Roding Primary School

Roding Primary School Roding Lane North, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 8NP

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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 Good 2

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

 Teaching has not brought about sufficiently rapid progress over time. As a result, attainment had declined until recently.  Pupils do not learn basic reading skills quickly enough at Key Stage 1. Those who need most support are not heard reading often enough, either in school or at home.  Pupils are not making good progress in mathematics because there are gaps in their basic skills and some teachers’ subject knowledge is not strong enough to tackle this quickly.  Teaching does not fully meet the needs of some pupils, particularly the more able, who are not always given enough challenge.  Teachers do not always assess how well pupils are progressing in a lesson and adapt their teaching accordingly.  Pupils do not always respond to their teacher’s comments in their marking or understand what they should do to meet their individual targets.

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The school has the following strengths

 The executive headteacher supported by the associate headteacher and other senior staff have quickly identified why standards were falling. They have introduced greater rigour to checking the performance of the school, pupils and staff and are rapidly building the school’s capacity to meet its aims.  Considerable improvements to teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes since the last inspection mean children are now making good progress in these classes.  Pupils behave well, are very keen to learn and work together productively. Pupils say how secure they feel because staff and governors do all that they can to make the school a safe place for everyone.  The headteachers took immediate action to develop the skills of teachers and support staff. Where teaching still needs improvement, individual support is put in place and its effect checked very regularly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons or parts of lessons, of which eight were joint observations with senior staff.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff, members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 68 responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View) and held informal discussions with parents and carers at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information on the pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Martin Beale, Lead inspector Additional inspector Jennifer Barker Additional inspector Paula Protherough Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than most primary schools, and pupil numbers have risen over the last three years.  Half of the pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average, with an increasing number at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for funding through the pupil premium is broadly average. This is extra money given to schools for looked-after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average and falling.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average. This is because the school has specially resourced provision for 34 pupils with hearing impairment. The school provides outreach work across the

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Information about this school

borough in support of provision for hearing impaired children to the age of 18, and has some two-year-olds on assessment places.  The substantive headteacher left the school in November 2012. The school is currently led by an executive headteacher for two days each week, supported by an associate headteacher for four days each week.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a Nursery and two Reception classes.  The school meets the government’s current 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 consistently good and outstanding teaching by:  developing teachers’ expertise in mathematics so that gaps in the pupils’ learning can be plugged more rapidly  ensuring that all teachers have high expectations for the more able pupils and plan and deliver lessons that challenge their thinking at all times  adapting teaching in the light of assessments of the pupils’ learning as lessons progress  ensuring that teachers provide time for pupils to respond to the written comments in their marking and check that these are followed through  making clear to pupils their personal targets and how they are to be achieved.  Increase the rate at which pupils develop their early reading skills and raise their attainment by:  sharpening and bringing greater consistency to the teaching of basic phonics skills (letters and the sounds they make) through staff training  providing greater opportunity for these skills to be developed by ensuring pupils are heard

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

reading in school more often  providing more effective guidance for parents about how they can support their children’s reading at home.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards declined because the progress made by pupils across Years 1 to 6 in English and mathematics slowed down. This was reflected in the steadily falling results of tests and assessments at both Year 2 and Year 6. Progress was particularly slow at Key Stage 2 in mathematics, and attainment by the end of Year 6 was lower than in English.  The new headteachers have quickly taken action to halt and reverse this downward trend, and attainment is already rising rapidly in reading and writing because pupils are now making good progress. This has resulted from more systematic teaching of key skills and stimulating the pupils’ writing through reading high-quality books in class.  Basic reading skills are now being taught effectively as a result of training for key staff, including from local authority advisors. This is leading to improvements, but some inconsistencies remain, particularly in the frequency of opportunities for pupils to read to an adult.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Actions to improve mathematics are taking longer to tackle the gaps in the pupils’ basic skills and their application to solving problems.  There has been much improvement to the children’s achievement in the Nursery and Reception classes since the last inspection. They make good progress from starting points well below those expected for their age on entry and with an increasingly wide range of complex needs. The sharp focus on talk and role play, supported constantly by visual images, enables early learners of English to develop language skills quickly, and also supports the learning of hearing-impaired children well.  The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs had also slipped across Years 1 to 6 because mainstream class teaching was not sharply focused on their needs. Until recently, their learning was more effectively catered for when working on individual support

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

programmes or, in the case of hearing impaired pupils, when in individual tuition with a teacher for the deaf. Their progress is now more consistently good as teaching improves and meets their individual needs in class lessons.  The gap between the attainment of pupils supported through pupil premium funding and national expectations is starting to close, but this group of pupils in Year 6 were a year behind national averages in reading and mathematics in 2012, as seen in their average point scores in the national tests.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The impact of teaching on the pupils’ progress over time has not been good enough, partly because key skills were not being taught systematically and consistently across all classes.  Teaching is improving strongly as a result of effective monitoring and support for all staff. An increasing number of lessons are well taught, although this has yet to lead to sustained improvements in learning across all classes. Interesting methods and activities, supported by well-chosen and creatively used resources, are typical features of the most effective lessons.  Teachers in these effective lessons are skilled in the way they question pupils to check their understanding and draw out responses, often stopping lessons to review learning and for pupils to share their ideas with each other.  At times, however, expectations are still not high enough for the more able pupils and lessons are not planned carefully enough to meet their learning needs.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Often when a lesson requires improvement it is because teachers do not assess how well pupils are progressing and adapt what they are doing to help pupils learn more quickly.  Teaching has greatly improved in the Nursery and Reception classes since the last inspection. Much better use is now being made of the outside classrooms to link learning with what is happening inside. While assessment is thorough and used to ensure the children’s needs are met, staff do not always identify and challenge children who show signs of being potential high attainers.  The additional adults are deployed well in support of individuals and groups, which is leading to more rapid progress for pupils with disabilities and special educational needs.  Teachers’ marking has developed well. They now provide pupils with ways of improving their work by asking them to rewrite short sections or attempt mathematical problems. However, they

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

do not always check that these have been followed up. Furthermore, pupils are unclear about how this helps them to meet their personal targets.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The pupils’ good behaviour and highly positive attitudes make the school calm and purposeful. Pupils say behaviour has improved recently since the new headteachers have re-emphasised the school’s expectations of them. Relationships are warm and harmonious throughout the school.  Pupils try to do their best at all times, which contributes greatly to their improving learning. Their enjoyment of school is reflected in their rising attendance. Their paired and group work shows a sensitive appreciation of the feelings of others, and they often become involved in sustained and meaningful discussions about their learning. They respond quickly to their teachers and with the minimum of fuss because they are clear about what is expected of them.  Pupils of all ages are keen to make a contribution to the development of the school, including taking responsibility as school council representatives or prefects. A group of girls have taken the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

initiative and set up their ‘Helping Hands’ group to support anyone who might be feeling unhappy in school. Many are learning sign language so they can support their hearing-impaired classmates better.  Pupils report how safe they feel in school, which is endorsed by their parents and carers. They are aware of different types of bullying and are keen that it does not happen at their school. Pupils say that some recent cyber-bullying has been tackled swiftly by school staff. The school actively promotes tolerance and understanding in its drive to tackle discrimination but there have been a small number of incidents of racist name-calling, which have been dealt with immediately and have not been repeated.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteachers have made a significant difference to the school in a relatively short period of time and have quickly rallied staff around a vision that expects more of everyone. A key decision to place greater emphasis on teaching English and mathematics systematically across the school has already had a marked impact on the quality of teaching.  Leaders have also tightened up assessment procedures so they can track pupils’ progress more closely. Each teacher’s targets have been renewed so that only good progress by pupils in their classes will lead to salary increases. This has quickly led to teaching improving and having a much greater impact on the pupils’ learning.  Subject and phase leaders are being trained to take a greater lead in driving improvement forward in their areas. Not all weaknesses have been remedied, although everyone is quite clear about what is to be done next.  The engagement with the local authority has been a key factor in reviving the school’s fortunes,

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The leadership and management are good

not least by bringing in the headteachers to a school that was causing concern. Partnerships with other local schools are being used well for teachers to observe high-quality teaching and build this into their own practice. This has led to rapid improvements in their teaching.  One key priority of the headteachers is to strengthen links with parents. They have provided more information about their children’s progress through daytime consultations between Year 6 teachers, pupils and their parents. Along with other staff, they have identified that the school has not engaged enough with parents about how they can support their children’s reading.  The school’s provision for hearing impaired pupils and the much-valued quality of its outreach work across the borough is testament to its commitment to equality of opportunity. Pupil premium funding is starting to make a difference, for example when used on individual tuition,

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The leadership and management are good

although at times it is used to subsidise activities already taking place rather than additional programmes.  Making pupils’ experiences interesting and successfully promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development have remained key priorities for the school. Teachers are more sharply focused on the systematic development and application of key skills while retaining the best of the topic themes. There is a particularly strong emphasis on the natural world and an appreciation of nature through topics such as ‘Deadly 60’ in Year 4 and the ‘Forest School’ experience. Pupils talk enthusiastically about artists and enjoy listening to music. They learn to appreciate film and literature and are able to discuss the motives and feelings of characters.  The governance of the school:  Governors recognise that their impact is becoming more effective. There is greater collaboration with the school’s leadership and they are challenging the headteachers to bring

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The leadership and management are good

about improvements rapidly. Their understanding of assessment data is such that they are able to question the headteachers closely about the school’s performance compared with other schools and identify where they want to see improvements. Governors undertake regular training and have been supported in developing their expertise by the local authority. They are clear that teaching needs improving and what the headteachers are doing about it, including making teachers’ formal targets more challenging. They are on top of the school’s financial situation and exploring how pupil premium funding can be better used.

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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 102830 Local authority Redbridge Inspection number 404845

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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 519 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Terrence Ward Executive headteacher Jas Leverton Date of previous school inspection 23–24 September 2010 Telephone number 020 8504 3706 Fax number 020 8506 1943 Email address admin.roding@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

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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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