Schools & FE · School inspection (CIF)
St Andrew's CofE Primary School
Summary
What we read, and from where
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- Inspection date verified
25 Apr 2013
- Inspectors verified
Gill Bosschaert, Noureddin Khassal, Sharona Semiali
- Leadership and management AI-checked
Requires improvement
- Overall effectiveness verified
Requires improvement
- Previous overall verified
Outstanding
- Postcode verified
EN1 3UL
- Name on report verified
St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School
- URN verified
102029
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Hollow rings show the previous inspection, 2009.
- OverallRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
Reads more critically than most reports of this type graded Requires improvement.
Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.
How the report reads, start to finish
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Strengths
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Concerns
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No strong criticism found.
Next steps
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- Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because there are too many inconsistencies in the rate of pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2, especially in writing. p.1
- Teachers do not always provide activities which challenge pupils to extend and deepen their learning, particularly in writing p.1
- Teaching is not yet good because in some lessons teachers do not give enough opportunities for pupils to research and work independently. p.1
- Teachers’ marking does not always inform pupils how well they have done and how they can improve their work to move on to their next steps in their learning. p.1
- Subject leaders and those with whole- school responsibilities are not yet secure in their understanding of information about pupils’ progress to help raise pupils’ achievement. p.1
- Governors are not sufficiently clear about their responsibility to challenge leaders about the school’s performance. p.1
- Consequently, they have not been aware of p.1
- Improve the quality of teaching to be consistently good or better by ensuring that: activities are hard enough for pupils of all abilities, especially in writing pupils are given regular independent activities to stretch their thinking marking is used consistently to inform pupils how well they are learning and how to improve, and that time is given to respond to teachers’ advice. p.3
What the report dwells on
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Safeguarding2
“Safeguarding meets statutory requirements.” p.6
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 9
- Words of findings
- 2,143
- shorter than usual (typical 3064)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 49, typical 47
- Average sentence
- 19 words
- Next steps
- 8
- typical 8
- Hedged sentences
- 8%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School 116 Churchbury Lane, Enfield, EN1 3UL
p.1
Overall effectiveness
Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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
p.1
This is a school that requires improvement. It is not yet good because
Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because there are too many inconsistencies in the rate of pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2, especially in writing. Teachers do not always provide activities which challenge pupils to extend and deepen their learning, particularly in writing Teaching is not yet good because in some lessons teachers do not give enough opportunities for pupils to research and work independently. Teachers’ marking does not always inform pupils how well they have done and how they can improve their work to move on to their next steps in their learning. Subject leaders and those with whole- school responsibilities are not yet secure in their understanding of information about pupils’ progress to help raise pupils’ achievement. Governors are not sufficiently clear about their responsibility to challenge leaders about the school’s performance. Consequently, they have not been aware of
p.1
This is a school that requires improvement. It is not yet good because
the school’s decline since its previous inspection.
p.1
The school has the following strengths
The two interim headteachers have made a very positive start to taking the school forward. Relationships between adults and pupils and among staff are very good. Pupils behave well and have a positive attitude to their work.
p.1
Information about this inspection
The inspection took place over two days with a team of three inspectors. Inspectors observed 17 lessons and part lessons, some were joint observations with the interim headteachers and the acting deputy headteacher. Inspectors held discussions with pupils, teachers, the interim headteachers and the acting deputy headteacher, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, a representative from the local authority and a representative from the London Diocesan Board for Schools. Pupils’ work and teachers’ marking of pupils’ work were scrutinised. Inspectors looked at displays around the school and listened to pupils read. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class, at break times, and attended an assembly. Inspectors examined and discussed the leaders’ action plan and scrutinised the information on achievement of pupils across the school and over the past three years. Inspectors scrutinised monitoring records relating to the quality of teaching and learning, and
p.2
Information about this inspection
safeguarding records and attendance figures. Inspectors took account of the responses of 103 parents to the online Parent View survey. They also spoke informally to parents at the start of the school day.
p.2
Inspection team
Gill Bosschaert, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector Sharona Semiali Additional Inspector
p.2
Information about this school
The school is a larger-than-average, two-form entry primary school with a Nursery. Most of the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils supported by school action is higher than schools nationally. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is lower than schools nationally. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. These pupils are entitled to additional funding provided by the government through the pupil premium. The school currently does not have any children from service families or who are looked after by the local authority. There have been significant changes in staffing in the last two years. The previous headteacher retired at Christmas and the deputy headteacher took up a post of headteacher at Easter. There are two part-time interim headteachers who had been in place less than one week at the
p.3
Information about this school
time of the inspection; each has their own school. There is an acting deputy headteacher who took up a post in the school in September and was made acting deputy headteacher at Easter. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress for pupils at the end of Year 6
p.3
What does the school need to do to improve further?
Improve the quality of teaching to be consistently good or better by ensuring that: activities are hard enough for pupils of all abilities, especially in writing pupils are given regular independent activities to stretch their thinking marking is used consistently to inform pupils how well they are learning and how to improve, and that time is given to respond to teachers’ advice. Improve leadership at all levels by: ensuring that leaders and managers at all levels use progress information effectively to quickly identify and intervene where pupils are underachieving monitoring the impact of the school’s plans for improvement in helping to improve the quality of teaching and quicken pupils’ progress ensuring that governors hold school leaders to account for the performance of the school. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.
p.3
The achievement of pupils requires improvement
The achievement of pupils requires improvement because their progress is inconsistent in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2, especially in writing. Children enter the school with skills, knowledge and understanding that are slightly above those expected for their age. They make steady progress overall as they move through the school and by the end of Year 6 their attainment is still slightly above the national average. Pupils do not make consistently good progress over time, because some work is too easy and too much time is used to go over what they already know. This is particularly the case in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2, especially in writing. Progress in writing is improving as a result of new approaches to teaching and better understanding of teacher assessment. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills in other subjects or opportunities to write at length, especially in
p.4
The achievement of pupils requires improvement
lower Key stage 2 The pupil premium funding to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is used by the school to provide resources such as a lead teaching assistant for speech and language development. This funding is not currently sufficiently well monitored to ensure the individual needs of these pupils are supported. However, these pupils are making similar progress to their peers nationally and in 2012 all reached the standard expected for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics. This indicates that the gaps are closing for these pupils. Well-focused additional sessions ensure that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their peers. There are several different types of intervention programmes offering a range of support for pupils. Changes to the way some subjects are covered and taught are leading to improvement. For
p.4
The achievement of pupils requires improvement
example, pupils’ writing skills are being developed across different subjects such as religious education and humanities. However, weaknesses still remain in Key Stage 1 where pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length. Almost all of pupils met the nationally expected level in the sounds that letters make (phonics) screening check in Year 1 last year. This shows that they are developing phonic skills well as they are to blend sounds together when they tackle new words or trying to spell words. They continue to do well in reading as they move through the school. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because of a lively and stimulating environment for learning. They enter Key Stage 1 above what is typically expected for their age.
p.4
The quality of teaching requires improvement
The quality of teaching requires improvement because it is too variable in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2 with the result that in some classes pupils do not make enough progress, especially in writing. Hence, while the school is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, it is not yet ensuring that pupils throughout the school achieve well. Where teaching is not good teachers spend too long going through unnecessary explanations or spending time giving out books or worksheets. This means pupils do not have enough time to research independently or allow them to work on harder tasks which would stretch their learning further. In some lessons work is not demanding enough because teachers have not assessed what pupils already know before planning learning activities. As a result, pupils spend too much time going over what they already know rather than learning new skills and knowledge. Training provided by the local authority and support from the interim headteachers has
p.4
The quality of teaching requires improvement
resulted in further improvements to teaching but it is not yet consistently good or better. Pupils are not always clear on how to improve their work because the quality of marking is too variable. It often offers encouragement and praise to pupils but does not include guidance on how to improve their work. There are not enough opportunities for dialogue with the teacher or time for pupils to make corrections to their work. In the best lessons pupils are encouraged to discuss work and question together; they share ideas, which helps them to clarify their thoughts with the result that they make rapid progress because teachers’ expectations of what they can achieve is high. Teaching assistants generally make a valuable contribution to lessons by giving assistance. However, in a few cases they are not actively involved in supporting pupils and sit for too long listening to the teacher. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They are eager to learn and listen carefully to the
p.5
The quality of teaching requires improvement
teacher and each other. They are articulate and able to offer good examples to aid the learning of the class. They are willing to offer explanations to other pupils who are unsure of what to do sensibly and without fuss.
p.5
The behaviour and safety of pupils are good
Pupils behave well around the school and in lessons. They show respect for adults and each other due to the strong relationships established. In lessons, pupils work with each other in pairs or groups and share equipment well. They are keen to learn. They behave sensibly even when teaching fails to engage their enthusiasm. The school fosters good relationships well. It promotes five values chosen by the pupils: compassion, honesty, trust, cooperation and respect. These are used to reinforce good behaviour and generate topics for religious education and prayer. Pupils confirm that they are happy and feel safe in school. They understand many types of danger, from crossing the road to taking drugs. They are fully aware of other risks such as bullying and cyber bullying. One child stated that they do not have bullying in school, just disagreements, and pupils were able to show knowledge of the distinction between the two.
p.5
The behaviour and safety of pupils are good
Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated in the school. All parents who responded to the online Parent View survey or spoke to inspectors affirmed that their children feel safe in school, and the vast majority indicated that pupils behave well. Pupils’ books and displays around the school show that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on different spiritual and moral issues. Attendance is above average and pupils are punctual to school.
p.5
The leadership and management require improvement
Leadership and management require improvement because leaders, managers and governors have not been effective over time in arresting the decline in the school’s performance since the previous inspection. The new leadership team has made a good start at analysing the areas in need of development and is beginning to build on strengths in the school. Self-evaluation is improving but is still not sufficiently detailed. It has, however, enabled senior leaders to develop a prioritised action plan to move the school forward rapidly. This can already be seen in the improved teaching of writing across the school. In the past, plans for improvement have not been evaluated effectively in relation to their impact on the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. Subject leaders and those with responsibilities across the school have only recently been involved in checking information about the progress pupils are making and the quality of
p.5
The leadership and management require improvement
teaching in order to improve pupils’ achievement. They are at present insecure in their knowledge and understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility. The topic-based curriculum is providing more opportunities for pupils to write across subjects and is offering pupils more exciting opportunities to think. For example, in Year 1, the topic ‘What do mother’s hands do?’ encouraged a wealth of ideas from making cakes to making beds or putting on plasters. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a strength of the school and topics link literacy with religious education. For example, in Year 1, pupils looked at the character Simbar from Disney and investigated attributes such as kindness and helpfulness. Subject leaders and those with whole school responsibilities are clear that within their performance management objectives are areas linked to whole school improvement in their
p.5
The leadership and management require improvement
subject or area of responsibility. The interim headteachers have already observed every teacher for their performance management. As a result teachers are very clear about their progress against performance targets. Parents spoken to in the playground are supportive of the school as were those who responded to the on-line survey. Both the local authority and the London Diocesan Board for Schools have put in place support for teachers. This has been well targeted and appropriate to the needs of the school . Safeguarding meets statutory requirements. The governance of the school: Governors are very involved in the school and visit frequently. They have linked with individual classes to help them better understand strengths and weaknesses in the school. They are fully aware of how pupil premium funding is spent and are becoming more proactive in monitoring the impact of this spending, for example the decision to buy in a
p.6
The leadership and management require improvement
scheme to teach the sounds letters make and the appointment of a lead teaching assistant for the development of speech and language. However, they are not fully aware of their role in holding school leaders to account. They do not have sufficient knowledge of the data about the school’s performance and, consequently, have not been able to arrest the decline in the school’s performance since the previous inspection. They have always been involved in the headteacher’s performance management and are careful to see that performance salary points were only awarded to staff who have met performance targets. This process has not been rigorous enough in recent years. Governors meet their statutory duties and ensure that the school meets statutory safeguarding requirements.
p.6
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
p.7
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.
p.7
School details
Unique reference number 102029 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 413256
p.8
School details
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
p.8
School details
Type of school Primary School category Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 477 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rex Bourne Headteacher Cath Mann and Richard Yarwood Date of previous school inspection 9 March 2009 Telephone number 020 8363 5003 Fax number 020 8363 9618 Email address admin@st-andrews-enfield.enfield.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 .
p.8
School details
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p.9
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
p.9
School details
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p.9
School details
T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk
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