East Acton Primary School

East Acton Primary School East Acton Lane, London, W3 7HA

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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.  Standards in English and mathematics have risen rapidly since the previous inspection so that by the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with national averages and achievement is good.  Standards are rising in Years 3 and 5 because the school is addressing pupils’ underachievement through targeted support for pupils in these classes.  Increasing numbers of higher attaining pupils are gaining the higher National Curriculum levels by the end of Years 2 and 6.  Many pupils, who join the school speaking little or no English, develop confidence and quickly acquire language and communication skills that enable them to catch up and to make as much progress as their peers.  The range of themes and activities provided by the school ensures that children develop skills in a wide range of subjects, including the arts and sports, alongside lessons which encourage

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils to explore different faiths and cultures, this supports their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Teaching is usually good, with some examples of outstanding practice.  Pupils say that they feel very safe and well cared for. They enjoy taking responsibility for particular areas of school life, such as keeping the playground safe. Pupils enjoy school and this contributes to their above average attendance.  Governors know the school well and rigorously hold the school to account for its performance and the management of its finances.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are a few inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and not enough outstanding teaching to ensure that work set routinely meets the needs of all pupils, especially in Years 3 and 5.  There are missed opportunities for pupils to reflect and act on their teachers’ marking and guidance to make the necessary improvements.  The school provides opportunities to help parents and carers understand how they can support their children’s learning; however, engagement with these sessions, particularly for the increasing numbers of families who are new to Britain, or for whom English is a second language, is limited.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons, two of which were joint observations carried out with the headteacher. Inspectors also carried out a series of short visits to other lessons across the school, observed an assembly and listened to children read.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors took account of the 19 responses to the on-line Parent View questionnaire as well as the views of the parents they met.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including national test results and the school’s own information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s self-evaluation, improvement plans, safeguarding policies and records and documents relating to performance management.

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Inspection team

Lesley Leak, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jameel Hassan Additional Inspector Patricia Underwood Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school with a one form of entry and an additional class in Reception.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for the children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families, is much higher than the national average.  Just over 90% of pupils attending this school are from minority ethnic groups, which is much higher than the national average. Many of these do not speak English before they come to school. The largest minority ethnic group is from Arab speaking backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is about 5%. Around 10% of pupils are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs. These proportions are low compared with

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Information about this school

national averages.  The school meets the current government’s 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?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that pupils consistently make rapid and sustained progress by:  making sure that the work set by teachers is at exactly the right level of difficulty for all pupils, especially in Year 3 for English and mathematics and in mathematics in Year 5  increasing the involvement of pupils in identifying their next steps in learning and giving them more opportunities to respond to their teachers’ guidance and marking  giving pupils more opportunities to practise their numeracy skills across a range of subjects.  Strengthen the school’s engagement with parents and carers by :  ensuring that more of them, particularly those who are new to Britain, are proactively involved in supporting their children’s learning at home, especially with reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Many children enter the school with below age related expectations, often speaking little or no English. As a result of good teaching, pupils make good progress from their starting points and, having achieved well, are well prepared for their next stage of education. As a result, by the time they leave in Year 6, they have reached average standards in English and mathematics. Growing numbers of pupils are exceeding the standards expected for their ages, in English and mathematics.  Although the results of the phonics check for six-year-olds in 2012 demonstrate broadly average reading skills, in Year 1 this situation is improving as a result of better teaching. However, many pupils, especially the weakest readers, would benefit from more support with their reading at home.  Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics has improved since the last inspection. Pupils’ work and the school’s current records of their progress show that many pupils exceed

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The achievement of pupils is good

national expectations for mathematics and English by the time they leave Years 2 and 6, as a result of teachers’ higher expectations, well matched individual and small group support alongside the rigorous monitoring of standards.  The school is tackling the uneven rate of progress in writing, reading and mathematics in Year 3 and in mathematics in Year 5 through highly effective small group support. Pupils’ mathematical progress in these classes remains slightly slower than in other year groups because the pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to practise their numerical skills in other subjects.  Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are good because pupils are given many opportunities to discuss their ideas in pairs and small groups, such as through drama and role play. They are confident speakers in class discussions, where they are encouraged to give extended replies to teachers’ questions. This particularly supports those pupils who are new to learning English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, as well as pupils for whom English is an additional language, make good progress as a result of the school’s carefully planned and well-delivered additional help and support. For example, the recruitment of an Arabic speaking classroom assistant means that pupils who join the school from Arab speaking countries, with little or no English, are skilfully supported to make as much progress as other pupils.  Pupils eligible for support under the pupil premium initiative are making more progress in English and mathematics when their average point scores are compared with similar pupils nationally. They are also doing better than pupils who are not eligible for the funding. This is because funding has been effectively spent on meeting the needs of identified pupils through additional support and other small group activities in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The attainment of higher attaining pupils is significantly better than it was previously and this is reflected in the increasing proportions reaching higher National Curriculum levels at the end of Years 2 and 6.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching in the school is consistently good, with some examples of outstanding practice. A small minority of lessons require improvement.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 teaching is good. Staff provide a stimulating, happy learning environment where children quickly become confident learners and make good progress. The teaching of phonics is having a positive impact on pupils’ early reading and love of books.  Teachers create a highly positive learning environment which fosters good relationships and attitudes to learning. Teachers promote high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement.  In the best lessons, pupils are given speaking and listening opportunities to develop their analytical skills. For example, in an exemplary Year 2 literacy lesson, pupils enacted a poem in pairs and the high quality of their dramatic performances was enhanced by the pupils’ accurate

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The quality of teaching is good

assessments of their own and each other’s work.  The school actively promotes equal opportunities and tackles discrimination by ensuring that pupils who are not making sufficient progress are given extra help to achieve well. Senior leaders and support staff provide extra lessons for pupils who are not making sufficient progress and this is having a significant impact on all pupils’ rising attainment.  In class, much work is set at the right level for each pupil, but in a few lessons tasks are not accurately pitched. When this happens, pupils are not always clear about their next steps for success.  In the best lessons, pupils respond well to teachers’ challenging questions which require them to work things out for themselves. For example, in an outstanding Year 5 mathematics booster class, pupils were able to articulate a wide range of strategies they would use for estimating the answers to particular mathematical problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Adults who support pupils in need of additional help, including pupils who have special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language, are effective in the classroom because they are well trained on how best to support these groups of pupils.  Marking is regular and provides pupils with guidance on how to improve the quality of their work. However, pupils are not always clear about their next steps for learning and too often there are missed opportunities for pupils to reflect on their teachers’ guidance, to correct their mistakes or to attempt further challenges in order to consolidate what they have learned.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils say they are happy and feel safe at school. They act responsibly on the playground where they are well supervised. Their attitudes to learning are consistently good in lessons and play a significant part in pupils’ good achievement.  Pupils enjoy school and consequently their attendance is above average. They get on well together and collaborate successfully in pairs and groups. Pupils are respectful of each other and there is a harmonious atmosphere across the school. In the words of one insightful pupil, ‘No- one is ever left out here.’  All staff are consistent in their approaches to behaviour. The school has a clear behaviour policy, of which pupils are aware and, as a result, exclusions are rare.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe. Bullying is extremely rare as pupils fully recognise the importance of caring for each other and valuing each other’s views and opinions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Their understanding of the different types of bullying is secure and they are not only confident in the school’s ability to deal with incidents of bullying swiftly but also in their own effectiveness to settle minor disputes through their ‘playground friends’ scheme.  Pupils throughout the school value the many opportunities to take on important responsibilities, such as being playground friends, schools council members and prefects, and they are rightly proud of the outcomes of their work, such as the introduction of Halal meat to the school’s lunch time menus.  Where teaching is outstanding, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. In these lessons when teachers’ high expectations of what pupils can do are well communicated, pupils relish the chance to take responsibility for their own learning and consequently they achieve well.  Assemblies are used effectively by the school to encourage reflection on moral, cultural and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

spiritual issues. The impact of this is shown in the pupils’ respect for diversity and how well pupils treat one another. For example, during the inspection, World Book Day was a focus for celebration in the school’s assembly. Pupils dressed as their favourite characters from books, heard stories from all over the world and sang songs from a wide variety of cultures.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership team has been further strengthened by the rigorous and targeted support provided by the assistant headteachers and an unrelenting focus on improvement by the headteacher and the assistant headteachers since the last inspection. As a result of the senior team’s good management of staff performance, teaching is improving and the school maintains a strong capacity to sustain this improvement.  The headteacher and the new senior leadership team have been highly proactive in moving the school forward and there has been a marked improvement in the pupils’ attainment and progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and in the proportions reaching the higher levels in national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 as a result.  Senior leaders have established better pupil progress tracking systems so they can identify any pupils who are falling behind more quickly. As a result of extra lessons and support, often

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The leadership and management are good

provided by the assistant headteachers, to boost their progress in English and mathematics, most pupils, especially those who are eligible for the pupil premium and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve well over time.  The headteacher’s high expectations for improving the school are communicated effectively to the leaders in charge of subject areas, who are well supported and trained to improve the quality of teaching and raise standards in their areas of responsibility. Some of these middle leaders are new to the role and they have not yet had sufficient time to demonstrate their full effectiveness, but because they are closely mentored by the experienced assistant headteachers, good levels of achievement are maintained.  Central to the picture of improvement is the robustness of the school’s view of its own strengths and weaknesses and the investment in high quality training and professional development for

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The leadership and management are good

staff at all levels. These training sessions, which have included a whole school approach to phonics and writing, the incorporation of talk partners in lessons and teaching approaches to support bilingual learners, are all having a strong impact on rising attainment across a range of subjects.  Parents and carers are happy with the school; but, as many are new to Britain, the school is aware of their part in checking that parents and carers are well briefed on how to support their children’s learning at home, especially with reading. The school has invested in a parent support adviser who has helped many families, particularly those who are new to Britain, to become more familiar with the British education system. Yet organised events to support home learning, especially in the upper school, are not well attended.  The curriculum provides a suitable range of opportunities to meet the needs, abilities and

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The leadership and management are good

interests of pupils. The curriculum is broadened by a variety of enrichment activities, including French classes, residential trips and other exciting sports clubs and visits. During the inspection pupils in all classes were told stories by a professional story teller to enhance the school’s reading week.  There are many opportunities for pupils across the school to participate in activities that promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are taught about different religious faiths in religious education and time is made for moral and spiritual reflection in assemblies.  The school buys into the local authority’s high quality continuing professional development programmes for staff, which have underpinned its marked improvement since the previous inspection. The local authority has not felt it necessary to provide more than light touch support because of its confidence in its capacity to be a good school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective in its ability to challenge and support the school. Its members receive regular evaluations of the school’s performance and know what the school is doing well and where it could do better because they are fully involved in the school’s self- evaluation activities. Governors are rightly proud of the effectiveness of the school’s use of the additional funding, through the pupil premium, to narrow the gap in attainment. They pay close attention to the school’s evaluation of teaching and its management of staff performance in relation to pay progression. They encourage parents and carers to engage with the school but are aware of the need to increase their participation at events to help them support their children’s learning at home. They ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and that equal opportunity is promoted well. Members of the governing body

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The leadership and management are good

have been well trained by the local authority to fulfil their duties. The governing body holds the school to account for the management of its finances.

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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 101868 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 404787

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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 290 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nigel Williams Headteacher Sharon Bates Date of previous school inspection 9–10 March 2011 Telephone number 020 87620540 Fax number 020 87620545 Email address sbates@eastacton.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

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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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