Aldersbrook Primary School

Aldersbrook Primary School Ingatestone Road, Wanstead, London, E12 5HL

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Inspection dates 31 January–1 February 2013

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Some pupils are not making fast enough progress, and do not achieve well enough in mathematics and English.  Some lessons lack engaging actives and pupils’ understanding is not checked regularly in some of the teaching.  Pupils’ assessment information is not always used effectively to plan lessons to fully meet needs, especially for the more able.  Pupils are not given enough opportunities to respond to marking and feedback from teachers in mathematics and there are not enough opportunities in English lessons for extended writing.  Leaders do not make full use of pupils’ assessment information to promptly identify slower rates of progress in classes and year groups.  Some newly appointed middle leaders have not had enough opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching and learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher is relentless in her drive to see pupils’ achieve and secure further improvements.  She is well supported by a now more focused senior leadership team. Their monitoring and the training provided are beginning to improve the quality of teaching and learning.  Pupils behave well and enjoy coming to school; there is an inclusive atmosphere where all pupils feel safe and valued, and enjoy the many extended activities.  Pupils are given detailed comments for improvement in English, and targets for improvement, shown in pupils’ books, are checked frequently.  Governors are very involved in the work of the school and continuously challenge leaders to improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress.  There are many one-to-one and small-group support sessions in the school and as a result, pupils receiving this support make good progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 30 lessons, of which three were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The team also spent time in Nursery and Reception classes observing the quality of teaching and support that is given to children.  The team had several meetings with the headteacher and assistant headteacher to gain an accurate evaluation of the progress that pupils make throughout the school.  Meetings were also held with the associate adviser and the Head of School Improvement from the local authority and the Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors considered parents’ and carers’ views of the school through discussions and the 83 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). There were also discussions with pupils and staff. The team had lunch with the pupils and listened to them read.  The team examined a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current

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Information about this inspection

progress, and planning and monitoring documentation. They looked at attendance figures, pupils’ work, the school’s improvement plan and behaviour records.

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Inspection team

Janice Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Theresa Mullane Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector Jill Thewlis Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a much larger than average primary school.  About a quarter of pupils are known to be eligible for additional support through the pupil premium funding and this is lower than the national average.  The percentage of pupils from ethnic backgrounds other than White British is above the national average.  The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is in line with the national average; the proportion of those supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2010 and the current senior leadership team has

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Information about this school

been fully in place since April 2012; some middle managers were appointed in September 2012.  Ten new members of staff were appointed in September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning overall, and especially in Key Stage 2, so that it is consistently good by ensuring that:  assessment information is used effectively in planning so that lesson activities fully meet the needs of all pupils, including the more able  all lessons contain a sequence of engaging activities and move at a brisk pace  pupils’ understanding is checked regularly through questioning and by providing opportunities for self- and peer assessment.  Improve pupils’ achievement, particularly in English, by:  providing frequent opportunities for pupils to undertake extended pieces of writing that provide a good level of challenge to all pupils.  Improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics in particular by: – ensuring that marking in mathematics provides all pupils with clear advice on how to improve their work.  Strengthen leadership and management by:  ensuring that full use is made of assessment information so that underachievement in

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

particular year groups or classes is promptly identified  creating more opportunities for newly appointed middle leaders to focus more sharply on monitoring the weaknesses in quality of teaching so that they can use this information to help ensure that lessons are always challenging for all pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because the rate of pupils’ progress, including those from different ethnic backgrounds, is not fast enough in some year groups, especially in Key Stage 2.  Children enter the Nursery with skills that are well below expectations for their ages in communication and language skills. They make good progress in Nursery and Reception and achieve well.  By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is similar to the national average; most pupils make steady progress, with a few making better progress. In the 2012 Year 1 linking of letters and sounds check, pupils attained above the national average.  Attainment is above the average by the end of Key Stage 2; pupils make better progress in their last year of school, due in part to smaller class sizes and more small-group support sessions. Progress in other year groups, especially that of more-able pupils, is not consistently strong and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

is better in some year groups than others.  Where it does occur, slower progress is due in part to weaknesses in planning and consequently lesson activities do not fully meet individual needs, especially for the more able.  In mathematics lessons pupils do not receive clear enough guidance on how to improve or extend their knowledge, and in English the opportunities for extended writing are too limited. These factors limit pupils’ progress.  Some groups of pupils make faster progress overall. Most pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress because there are good monitoring systems in place for identifying pupils’ needs and effective intervention programmes provide good support and guidance.  Most pupils who are eligible for extra support under the pupil premium initiative make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics; the average points score for those eligible for free

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

school meals is above the national average. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similarly good progress. The good progress of these groups is due to the targeted support they receive through one-to-one and small-group provision.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because some lessons do not provide sufficient challenge.  Assessment information is not used effectively enough to ensure that lesson activities are always challenging. Some lessons proceed at too slow a pace and activities are not sufficiently engaging. In some lessons, there are not enough regular checks on pupils’ understanding and teachers’ questioning does not always challenge pupils sufficiently to reflect and extend their knowledge.  Although pupils read and respond to teachers’ feedback more regularly in English, they are not given enough opportunities to respond to comments from teachers in mathematics so that they can improve their work.  In some lessons, especially in Key Stage 2, pupils all do similar repetitive activities and there are very few tasks that challenge and extend the abilities of pupils, especially the more-able pupils. Some lessons with a focus on writing do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to produce

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

extended pieces of work, or to evaluate their own and each other’s work.  Throughout the school, there are many one-to-one or small-group support sessions, with senior leaders also teaching some of these sessions. As a result, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and those eligible for pupil premium funding receive very structured, tailored guidance that enables them to make good progress in lessons. This is also effective in most sessions that are led by teaching assistants.  The quality of teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is generally good with effective linking of letters and sound sessions; lessons move at a brisk pace that promotes engagement and enjoyment. In most lessons, children make good progress because of detailed planning that effectively covers all areas of learning.  The rate of progress in guided reading sessions is not fast enough in some instances. In some

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

lessons, most pupils who receive focused attention from either the teacher or teaching assistants make good progress but groups that are left to work independently sometimes do not receive enough guidance from teachers and their understanding is not checked regularly and as a result, their progress slows.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is mostly good because pupils enjoy coming to school and most behave well in lessons. Sometimes behaviour is less than good when lessons are not engaging and do not meet the needs of all pupils; where low-level disruption occurs, it is challenged and pupils respond well.  Staff offer praise and consistently apply the behaviour policy and ‘Golden Rules’. Pupils know that they are expected to be ‘kind, helpful, honest, respectful, care for the school environment and do your best’. Consequently, there has been a reduction in the use of racist language and bullying actions. Pupils say that there are few incidences of bullying of any type, but that staff respond quickly when it does occur and the solutions are effective in preventing a repeat of the negative actions.  Parents and carers interviewed, and those who responded to Parent View, say that pupils are well behaved and the school keeps their children safe. The parents and carers interviewed praise

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the extended activities that the school offers and are happy that pupils’ attendance is celebrated in assemblies. Pupils attend school regularly and their attendance is above the national average. Pupils also know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and in different situations in and outside of the school environment.  In Nursery and Reception classes, relationships are very positive and children are confident and settled. Adults interact well with the children and enable them to reflect on their learning through good questioning; consequently, their language skills develop well from the discussions with staff.  There is an inclusive atmosphere in the school where all pupils are treated equally and any form of discrimination has been tackled effectively. At breaks and lunchtimes pupils enjoy playing in the two large playgrounds with safe climbing equipment, and they use the markings for games

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

to keep fit through physical activities.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement in some areas. In particular full use is not made of assessment information on pupils’ progress to ensure that year groups or classes that are making slower progress are always identified promptly.  Although there is training provided for middle leaders, some are new in post and have not had enough opportunities to assist in monitoring the quality of teaching. Consequently, the impact they have on improving the quality of teaching and learning is not yet strong enough.  There are many training opportunities for teachers to develop and teaching is improving but some inconsistencies still exist in the quality of teaching as leaders have not rigorously monitored the impact of the training on pupils’ learning and many new teachers have recently joined the school.  Senior leaders regularly monitor teaching and hold teachers to account. However, this monitoring has not yet been effective enough in ensuring consistently good teaching, especially

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The leadership and management require improvement

in Key Stage 2.  The school now has a stronger senior leadership team. Since the headteacher has been in post, she has created an inclusive school environment that is now more focused on pupils’ achievement. She is supported well by the deputy headteacher who shares her high ambitions for the pupils and together they have developed a good team of senior leaders who communicate and model high expectations in the school community.  The impact of senior leaders has been good in some respects. In particular, progress is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage; pupils’ literacy skills are improving and some groups of pupils are now making good progress overall.  Leaders have organised effective one-to-one and small-group support sessions to ensure that pupils have equal opportunities to achieve and this has been effective particularly in Year 6, where pupils make faster progress than in other year groups in Key Stage 2.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The curriculum is now being constantly reviewed, with pupils consulted to ensure that topics are of interest to them. Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is promoted effectively through activities that encourage teamwork and interaction. Consequently, pupils work well in groups and each feels that they are listened to and their opinion valued. Pupils are knowledgeable about different cultures and assemblies are used to provide information on various cultures.  The pupil premium funding has been used effectively to provide various extra intervention support programmes that have increased eligible pupils’ rates of progress.  The school has worked closely with the local authority to secure improvements, notably in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in the quality of feedback given to pupils.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive of the school and are aware of their responsibilities to ensure

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The leadership and management require improvement

that the school is safe and enjoyable for all pupils. They know how the school compares to other schools nationally and challenge leaders to ensure that pupils make good progress, especially in their last year of school. However, at the time of the inspection, they had not fully realised that pupils make different rates of progress across the school. They effectively monitor the spending of the pupil premium funding and ensure that good support programmes are in place for vulnerable pupils. Governors know that teachers are held to account for pupils’ progress and have supported the headteacher in monitoring the quality of teaching in the school. They agree specific and measurable targets and constantly seek information on the improvements made in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. Governors have attended many training events. They are aware of the headteacher’s monitoring of teachers’

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The leadership and management require improvement

targets and that teachers’ pay increases are closely aligned to pupils making good or better progress. Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and are 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 102823 Local authority Redbridge Inspection number 404844

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 661 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tracey Adebowale-Jones Headteacher Misbah Mann Date of previous school inspection 1–2 December 2010 Telephone number 020 8989 0210 Fax number 020 8518 8993 Email address admin.aldersbrook@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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