Rushmore Primary School

Rushmore Primary School Elderfield Road, Upper Clapton, London, E5 0LE

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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.  Pupils achieve well. All pupils, including those who need extra help and those at risk of not doing well, make good progress from their starting points.  Rushmore is improving. Since the previous inspection, the school’s leaders, managers, governors and staff have worked with determination to bring about good quality teaching, pupils’ good achievement and good behaviour.  To raise attainment, leaders have introduced daily reading in all classes, encouraged pupils to write at length in a variety of different styles, and used a systematic approach to teaching mathematics skills.  Interesting activities in lessons, well-selected visits and visitors to the school underpin pupils’ positive attitudes to learning.  Attendance rates are consistently above average. Older pupils enjoy helping younger ones by hearing them read, and supporting the smooth running of break times. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

safe.  Senior leaders have successfully raised teachers’ expectations of what the pupils can achieve. They regularly check teaching, and provide effective coaching and training for staff to sustain improvements.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some recently appointed teachers in charge of subjects are not fully involved in checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning.  Occasionally, the pace of lessons slows because teachers’ explanations to the whole class take up too much time.  Handwriting is not taught as well as it should be to encourage a fluent and neat style.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes and undertook some joint observations with senior leaders. They visited 29 lessons.  Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors listened to groups of pupils reading. They looked at work in pupils’ books, and tracking data showing pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school website, development plans and records relating to safeguarding were also seen.  The inspectors took account of 36 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and 36 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Madeleine Gerard, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sibani Raychaudhuri Additional Inspector Steve Nelson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Rushmore Primary School is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in two part-time Nursery classes and two Reception classes.  More pupils than the national average speak English as an additional language. Few are at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. Pupils come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action is close to the national average. A slightly larger than average proportion is supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. Most of these pupils have speech, language and communication needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding provided by the government for pupils looked after by the local authority or known to be eligible for free

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Information about this school

school meals) is above the national average.  The school meets the current government floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school manages breakfast and after-school activity clubs.  No alternative provision is used by the school.  There have been a high number of staff changes since the previous inspection, including to the senior leadership team. For eighteen months, until July 2012, the school was supported by another local primary school. The headteacher took up his post in September 2012, having joined the school in February 2011 as head of school under an executive headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By September 2013, develop the role of teachers in charge of subjects in checking the quality of teaching and learning to make sure their work contributes to improving pupils’ achievement further.  Over the current academic year, increase the pace of pupils’ learning further by making sure pupils are set independent tasks as early as appropriate in lessons.  By September 2013, make sure appropriate approaches enable pupils systematically to develop neat and fluent handwriting skills as they progress through the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils learn well as they progress through the school. Children enter the school with levels of skills that are generally below those expected for their age, particularly in personal, social and emotional development and in communication, language and literacy. Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is broadly average by the end of Year 6, and improving. Increasing proportions of pupils are doing well for their age, particularly in mathematics.  Children in Nursery and Reception classes make good progress in their learning. They confidently select tasks for themselves from the wide variety of activities that staff plan for them in the inside and outdoor spaces.  Children work and play well together, and share resources readily. Working on their own, children in the Nursery practised writing their names. Another group was observed counting to ten. The children pegged numbered paper tee-shirts to a washing line in the correct numerical

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The achievement of pupils is good

order. In a Reception class, children working with an adult eagerly used their knowledge of phonics (the links between letters and sounds)to read new words and to write them for themselves.  Regular sessions in phonics for children in Nursery and Reception classes, and for pupils in Key Stage 1, help them to make good progress in reading and spelling. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 gain from reading sessions at the start of every day so that they develop their skills quickly. Visits by well-known authors and interesting books to choose from newly-resourced classroom libraries successfully promote pupils’ love of reading.  Although pupils’ achievement in writing is good and their work is always careful, their presentation and handwriting are not always as neat as they should be.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because they receive extra help tailored to their needs. Support from additional adults in classrooms and

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The achievement of pupils is good

group sessions for selected pupils led by trained staff develop well their communication, language and other skills.  Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language learn and progress well. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make swift progress because they work in small groups with adults who rightly put language development first as well as children’s personal and social skills. Older pupils are well supported by additional adults who provide additional guidance so that they quickly develop spoken English and skills in other subjects.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium benefit from additional help in lessons so that they keep up with their peers. Sessions for older pupils led by specialist teachers successfully close the gaps in attainment between these pupils and the others.  All these strengths reflect the school’s success in promoting equality of opportunity, tackling

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The achievement of pupils is good

discrimination and fostering good relations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan regular discussions in pairs and group work that encourage pupils to work together and get along with one another. For example, older pupils in an art lesson worked in teams to plan and create background scenery for volcano models they had previously made. They sensibly took on a variety of different roles within the teams in order to produce their models. This, together with teachers’ explanations of new learning and clear examples of what is expected, helps pupils to learn quickly.  Lessons usually set a good pace for pupils’ learning. Teachers use short time limits for activities that motivate pupils to start work as soon as possible and complete it quickly. Sometimes, teachers talk to the whole class for too long when introducing lessons.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff make their expectations consistently clear and serve as good role models. Warm and friendly relationships help children to settle quickly and make

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The quality of teaching is good

friends when they join the school.  At the end of lessons, teachers encourage pupils to check for themselves that they have successfully completed all the work they were set to do. Comments by teachers when they mark pupils’ work give clear guidance to pupils about how to improve their literacy and numeracy skills in order to move to the next level of attainment. Teachers often set additional individual challenges and tasks for pupils to complete. These help them improve their understanding further. In a few classes, teachers do not always check that pupils routinely respond to their written comments and suggestions.  Teachers rightly make daily reading, writing and mathematics their priority. Well planned themed events, such as book week, motivate pupils and engage their interest so they achieve well in literacy and numeracy.  Handwriting skills are not as consistently well taught throughout the school to help pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

develop a fluent joined-up style.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are set work at the right level and receive good individual support from trained additional staff and specialist therapists. Teachers and additional staff work with determination to provide the additional help and guidance pupils need to develop their literacy and numeracy as well as their communication and personal skills.  Additional adults support pupils at the very early stages of learning English to help them increase their proficiency in the language, and succeed in other subjects.  The school uses pupil premium funding to organise further literacy and numeracy help to boost the learning of eligible pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes make a positive contribution to their own learning in lessons and the calm and friendly atmosphere around the school. Sometimes, pupils need to be reminded of the behaviour that is expected. On these occasions, they respond readily to additional guidance from staff about the behaviour that is acceptable.  Pupils are confident that incidents of bullying are rare. They say that there is some name-calling and that teaching staff deal with this effectively. Anti-bullying events, guidance about safe practices when using computers and other technology help pupils develop their awareness of unsafe situations and how to keep themselves safe from harm.  Pupils’ attendance is consistently above the national average. Weekly celebration of the class with the best attendance and discussions with parents ensure that the whole school community is abundantly clear about the importance of attending school regularly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils at the breakfast and after-school clubs are cheerful and welcoming. They enjoy making friends with pupils in other classes. A healthy and varied breakfast menu and a good variety of games for pupils to share and join in together promote social skills well. The wide range of lunch time and after-school sporting activities and clubs, including non-contact boxing, ballet and computing, are popular and effectively promote pupils’ wider interests.

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The leadership and management are good

 Regular checking of the quality of teaching and other aspects of the school’s work make sure that leaders form an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas requiring improvement. Since the previous inspection, a determined approach to bringing about lasting improvements, together with wanting staff to give of their best, has helped the school’s leaders and governors to improve the overall effectiveness of the school so that it is now good. Recently appointed teachers in charge of subjects are not fully involved in checking teaching to raise the quality further.  Through well-targeted training and effective staff development and coaching activities, leaders have successfully enhanced the quality of weaker teaching, dealt with staffing issues and raised pupils’ academic achievement.  The performance of all staff is managed thoroughly and measured against well-selected targets linked to pupils’ learning and progress and the quality of teaching. Leaders make sure that

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The leadership and management are good

promotion and salary increases are justified by improved achievement for pupils.  Leaders and managers have worked with staff to develop the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. Handwriting is less well taught so that not all pupils become fluent writers as they progress through the school.  Activities that promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, as well as their social and emotional development, have been carefully designed since the previous inspection so that these aspects of pupils’ learning are now promoted well.  Pupils are encouraged to think carefully each week about the ‘Rushmore resolutions’, six shared personal and whole-school responsibilities and values. Through contributing to the life of the school, for example as peer mediators, exploring festivals from a wide variety of cultures and faiths, pupils’ caring attitudes and their understanding of cultural diversity in the school and local

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The leadership and management are good

area are fostered well.  The school works hard to engage the support of parents in their children’s achievement. Workshops for parents, for example on how reading is taught in the Early Years Foundation Stage and on the teaching of mathematics in Years 1 to 6, help them to support their children’s learning further.  The local authority provides good support and has been effective in helping the school to improve and to bring about the good overall effectiveness of its work since the previous inspection.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body work closely with the school. Governors meet regularly to evaluate the school’s progress against targets, review the information gathered through the monitoring of teaching, and identify further priorities. They have a clear understanding of how well the school is performing compared with other schools and share the ambition of the headteacher and other senior leaders to drive further improvements. The governing body

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The leadership and management are good

takes its role in managing performance seriously. Governors measure success against agreed criteria and look carefully at the links between teaching quality and pupils’ achievement. They check that these are reflected in the promotion and salary progression of staff. Governors know how the school uses additional funding to support pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium. They examine the impact this funding has on closing gaps in pupils’ academic performance compared with other pupils at the school and nationally. The governing body ensures that statutory duties are met, including those relating to safeguarding pupils. The school site is secure and well maintained. Governors make sure that they receive the professional training they need to become even more effective.

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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 130302 Local authority Hackney Inspection number 406375

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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 480 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Diane Bernhardt Headteacher Ian Mullaney Date of previous school inspection 19–20 January 2011 Telephone number 020 8985 3175 Fax number 020 8986 5645 Email address info@rushmore.hackney.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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