Stanley Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 14–15 November 2011 Inspection number 376780 Stanley Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 102898 Local Authority Richmond Inspection number 376780 Inspection dates 14–15 November 2011 Reporting inspector Sonja Joseph

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

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 724 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janet Hilton Headteacher Hilary Bower/Ian Dickinson Date of previous school inspection 5 June 2008 School address Strathmore Road Teddington Middlesex TW11 8UH Telephone number 020 8977 4858 Fax number 020 8977 6937 Email address info@stanley.richmond.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 tea cher 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

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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’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. They visited 30 lessons, observing 25 teachers and all classes. They also held meetings with members of the governing body, staff, groups of pupils, and parents and carers. They observed the school’s work, and looked at a wide range of documentation, including development planning, self-evaluation records, policies and performance data. Questionnaires from 186 parents and carers were scrutinised, along with those completed by pupils and staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The rate of progress for all groups of pupils, particularly those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  How well the school is using assessment data to secure improvement for all groups of pupils.  The impact of recent changes on the effectiveness of leaders and managers, including the governing body, in evaluating school performance and helping push forward sustainable improvements.

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Information about the school

Stanley Primary is a new school and is the result of the amalgamation of Stanley Infant and Nursery School and Stanley Junior School which took place in September 2010. It is much larger than average. The school is undergoing an extensive building development with the opening of a new school building planned for September 2012.The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. The proportion of pupils who are of minority ethnic heritage and who speak English as an additional language is above average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and /or disabilities is broadly average. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The school hosts before- and after-school care which is run by a separate provider and is subject to a separate inspection. The school has gained a number of awards including Healthy School status, Activemark and Eco-School Award.

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Information about the school

The school currently has two co-headteachers. 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

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Main findings

Stanley Primary is a good school in which the co-headteachers have built successfully on the strengths found at the time of the previous inspections of the infant and junior schools. Their effective leadership qualities, strongly supported by the staff team and governing body, provide a clear sense of direction, which is well linked to school improvement planning. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and learning, and their achievement is outstanding. They speak highly of their school and are enthusiastic about the wide range of activities on offer; this is reflected in their attendance, which is above average. All age groups make good progress overall so that, by the time they leave school, attainment is high. Engagement with parents and carers is excellent; the large majority of parents and carers are extremely supportive of the school. The comment of one parent - ‘I am very impressed with all the improvements’ - typified the view of the large majority.

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Main findings

The quality of teaching is good and this is the key to pupils’ good progress. In particular, teachers make lessons interesting and exciting by providing many opportunities for the pupils to work in pairs and small groups. Teachers routinely prepare different tasks for different pupils, although occasionally, they are not matched as precisely to pupils’ needs as they could be, so that a few pupils are sometimes given work that is too hard or too easy for them. Relationships are positive so pupils are keen to learn and behave well. Most lessons are conducted at a brisk pace because teachers use a variety of approaches to involve pupils fully in their learning. In a minority of lessons, where teaching is satisfactory rather than good, teachers spend too long introducing the work, which slows the pace of learning; in addition, teachers’ comments do not always help pupils understand how they could improve their work.

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Main findings

A good curriculum gives pupils a good variety of exciting activities and experiences. The school places the promotion of equality of opportunity at the heart of its work, and its aspirations are understood and acted upon consistently at all levels. Pupils are tracked carefully and data analysed effectively so that any pupil falling behind is identified quickly and their skills boosted by skilled support staff. Despite a well- planned programme for information and communication technology (ICT) being in place, pupils’ skills in ICT are not always developed effectively enough because some teachers miss opportunities for making use of ICT in the classrooms.

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Main findings

The pupils are polite and welcoming. They care about each other and older pupils take on opportunities to help younger ones around the school. Pupils’ 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

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Main findings

makes a strong contribution to good learning in lessons. The pupils listen attentively, even when lesson introductions are too long.

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Main findings

The school demonstrates good capacity for sustaining improvement. The leaders of the previous infant and junior schools have been successful in maintaining high standards during the process of amalgamation. Leaders have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and have identified pertinent priorities for development. For example, all leaders, including the governing body, recognise that although safeguarding arrangements are satisfactory, the monitoring and review of policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding need to be more rigorous and robust. In addition, the role of middle leaders in the monitoring of teaching does not include sufficient focus on the quality of learning in lessons. Both of these issues are clearly identified in the review of the school’s development plan.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and consistency of teaching and learning by:  maintaining a good pace in all lessons, in particular, ensuring introductions are not too long  ensuring that the level of challenge in set tasks consistently matches the learning needs of all groups of pupils  ensuring that all teachers maximise the opportunities for pupils to use ICT in lessons  applying the marking and feedback policy more rigorously so that pupils can understand how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 S trengthen the impact of leadership and management by: – ensuring that middle leaders have increased opportunities to focus on pupils’ rates of learning and progress when monitoring lessons – ensuring that all safeguarding records are rigorously maintained.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils show positive attitudes to learning and good levels of sustained concentration in lessons. All pupils work well together and are clearly involved and engaged in their learning. They are particularly enthusiastic when they are challenged to use their own initiative to find answers for themselves. This was the case in a Year 2 mathematics lesson when pupils conscientiously set about solving word problems, choosing for themselves the correct operations to use. Pupils respond to expectations for them to check their answers and monitor their own progress using targets shared with them by staff. This confidence in evaluating whether they have ‘got it right’ is developing a positive culture among pupils that learning is not just about getting things correct but also learning from occasions when the result is not as they expected.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or 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

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

disabilities, achieve well and the vast majority say they enjoy learning. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are provided with good programmes when they first start to develop their English and are supported well in class. As a result, they learn English quickly and make progress at the same good rates as their classmates. Pupils’ good academic and social skills prepare them well for later life and learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Staff have worked successfully to raise pupils’ achievement at the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ attainment is now consistently high, by the time they leave, in English and mathematics.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils know how important it is to stay healthy. Even the youngest can articulate what foods are good and bad for them, and why. Their good understanding is reflected in the school gaining the Healthy School Award. In addition, pupils enjoy the wide range of physical education activities, as a result of which the school was awarded the Sports Activemark. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to take on responsibilities, such as being members of the active school council which has been instrumental in the design of new playground activities. Many pupils are determined to ‘preserve the planet’. Their involvement in the formulation of a school travel plan and their commitment to recycling and reducing the unnecessary use of electricity underpins an increasingly ‘green culture’ among pupils. This has been recognised by a number of awards including that of Eco-School. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They are respectful of those

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

who are different, show good understanding of right and wrong, and are keen to find out about the world beyond their immediate surroundings.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils’ behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1

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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 is low 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

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

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

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How effective is the provision?

Strengths in teaching significantly outweigh areas for development. Lessons are typified by very warm relationships which provide a successful platform for effective learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and most of them use it well to challenge pupils by using questioning skilfully to make pupils think hard and justify their answers. Teaching makes effective use of paired and group work to promote pupils’ skills as independent learners. Teachers usually plan and provide work that matches pupils’ varying needs, although occasionally, the tasks given to pupils are too easy or too difficult. Marking is up to date and, in the best cases, provides pupils with clear guidance about how well they have done and what they could do to improve, but this is not consistent across the school. In a few lessons, there is too much direction of activities by the teacher and pace slows as a result.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is well planned to build systematically upon pupils’ prior learning. Links between subjects are good and enable pupils to use skills developed in one subject to support learning in others. Extra-curricular activities, which are well attended and include sports, dance, music and ICT clubs, enrich the curriculum. Visits to places of educational interest are linked to curriculum-themed weeks, such as the whole-school visit to Kew Gardens as part of science week. Opportunities to work with a variety of visitors enhance pupils’ skills and widen their horizons. Effective partnerships with others, including the local specialist science college and arts college, effectively extend their skills, such as in music, sport and drama.

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How effective is the provision?

Well organised arrangements for the care of all pupils contribute to their good development and well-being, and support their learning. Robust procedures have raised attendance levels and the school works closely with parents and carers to ensure pupils attend regularly and punctually. Pupils and their families receive good support from the school at all stages and especially during their transfer to secondary school. Effective transition arrangements into the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure that children settle quickly. One pupil summed up the loyalty and affection pupils show to their school by saying, ’Our teachers are nice because they care about us.’

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships 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

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school’s self-evaluation process is effective and has identified appropriate priorities for improvement, and progress on tackling these issues is monitored regularly. Careful management of recent changes to the senior leadership team following the amalgamation of the two schools, and the appointment of the co- headteachers, who were previously the headteachers of the respective schools, has ensured stability and consistency of approach. Staff embrace their roles and responsibilities keenly, and respect the support provided by senior colleagues. The senior leadership team spearheads the mostly successful drive to improve teaching and learning and uses increasingly effective systems to monitor both progress and outcomes. For example, systems to track pupils’ academic progress are thorough and used well to ensure most pupils’ outstanding achievement. These systems help to highlight any difficulties pupils may be having and pinpoint areas for improvement.

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How effective are leadership and management?

However, the role of middle leaders in monitoring the quality of teaching has not been regular enough, or sharply focused enough, on pupils’ learning.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Governance is good. The governing body makes very effective use of governors’ individual abilities and skills to provide good support to the school and challenge to its performance. The governing body ensures that regulatory requirements are met and has ensured that all pupils are kept safe, although limited attention has been paid to the monitoring and review of policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Parents and carers make an excellent contribution to pupils’ learning through fundraising, regular volunteer work and the exceptional support for homework. The school grasps every opportunity to promote such engagement through regular information evenings, parental support groups for fathers and the use of the effective website to gauge parents’ and carers’ views.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school’s promotion of community cohesion is good and continues to be improved by developing links with schools overseas and in this country. Equal opportunities are embedded in the school’s way of life; the school places strong emphasis on the inclusion of all pupils in everything it has to offer. The rigorous monitoring of pupils’ achievement and the encouragement they are offered ensures that this is a reality.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1 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

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 3 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Overall, children’s skills are generally typical for their age when they start in the Early Years Foundation Stage, although cohorts vary. By the time they enter Year 1, attainment is above average. Effective induction arrangements, including home visits, ensure that children and their parents and carers receive a warm welcome in the school. There is a strong focus upon developing children’s social, mathematical and language skills and children make good progress in their learning overall. This is reflected in their good behaviour and in their ability to play and work together. They learn to take turns and to respect the feelings of others, developing into confident learners.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

There is a good balance between activities children choose for themselves and sessions led by adults. Adult-led sessions are keenly focused on moving children quickly on in their learning. Children enjoy exploring a wide range of stimulating learning activities, especially those outdoors which invite children to use materials in interesting and constructive ways.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Staff intervene well to boost children’s self-esteem, support their language development and encourage them to think for themselves. Children are helped to enjoy their time in the Early years Foundation Stage because they are cared for with sensitivity and their welfare and well-being is placed at the heart of the school’s provision. Assessments are thorough and provide a good platform for staff to ensure that children’s development is recorded effectively. Very good partnerships with parents and carers have been nurtured, and they actively support their child’s learning, for example by volunteering to help in school. The enthusiastic staff work closely as a team and are led well by the knowledgeable Early Years Foundation Stage leader.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage 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

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Views of parents and carers

The number of questionnaires returned was a little below the typical rate of response. A very small number of parents and carers voiced concerns about the school’s response to particular individual circumstances, the rate of progress for their child and some felt that their views were not taken into account. However, the vast majority of parents and carers were highly positive in their responses. Parents and carers are particularly pleased with how the school helps their children to enjoy school, lead healthy and safe lives, keeps them safe and ensures that they are making enough progress. Inspectors followed up all concerns raised through the inspection and found that the needs of pupils are managed well. The learning needs of each child are considered and reported to parents and carers termly through parental consultation, open evenings and written reports. In addition, school hosts individual education plan review meetings, termly curriculum information meetings to

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Views of parents and carers

support pupils’ learning at home, weekly newsletters and a parent email system. The inspection endorses the parents’ and carers’ positive views.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Stanley Primary to complete a questionnaire on 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. The inspection team received 186 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 724 pupils registered at the school

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 140 75 42 23 3 2 1 1 The school keeps my child safe 123 66 61 33 1 1 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 103 55 75 40 5 3 3 2 My child is making enough progress at this school 101 54 72 39 8 4 4 2 The teaching is good at this school 112 60 63 34 7 4 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 109 59 69 37 7 4 1 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 117 63 66 35 1 1 0 0 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) 107 58 59 32 3 2 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 107 58 65 35 9 5 3 2 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 83 45 82 44 8 4 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 92 49 70 38 11 6 3 2

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 127 68 48 26 6 3 1 1 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 136 73 42 23 5 3 3 2

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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%.

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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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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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 2010 to 08 April 2011 and 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.  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.

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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.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Stanley Primary School, Richmond TW11 8UH

Thank you for your warm and friendly welcome and for sharing your views on the school through talking to the inspectors and returning the pupil questionnaire. We really enjoyed our visit. We think Stanley Primary is a good school. These are some of the best things about it.

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Inspection of Stanley Primary School, Richmond TW11 8UH

 Your attendance is above average; you enjoy school and behave well.  You make good progress and the standards you reach in English and mathematics are high.  You told us that you feel very safe in school.  The curriculum is good and you told us you like the wide range of clubs and trips.  Your co-headteachers and all leaders in the school and members of the governing body are good leaders and managers.  You enjoy having lots of responsibilities, such as friendship squads, lunchtime office work and tidy teams.  The school is very effective in ensuring that everyone can do well and succeed.

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Inspection of Stanley Primary School, Richmond TW11 8UH

We have asked the school to make some improvements to ensure that your progress continues to improve and that your attainment remains high.

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Inspection of Stanley Primary School, Richmond TW11 8UH

 Make sure that you get challenging activities in lessons, even if it means teachers changing things they have planned. We have also asked that teachers make more use of ICT. All of you can help by telling teachers when the work is too easy or too difficult. To help the school do this, we have asked teachers to regularly check how well you are learning in lessons.

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Inspection of Stanley Primary School, Richmond TW11 8UH

We wish you every success in the future.

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Inspection of Stanley Primary School, Richmond TW11 8UH

Sonja Joseph 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 .

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