Cleveland Road Primary School

Cleveland Junior School Cleveland Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1EW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 Over time rates of progress have been inconsistent across all year groups and while improvements have been made, most pupils do not yet exceed their expected levels of progress.  While the quality of teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection, it is too soon to see a lasting impact on achievement at the end of Key Stage 2.  There are inconsistencies in the quality of teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils. Consequently, pupils do not improve their work quickly enough.  Standards in reading in some year groups are not as high as in writing because not all reading activities are purposeful and focused on the development of reading skills.

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The school has the following strengths:

 Effective and decisive action by leaders has resulted in significant improvements in the quality of teaching this academic year. As a result, most pupils are now making good progress in lessons.  A determined drive by senior leaders has quickly established a culture where expectations of staff and pupils are high. This has resulted in highly effective teamwork which is moving the school forward quickly.  Behaviour is good and attendance is above average. Pupils really enjoy coming to school and have good relationships with each other and with their teachers. They feel safe and happy at school.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. The school is a diverse and highly cohesive community.  The school has set up good systems to develop and maintain good levels of behaviour, learning and achievement. Leaders, teachers and governors monitor these aspects closely and work very hard to ensure that they can be

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The school has the following strengths:

realised for all pupils.  Systems for tracking pupils’ progress are effective and enable staff, governors and parents and carers to know how well pupils are achieving.  Raising pupils’ attainment and progress is the school’s number one priority. Training and support for all staff are strongly focused on this single aim to increasingly good effect.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors gathered and evaluated a wide range of evidence of the school’s work. They observed 19 teachers in 20 lessons, of which eight were joint observations with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors made a number of other short visits to lessons and to school assemblies.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation including the school’s checks on its performance, plans for improvement, day-to-day health and safety arrangements, safeguarding measures and policy documents. Inspectors analysed the school’s records of pupils’ rates of progress across the school. They also looked at the school’s use of the pupil premium funding, which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, children of service families and those known to be eligible for free school meals. Inspectors heard pupils read and looked closely at their workbooks.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, the senior leadership team and other staff

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Information about this inspection

in leadership roles. Inspectors met with groups of pupils to discuss their experiences of school. Meetings were also held with a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.  The inspection team took account of the three responses to the online Parent View survey, along with the school’s recent survey of parents’ and carers’ views. They also spoke to many parents and carers informally during the inspection. 

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Inspection team

Trevor Riddiough, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Hilary Macdonald Her Majesty’s Inspector Jan Gough Additional inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school and shares the same site and buildings with one of its feeder infant schools.  The school is led by an executive headteacher, supported by two associate headteachers, one full time and one part time.  The executive headteacher is a Local Leader of Education. He and other school staff provide support to other schools locally.  Nearly all pupils are from minority ethnic heritages and speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through pupil premium funding is almost double the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than in most schools.  In Years 4, 5 and 6, a large minority of pupils enrol at the school at other than the usual times and most of these pupils speak no English.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the current government 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?

 Raise pupils’ attainment and increase rates of progress further by:  consolidating recent improvements to teaching and learning across the school so that all teachers are able to deliver well-planned, exciting and challenging lessons across all subject areas  ensuring that all guided reading activities are purposeful, well planned and make an effective contribution to the development of reading skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching further by:  ensuring that activities in lessons always make high demands of pupils  encouraging pupils to take more of a lead in their own learning so that they have opportunities to practise their communication skills, initiate more ideas themselves and learn more independently  providing clearer guidance in marking so that all pupils know what they have to do to improve and ensuring that pupils respond.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils join the school in Year 3 with skills and knowledge that are broadly average. Many pupils join the school at other times and their careful induction ensures that they integrate into school life quickly.  Although pupils’ achievement is getting better, significant improvement has only really begun this school year. Weaker teaching in the past has left many pupils with gaps in their reading, writing and mathematics skills and knowledge, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Assessment results show that more pupils are achieving at the expected rate of progress in reading, writing and mathematics, such that most pupils across the schools are now working at average attainment levels.  The school’s current pupil progress information shows an improving picture overall, with pupils making increasingly better progress in English and mathematics as they move through the school. However, this better progress has yet to be shown fully in higher standards by the end

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

of Key Stage 2.  Pupils’ writing is improving quickly, but reading less so. Writing skills and styles are reinforced and practised in all subject areas. However, targeted support for reading is inconsistent and has not yet had sufficient time to have a full impact on improving reading standards across the school.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium, those who are new to speaking English, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs gain from carefully planned additional support in the classroom including from their teaching assistants. Pupil premium money has been spent on extra staff to give specialised support to new arrivals in school and to their parents, as well as for improved targeting of support in classrooms. The checking of the use of this funding shows that pupils receiving this support are making progress as well as their peers, if not better. Pupils of Pakistani, Indian and other ethnic heritages also make equal progress with their peers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils who find learning more difficult are monitored closely by the coordinator of special educational needs, their teachers and teaching assistants. The progress that pupils make towards their individual targets is regularly checked in meetings between class teachers and senior leaders. If their progress starts to slow down, support, using a range of methods, gives pupils the help they need to catch up with reading, writing or mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff have focused their efforts relentlessly to improve the quality of teaching and learning to good effect. Teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection and now much of it is good and some is outstanding. No lessons were judged to be inadequate. However, there is still a small minority of teaching that requires improvement.  Most teaching now leads to good progress for many pupils, although the oldest pupils still carry a legacy of previous underachievement. These pupils are working hard with their teachers to catch up in their lessons and in extra sessions after school.  Planning is consistently detailed in all year groups. Teachers use their assessment data to inform their planning and to match tasks appropriately to need. Clear learning aims are shared with the pupils at the start of lessons and their progress is reviewed regularly during and at the end of each lesson to ensure that all pupils are successful.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Positive relationships abound. Pupils know that their teachers are there to help them and they work well together and with each other. Adults model good relationships, attitudes and language. Classrooms are well presented and pupils’ work is celebrated and carefully displayed, all contributing to a positive working atmosphere where pupils feel safe and supported.  In the best lessons, thought-provoking and challenging questions are asked to develop pupils’ understanding further. Pupils are given time to develop their own ideas. Resources relevant to pupils’ own life experiences, including film clips and well-selected texts, are used effectively to excite and motivate pupils further. Marking frequently provides clear advice on the next steps to learning, which encourages pupils to respond and improve their own work.  These positive features are not yet universal, however. In the small minority of lessons that

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The quality of teaching is good

require improvement some inconsistencies remain. In these lessons, pupils are not sufficiently stretched or challenged and opportunities for learning independently of the teacher are limited. Teachers’ comments in workbooks are not always sharp enough to indicate to pupils what they have to do to improve. Teachers’ comments or questions are not always followed up by the pupils. As a result, pupils lose interest in their work and make less progress than could be expected.  Teachers use adults in class well to provide additional support in small groups so that when needed there is always someone near to help and check on pupils’ work. This helps pupils of all abilities to make progress in their lessons.  Opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are well provided for. For example in a Year 6 literacy lesson, pupils considered deeply the relationship between a father and daughter through a moving animation which stimulated much discussion; similarly in

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The quality of teaching is good

a school assembly pupils were encouraged to 'walk in another’s shoes' and thereby develop their sense of human kindness, humility and mutual self-respect.  Literacy and numeracy are taught well at every opportunity. For example, in a Year 4 history lesson, pupils were taught to spot Anglo-Saxon place names in towns on the London Underground map, and thereby learned how to spell them correctly. In a Year 5 numeracy lesson, pupils were taught how to estimate numbers and calculations and then apply these to real-life situations. Regular and systematic teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) receives high priority in staff training enabling teachers to be consistent in their approach.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well. They are considerate and support each other throughout their time in school. Older children are good role models to younger children; teachers lead by example and promote respect, tolerance and care. The school is a cohesive community where the cultural diversity of its community is universally understood and celebrated. This provides a strong sense of spiritual, social and moral purpose for all pupils.  Parents and carers are universally supportive of the school and are very pleased with the recent progress that the school has made. Every effort is made to include parents and carers who do not speak English or who are reluctant to come to school. Parents and carers have many opportunities to contribute to the developments that the school is making and to provide useful feedback.  Parents, carers and pupils report that school is enjoyable and a safe place to be. Incidents of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

bullying are rare and pupils are well prepared to deal with all types of bullying and they know how to stay safe. Assemblies and personal development lessons have taught pupils about e- safety. Pupils who volunteer as play leaders add an extra dimension to the support that the school can offer to those who may be feeling uncertain.  Behaviour in lessons is generally good and low-level disruption is rare and more likely to occur in lessons that are not interesting or demanding enough. The school’s behaviour policy is understood well and consistently applied. Rewards and appropriate sanctions are systematically used, understood and appreciated.  The special educational needs team makes sure that those pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are cared for well. Partnership working with outside agencies is effective in providing specialist help and advice not available in school.  Attendance has improved and is now above average. Those pupils who are persistently absent

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are supported sensitively and helped to return to school. Pupils clearly like coming to school and particularly enjoy being part of the school community. This is exemplified by one pupil who commented, ‘It feels very homely when we learn and play here. It really feels like family.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher is well respected by parents and carers, pupils, staff and governors. He is supported very well by both the senior and middle teams of leaders. All who work at the school are behind his efforts to do the very best for every individual child and to secure his vision to work ‘together as one’. The staff at the school now form a strong team which is highly committed to moving the school forward. All say that they are proud to be part of the school.  Well-laid plans have directed all the actions following the last inspection. The progress of these actions is closely monitored by leaders at all levels. Regular evaluations provide an accurate picture of where the school is and these enable school leaders and governors to identify where it needs to go next.  Much has been achieved in a very short time and all the systems are in place to promote the good levels of teaching, behaviour and achievement that are needed. A highly effective tracking

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The leadership and management are good

system has been set up that gives a clear view of the progress of each individual child and this is directing where effort is needed to secure good levels of progress across the school.  The school understands that there is inevitably a time lag between action and impact. While it is too soon to see an impact upon results at the end of Key Stage 2, the early signs of success show that the school has the capacity for further and sustained improvement.  While there have been many staff changes over the past year, all teachers receive the support and encouragement that they need to meet the school’s high expectations. Performance targets are set for each teacher which are clear and challenging, and relate directly to securing the achievement of all pupils in their class.  A recent curriculum review has resulted in a learning programme which ensures broad coverage of subjects based on a systematic building of skills. There is suitable emphasis on English and

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The leadership and management are good

numeracy in order to build pupils’ basic skills and to prepare them well for the next stage of their education.  The local authority has provided effective support and challenge to the school. It has provided help at senior leadership that has stabilised the school. Intervention work by local authority consultants has been effective in improving schemes of work and teaching, including the teaching of phonics.  There is a collective vision for the school to develop the whole child. This is reflected in the strong emphasis on spiritual, moral, social and community dimensions that exist in the school curriculum. Resources mirror the diverse nature of the school community and the school environment reflects and celebrates this, for example in the recent displays during Black History Month. The school effectively promotes equality of opportunity for all pupils.  The governance of the school:  Following the last inspection, governors mobilised themselves into action. Membership has

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The leadership and management are good

been strengthened and stabilised. All governors have a vested interest in the school and give up much of their time to perform the necessary functions. The governing body has reorganised its structure and smaller committees have been set up to look at various aspects of provision in greater depth. It is given clear and comprehensive information from the executive and associate headteachers with emphasis on the detail of pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. The governing body is fully involved in school self-evaluation, setting targets and managing the finances. It ensures that pupil premium funding is making a difference to the attainment of those receiving it and it makes sure that teachers’ performance and pay are linked to the expected teachers’ standards and the way teachers are improving pupils’ achievement. As a result, the governing body understands the school well and is able to be more challenging and influence its future direction. All statutory duties, including those

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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 102798 Local authority Redbridge Inspection number 399635

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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 Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 541 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Low Headteacher Danvir Visvanathan Date of previous school inspection 8–9 November 2011 Telephone number 020 8478 3601 Fax number 020 8478 2882 Email address admin.cleveland-jun@redbridge.gov.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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