Cayley Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 13–14 June 2012 Inspection number 395433 Cayley Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 100894 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 395433 Inspection dates 13–14 June 2012 Lead inspector Helen Howard

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 543 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christopher Worthington Headteacher Lissa Samuel Date of previous school inspection 5 June 2009 School address Aston Street Stepney London E14 7NG Telephone number 0207 790 1490 Fax number 0207 702 8136 Email address admin@cayley.towerhamlets.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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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 You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed 26 lessons taught by 18 teachers. They met with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and various members of staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at school documentation, including data on pupils’ progress, self- evaluation and monitoring records. They also analysed questionnaires from 51 parents and carers.

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Information about the school

Cayley Primary is much larger than the average-sized primary school with most pupils being of Bangladeshi heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above that found nationally. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, who are supported by school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs, is broadly average. The proportion of pupils who speak English is an additional language is well above average and many who join the school are at the early stages of learning English. Approximately one fifth of pupils join or leave the school part-way through their education, a proportion which is higher than the national average. The school meets the current floor standard, which are the minimum standards expected by the government.

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Information about the school

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage attend either full or part time in the Nursery and full time in one of two classes in Reception.

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Information about the school

A breakfast club and a range of after school clubs, managed by the governing body, run every day. The school also manages a small nurture group for pupils on roll who have a statement of special educational needs. 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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Key findings

 This is a good school. It is not outstanding because, while teaching is mainly good, there are some variations in its quality. Higher ability pupils do not always receive appropriate levels of challenge. Strong leadership and management have secured good achievement over time, despite fluctuations in attainment which are due to the high numbers of pupils who join or leave the school part-way through their education. Not all governors have a clear understanding of pupils’ overall progress.

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Key findings

 Children start school with skills and abilities that are well below the levels expected for their age. By the time they leave school, most pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress and reach attainment that is close to national expectations. Attainment in mathematics, which had dipped in 2011, has rapidly improved and is now closer to national expectations.

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Key findings

 Teachers’ good subject knowledge and the range of activities they provide in lessons enthuse pupils. Teachers give effective feedback during lessons so that pupils know how well they are doing. However, teaching is not consistently strong in all lessons because occasionally the pace is too slow, especially in the teaching of early reading skills.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is consistently good around school and in lessons. They are very positive about their learning and work very well together. Attendance, which was low, is now closer to national averages and improving rapidly.

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Key findings

 The headteacher is well supported by members of the senior leadership team and they have an ambitious vision for the school. Despite a high level of staff absence in the last year, their strategic leadership of teaching and management of staff performance have been effective in maintaining previous good progress and improving attainment, particularly in mathematics. 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By July 2013, improve the quality of teaching so that a greater proportion is outstanding by:  maintaining a high level of pace in all lessons and especially in the teaching of early reading skills  consistently providing a greater level of challenge for higher ability pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that all members of the governing body have a clear understanding of pupils’ progress over time.

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Achievement of pupils

Children start school with skills and abilities that are generally well below the levels expected for their age and many are at the early stages of English language acquisition. Pupils make good progress overall and their attainment by the end of Year 6 is close to average. However, attainment in all subjects tends to fluctuate yearly, partly because so many pupils join or leave the school at different times. Despite this, pupils make good progress relative to their starting points. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, especially in personal and social development, because adults encourage independence and a positive attitude to learning. For example, in an outdoor activity session, children excitedly called others over to chat about the flow of water they were watching, which stimulated their language and social skills. Consequently, children settle very well and become

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Achievement of pupils

happy, confident learners. They make slower progress in reading compared to other areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage, but by the end of Year 2, the gap is closing and pupils’ attainment in reading is close to expected levels.

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Achievement of pupils

In all lessons, pupils’ love of learning and their positive relationships with teachers help them to maintain good progress relative to their starting points. Pupils make especially good progress in practical lessons, for example those that include art and photography. As one parent said, ‘I am particularly impressed with the school’s commitment to the artistic development of children’.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment in reading at the end of Year 6 is typically close to average and rising. Attainment in mathematics, which dipped in 2011, has improved and is now close to average levels by the end of Year 6 because pupils enjoy a wide range of activities and games that help them to apply their skills when solving problems.

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Achievement of pupils

All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good and sometimes outstanding progress overall. In lessons, effective planning and sensitive support from teaching assistants enable all pupils to participate fully in lessons. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress because they are encouraged to explore language through a variety of 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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Achievement of pupils

activities and because teachers use visual cues to support speech and text. Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make better progress than similar groups nationally.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all pupils say that teaching is good and that they learn a lot. As a result of effective strategic leadership, the quality of teaching has been maintained despite high levels of staff absence during the last year. Strategies to improve teaching in mathematics have proved to be effective and pupils make good progress relative to their starting points. Disabled pupils and those who have a statement of special educational needs make outstanding progress because teaching for these pupils is carefully planned and activities are well supported by teaching assistants. A few pupils who join the school part-way through their education make outstanding progress because they are well supported and settle quickly in the school. Although the most able achieve well overall, the lack of challenge in some lessons means that a few do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers use individual data about pupils’ progress effectively to meet the needs of most pupils. They know and support pupils well. However, teachers do not consistently plan to meet the needs of higher ability pupils and occasionally the level of challenge is too low.

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Quality of teaching

In lessons where teaching is good or better, pupils achieve well because good pace ensures that they are motivated. Pace is not consistently rapid in all lessons and progress sometimes slows as a result. Pace tends to be slower in lessons on phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and consequently children and pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 do not always progress at the same rate in literacy skills as they do in other areas of learning. In Years 1 to 6, teachers help pupils to link reading skills to their own writing and this enables them to make accelerated progress in both areas. For example, in a Year 5 literacy lesson, pupils explored how to write a good story opening, based on their study of the book Journey to Jo’burg. They played a board game which replicated some of the incidents in the text and this helped them to develop empathy so that they could write from the characters’ point of view. Teachers offer many opportunities, for

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Quality of teaching

example through project lessons and studies of texts, for pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.

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Quality of teaching

Relationships between adults and pupils are very strong and this helps develop pupils’ social skills. Teachers provide activities that promote cooperation and collaboration and this is a strength of the school. Teachers discuss the behaviour that leads to good learning when talking about pupils’ work so that pupils understand how working together improves progress.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and their effective feedback during lessons enables pupils to know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils behave well around the school, in lessons and in breakfast and after-school clubs. Most parents, carers and pupils agree that this is what behaviour is usually like and are sure that pupils are kept safe. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff are very skilful in promoting positive behaviour. The emphasis on praise, together with good role modelling, provides a strong foundation. Pupils throughout the school are friendly and polite towards adults. Their positive attitudes to learning over time enable them to enjoy working in small groups and in pairs.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Excellent relationships between staff and pupils result in a calm and happy atmosphere and the vast majority of pupils enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in the rapid and sustained improvement in attendance over time, which is now average and rising as a result of effective strategies to engage parents. The breakfast club, which is open to everyone but extends invitations to identified pupils, has also led to improved attendance for some individuals.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils feel safe in school and know how to avoid risks. They are acutely aware of what constitutes bullying and have a good understanding of the different types of bullying, including prejudice-based bullying and cyber-bullying. Incidents are very rare but pupils say that, should they occur, they are confident that staff will manage them well. The school has adopted a ‘conflict resolution’ approach, which enables pupils to deal with their own issues and agree solutions. This is supporting a move towards pupils managing their own behaviour and having less dependence on adults.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

A few pupils who have a statement of special educational needs have behavioural and emotional difficulties and staff provide for them exceptionally well. Careful management ensures that they make good progress in school and access all aspects of school life.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher and deputy headteacher have demonstrated strong leadership and share an ambitious vision for the school. Together with the governing body and an effective team of middle-level leaders and managers, they have maintained good quality teaching and secured improvements in achievement in mathematics, attendance and the curriculum, demonstrating capacity to sustain improvements. Professional development opportunities have helped to develop the skills of staff, and this is having a positive impact on outcomes for pupils.

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Leadership and management

The revised curriculum includes project-based work which pupils say they enjoy because it offers more opportunities for them to make links across subjects. The Olympic-based project, for example, linked art, mathematics, history and geography as well as giving pupils opportunities to reflect on the Olympic values and how they relate to the school ethos. Pupils are offered very good opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school has also introduced ‘family 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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Leadership and management

homework’ linked to projects and offers a broad range of increasingly challenging tasks which pupils are encouraged to complete with parents and carers. These include an invitation to parents and carers to make a medal with their child and visit the Westfield Centre to view the Olympic Village. Pupils say that this has made homework fun because, ‘you can take the work as far as you want to’. A range of clubs further enriches experiences for pupils and these are well attended. Breakfast and after-school clubs are well managed.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has effectively provided strategic direction, particularly in relation to securing actions that have maintained the quality of teaching. Leaders and managers effectively monitor the work of the school and take appropriate actions to address any weaknesses. Most members of the governing body visit the school regularly to monitor the impact of actions taken. In general, leaders and managers know the strengths and areas for development well, although not all governors have an accurate understanding of how well pupils make progress over time. Safeguarding procedures are effective and meet statutory requirements.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers promote equal opportunities very well and ensure that there is no discrimination. Consequently, all sizeable groups of pupils make good progress and there are no significant variations in performance.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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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

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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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 Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

You may remember that we came to visit your school recently. Thank you for such a warm welcome.

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Inspection of Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

Cayley Primary is a good school which helps you to make good progress from when you join the Nursery to when you leave school at the end of Year 6. You told us that you are happy to come to school and we could see how much you enjoy learning, although we think that some of you find the work a little too easy.

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Inspection of Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

You told us how much you like lessons and that they are best when you can do something practical and fun. We agree and we were particularly impressed with your artwork and your photography display.

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Inspection of Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

We think that you behave very well around school and in lessons. We saw that you get on very well with your teachers and that you enjoy working together and sharing ideas. Although teaching is usually good, occasionally the pace is too slow and some of you do not progress as quickly as you could.

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Inspection of Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

We have asked the school to do these things to help you do even better.

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Inspection of Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

 Make sure that all lessons have a fast pace, especially those when you are learning early reading skills.  Give some of you who find learning easier more challenging tasks.  Help some members of the governing body understand how well you are making progress.

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Inspection of Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

You can help by continuing to try your hardest.

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Inspection of Cayley Primary School, London, E14 7NG

Helen Howard 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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