Isleworth Town Primary School

Isleworth Town Primary School Twickenham Road, Isleworth TW7 6AB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  This is a popular and expanding school, much loved by parents and pupils alike.  Pupils are taught well and make good progress in their time at the school.  Most of the teaching seen by inspectors was of good quality, and some was outstanding.  Teachers ensure that work is matched well to pupils’ varying needs and abilities, so all make good progress.  School leaders and members of the governing body are committed to improving the school. Their thorough and effective classroom visits ensure the overall good quality of teaching is maintained.   Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very strong, so pupils respect and get on exceptionally well with one another and with the adults.  The many exciting clubs, trips and activities provided capture the pupils’ imagination and extend their horizons.  Pupils are friendly and confident. They behave extremely well. They are taking the continuing

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

building works in their stride.  Pupils’ attendance has greatly improved and is now above average.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length on a range of subjects. This means that some opportunities are missed to improve their fluency of expression and also their handwriting.  Marking in pupils’ English books is of a high standard and helps pupils to progress well. However, teachers do not always mark books in other subjects thoroughly enough to provide sufficient guidance on how to improve.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 29 lessons, most observed jointly with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body, senior managers, and local authority representives.  84 responses were recorded on the on-line Parent View survey. The inspectors took these into account and also held discussions with parents and carers. Inspectors also took into account 28 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at its self-evaluation documents, the data collected on pupils’ attainment and progress, safeguarding information, records relating to behaviour and safety, and minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Natalia Power, Lead inspector Additional inspector Jenell Chetty Additional inspector David Hogg Additional inspector Ian McAllister Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Isleworth Town is much larger than the average primary school and the number on roll is increasing.  Around 22% of pupils are known to be eligible for extra funding. This is in line with the national average.  Around half of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages, and around two out of five speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who need extra help is slightly higher than usual.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide pupils with as many opportunities as possible to practise and improve the fluency of both expression and handwriting, by writing at length on a range of topics.  Ensure that teachers’ marking:  is of consistently high quality in all subjects to ensure that pupils understand in detail how to improve the quality of their work  follows the school’s marking policy at all times in order to ensure consistency across subjects and year groups.

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The achievement of pupils Good

 Pupils make good progress from starting points which, overall, are below average. This reflects the good teaching.  By the time pupils leave school, their attainment is average, with average proportions gaining both expected grades and higher grades in the tests taken at the end of Year 6. Pupils do slightly less well in writing than in reading and mathematics. Some pupils do not have a fluent writing style and their writing does not flow easily.  Children enter the Nursery and Reception classes with language and number skills that vary and, in many cases, are below those typical of their age. Through good teaching, aimed accurately at their individual needs, children settle quickly to their new routines and learn new skills well.  Pupils throughout the rest of the school make good progress because teachers take account of their individual needs and provide work which takes good account of what they already know

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The achievement of pupils Good

and can do.  Teaching assistants provide valuable support to all groups needing an extra boost in the classroom and this helps all pupils to make progress at a similar rate.  The additional money from the pupil premium is used well to provide extra support within the classroom. This enables those pupils who are eligible for it to do as well as others.  Pupils from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages, many of whom speak English as an additional language, are well supported. There are good links with the local community to ensure that their language and culture are celebrated, so that they quickly settle into school and feel at home there, and make good progress.  Pupils with a range of special educational needs all make good progress in line with others because their needs are identified quickly and effective support is put in place.

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The quality of teaching Good

 Inspectors observed an overall pattern of good teaching, with some examples of outstanding teaching. Most of the teaching seen was brisk and engaging, so pupils had no chance to become restless but occasionally it was slower in pace, and pupils were not given enough opportunity to aim high.  Teachers have generally high expectations of the pupils. In one Year 6 mathematics lesson, for example, the teacher set an open-ended task of creating different calculations which have the answer 48, such as 96÷2 or 7x7-1. If pupils chose more complex calculations, such as finding the decimal number to be multiplied by one million to give 48, the teacher urged them not to give up but to continue to investigate, which they did. The teachers’ brisk use of questioning ensures that pupils remain engaged and eager to reply. From the very start of school in the Nursery and Reception classes, adults are mindful of the need to extend the children’s language

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The quality of teaching Good

skills by asking them open-ended questions, so they have to think of an answer instead of just saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’. This focus on speaking and listening skills continues throughout the school.  Work is well matched to pupils’ individual needs so that, within each lesson, pupils explore the same topics at their own level. In one Year 1 English lesson, for example, pupils approached the task of describing a giant in different ways. Some labelled a picture, others had a writing frame, some drew their giant on the computer screen, and one group wrote freely and beautifully about their giant. One boy wrote of his giant, ‘I will hold people in my hand and take them across the ocean.’ This high standard of work shows how well pupils do when the tasks have a really good level of challenge.  Pupils make good progress because they have frequent opportunities to evaluate how well they are doing, and to discuss what is good and what needs improving in their classmates’ work. In

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The quality of teaching Good

one Year 2 art lesson, for example, the teacher projected a pupil’s work on the interactive whiteboard, and this formed the basis of a good discussion on how well the pupil had used light and shade.  Marking is particularly helpful in English books, where pupils are given valuable advice on how to improve. This good practice is not consistent, however. The marking in some books in other subjects does not always lead pupils to understand how to improve, and the school’s marking policy, such as ‘wow’ for good aspects of pupils’ work and ‘now’ for development points, is not always consistently applied.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding

 The inspection got off t0o a flying start with an excellent harvest-themed assembly, presented by Year 4 pupils, to pupils from Years 1 to 6 and to parents. The performers were confident and articulate and the audience were spellbound. They showed their appreciation by singing the harvest songs lustily. Such coming together of the whole school in song and prayer for those less fortunate than themselves shows the strength of the school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. Even when the teaching is a little slow in pace, pupils are attentive and eager to learn.  Behaviour in the corridors and in the playground is exemplary. Pupils are considerate towards one another, and ready to take turns on the playground apparatus. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get on well with one another and willingly share activities. Older children enjoy

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The behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding

taking responsibility for younger ones, for example by acting as play leaders in the playground.  Pupils report that they love their school and feel completely safe. They told inspectors that the excellent behaviour seen was typical and reported that there is no bullying. They know how to keep themselves safe from strangers or from cyber-bullying, and were even knowledgeable about scooter safety.  Through a range of initiatives, including challenging all absences and providing teddy bears for the class which attends most regularly, attendance has improved from former low levels to the point where it is now above average.

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The leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and her deputy form a strong team, committed to improving the school. They have created a stable staff who are very positive about the school and its management.  The school works well with parents and carers, keeping them informed through regular newsletters, text messages and the lively website.  A few parents and carers approached the inspectors, either through discussion or by letter, to express alarm about the proposed increase in numbers, as they did not want their child to be ‘lost’ as the school grows. The school is aware of their concerns and ensures that pupils from different years work together to encourage them to get to know one another. For example, in one Year 4 English lesson, a group of pupils were sent to interview Year 1 pupils to find out how they had enjoyed their assembly. The younger pupils clearly enjoyed being interviewed, and were impressed by the older pupils.

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The leadership and management Good

 School leaders support their teachers well and ensure, through regular classroom observations, that teaching is good overall. Their monitoring visits have a good focus on how pupils learn, and this is helpful in ensuring that tasks are matched well to the needs of individual pupils. The headteacher and governors use the information from this careful monitoring to decide on the teachers’ movements up the salary scale to ensure good value for money.  The local authority provides effective support, for example offering support to school leaders in their evaluation of teaching performance.  The school offers pupils a wealth of experiences beyond the classroom, including many exciting outings, clubs and activities. For example, a visit to a local university encouraged pupils to aim high. Pupils report that they greatly enjoy these experiences and benefit from them.  Though pupils are generally prepared well for the next stage of schooling, they do a little less

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The leadership and management Good

well in writing than in reading or mathematics. To a large extent, this is because school leaders do not always ensure that pupils have enough chances to write at length in subjects other than English. As a result, pupils’ writing sometimes lacks a little fluency and their handwriting does not receive all the practice needed to improve it.  The governance of the school:  plays an active and important part in the life of the school  keeps well informed and up to date through training  knows the school well, and is kept well informed by school leaders  is ready to act as a ‘critical friend’, supporting the school, but also ready to point out areas that need improvement  holds the headteacher and senior staff to account for raising pupils’ achievements, ensuring that the quality of teaching is regularly monitored  understands the school budget, monitoring carefully the staffing budget, the building

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The leadership and management Good

programme and the use of the pupil premium fund

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 102492 Local authority Hounslow Inspection number 402888

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 630 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Dunham Headteacher Eileen Sheedy Date of previous school inspection 15 July 2008 Telephone number 020 8560 5701 Fax number 020 8569 7589 Email address office@isleworthtown.hounslow.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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

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School details

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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School details

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

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