Blair Peach Primary School

Blair Peach Primary School Beaconsfield Road, Southall, UB1 1DR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 make good progress from well below average starting points and reach average standards in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Teaching is generally good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and establish clear routines for learning. Teachers and pupils get on well with each other in lessons.  Pupils who need additional help or are new to learning English receive additional help which ensures these pupils make good progress.  Pupils are interested in their learning; they listen to each other’s views and work well with partners or in groups.  Pupils’ behaviour is good around the site and in lessons. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds get on well with each other. Pupils say they feel safe in school. All parents responding to the on-line questionnaire say behaviour is well managed and that their child feels safe in school.  Leaders, managers and governors have ensured that good standards of teaching and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils’ good achievement have been maintained over time.  Leaders and managers know the school well and improvement plans correctly identify areas for improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching; teachers do not always precisely match work to challenge more-able pupils and support less-able pupils. Lessons do not always proceed at a brisk pace and give pupils opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning.  Pupils’ progress tracking systems are complicated and not easily understood by all staff and governors so it is difficult to see who needs more help to make faster progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 26 lessons or part-lessons.  Four observations of lessons were carried out jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also observed senior leaders feeding back to teachers about the quality of learning and pupils’ progress in lessons.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and scrutinised their work in books.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, staff, pupils and a phone call was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed the 30 responses from the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the returns from the school’s own parental questionnaire. Inspectors spoke to parents as they brought their children to school and also to parents attending the special open-day in the Nursery.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and scrutinised documents including behaviour, attendance and safeguarding documents and minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Susan Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Akwal Gill Additional Inspector Ramesh Kapadia Additional Inspector Gail Robertson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Blair Peach is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds with a third of Indian heritage. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which in this school are pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is similar to national levels.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.  A higher proportion of pupils join or leave the school at points other than at the start of the school year.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the national minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ progress in English and mathematics.  Over half the teaching staff have changed since the previous inspection, including staff in middle leader positions.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so there is more that is outstanding by ensuring that:  teachers use assessment information to precisely match work to pupils’ needs and check regularly in lessons to make sure it is not too hard or too easy  lessons proceed at a brisk pace and pupils have more opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning.  Ensure that leaders and managers simplify pupil tracking systems so they can be shared and understood by all staff and monitored regularly by governors to ensure pupils make more accelerated progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good because pupils in different year groups across the school and over time make good progress in the school.  Children enter the school with skills and knowledge well below those expected for their age, especially in their communication and language development. When they leave Reception, their skills are closer to, but still below, those found nationally in most areas of learning, except children’s physical development, which is close to national levels. This represents good progress from their very low starting points on entry to the school.  The school prioritises the development of reading for all pupils, including those new to learning English. Pupils say they enjoy reading and are able to use strategies to help them with their reading including sounding letters and breaking up difficult words. They understand how books work and read regularly. Pupils at the early stages of learning English are given extra help with

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The achievement of pupils is good

their reading to help them catch up. In the phonics (letters and their sounds) check for Year 1 pupils in 2012, pupils reached similar levels to those found nationally.  In Key Stage 1 standards are average in writing and mathematics and have improved to be above average in reading. In Key Stage 2 standards are average in both English and mathematics. The school ensures pupils are well prepared for their next stage in education.  Different groups of pupils including Indian pupils and those new to learning English make good progress. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress. The school tracks the progress of individual pupils carefully and provides extra group tuition and one-to-one help for any pupils who may be in danger of falling behind. The school is effective in promoting equality of opportunity for pupils’ learning and in ensuring that discrimination is not

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The achievement of pupils is good

tolerated.  Pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium also receive additional support in small groups or in one-to-one sessions. Additional resources and staffing have been provided to help pupils with their learning; this includes, for example, smaller teaching groups for pupils in Year 6. Pupils are also supported in accessing trips and events to enrich the experience they have at school. These pupils make good progress and attain at a higher level than this group of pupils nationally. Their average point scores in English, both in reading and writing, are similar to other pupils in the school although there is a slight gap in mathematics where these pupils are approximately four months behind other pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is generally good and there is some that is outstanding. Reading, writing and mathematics are all taught effectively. However, there is not enough outstanding teaching for teaching to be outstanding overall and for pupils to make the best possible progress.  There are positive relationships between teachers and pupils in lessons and clear routines which support learning. Pupils are respectful of each other and listen carefully to each other’s views in lessons. They work well together with partners or in groups. They enjoy sharing their work with others.  Teachers have good subject knowledge, present lessons clearly and support pupils with individual help in lessons. They plan lessons carefully and include different activities. However, there are times when teachers do not take into account the exact levels of pupils in the class so as to ensure that work is challenging for all pupils, especially the more able, and that less able

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils have work at their level so it is not too difficult.  In the best teaching, teachers carefully plan work so all pupils are challenged and the teacher checks and adapts teaching during the lessons to ensure pupils’ progress is maintained. For example, in a Year 5 science lesson, the teacher planned work carefully for different groups and checked on pupils during the lesson to ensure the pace of learning remained fast. However, not all teachers check on learning in lessons and adapt their teaching if pupils’ progress starts to slow. Pupils do not always have opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning and to work together in groups or to comment on each other’s work.  Pupils are positive about teaching; they know their targets and their next steps to improve their work. All parents responding to the on-line questionnaire were also positive about the quality of teaching in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are friendly and welcoming to visitors and staff. They are polite and courteous in lessons and around the site. They are keen, well prepared and come in calmly, ready for work. They respect each other’s views and opinions. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds get on well with each other and respect each other’s differences. The school is effective in promoting positive relationships and ensuring discrimination is not tolerated.  There is a house system and points to reward good behaviour and attitudes. Pupils are proud to receive recognition for their efforts; for example, as one Year 1 pupil said about the ‘smiley face’ on a card she received, ‘It is a precious card.’  Pupils behave well in different teaching groups across the school. They work well when given opportunities to discuss their work or work in groups and support each other with their learning in lessons.  Pupils say behaviour is good in school and that there are no instances of bullying. They say

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

sometimes there is some falling out between friends. They know about different types of bullying including cyber, physical and verbal and are confident staff would help them if there was a problem. They say they feel safe in school. All parents responding to the questionnaire say behaviour is well managed in school and their child feels safe.  The school rightly promotes the importance of attendance; this has improved and is now average.  Behaviour is not outstanding because there are some instances where a few pupils do not behave as the school expects and sometimes pupils lose interest in learning in lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers have ensured that good standards of teaching and good achievement have been maintained over time despite changes to the teaching staff. New staff have been helped to quickly adapt to school policies and this has ensured consistency across the school such as with the management of pupils’ behaviour, routines in lessons and with marking.  Self-evaluation accurately identifies the strengths and areas for development in the school. Plans for improvement are focused on these priorities and shared with all staff with a clear timeline for actions each week. However, the systems for monitoring pupils’ progress are very complicated and this means that not all staff and governors understand how well pupils are progressing overall.  Procedures for the management of the performance of staff are rigorous. Teachers receive three targets, one linked to pupils making good progress, one to the national teachers’ standards and

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The leadership and management are good

the last linked to a wider area of responsibility in the school. All staff are responsible for the leadership of a subject or an area in school.  The school gives priority to the development of reading, writing and mathematics in the curriculum and teaches other subjects well through a themed approach with topics such as chocolate and the circus. Pupils learn Spanish and receive specialist teaching in music, art and physical education.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported effectively through assemblies, through learning about different cultures in lessons and themed events such as an event to learn about the English culture with a ‘tea party’ and ‘maypole dancing’. The school displays figures on entry to the school to celebrate different religions and ensures these are changed regularly. Parents of Nursery children enjoyed celebrating ‘mother’s day’ in school with

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The leadership and management are good

their children.  The local authority provides ‘light-touch’ support to this school and effective support provided is based on the school’s priorities for improvement, for example there has been some work to support the development of new middle leaders.  The governance of the school:  Governors are committed to the school and the Chair of the Governing Body has supported the school as a governor since the school opened. Governors understand data and have discussed published data on the school. They understand how the school compares with others in the local area and nationally. They receive regular reports from the headteacher on the quality of teaching in the school and pupils’ progress. However, school systems are very complicated and reports do not clearly show how well all groups are progressing in a way which is easy to understand. The school has introduced governor development days where governors receive training, meet with staff and visit lessons to see for themselves what the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching is like and how well pupils are progressing. They have discussed how pupil premium funding is spent and the difference this is making and have reviewed this for this school year. Governors receive external support for the performance management of the headteacher and sign off pay awards for staff. They are kept up to date if there are any concerns about staff performance. Governors ensure statutory duties are met including safeguarding.

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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 101892 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 413287

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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 3 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 513 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Madhav Patil Headteacher Anita Puri Date of previous school inspection 31 January–1 February 2008 Telephone number 020 8571 9947 Fax number 020 8574 0683 Email address apuri@blair-peach.ealing.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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