Khalsa Primary School

Khalsa VA Primary School Norwood Green Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB2 4LA

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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.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and their attainment at the end of Year 2 is well above average.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress from their low starting points because of the high quality care and support they receive from adults.  All groups of pupils do well, including the weaker learners, because they are identified quickly and given effective support.  The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now good overall. Teachers have responded well to the support and training opportunities they receive to improve the quality of teaching.  The promotion of the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength.  Behaviour is good and pupils are very polite, respectful and friendly. They feel safe, enjoy coming to school and their attendance is high.  Parents and carers are supportive of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school, have high expectations for their children, and feel they do well in their learning.  Leaders are ambitious and have high expectations for the school. The headteacher has been effective in driving improvements and creating a highly motivated staff.  The governing body is effective and has been instrumental in bringing about improvements through appropriate support and challenge.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Higher attaining pupils are not challenged consistently in all lessons to enable them to reach their potential.  Not all pupils are clear about their learning targets and what they need to aim for in order to make progress with their work.  There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to respond to teachers’ comments in their books to deepen their understanding.  Middle leaders are not fully involved in monitoring the work of the school and checking the quality of teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 23 lessons, of which six were joint observations with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, and inspectors listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject coordinators, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, a community governor and a representative from the local authority. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents and carers in the playground at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a range of documentation including the school’s own performance data, an analysis of its strengths and areas for development, improvement plans, records of monitoring the quality of teaching, and records relating to behaviour and safeguarding.  Pupils’ work was also scrutinised to look at their progress, the quality of marking and feedback

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Information about this inspection

and the coverage of the curriculum.  The inspectors considered 22 questionnaires completed by staff.  The inspectors took account of 27 responses received from parents and carers to the on-line questionnaire, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Maura Docherty Additional Inspector John Collins Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized, voluntary aided Sikh faith primary school.  The majority of pupils are from Asian or Asian British Indian backgrounds, with pupils from any other ethnic background forming the next sizeable ethnic group.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and children of service families) is average. The school currently has no children who are looked after by the local authority or children of service families.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above the average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported by school action is above average; the proportion supported at school action plus or

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Information about this school

with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision for its pupils.  The school opened in September 2009 and currently has pupils aged from three to eight. The school is expected to reach full capacity in 2015 when it will have pupils up to the age of 11.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching from good to outstanding by ensuring that:  high attaining pupils are sufficiently challenged in all lessons so that they reach their potential  pupils are given more opportunities to respond to written feedback on their work to strengthen their understanding and take further responsibility for their own learning  pupils know their targets so that they know what to aim for in order to make progress with their work and evaluate their own learning.  Improve the effectiveness of middle managers by ensuring that they have the skills and opportunities to check up on the quality of teaching and to hold teachers accountable for their pupils’ progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 is significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils make good progress from their starting points. Progress is particularly strong in Years 2 and 3 because of good teaching, and this is reflected in the good quality of pupils’ work.  Children start school with skills and knowledge at lower levels than expected for their ages. They receive good support from adults who plan a range of indoor and outdoor activities to engage the children. The quality of teaching and children’s work has improved since the previous inspection. As a result, children make good progress across the Nursery and Reception classes, and, by the time they enter Year 1, their skills and knowledge are broadly in line with those typically expected for their age.  Pupils learn to read well and they are supported effectively by teachers and teaching assistants

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The achievement of pupils is good

in using their phonic skills (the sounds letters make) to work out and read unfamiliar or difficult words. Their good grasp of phonics is reflected in their much higher-than-average end of Year 1 phonic screening check scores. Pupils also enjoy reading at home. One pupil said, ‘I read to grown ups, and my grandfather is 85 years old!’  Leaders ensure that equal opportunities are promoted well in the school, particularly in relation to pupils’ achievement. They have effective systems in place, to track and check the progress of individuals and different groups of pupils, to identify those who need additional support.  Teachers and teaching assistants provide appropriate interventions for weaker learners through individual and small group support, to enable them make good progress with their learning. As a result, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and those who are entitled to

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The achievement of pupils is good

the pupil premium make similar progress to other pupils. The school has been successful in eliminating any gaps in attainment in all subjects between pupils entitled to the pupil premium and their peers at the end of Key Stage 1 because of the effective support they receive.  There is a good drive in lessons throughout the school to develop pupils’ listening and speaking skills and build their vocabulary. This particularly helps pupils who speak English as an additional language, who are able to improve their English quickly. As a result, they make similar progress to other groups of learners.  Pupils are given sufficient opportunities to write, including writing independently at length. Writing opportunities are also extended to mathematics where, for example, Year 3 pupils write about the steps they follow to solve a mathematical problem, with good use of connectives.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Leaders have improved the quality of teaching by monitoring lessons more frequently and providing appropriate support and training opportunities. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved and is good overall.  Some of the strong features of teaching include the positive relationships in classrooms, good questioning skills to test and develop pupils’ understanding, and the use of teaching assistants to support some of the weaker learners. However, more able pupils are not consistently stretched in all lessons to enable them to reach their potential, and sometimes opportunities are missed to move them on quickly to more challenging work.  There are good opportunities for pupils in lessons for speaking and listening and to practise their reading and build their vocabulary. Teachers and teaching assistants are also quick to correct any errors in pronunciation. These features are particularly helpful in improving the literacy and

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The quality of teaching is good

communication skills of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Pupils are able to explain their methods of working out mathematical problems with confidence. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils working independently with different silver coins to make up 45 pence explained that they were using a replacement method, making up the total using the biggest amounts first.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage benefit from engaging activities, both indoors and outdoors, with a good balance between child-initiated and adult-initiated activities. Children show confidence and independence. For example, in a Reception class, pupils learning about road safety were able to work individually and in small groups to construct a zebra crossing by cutting strips of black paper and putting them on white paper carefully to ensure equal spacing between the strips. Adults’ ability to speak in Panjabi with children at the early stages of learning

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The quality of teaching is good

English enables these pupils to be fully engaged in make good progress with their learning.  Pupils enjoy reading, and the teaching of phonics and guided reading contribute positively towards their good progress in reading. Weaker readers receive good support from teachers and teaching assistants.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength. Pupils are given opportunities to lead prayers in assembly, reflect on their lives and lives of others and respect other people’s views and beliefs. For example, in one Year 1 lesson about a visit to the church, pupils displayed good knowledge about what Christians believe in and how they pray, and were able to compare the church with the gurdwara.  Although marking of pupils’ work is good overall with comments on how to improve, teachers do not always provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to respond to their comments to enable

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The quality of teaching is good

them to improve their work. Some pupils, therefore, continue to make the same mistakes again.  Some pupils do not know their numeracy or literacy targets, and when their targets are in their books they are sometimes not ticked off and dated by the teacher. As a result, pupils do not always know what they are aiming for or when they have achieved their learning goal.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very friendly, courteous and respectful towards each other and adults. They greet visitors when they enter their classroom and engage in discussions with confidence.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and they enjoy coming to school to learn and do their best. Pupils feel happy at school and there is a strong sense of community and togetherness. As a result, attendance is above average.  Pupils respond positively to the school’s behaviour policy, which is consistently applied across the school by staff. The policy stresses the importance of good behaviour, being considerate towards others and having self-discipline.  Pupils say they feel safe in the school and can easily talk to adults if they have any concerns or worries. They also speak highly of the role of school monitors; as one pupil said, ‘They take care of everybody.’ They know about internet safety and how to keep themselves safe and are made

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

aware of road and fire safety issues.  Pupils say that bullying and other incidents of name calling are rare and this is reflected in the very low number of incidents recorded in the school’s behaviour log. There have been no incidents of exclusion. Staff, parents and carers have very high expectations of pupil behaviour in the school.  Occasionally, some of the younger children take too long to settle and become restless and lose concentration, particularly when listening to the teacher for too long. Some girls say that sometimes ‘boys take up too much space in the playground’ and they have ‘little space to do things’.  All parents and carers responding to the Parent View agree that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governing body are highly ambitious for the school and have been successful in bringing about improvements in achievement, teaching and behaviour since the previous inspection.  The monitoring of teaching has been rigorous, with effective support and professional development opportunities for teachers. Performance management is effective, with a strong focus on improving pupils’ progress.  There are effective systems in place to monitor and track the progress of both individual and different groups of learners. As a result, there is an early identification of those not making expected progress and appropriate support is put into place. This ensures that equal opportunities are successfully promoted so that all groups of pupils make good progress.  Self-evaluation is accurate and leaders know the strengths and areas for development through effective monitoring. The school improvement plan involves the input of staff and governors and

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The leadership and management are good

has appropriate emphasis on continuous improvement. School leaders check carefully that the planned actions are having a positive impact on raising achievement.  Middle managers do not play a full enough role in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning and in promoting pupils’ progress in the areas they are responsible for.  The curriculum has improved, engages pupils more in their learning and promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. It is enriched by a range of after-school clubs and creative elements, such as art and music. Singing is a real strength and brings the school together, particularly when pupils lead the prayers in assembly.  The promotion of community cohesion has improved since the previous inspection, with pupils learning about other religions, going on visits to different places of worship and on visits to different schools to promote better understanding of other cultures. The school runs a very

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The leadership and management are good

successful ‘Summer Mela’, an event that brings the whole school together, including parents and members of the community.  Most parents and carers responding to the Parent View agree that the school is well led and managed, as do nearly all of the staff responding to the staff questionnaire.  The local authority has worked closely with senior leaders on monitoring the quality of teaching and using data more effectively on tracking pupil progress to bring about improvements.  The governance of the school:  Governors have very high expectations for the school. They know the school well, including its strengths and areas for development, and work closely with senior leaders to set its strategic direction. They are aware of how pupils’ performance in the school compares with other schools, both nationally and locally. They provide effective support and challenge to bring about improvements, for example they have been instrumental in improving the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching by allocating resources and eradicating weaker teaching. They ensure that teachers’ pay and promotion are linked to their performance in raising pupils’ achievement. They ensure the efficient management of financial resources and know how the pupil premium funding is spent and its impact on improving the attainment of pupils. They are keen to update their skills and have received training from the local authority, including on the use of performance data and safeguarding. All statutory duties are met, including arrangements for 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 135482 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 406603

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–8 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 292 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Amarjit Singh Dassan Headteacher Parmjeet Kaur Sehmi Date of previous school inspection 17–18 July 2013 Telephone number 02085749045 Fax number 02085740108 Email address info@khalsa.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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