The Stonebridge School

School report Stonebridge Primary School Shakespeare Avenue, London, NW10 8NG

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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.  Significant aspects of the school have improved since the previous inspection and are now good.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well. From low starting points, by the end of Year 6, they have largely caught up with most eleven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is good and occasionally it is outstanding. In the majority of lessons, teachers set suitably demanding activities and pupils receive good written and verbal advice on how to improve further.  Pupils from different groups, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress. Their needs are very well understood and they receive good support.  Behaviour is good, in lessons and around the school. Pupils feel safe, they have positive attitudes towards school and enjoy learning.  School leaders share a common determination to ensure that the school continues to improve. Leaders have been successful in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improving the quality of teaching and this has led to improved achievement, raising the standards of reading, writing and mathematics across the school.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are well taught. They make good progress because teachers and adults place a strong emphasis on developing their enjoyment of reading and early writing skills.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not high enough to result in all pupils making rapid progress. Pupils are not always given opportunities to take responsibility for their learning and challenge themselves.  Teachers do not always make clear to pupils how to improve their work and reach their learning targets.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons, two jointly with the headteacher. In addition, they made a number of short visits to observe support and small-group sessions for pupils at risk of falling behind and pupils in need of extra language support.  Inspectors spent time in the main school and the newly opened Annexe, observing lessons and speaking with pupils and staff in both locations.  Inspectors attended two school assemblies and visited the school’s breakfast and after-school clubs.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and met with two different groups of pupils. They spoke with two school governors and a representative of the local authority. They also spoke to school staff, including senior and subject leaders.  Inspectors noted the views of 44 parents who responded to the on-line Parent View survey and spoke to parents and carers who were bringing their children to school. They also took account

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Information about this inspection

of a small number of letters received from parents during the inspection.  The inspection team reviewed the responses to 49 staff questionnaires completed during the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ current progress, planning documents, checks carried out by leaders on the school’s effectiveness, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Aune Turkson-Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Clementina Olufunke Aina Additional Inspector Colin Lower Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools and has recently opened a new facility, known as the Annexe, to accommodate an additional 180 pupils, from Reception through to Year 3. This currently comprises four classes with 61 pupils in total and is located a short walk from the main school site.  A higher-than-average proportion of pupils enters the school roll later than the usual starting points.  The majority of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speaks English as an additional language is well above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding provided for looked after children, those known to be eligible for free school

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Information about this school

meals and pupils with a parent in the armed forces, is also well above average.  The breakfast and after-school clubs on site are managed by the governing body.  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 outstanding teaching by:  making sure that all teachers consistently create more opportunities in lessons for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning, so that they challenge themselves when presented with a range of choices  making sure that all pupils respond to the high-quality written and verbal feedback, showing that they understand how to improve their work and reach their targets.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 At the various ages at which they enter the school’s roll, pupils’ skills and abilities are usually well below those usually found. Pupils make good progress through the school and by the end of Year 6 are reaching standards which are broadly in line with most eleven-year-olds. School information and current work inspected indicate that pupils are on track to improve further in both key stages in 2013.  Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals achieve well. Overall, pupils eligible for the pupil premium are edging ahead of their peers in school in English and mathematics. The previous gap has closed because the extra funding is used effectively to provide targeted support, the skills of a specialist reading teacher, home learning clubs and additional help through Saturday school.  Pupils’ standard of reading has risen over recent years and is now average. Less-able pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 show a secure grasp of the principles of reading. Pupils speak with

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The achievement of pupils is good

enthusiasm about their enjoyment of reading.  Writing standards have improved. Pupils gain their ‘pen licence’ with pride after striving to keep their writing consistently neat and presentable. Pupils write for a range of purposes with increasing competence.  In numeracy, pupils learn to apply their skills well when studying different topics, such as Automobiles, creating a tally of cars on a nearby road. This skill in applying previously learned skills contributes to raising their achievement.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good-quality support and achieve well as a result. Additional funding to provide specialised adult support for smaller groups daily has been highly effective in promoting these pupils’ success.  The achievement of pupils from minority ethnic groups is similar to that of other pupils. Those who speak English as an additional language also make good progress because the school

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The achievement of pupils is good

identifies their language needs early on and provides good support. Pupils achieve well because good quality teaching, and occasionally outstanding teaching, leads to rapid progress. However, not all pupils achieve at the highest levels, because not all teaching really stretches pupils’ thinking, independence and their ability to direct themselves to achieve.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching over time has enabled pupils to make good progress and achieve well. Teaching is occasionally outstanding.  Teachers and teaching assistants work closely and plan together well, carefully taking account of what pupils already know, understand and can do. This ensures that activities are suitably demanding for most pupils, engage their interest and motivate them well.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive high-quality support from teachers and specialist teaching assistants at the right level for them within lessons and in one- to-one or small-group activities. Their progress is carefully checked.  The best teaching plays to pupils’ skills as keen learners who willingly rise to the challenges set for them. For example, in a demanding English lesson, pupils created their own, high-quality drafts of a factual account of life in poor areas of an overseas country. They worked with

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The quality of teaching is good

confidence, helped others without being asked to and checked their work against their own personal learning targets, having been guided to in previous lessons, requiring minimal help from the teacher.  Teachers are sometimes very effective in creating opportunities for pupils to apply ideas so that they can understand how they learn and thus achieve greater success. This is particularly evident in the best lessons; however, this good practice is not consistently widespread across the school and sometimes teachers do not explain enough when setting out their expectations, or help pupils to take charge of their own learning. As a result, progress slows.  Children begin to develop their reading and writing skills well across subjects from the time they enter the school in the Nursery and Reception classes. This close attention to speech and language helps them to overcome early barriers to learning and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In numeracy, teachers create good opportunities for pupils to find their own methods to solve problems. This has helped pupils to develop their skills well.  Marking is good in most lessons and subjects. The ‘spice it up orange’ helps to encourage pupils to write their own response in orange pen and shows teachers how well they understand. Nevertheless, teachers do not always give detailed enough feedback to help pupils reach the highest levels in their work, or make sure that pupils respond to their comments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents, carers and staff who expressed an opinion agreed that behaviour in lessons and around school has improved. Pupils are polite and generally well behaved, respond well in class, especially when teaching is good or better, and show positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils are proud of their school, speaking positively about how the atmosphere has changed for the better. They treat each other with mutual respect and are tolerant of each other’s differences. Pupils from different years act as school councillors, known as Article 12; they enjoy ‘having a voice’ and are particularly pleased by their tuck shop, open three times a week at break, serving hot chocolate in the school hall.  Staff manage pupils’ behaviour consistently well across the school and, added to the high regard which they show for pupils, this has contributed directly to the calm and positive atmosphere in the school. Behaviour is not yet outstanding because pupils do not manage their own behaviour

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

to a high enough standard without the need for adult intervention.  There are few instances of bullying, and these are dealt with effectively by staff. Pupils understand risk and know about different types of bullying and how to keep themselves safe. They say that they feel supported by adults in school. There are few racist incidents and discrimination is not tolerated.  Older pupils willingly take on responsibilities and spend time with Nursery and Reception children at break and lunch times, effectively acting as positive role models.  Attendance has improved and has risen to broadly average because the school has been active in raising attendance and informing families of the important link between attendance and achievement. The school also uses the services of other professionals to tackle unauthorised absence and strengthen contact with families who struggle to ensure their children attend

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and school leaders have successfully changed the climate in school to one where pupils are keen to succeed. School leaders have been successful in raising standards of reading, writing and mathematics across the school because leadership roles have evolved and strengthened. Staff are unanimously positive and praising of the leadership team.  School leaders have established the Annexe to ensure new pupils settle quickly to gain maximum benefit from the good provision.  The school reviews all aspects of its work regularly and has developed good systems to track and monitor pupils’ progress. Leaders act quickly to address any gaps and make sure that the pace of progress is not hampered. Plans to raise standards are linked directly to the checking of teaching and learning and pupils’ progress.  Leaders make sure that the way they check on teachers’ performance links directly to whole-

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The leadership and management are good

school priorities, the impact on pupils’ progress and, in turn, staff salaries. This has raised the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning.  Pupils are taught a broad and interesting range of subjects and topics. This is supported by a large number of extra-curricular clubs and activities. Special events and trips, such as the Years 5 and 6 residential week in Hampshire, provide inspiring and memorable experiences, which help to boost pupils’ environmental awareness and develop good levels of spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. The school has strong links with the local community, and boosts cultural knowledge with a series of visits and trips.  Pupils enjoy the different subjects they study and high proportions involve themselves in after- school clubs. Pupil premium funding enables those who are eligible to participate in a wide range of activities and also provides free access for them. This has helped pupils to feel more

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The leadership and management are good

settled and be more fully included in the life of the school and has secured their good progress.  Equal opportunities are rigorously promoted. No pupil, regardless of background or need, is denied access to anything the school has to offer.  The local authority has supported the school well. It has contributed to improvements in the quality of teaching and learning over time and has helped to raise the quality of the provision, especially in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The governance of the school:  Governors work exceptionally well in close partnership with school leaders. They have a good understanding of information on pupils’ progress, and use it to make comparisons with other schools. Governors are committed to enhancing and refreshing their own skills with additional training and use this to improve aspects of the school. They make regular visits to check directly on key areas of the school’s work such as achievement, the quality of teaching and

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The leadership and management are good

leadership and management. This helps them to have a thorough knowledge of the school’s strengths and what still needs to improve. Governors also ensure that financial resources are efficiently managed including pupil premium funding. Governors see that targets to improve the performance of staff are checked carefully and that teachers’ pay is linked to how well pupils are doing. Governors also ensure that the breakfast, after-school clubs and the new Annexe are well run.

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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 101521 Local authority Brent Inspection number 400485

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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 476 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Adam Harris Headteacher Sophie Allen Date of previous school inspection 27 May 2010 Telephone number 0208 9656965 Fax number 0208 8380784 Email address admin@stonebridge.brent.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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