Downsview Primary and Nursery School

Downsview Primary and Nursery School Inspection report

p.1

Unique Reference Number 101778 Local Authority Croydon Inspection number 355065 Inspection dates 24–25 November 2010 Reporting inspector Sheena MacDonald

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 468 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Maria Miller Headteacher Dr Michael Brockett Date of previous school inspection 25 June 2008 School address Biggin Way London SE19 3XE Telephone number 020 87644611 Fax number 020 86798023 Email address sec1@downsview.croydon.sch.uk

p.1

Age group 3–11 Inspection dates 24–25 November 2010 Inspection number 355065 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 after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.1

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 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.2

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 documentation 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'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 1234 234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and three additional inspectors. The inspectors observed the school's work; they visited assemblies, 26 lessons or parts of lessons which accounted for all the teaching staff, and five small group or one to one sessions, and undertook a further series of short visits to all classes to look at the learning environments and the pupils' books. They held discussions with the headteacher, senior leadership team, representatives from the local authority, governors, parents and carers and pupils. The inspectors looked at a range of documentation including safeguarding policies, monitoring and assessment information, curriculum overviews, case studies relating to a sample of pupils and scrutinised a sample of pupils' science books. They considered the responses to questionnaires from staff, pupils and 146 parents and carers. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a

p.3

Introduction

number of key areas.  The quality of teaching and learning, particularly in Key Stage 2, the match of work to pupils' different abilities and needs, and the challenge provided in lessons.  The use of assessment information to monitor the progress of all pupils and narrow gaps in achievement.  The effectiveness of leaders, including governors, in the use of self-evaluation and monitoring to identify needs, set challenging targets and drive improvement.  The quality of provision and outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.3

Information about the school

Downsview is larger than most primary schools. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in Nursery and Reception classes. The school is ethnically diverse, with just over three quarters of pupils from groups other than White British. The largest of these groups are Black Caribbean, Pakistani, Indian and Black African. Nearly a quarter of pupils at the school are learning English as an additional language; a minority are at an early stage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school has a high proportion of children identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties or behavioral, emotional and social needs. The school experiences higher than average numbers of pupils who leave or join the school other than at the usual times. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

p.3

Information about the school

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

p.4

Main findings

Downsview is a good school with a strongly positive ethos. A parent described it as a 'disciplined and loving school' and inspectors agree. Pupils develop good personal and social skills, and achieve well in areas such as art, music and sports as well as achieving good levels of attainment and progress in English and mathematics. The high priority given to care and support means that almost all pupils say, and their parents and carers confirm, that they enjoy school, feel safe and are very well cared for in the school. Their good behaviour and positive attitudes greatly enhance their all-round good progress. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and attain levels which are above average by the time they leave. Since the last inspection, the school has successfully targeted and improved attainment in mathematics and writing, particularly at the higher levels. Assessment systems are improving and increasingly well

p.4

Main findings

used to identify trends between different groups and tackle achievement gaps where they arise. High quality support and intervention work support pupils' learning and their personal development well. The school's analysis of assessment information identifies that there is a dip in attainment and the pace of progress slows at the beginning of Key Stage 2. Assessment information from the end of Key Stage 1 is not used effectively enough to inform teachers' planning at the beginning of Key Stage 2 and, as a result, expectations about what pupils can and should be doing are too low. There has been considerable recent change in the staffing and leadership of the Nursery and Reception classes. Despite this, the team is already working very well together and there are many good features, particularly how quickly and confidently children have settled in and how much they enjoy their time together. Small-group teaching and

p.4

Main findings

learning is good, but opportunities to develop and extend children's learning in independent activities, although satisfactory, are not sharply focused enough. Teaching, learning and the curriculum are good overall and best in those parts of the school where the pupils make the fastest progress. Lessons are well structured with activities which are suitably matched to meet the needs of the different ability groups. Pupils take a pride in their work and, as a result, the quality and presentation is good. The quality of teachers' questioning in small groups is good. However, in whole-class sessions, questioning is not always focused enough to meet the needs of all pupils. Similarly, in larger group sessions, there are missed opportunities for pupils to discuss and think about their learning and use their initiative. The use of assessment to inform planning and the quality of marking are not sharply focused enough on identifying how well pupils are

p.4

Main findings

learning and what they need to do next to improve their work. Leadership and management are good. Senior leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and areas for improvement. Several new senior leaders are developing their roles and responsibilities well through enhanced use of monitoring and 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

Main findings

increasingly effective use of data. The governing body is very supportive, and knows the school well so that it is able to question and hold the school to account. However, its role and impact on self-evaluation is more limited. This is partly because, although improvement planning is detailed and actions appropriate, targets for improvement are not specific enough in terms of pupils' learning nor is success easily measured. The school continues to provide good quality education. That, and the positive impact of its actions to improve areas such as mathematics and writing, indicates a good capacity to improve further.

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the rate of progress, in Years 3 and 4 by: using assessment information, particularly from Key Stage 1, more effectvely to inform lesson planning raising expectations about what the pupils can and should be learning providing more opportunities for pupils to discuss, think about their learning and use their initiative.  Improve the use of assessment to support learning by: ensuring that target setting and teachers' marking are more consistent and effective.  Improve provision in the Early Years Foundation classes by: making better use of child-initiated activities to build on and extend learning.  Strengthen the governing body's role and impact on school self-evaluation by: establishing more rigorous systems for it to be involved in regular review and evaluation ensuring that targets for improvement are more easily measured in terms of pupil outcomes.

p.5

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Work in lessons and in books shows that pupils are making good progress in most parts of the school. Well-matched activities, good quality input from teaching assistants and effective group teaching support the good progress of all pupils and especially pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of learning English. There are some missed opportunities, however, particularly in whole-class sessions, to fully involve all of the pupils and to enable them to develop their own ideas. Attainment and progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 have been consistently good over several years. In 2009, attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 dipped to broadly average. The school tackled this vigorously so that attainment rose in 2010 and was again above average, particularly in mathematics. Sharp increases in mathematics and in the number of higher levels achieved in writing at both Year 2 and

p.5

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Year 6 are evidence of the success of the school's improvement planning strategies. Science continues to be the weakest area and is a current priority for improvement. The 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

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

science lessons seen during the inspection and work in pupils' books suggest that pupils are making good progress, although this is less true in the early part of Key Stage 2. Pupils get on well together, are thoughtful and show respect for the feelings of others. They are enthusiastic about all aspects of school life, including taking their many responsibilities seriously and carrying them out well. The school council is active and influential and the pupils know their views are listened to and valued. They make a very positive contribution to the school and wider community through activities such as organising charity fundraising, recycling, and putting on musical performances. Pupils develop and demonstrate an outstanding understanding of how to stay safe in various situations, from Nursery onwards. They also contribute to the safety of others, for example through taking on responsibilities such as Road Safety Officers. Instances of

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

bullying or racist behaviour are exceptionally rare. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to live a healthy life and, given their enthusiastic participation in physical activities during school and in after-school clubs, it is no surprise that the school has achieved the Healthy Schools and Activemark awards.

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.6

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

p.6

How effective is the provision?

The quality of teaching is generally good and the pace of learning brisk. Lessons are well planned with clear objectives and suitable activities which are designed to provide support and challenge. Pupils respond well to the generally high expectations about behaviour, 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

How effective is the provision?

attitudes to learning and quality of work. Teaching assistants provide good support to ensure that all pupils are able to make sufficient progress. In the minority of lessons which were satisfactory rather than good, activities were not quite as well matched to support or challenge different ability groups and the pace of learning was slower. No outstanding lessons were seen and this was because there were too few occasions when pupils were genuinely excited by their learning or had opportunities to formulate their own ideas and make decisions. Teachers have good subject knowledge and, with small groups, use very effective questioning to tease out misconceptions and extend the pupils' learning. The use of assessment and short-term targets to inform lesson planning are at an early stage of development and practice is not consistent across the school. Teachers carefully mark pupils' work and examples were seen of marking which was helping in identifying

p.7

How effective is the provision?

successes and points for improvement, but very little evidence was seen of pupils responding to the marking and improving their work as a result. The curriculum is well organised to make sure there is a good balance between the different subjects and is also well used to promote personal development. It is adapted to meet the needs and interests of particular groups, for example through planning activities which match the different ability groups in classes, additional support in lessons, well- organised small-group work and one-to-one sessions. There is also provision to meet the needs of some gifted and talented pupils, particularly in the areas of music and sport. The school makes very good use of the pupils' heritages to develop good understanding and celebration of cultural diversity. Although some of the day-to-day lessons do not yet benefit from regular use of real life and stronger cross-curricular links to liven up the

p.7

How effective is the provision?

learning, it is clear from the evidence around the school, and from pupils' comments, that the curriculum is enriched by a wide range of lively and interesting activities, including visits, visitors and a good range of well-attended after-school clubs. The school places a high priority on ensuring the care, support for and safety of pupils. Systems to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils are rigorous and effective. There is very good support for vulnerable pupils, those with special educational needs and those learning English as additional language, so that these groups make good progress both academically and in their personal development. The work of the school is enhanced by the use of specialised provision and external expertise, such as the Black Caribbean support teacher and speech and language therapists. Pupils who arrive during the year are helped to settle quickly. Transition from Nursery is very effective; however, the move from

p.7

How effective is the provision?

Key Stage 1 to 2 is not planned well enough to make sure that information is fully and effectively used.

p.7

How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

p.7

How effective is the provision?

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

p.7

How effective is the provision?

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships

p.7

How effective is the provision?

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2 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.7

How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher, supported by increasingly effective senior leaders, uses rigorous systems to monitor and improve the quality of provision and, as a result, pupils' good personal and academic achievements have been sustained over time. A greater emphasis on shared responsibility and accountability across the leadership team is supporting the clear identification of strengths and weaknesses across the age groups and subjects. Monitoring systems are systematic and varied and include lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils' work, and also take into account the views of pupils. Self-evaluation is accurate and improvement planning detailed. Although successes are not easily measured in terms of pupils' achievements, the positive impact of strategies to improve mathematics and writing indicates that school leaders are successfully driving improvement. The school's good relationships with parents and carers are confirmed by the

p.8

How effective are leadership and management?

overwhelmingly positive responses of parents and carers to questionnaires. This strong partnership starts in Nursery and continues to be good throughout school. There are good systems to keep parents and carers informed, and high attendance at parents' evenings and events such as 'work with your child' sessions confirm that parents and carers value this contact. Links with sporting and music partners, business college and other local schools make a strong contribution to the curriculum provision. The school's promotion of equal opportunities is good. The school effectively monitors achievement and adapts provision to identify and tackle differences in attainment between groups. The school rightly plans to make better use of assessment and other information, such as attendance trends and participation of different groups in after-school activities, to ensure that they are fully meeting the needs of all groups. Valuable links with local

p.8

How effective are leadership and management?

community groups contribute to good community cohesion. This aspect is particularly strong at the school and local community levels, with pupils having many opportunities to develop an understanding and appreciation of the different groups within their own community. Developing an understanding of communities in the wider world and elsewhere in Britain is not as well promoted. The arrangements to secure pupils' safety and well-being are rigorous and training is up to date. The governing body carries out its responsibilities efficiently. It is supportive, knowledgeable and helps to ensure that the school provides good value for money. It questions school leaders and calls them to account based on the information it receives. It is not, however, fully and systematically involved in evaluating successes or identifying priorities for improvement. As a result, its role in challenging and holding the school to

p.8

How effective are leadership and management?

account is somewhat limited. 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.8

How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2

p.9

How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money 2

p.9

Early Years Foundation Stage

Despite the very recent changes in leadership and staffing, children have settled quickly into well-organised routines. They know whom to go to if they have worries and the atmosphere is cooperative and harmonious. Children make good progress in their social skills, behave well and show high levels of confidence and independence. Parents and carers comment on how happy and safe their children feel and the close partnership between school and home makes a strong contribution to pupils' well-being. When children arrive in Nursery, they have a wide range of skills which, overall, are broadly at the levels expected for their ages. There has been a trend of improvement in recent years so that by the time children move into Year 1, they have made good progress and are working at levels which are generally higher than average. At the moment, progress is very strong in personal and social development. In other areas of learning,

p.9

Early Years Foundation Stage

progress is stronger in Nursery than in Reception. In both age groups, there is well- focused small-group and one-to-one teaching, such as seen in letters and sounds sessions, where children make clear leaps in their learning. There are also good examples of children using their initiative to organise their own independent learning activities such as using the phonics tape for musical statues. Children are engaged and interested in the activities on offer during child-initiated play sessions; however, particularly in Reception, provision is not planned well enough nor are resources always suitable to provide sufficient challenge or interest, particularly for more able children. Both Early Years groups are hampered by some poor quality resources, particularly in the outdoor learning areas. The new Early Years leader has accurately identified the strengths and what needs to improve, for example increased adult involvement and better use of questioning during

p.9

Early Years Foundation Stage

child-initiated activities, training for staff new to the Early Years and improved equipment. Her short time in post and the newness of the team has understandably limited the impact this term so far, but it is clear that the strong foundation of Nursery provision has 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.9

Early Years Foundation Stage

continued and that, linked to good progress in social skills and strong parental involvement, provides effective foundations for rapid improvement.

p.10

Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

p.10

Early Years Foundation Stage

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

p.10

Early Years Foundation Stage

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

p.10

Early Years Foundation Stage

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

p.10

Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

p.10

Views of parents and carers

The vast majority of parents and carers are happy with all aspects of the school. Almost all who responded say that their children enjoy school, are safe and helped to have a healthy lifestyle. They feel well informed, well supported and believe that the school meets their children's needs. Although there were very few negative responses, the largest number of these related to the effectiveness of the school's approach to unacceptable behaviour, meeting children's particular needs, and the school not taking enough account of parents' suggestions and concerns. Several parents and carers added written comments. Most of the positive remarks were general comments about how happy the children were and, in individual cases, commenting on the high quality of support and care. Several parents and carers commented on the positive ethos and the helpfulness of staff from office to Nursery and many points in between. The negative written comments covered a range of issues

p.10

Views of parents and carers

with no clearly emerging pattern or trend but several expressed concerns about the progress and specific needs of individual pupils, including the need for more challenge for some children. During the visit, inspectors found that behaviour was good and well managed; however, this is an aspect which the school will continue to review. The team also found that provision for less able pupils was good but that particularly in the middle part of school there was scope for pupils to make faster progress.

p.10

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Downsview Primary and Nursery school to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspection team received 153 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 468 pupils registered at the school.

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 92 60 60 39 1 1 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 88 58 64 42 0 0 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

My school informs me about my child's progress 63 41 82 54 5 3 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

My child is making enough progress at this school 63 41 72 47 12 8 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The teaching is good at this school 66 43 71 46 7 5 1 1

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school helps me to support my child's learning 57 37 78 51 13 8 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 66 43 81 53 1 1 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 45 29 69 45 10 7 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 57 37 77 50 11 7 1 1

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 49 32 76 50 14 9 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 40 26 85 56 9 6 3 2

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 58 38 84 55 5 3 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 74 48 75 49 4 3 0 0

p.11

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

p.11

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.

p.12

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

p.12

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

p.12

Grade Judgement Description

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.12

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures in clude those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

p.12

Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

p.13

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.13

Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

p.13

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.13

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.13

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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

p.13

Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

p.13

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.13

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.14

Inspection of Downsview Primary and Nursery School, London SE19 3XA

You will remember that some inspectors came to your school recently to see how well you were all doing. We enjoyed our time with you and our special thanks go to those groups of pupils who gave up their playtimes to talk to us. You and your parents and car ers told us that Downsview is a good school and we agree. You are responsible, behave well, look after one another and are very good indeed at knowing how to keep yourselves safe. We could see this starts right from the beginning in Nursery. Well done! You achieve well in all sorts of subjects such as music and sports as well as in English and mathematics. This is because your teachers plan good lessons and try to make sure the work is matched to suit you. Also, your school leaders make sure you have plenty of opportunities to learn about different subjects and they bring in people with different skills such as your music and sports teachers to add something extra. You also know a lot about

p.14

Inspection of Downsview Primary and Nursery School, London SE19 3XA

different cultures in your area because of the various groups in school. The art work around the school was lovely and I particularly liked the textile designs and patterns in the Year 6 area. So that you can all achieve even better I have asked your school leaders and teachers to:  use the information about how well you do in Year 2 more carefully so that the teachers in Years 3 and 4 expect you to do even better  give you more opportunities to discuss, think about your learning and use your own ideas in lessons  use your targets and mark your work so that they are more helpful in showing you what you need to do to improve  plan more carefully the times when children in Reception are playing independently  make sure that governors are more involved in school improvement planning. You can do your part by thinking hard and making suggestions about how your school might improve further, by listening to what your teachers and other pupils are telling you,

p.14

Inspection of Downsview Primary and Nursery School, London SE19 3XA

Sheena MacDonald Her Majesty's Inspector 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 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.14