Featherstone Primary and Nursery School

Featherstone Primary and Nursery School Western Road, Southall, UB2 5JT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. It is consistently good, with some that is outstanding.  Pupils make good progress in all subjects.  Standards by the end of Year 6 are at least in line with national averages in English, including reading, and in mathematics.  Since the previous inspection there has been an increase in the proportion of pupils achieving Level 5 in national tests. This is above the average level expected for eleven year olds.  Pupils of all backgrounds work and play happily and safely together. They behave well.  Senior leaders and governors make good plans to improve the school. They check the quality of teaching very thoroughly and improvements in teaching have led to pupils’ steadily rising achievement.  Outstanding procedures for helping new pupils to settle, at whatever time in the school year they arrive, ensure they get off to a rapid start

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet leading to pupils’ making outstanding progress.  Teachers do not ask searching enough questions during lessons and do not check sufficiently well that the more-able pupils are doing their best, especially at Key Stage 1.  Marking in pupils’ books does not link closely enough to pupils’ targets and does not always show them exactly what they need to do to improve.  Some of the staff with responsibilities do not have a broad enough range of skills to check the quality of teaching and learning thoroughly.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 29 lessons, including small group lessons, totalling over 12 hours of direct observation.  The majority of lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or assistant headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, a group of pupils, a representative from the local authority and the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors took account of the 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), and the results of the school’s own survey for parents and carers.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including the school’s development plans, current data for pupils’ progress, the monitoring of teacher performance, governing body minutes and records of safeguarding procedures, behaviour incidents and attendance. They also looked at pupils’ books and listened to pupils read.

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Inspection team

Penny Spencer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jacqueline Lawson Additional Inspector Olson Davis Additional Inspector Jill Thewlis Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is much larger than the average primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for additional funding (the pupil premium) is above average.  The majority of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups. Many pupils are at an early stage of learning English.  Many more pupils than average join or leave the school partway through their education.  The proportions of pupils supported at school action, or school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs are above the national average.  There is specially resourced part-time provision in the Nursery for 10 pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties.  The school meets the current floor standards, which sets the government’s current minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching to raise pupils’ achievement further, by:  ensuring that teachers’ marking is more closely linked to pupils’ individual targets  making sure the questions teachers ask always extend learning, especially for those who find learning easy  increasing the level of challenge for more-able pupils at Key Stage 1, so more of them achieve the highest Level 3.  Further develop the skills and understanding of staff with responsibilities, especially in the way they check the quality of teaching and learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment overall is broadly average. Pupils who have been at the school for the whole of their education consistently attain above average results.  The number of pupils reaching the higher levels available at the end of Year 6 has increased significantly since the previous inspection.  Most pupils make good progress throughout the school because the school makes sure all are given equal chances to learn and make progress; there is no discrimination.  Children enter the Nursery with skills and understanding generally much lower than is typical for their age, especially in speaking, reading and writing.  Children who attend the specially resourced Nursery provision make good progress because support is carefully designed to match their individual needs.  Continued good progress means the majority of pupils reach the expected levels of attainment by the end of Key Stage 1. However, some of the more-able pupils at Key Stage 1 do not reach

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The achievement of pupils is good

the highest levels expected of them, especially in English.  Good teaching of early reading skills, including the linking of letters and sounds, means pupils quickly understand how to decode words for reading. Pupils in Year 1 achieved above the national average in the 2012 national phonics (linking sounds with letters) screening test.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, including those supported by school action, school action plus and with statements of special educational needs, make good progress from their starting points because teaching is precisely planned to meet their needs. Relationships are good. This was seen in an outstanding literacy lesson for a group of pupils who find learning hard. The work was carefully supported and designed to allow them to write excellent descriptions of a character from a Greek legend.  Reading standards are average. Pupils enjoy reading and read a wide range of books. They were

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The achievement of pupils is good

keen to talk about their favourite authors and stories. Younger pupils and the less confident readers in Year 6 were able to use a wide variety of methods, including the linking of letters and sounds, to help them read unfamiliar words.  Inspectors agree with parents’ and carers’ view that pupils make good progress in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved rapidly as a result of rigorous checks and support for staff by the school’s senior managers. Consequently, it is now typically good with some that is outstanding.  In the best lessons, work is carefully matched to pupils’ needs and expectations and challenge are high. In an outstanding mathematics lesson in Year 4, precise planning, excellent involvement of well-briefed teaching assistants and clear next steps meant that all pupils made excellent progress.  In less successful lessons, not enough is expected of more-able pupils during whole-class sessions, especially at Key Stage 1. This is particularly so in English because teachers do not ask them probing enough questions or give them tasks that really make them think and extend their understanding.  Teaching assistants are well trained, highly motivated and contribute significantly to pupils’ learning. Those who undertake specific interventions, for example to speed up the learning for

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The quality of teaching is good

some pupils, particularly disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, are confident in their tasks. This was observed in a session, led by a teaching assistant, for a small group of Year 2 pupils, who made good progress in their reading because the work was carefully designed to give them confidence and move them forward one step at a time.  Outstanding teaching, combined with good arrangements for settling newly arrived pupils and their families, means no time is wasted for pupils at an early stage of learning English. They quickly gain in confidence and often make excellent progress because work is usually carefully matched to their levels of understanding.  There is a consistent approach to marking by all teachers in line with the school policy. Marking is clearly linked to the task and learning intentions. However, it does not always show pupils how to improve against their goals or how to move to the next level.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are confident to mark and assess their own and each other’s work because they are given a clear set of points to discover.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well. They are keen, have good attitudes to learning and want to succeed. They enjoy coming to school.  Pupils cooperate enthusiastically and are willing to share ideas with each other. For instance, in a Year 2 literacy lesson, pupils checked each other’s work and discussed how it might be improved.  The secure and consistently applied behaviour policy is a strength of the school and the vast majority of pupils respond quickly when asked to moderate noise levels or for minor lapses in concentration. Records show that any behavioural incidents are followed up quickly and thoroughly.  Pupils are aware of likely dangers to themselves, such as on the roads and on the internet, and understand how to keep safe because the school makes sure policies are clear and that messages are understood by both pupils and parents and carers.  Pupils feel that any incidents of poor behaviour are quickly dealt with by an adult. Pupils

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

understand the main forms of bullying that their age group may encounter and say that bullying is very rare and dealt with promptly and effectively.  Analysis of responses by parents and carers to the questionnaires shows a very high level of satisfaction with behaviour and the school’s approach to bullying. Parents and carers were full of praise for the school and the way staff look after their children.  Attendance has improved and is now in line with national figures for primary schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads the school well, fully supported by her senior leaders and staff. Her commitment to the school and her plans for its continued improvement are very clear to the wider community.  Staff have a good and accurate understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to improve. This realistic grasp of strengths and weaknesses together with the improvements noted since the previous inspection shows a strong continuing capacity for improvement.  The good support of external consultants and the local authority has ensured that targets set for teachers and staff training are linked closely to school priorities. This has had a rapid impact in raising the overall quality of teaching and enabled the school to continue driving improvement, mostly under its own steam.  Subject and year group leaders are confident in looking at and analysing pupils’ work to check progress. They are developing also their skills in lesson observation so they can check the quality

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The leadership and management are good

of teaching and learning even more securely.  Partnerships with parents and carers are an undoubted strength. Relationships are fostered as soon as pupils start in the Nursery and are strengthened over time.  Family learning sessions and support for parents and carers who are new to the country and to the education system are excellent and allow them to quickly become involved in their children’s learning.  The pupil premium is used in part to employ extra staff to run specific interventions. This has had a positive impact on the learning and progress for these pupils by closing gaps between what they achieve and other groups.  The curriculum is broad and relevant and gives pupils access to opportunities and events that they might not generally experience and that promote spiritual, social, moral and cultural development well. Several subjects and events include strong links to the cultures and religions

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The leadership and management are good

of the majority of pupils, helping them to understand and celebrate the diversity within the school community and in the United Kingdom today.  The specially resourced provision is managed well so that children who attend make a good start to their education.  The school’s commitment to providing equal opportunities for all its pupils to learn is demonstrated by pupils’ good progress. There is no discrimination and good relationships are fostered among the whole school community.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.  It has restructured its committees to reflect the new inspection requirements and ensure that governors focus effectively on the correct priorities for the school.  Governors are knowledgeable and involved in the school. They increase their expertise in the areas for which they are responsible by attending and sharing regular training.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body keeps a keen eye on the budget and actively checks on how performance management is used to recognise good teaching.

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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 101910 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 404791

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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 672 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Pope Headteacher Kate Bailey Date of previous school inspection 22−23 June 2011 Telephone number 020 8571 4977 Fax number 020 8574 6154 Email address office@featherstone-pri.ealing.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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