Churchfields Infants' School

School report Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility Churchfields, South Woodford, London, E18 2RB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils’ standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics have been consistently and significantly above average for several years. Higher proportions of seven-year-olds achieve exceptionally well in English and mathematics compared to pupils in other schools.  Leadership of the language facility is excellent because children, drawn from all over the borough, achieve exceptionally well in a short time.  Outstanding teaching means that all pupils, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those who benefit from additional funding, make excellent progress over time. Lessons fully engage pupils and teachers provide intriguing challenges to which pupils respond enthusiastically.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and are eager to talk about what they have learned. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding because pupils show high

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

levels of respect and care for each other. They feel safe in school and have a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe, because pupil focus groups are included in drawing up safety guidelines.  The school’s leaders and governors show a relentless commitment to maintaining high standards. The quality of teaching is monitored frequently and support for its continuous improvement is extensive and effective. The impact on pupils’ progress is monitored meticulously so that additional challenge or further support can be provided for pupils when required.  The curriculum contributes to pupils’ remarkable social and cultural development as well as academic achievement. The extensive range of extra-curricular opportunities offered to pupils promotes their personal development and self-confidence exceptionally well. Inspection report: Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility, 16–17 July 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 27 lessons or parts of lessons led by 15 teachers. Additional activities included visits to the specialist language facility and to classrooms to observe how well pupils were writing in a range of subjects, observations of pupils at break times and during a Year 2 concert.  Two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body, school leaders and subject coordinators. A telephone conference was held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 108 responses to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View) as well as parents’ views communicated through informal discussions during the inspection. They also took account of the views of the staff through meetings and responses to 46 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of their workbooks.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked at the school’s own attainment records for the current as well as previous academic years in addition to published information on pupils’ achievement. They examined planning and monitoring documents as well as records relating to pupils’ safety and welfare, including the school’s single central record of checks on staff, the behaviour logs and records of pupils’ attendance.

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Inspection team

Patricia MacLachlan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Olson Davis Additional Inspector Angela Podmore Additional Inspector Susan Vale Additional Inspector Inspection report: Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility, 16–17 July 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This school is much larger than average and has 16 part-time places in a language facility for nursery-aged children drawn from across the borough, who have speech and language difficulties.  The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises a Nursery and four Reception classes. About a third of children who enter Reception have not attended the school’s Nursery.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium (extra money provided for children who are looked after by the local authority, children of service families and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below the national average. There are no children from service families or in local authority care currently on roll.  The proportion of pupils with minority ethnic backgrounds is greater than the national average. The largest groups in the school are those of White British, other White, Indian, Bangladeshi and

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Information about this school

other Asian heritages. The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is in line with the national average, although few are at an early stage of acquiring the language.  Lower than average proportions of pupils are supported at school action and school action plus. The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have a statement of special educational needs is also below the national average. Statements or support at school action plus are mostly for speech, language and communication needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to develop excellent practice in subjects other than English and mathematics by:  developing the role of the leaders of these subjects so that they observe more lessons in their areas of responsibility and share their expertise with colleagues in order to deepen understanding of and support rapid progress in their respective subjects  sharing their expertise in these subjects beyond the school so that other schools in the borough can participate. Inspection report: Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility, 16–17 July 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Attainment on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage has varied from year to year but is now broadly as expected for this age. Thanks to outstanding teaching, children quickly learn to work together and develop the ability to write short sentences with well-formed letters.  About a third of Reception pupils join from settings other than the Nursery. Nonetheless, excellent teaching supports their rapid integration and by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage there is a trend of increasing proportions of pupils achieving above national average levels.  As pupils move through the school, this rapid pace of learning is sustained because teaching is unfailingly strong. Consequently, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is outstanding and attainment by the end of Year 2 has been consistently and significantly above the national average since the previous inspection.  Pupils read competently and enthusiastically because teaching meets their needs very

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

effectively. The system of recognising sounds and letters (known as using phonics) is used across the school to support writing but most pupils can already read freely by Year 2. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading and many can use reference books adeptly in science and humanities lessons. Impressively, Year 2 pupils can identify ethical dilemmas in their fiction books and propose related questions for discussion in philosophy lessons.  Commitment to equal opportunities is evident in the language facility because this early support has such a positive impact on children’s achievement that more than half of the children no longer need special support when they return to their own schools.  All pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. This includes pupils of different ethnic and linguistic heritage, disabled pupils, pupils with special educational needs and those who are supported through additional funding (the pupil premium). Careful monitoring ensures that all

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

pupils make equally strong progress and discrimination is not tolerated. Those who are supported through the pupil premium are attaining levels in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 1 and 2 that are in line with their classmates.  Pupils enjoy applying their reading, writing and mathematics skills to different topics that draw upon several subjects. However, the school has identified that pupils’ experiences in subjects such as art, physical education, history, geography and science could be further enriched.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers plan interesting lessons with appropriate levels of challenge for pupils of different abilities. Tasks are stimulating and draw on teachers’ strong subject knowledge. For example, Year 2 pupils used storyboards to plan and then write a second episode for an intriguing short film. High expectations, evident in the use of British Film Institute archive clips and insistence upon rich vocabulary, secured excellent outcomes, such as, ‘James was one of a kind. He could not help but play with things that are dangerous. He did a deplorable thing.’  Teaching in Early Years Foundation Stage and the language facility skilfully blends adult-led and child-initiated activities to support children’s confident self-expression. In the Nursery, children, including those supported in the facility, were helped in small groups to write their own sentences unaided, using phonics to sound out the words to describe their pictures. Adults

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

provided a stimulating choice of indoor and outdoor activities for the remaining children, and their adroit questioning drew out descriptions or calculations from the children while they were happily engaged in physical or creative tasks.  Teachers use assessment information very effectively to plan tasks that are very well matched to pupils’ different abilities, especially in English and mathematics. Teachers’ records in these subjects are detailed and reviewed weekly. Pupils are reminded of their individual targets before tackling activities so that they can evaluate their own completed work, giving evidence of their Inspection report: Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility, 16–17 July 2013 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

progress.  A wide range of resources is used to engage pupils and support rapid progress in speaking, listening and solving problems. In the nursery, children were enthralled to hear the same story told in both English and, with a parent’s help, Bengali. A Reception lesson practising dances for a performance reinforced vocabulary, locating the heartbeat as well as perfecting choreography. In a Year 1 information and communication technology lesson to develop direction finding skills, the teacher drew the class into her demonstration of how to plot the route so expertly that once the pupils began to work in pairs with their iPads, they remained totally focused, correcting each other, without adult intervention.  All adults contribute to the very positive learning environment and develop excellent relationships with pupils. An English as additional language specialist liaises with class teachers before tutoring small groups of pupils at an early stage of learning English to prepare key

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

vocabulary for the week’s classwork. Activities for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are precisely tailored to their requirements and consequently make a significant impact on these pupils’ progress.  An overwhelming majority of parents rightly believe that their children are well taught in this school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary because they are so engaged in their lessons. This is reflected in an above average rate of attendance because learning is fun. Pupils listen respectfully to each other, make positive suggestions to their partners for improving their work and upon occasions, such as a Reception dance lesson, lead their classmates as ‘peer tutors’.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage move around sensibly in the outdoor area to select their own activities, talking confidently about them. This is because staff consistently praise independent learning. In the language facility activities are frequently changed to sustain concentration and as a result children respond very positively to their teachers.  Pupils behave with unforced politeness towards adults, and visitors are made to feel very welcome.  Pupils say that they feel safe and very valued as individuals. Pupils have highly developed

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including taking sensible precautions when using computers. Safety is frequently reinforced through assemblies, to the extent that pupils gave spontaneous advice to classmates to play safely in the sand.  There is little or no bullying according to pupils, who are confident that if any unkind behaviour ever takes place it is dealt with quickly and effectively. There have been no exclusions in the history of the school and the focus throughout the school is on rewarding positive behaviour.  Pupils are involved in focus groups that evaluate school rules and rewards and are proud of their system of traffic lights in class, ‘to help us behave and get rewards at the end of the day’. Parents almost without exception believe that behaviour is well managed.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The exceptional headteacher has led the school very effectively. The school’s capacity for further improvement is reflected in the way that the school’s leaders have developed and sustained high-quality teaching since the previous inspection. Pupils thrive academically and culturally. Staff were unanimous in expressing their pride in being members of the successful school team.  The language facility is exceptionally well led, because the coordinator, early years leader and headteacher all work together to ensure that the children’s activities are well integrated in the nursery and are also enhanced by specialist speech and physiotherapy teams. Parental involvement is pivotal and by securing high participation in specialist Makaton training in the use Inspection report: Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility, 16–17 July 2013 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are outstanding

of signs and symbols to assist communication, the children’s support can be continued at home.  Effective procedures for monitoring teaching enable teachers to benefit from insightful feedback. Teachers are supported by talented colleagues to make further improvements. There is a continuous drive for self-improvement.  The school has a strong partnership with parents who hold it in high regard. Workshops help parents to support their children’s reading and a well-used computer program helps parents to work alongside their children at home on mathematics and activities solving problems.  The imaginative curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Vibrant assemblies and topic studies celebrate different cultures and faiths. Philosophy lessons challenge pupils to respond to probing questions, such as, ‘Are all humans connected in some way?’ Answers among six-year-olds ranged from the scientific, ‘Yes, all

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The leadership and management are outstanding

human beings need the same things like water, air and food to live and grow’, to a humane summary of the school’s own ethos, ‘Yes, because if we are a different colour we can still be friends’. Class visits to Epping Forest bring science to life, and innovative partnerships between Year 6 pupils from the junior school and children in the Reception classes widen horizons in environmental studies. The high quality art, music and dance curriculum develops talents and self-confidence, living up to the headteacher’s vision of ‘finding a niche for every child’.  Confident of the school’s remarkable leadership, the local authority maintains a light touch and participates in reviews of teaching quality commissioned by the school. The headteacher has been asked to offer guidance for other schools in the borough.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governing body knows the standards of achievement and teaching because the headteacher provides focused and detailed reports. In addition, governors make frequent visits to lessons and prepare formal reports on their designated curriculum areas. Governors are determined that the school will not rest on its laurels and they carefully monitor the school’s improvement planning, based on an accurate understanding of how pupils are performing compared with national standards. The governing body enlists external bodies to validate the school’s performance. The resources committee checks the link between teachers’ pay progression and the progress of the pupils for whom they are accountable. Regular checks are made to ensure that pupil premium funding is spent on the intended groups and reports from the headteacher summarise the impact made by these funds. Oversight of safeguarding

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The leadership and management are outstanding

is effective. Governors take an active part in developing home-school links, such as ‘stay and play’ and drop-in meetings that encourage parents to support their children’s development . Inspection report: Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility, 16–17 July 2013 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Churchfields Infants’ School, Nursery Unit and Language Facility, 16–17 July 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 133936 Local authority Redbridge Inspection number 412081

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 482 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lizzy Gummer Headteacher Lesley Hook Date of previous school inspection 17–18 May 2007 Telephone number 020 8505 0386 Fax number 020 8505 5486 Email address Admin.churchfields-inf@redbridge.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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