Systematic and rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching has led to overall improvement. Nevertheless, middle leaders are not sufficiently involved in supporting this process so there are still inconsistencies in and across year groups and different subjects. Leaders and managers are accurate in their evaluation of where improvements are still needed; for example, they identified where there was a lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils. As a result, this became a key priority. The governing body plays an active role in the day to day life of the school. It has developed a good understanding of the data and presents astute challenges, such as questioning why some lower attaining pupils did not appear to be moving forward. This was acted upon by the school and quality intervention was set up to enable

p.7

Leadership and management

them to reach the next level in their learning. Most staff who completed the questionnaire agree that the school promotes their professional development well. In view of the recent improvements, and the positive response of pupils, staff, parents and carers, the school has good capacity to improve.

p.7

Leadership and management

The curriculum is good, particularly where strong links exist between subjects. For example, a topic on the impressionist painter Degas skilfully linked art, physical education and writing and involved a trip to the Royal Academy to experience the paintings first-hand. The quality of both the artwork and the writing was greatly enhanced by these overlapping and complementary approaches. The school promotes physical activity well and pupils are proud of the school’s achievements in sporting activities, celebrating together when the athletics team came first in a borough-wide competition. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. It is reinforced by assemblies that bring pupils together in acts of communal praise and celebration, lessons that challenge their understanding of moral dilemmas and human experiences, and trips and visitors that expand their cultural horizons.

p.7

Leadership and management

The governing body’s training in such areas as safer recruitment and child protection is monitored closely to ensure it is kept up to date and arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. Leaders are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, shown by the harmonious relationships that exist and by the lower than nationally expected differences in achievement between all pupils and those from specific groups.

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

p.8

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

p.8

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

p.8

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

p.8

Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

p.9

carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.10

Inspection of The Winns Primary School, London E17 5ET

Thank you for helping inspectors to learn more about your school in our recent visit. We appreciated the friendly welcome you gave us and enjoyed talking to you about your work and hearing some of you read. We understood why your responses in the questionnaire were so positive and agree with you that yours is a good school.

p.10

Inspection of The Winns Primary School, London E17 5ET

These are some of the best things we found.

p.10

Inspection of The Winns Primary School, London E17 5ET

 You make good progress overall, especially in writing.  You are very positive about the teaching you receive, and we agree that it is good.  School leaders work hard to provide you with an interesting and stimulating curriculum which helps to promote your spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  You enjoy writing and are good at it and this helps you in all your lessons, not just when you are learning English.

p.10

Inspection of The Winns Primary School, London E17 5ET

To make things even better, we have asked your school to make sure teaching is good in every class in every subject. This can be achieved by making sure that activities match your individual needs and that you are consistently challenged as well as by giving you the opportunity to practise your mathematical skills wherever possible in all subjects. We have also asked middle leaders to get more involved in making sure that teaching is consistently good. You can help by telling your teachers if work is too easy or too hard for you.

p.10

Inspection of The Winns Primary School, London E17 5ET

We wish you all the very best for the future,

p.10

Inspection of The Winns Primary School, London E17 5ET

Jeanie Jovanova Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10