Warrender Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 28–29 November 2011 Inspection number 376719 Warrender Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 102409 Local Authority Hillingdon Inspection number 376719 Inspection dates 28–29 November 2011 Reporting inspector Anthony Byrne

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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 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jo Norbury Headteacher Paul Lake Date of previous school inspection 25–26 November 2008 School address Old Hatch Manor Middlesex HA4 8QG Telephone number 01895 671989 Fax number 01895 630173 Email address warrender@hillingdongrid.org 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

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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 three additional inspectors. They observed 18 lessons taught by 10 teachers and held meetings with pupils, staff and representatives of the governing body. They observed the school’s work and looked at data about pupils’ progress and at school policies and documentation. They analysed 107 questionnaires returned by parents and carers as well as those returned by staff and pupils.

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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 amount of progress pupils make in English compared with mathematics, and, if there is a difference, what the cause is.  How well different kinds of support help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make progress.  How pupils gain understanding of their local community and of people and places in the wider world.  How effectively the school engages parents and carers as partners in their children’s education.

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Information about the school

Warrender is average in size for a primary school. More pupils than usual are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A higher proportion than average speak English as an additional language. The school has a low proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and most of this group have autistic spectrum disorder. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. The school has gained Enhanced Healthy School status amongst other awards.

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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

Warrender is a good school. The quality of teaching and learning is good and the school’s curriculum caters well for pupils’ individual needs. The level of care provided for pupils’ personal welfare and development is good and enables pupils to feel secure and learn with confidence. As a result, achievement is good. Pupils make good progress and reach well-above-average standards. Attainment at the end of Year 6 in both English and mathematics has risen to high levels in the past two years and progress made by pupils in 2011 was greater than progress made by pupils of that age nationally.

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Main findings

The school’s tracking system confirms that current pupils are making similar progress and this is supported by evidence seen in lessons and books. Pupils with special educational needs are making good progress because of the good level of support they receive. Teaching assistants supervise withdrawal sessions for them very well, but this has the disadvantage of disconnecting from the curriculum in class. Pupils whose first language is not English participate fully in lessons and keep pace with their classmates.

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Main findings

Pursuit of Enhanced Healthy School status has brought many benefits for pupils. The initiative embraces personal safety and emotional health and well-being as well as exercise and healthy eating. It has led to pupils campaigning successfully for a zebra crossing on a nearby road, and they value discussion of personal feelings in the curriculum in Circle Time. As a consequence, pupils know they can make a positive contribution to the community. They also are confident that they can resolve personal problems or worries. Their capacity for reflection is good because they understand ideas quite deeply and can put them into their own words, as they did when speaking to inspectors about what they valued in school. Attendance is high. Behaviour is consistently good, so adults can rely on pupils to take independent responsibility more often. Pupils have real enthusiasm for learning and some said that they would like to be more challenged than they sometimes are, especially when

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Main findings

work is pitched at too low a level or they repeat a task they have already mastered. Although teaching is good overall, there are times when teachers do not challenge pupils to move quickly to a higher level while working independently. Teachers mark work regularly and this enables them to maintain the accuracy of progress tracking. However, the written feedback in pupils’ books is encouraging, but at times imprecise in guiding pupils to improve their work.

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Main findings

The quality of the school’s self-evaluation is good. The headteacher works well with his staff and the governing body to ensure that the school frequently and accurately

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

evaluates its performance and implements improvements where needed. As a result, the school has maintained and in some ways improved its effectiveness since the previous inspection and demonstrates a good capacity for future improvement. Engagement with parents and carers, for example, is now good and much improved since the previous inspection. The curriculum has also been adjusted to help children understand and enjoy different cultures in their own community and beyond. The most important improvement has been the development of the school’s effective tracking and progress monitoring system. This highlights where pupils are making less progress than they should and determines new teaching strategies for them. It is not yet used to help direct teachers to challenge the more able pupils to move more quickly to higher levels of attainment.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By the end of the summer term 2012, extend the use of the school’s accurate system to track and monitor the progress of individual pupils in order to improve the attainment of the more able pupils.  By the end of the summer term 2012, ensure that written feedback on pupils’ work always gives pupils precise guidance on what could be improved.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with knowledge, skills and understanding in line with expectations for their age They make good progress and most pupils begin Year 1 with skills that are already well developed for their age. They then continue to make good progress throughout the rest of the school.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils listen with understanding and speak and read with confidence. They have a good capacity for learning quickly. For example, a pupil in Year 4 could already explain confidently the order of numbers to two decimal places. Pupils in Year 6 had written expressively about the feelings of evacuees waiting to be collected by volunteer carers during the Second World War. Their books showed consistent accuracy in a range of mathematical calculations.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Some aspects of personal development are outstanding. Pupils feel very safe in school, not just because of the good security of the site but because they can do things to keep safe. The success of their campaign for a safe road crossing, their awareness of e-safety when using computers and their confidence that adults will listen to any concerns all contribute to them being risk-aware, as well as out-going and confident. They are proud of the school’s status as an Enhanced Healthy School and have an excellent understanding of the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They fully understand why we should only eat healthy foods and pupils enjoy helping a retired member of the community to maintain a productive vegetable garden. They are doing really well in avoiding chocolate snacks at lunchtime in their packed lunch boxes. They help out at school events such as the Friends of Warrender Association’s fair. They know about their local community, its diverse cultures and its history by,

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

for example, listening to a visitor’s memories of the Second World War. Future

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

economic well-being is effectively supported by access to computers, including well- used opportunities to connect with the schools’ intranet from home. Some pupils manage their finances by using the school savings bank. Pupils are thoughtful about other people and have a good capacity for thinking about and discussing important values. However, development spiritually, morally and socially would be supported better by more opportunities to take independent responsibility.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

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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

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contribute to their future economic well-being

Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is good. In all lessons the intended learning is made clear to pupils from the start. Pupils listen patiently to very clear introductions from teachers and willingly carry out whatever is required of them without delay or distraction. In the vast majority of lessons teachers and teaching assistants consistently give very effective guidance based on accurate assessments of how well individual pupils are progressing. Whenever pupils are given the chance, they work independently with great focus and commitment. For instance, after a stimulating but brief viewing of slides showing the treasures of a pharaoh’s tomb, Year 3 pupils engaged well in devising and pursuing their own research questions on safe internet sites. However, there are rare occasions when lessons proceed at a cautious pace and teachers seek the security of leading the whole class through some basic work even though pupils make clear during discussions that they do not need this input. In these instances,

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How effective is the provision?

pupils capable of making more rapid progress are delayed in engaging with the highest level of planned challenge, and this limits their progress.

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How effective is the provision?

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

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The curriculum is good. Literacy and numeracy and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) are well represented. During the inspection, pupils, including the very youngest, were wholeheartedly preparing for the Christmas show, the choir and actors having used the school intranet to learn their words. Pupils also produced very good displays of mathematical work to support a meeting for parents to find out about the methods of calculation their children are using. Pupils’ knowledge and respect for other cultures both in the local community and abroad are well developed and are enhanced through learning French. There are plentiful opportunities for participating in trips and after-school activities, which pupils say they greatly enjoy. The involvement of Year 6 pupils in discussing the curriculum and identifying areas they find difficulty with is a good feature, but is rarely used with

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The good quality of care, guidance and support for pupils is evident throughout the school. All adults are very caring and ready to deal with any needs that arise. Child protection arrangements are secure and training for staff and governors is up to date. The needs of those children at risk of being classed as vulnerable are well supported within school and through outside agencies. Occasional accidents are dealt with very efficiently by trained first aiders and parents are quickly informed, as was seen during inspection. The rarity of any incidents of pupils falling out with each other typifies the secure, caring ethos. Support for transition to secondary school is being developed through recent initiatives, but there is scope to embed this more deeply.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher, staff and the governing body share a common vision of continuous school improvement. The school’s tracking system is used well to identify pupils requiring support with their learning. This has made a real difference in helping pupils who show signs of not making the expected progress and the school’s results in the national tests in Year 6 have risen over the last two years as a result. The shared ambition to make the school even better requires the system to be extended to ensure pupils who are making expected progress are challenged and helped to extend their potential achievement.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body has addressed issues from the previous inspection report and is

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

thorough in ensuring that policies are reviewed regularly. Health and safety checks and risk assessments are carried out frequently and systematically recorded. Safeguarding requirements are met well and the parent volunteers, all of whom have been subject to required checks, have now been added to the single central record. Meetings of the governing body are better informed about pupils’ progress as a result of the tracking system and are helping governors to challenge the school effectively. The governing body has been particularly active in improving the involvement of parents and carers in their children’s learning. They are vigilant about equal opportunities for individuals and groups and tackling discrimination, for example in arranging additional support for an increasing number of children starting school whose first language is not English.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Partnerships with other schools provide teachers with opportunities to share ideas with colleagues. The school contributes well to community cohesion. Besides strengthening the school’s involvement in the local community, the governing body is working with the local Director of Health to plan how the school’s outstanding practice in raising awareness of health issues can influence the wider community. Evaluation of planned actions is leading to clear decisions about future action.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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driving improvement

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

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Early Years Foundation Stage

All groups of children make good progress and achieve well in the Early Years Foundation Stage because they are supported effectively and engage well in a very wide range of interesting activities.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

During the inspection children enjoyed digging in soil, making models from a wide

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

range of recycled boxes and craft materials and creating imaginary stories with small world animals and figures in pretend snow. Staff work well together and make good use of the available resources. However, some equipment and furniture is jaded. Space is limited in the Reception Year class so activities cannot be set out as distinctly and attractively as in the Nursery. This slightly reduces the way the environment promotes learning and development. By the end of the Reception Year attainment is above that expected for this age. Staff interact well with children to promote all areas of learning, asking stimulating questions which successfully extend language and thought. Assessment is carried out regularly and thoroughly. However, written plans do not always reflect these good features and are not always sufficiently challenging to extend the learning of all. For instance, two boys carrying out a counting activity went far beyond what was planned by counting accurately

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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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

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Views of parents and carers

The rate of response to questionnaires was above average. All parents and carers agreed that Warrender Primary School helps children to have a healthy lifestyle and almost without exception indicated that the school keeps their children safe. Inspectors endorse these views. A small minority felt that the school does not take account of suggestions or concerns, but the inspection evidence confirmed that the school is making a good effort to reach out to parents and involve them. A few felt that their child’s particular needs are not met and one comment was made that a child was not being challenged enough. Inspectors judged that children’s needs are being met, but agreed that they are capable of being more frequently challenged to be more independent.

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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 Warrender Primary 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. The inspection team received 107 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 245 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 65 61 39 36 0 0 1 1 The school keeps my child safe 76 71 30 28 1 1 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 43 40 59 55 2 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 46 43 49 46 8 7 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 58 54 46 43 1 1 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 56 52 47 44 2 2 1 1 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 73 68 34 32 0 0 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) 39 36 47 44 5 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child’s particular needs 49 46 45 42 7 7 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 50 47 46 43 5 5 2 2 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 46 43 40 37 6 6 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 52 49 49 46 1 1 1 1 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 59 55 41 38 1 1 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

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 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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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 Warrender Primary School, Old Hatch Manor HA4 8QG

Thank you from the whole team for welcoming us to your school. Warrender is a good school. You behave well and listen patiently to teachers in lessons and willingly do whatever they ask of you. We were impressed by how much you enjoy learning and by your high attendance rate. You are always ready to put a great effort into whatever you do. You are proud of being an Enhanced Healthy School. You understand about healthy food by growing it in the school garden. You know you are safe in school, and well done for succeeding in your campaign to get a zebra crossing nearby. That shows you are the sort of people who can get things done. You have good friends amongst some of the older people locally and you also find out about the diverse backgrounds of people who make up your community and about places further afield.

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Inspection of Warrender Primary School, Old Hatch Manor HA4 8QG

Lessons are usually interesting, but we saw that sometimes teachers are very cautious about letting you move on to the harder stages of working by yourselves. Teachers know a lot about what progress you have made and they and teaching assistants are really helpful to any of you who are getting stuck. Results at the end of Year 6 have improved to a very high level because of this. However, we think some of you could do even better judging from how well you speak, read and write and your skills with numbers. We think you are very capable of being independent and that you welcome opportunities to be challenged and involved in your learning. To make your school even better we have asked the school leaders and the governing body to make sure the following things happen more regularly.

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Inspection of Warrender Primary School, Old Hatch Manor HA4 8QG

 Make sure that teachers guide some of you to move more quickly to the most challenging work in the lesson rather than spending a lot of time on work you find quite easy.  When marking your work, make sure teachers write clear comments on how you can improve it.

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Inspection of Warrender Primary School, Old Hatch Manor HA4 8QG

We enjoyed seeing some rehearsals for the Christmas show. I expect it’s going to be a hit with your parents and carers.

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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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