Central Park Primary School

Central Park Primary School Central Park Road, East Ham, London, E6 3DW

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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’ achievement is good and they make good progress in English and mathematics.  Leadership at all levels is good. Governors challenge leaders continuously and have high expectations for the pupils.  Leaders including governors have successfully secured improvements in teaching and in pupils’ achievement.  In lessons, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive very good guidance from additional adults, enabling them to make at least as good, and sometimes better, progress than their peers.  Teaching is mostly good and teachers typically use many creative resources to capture pupils’ interest.  Teachers use praise effectively to motivate pupils and they enjoy their lessons.  Pupils behave well and attend school regularly. They show a high level of respect towards different faiths, to their peers and to adults. They say they feel safe in school.  Most parents and carers are positive about the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

work of the school and are happy with the improvements in communication.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is promoted well through the curriculum, including many thematic activities, residential visits and trips.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Sometimes, pupils’ assessment information is not used fully enough to inform teachers’ planning. As a consequence, work does not always fully meet the needs of all learners.  In particular, on occasion, work for more- able pupils is not challenging enough and their progress is not checked frequently enough.  Sometimes, teachers’ comments in books do not provide sufficient guidance for pupils to improve the quality of their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 39 lessons, of which most were joint observations with the senior leaders. The inspection team also spent time in the Early Years Foundation Stage observing the quality of teaching and support given to children in Reception and Nursery.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the school’s external consultant and the local authority’s school improvement officer.  Meetings were held with other senior leaders and staff, and with members of the governing body.  Inspectors considered parents’ and carers’ views of the school through informal discussions at the start of the first day of the inspection and the 17 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspection team also examined the school’s most recent parental survey and staff questionnaires.  The inspectors interviewed pupils from different year groups and also listened to some of them read.  Inspectors examined a number of documents, including the school’s own information on pupils’

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Information about this inspection

current progress, and planning and monitoring documentation. They looked at attendance figures and pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Janice Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Victoria Turner Additional Inspector Christopher Crouch Additional Inspector Samuel Ofori-Kyereh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school and serves a diverse inner city community.  Around 25% of pupils are known to be eligible for additional support through the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children looked after by the local authority, those eligible for free school meals and children with a parent or carer in the armed services. This figure is broadly average. There are very few pupils who are looked after by the local authority, and no pupils from service families.  Almost all the pupils are from ethnic backgrounds other than White British and most speak English as an additional language. Most of the pupils are of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian heritage.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported at school action is well above the national average; the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of

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Information about this school

special educational needs is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the last inspection, the governing body has appointed a new headteacher, and in 2011, there was a newly formed leadership team.  A building modernisation and expansion programme is due to start in September 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  ensuring information on pupils’ assessment is used more rigorously to inform teachers’ planning so that the task and activities given to pupils always fully meets their needs  ensuring that teachers’ comments in books consistently provide sufficient guidance to pupils on how to improve their work.  Accelerate the progress of more-able pupils in particular by:  ensuring that teachers plan work for them that is always sufficiently challenging and extends their knowledge and skills  monitoring their progress more frequently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress overall in both English and mathematics, including those of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian heritage, as well as those from other ethnic backgrounds. They make particularly strong progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 2.  Children enter Nursery with skills that are well below expectations for their ages in all learning areas. They make good progress because teachers and supporting adults provide engaging and stimulating resources that motivate the children and there is good modelling of correct articulation, segmenting and blending of sounds.  They continue to make good progress in Reception, where there are many opportunities for children to work independently with different themes, and where teachers continuously assess their learning and provide appropriate activities to challenge them.  Although pupils’ progress over time has been more rapid in Key Stage 2 than in Key Stage 1,

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The achievement of pupils is good

their rate of progress in Key Stage 1 has increased this year because weaknesses in some of the teaching have been addressed. Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 linking of letters and sounds check is above the national average.  At the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is broadly in line with the national average, demonstrating good progress from their starting points.  On occasion, the rate of progress of more-able pupils slows because work is not sufficiently challenging and checks on progress are not frequent enough.  Pupils make good progress in writing because they are given many interesting topics and opportunities to write independently. They also make good progress in reading and are encouraged to read widely.  They make good progress in mathematics because most teachers ask probing questions to get pupils to reflect and assess their learning, and there are many peer and group discussions before

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The achievement of pupils is good

and while pupils are solving problems.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress and, at times, more rapid progress than their peers, especially in Key Stage 2, because of the highly effective support provided by additional adults.  In 2012, the attainment of Year 6 pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium was approximately a term behind their peers in English and mathematics. They have made accelerated progress this year and the current Year 6 are on track to attain broadly similar to their peers in both English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good in all key stages because teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and there are many tasks and activities that capture pupils’ attention and making learning enjoyable.  Teaching is consistently good in Nursery and Reception. Most lessons review children’s previous learning. The teachers and other adults have high expectations and provide tasks that match the children’s abilities.  In a good linking and blending sounds session, children in the Nursery were given clear instructions as they revised the letter sounds in their names and the lesson moved at a brisk pace. They thoroughly enjoyed their lesson and were highly motivated and eager to listen to the sounds and apply their knowledge of the sounds to pronounce more challenging words.  In Reception, the teacher modelled reading with expression and continuously checked children’s understanding. They were challenged to use their knowledge of capital letters and full stops to

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The quality of teaching is good

write sentences. They made good progress in constructing their sentences and, when asked a question, they often extended their answers using ‘because’ .  The quality of teaching has improved in Key Stage 1. There is now some exemplary teaching in Year 2. In an excellent religious education lesson, pupils made accelerated progress in examining and sorting different signs and pictures, and presenting well-developed arguments in support of their opinions.  In the majority of teaching throughout the school, resources are used well. For example, in one Year 6 lesson, pupils were given different cards with graphs to match with the correct description of distance travelled, while in a Year 5 lesson pupils worked on finance problems to build their theme park.  Praise is used to good effect to motivate and encourage pupils to achieve their best. For example, in a numeracy Nursery lesson, praise was used effectively to reinforce positive

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The quality of teaching is good

behaviour for learning. Consequently, children were eager to participate in the lesson and made good progress.  There are good opportunities for pupils to work independently, as well as in groups, to solve problems. In a Year 3 writing lesson, pupils made good progress because they were given longer periods to write with very little input from the teacher. The teacher only intervened to suggest different ideas and feelings that could be expressed. Pupils eagerly reflected on the suggestions and produced some interesting paragraphs.  On occasion, pupils’ assessment information is not used effectively to fully inform teachers’ planning, and the tasks and activities do not fully match all learners’ needs. At those times, more-able pupils in particular are not challenged enough and, furthermore, their progress is not monitored thoroughly enough.  In some lessons, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make particularly

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The quality of teaching is good

good progress because additional adults ask probing questions and provide just enough guidance for pupils to work independently.  Pupils’ books are marked regularly and there are some excellent comments that provide superb guidance for them to improve their work. However, this level of marking is not consistent across all year groups and the better practice is sometimes not shared.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning and they behave well around the school. They are caring towards each other and show a high level of respect towards their peers and adults in the school.  In Nursery and Reception, children are happy, relaxed and confident in their learning environment. Their attitudes to learning are impeccable as they are keen to complete their work. They are often eager to participate and contribute to their learning.  In the other classes, disruption to lessons is uncommon. Pupils were overwhelmingly positive about their experiences in the playground. They say the older pupils look after the younger ones. They have very good communication skills, and confidently articulate that they are safe and have friendships in and outside of the school.  Pupils’ attendance has improved this year and is now average. Pupils from different backgrounds get on well together because of the many cultural and religious celebrations that happen in the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

school. The school effectively promotes equal opportunities and good relationships, and there is an absence of discrimination; pupils say there is no racial disharmony and all are treated equally.  The parent interviewed and the few who responded to Parent View say that their child is happy, well looked after and behaves well.  Pupils are aware of how to use the internet safely by not giving personal details to someone they do not know and they know that they must not respond to emails from ‘strangers’ or use social network sites. Pupils say that if accidents happen in the playground they are sorted quickly by adults.  They have mature attitudes and a clear understanding of the different types of bullying. They typically say either that there is no bullying or that the little that does occur is dealt with quickly. One pupil said: ‘This is a safe school. In every group, you may have one or two who do not

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

behave sensibly.’ They all say teachers and other adults deal with these incidents appropriately.  They praise the reward systems of smiley faces and celebration assemblies, and enjoy attending school because lessons are ‘fun’. Pupils are respectful to their teachers and have high praise for the support and guidance they receive. They say: ‘Teachers help us in lessons. They give us lots of knowledge and try to make us learn. They are devoted and passionate about their jobs.’ When asked about the meaning of the word ‘devoted’, their explanation was accurate, and they confidently said that they learnt the word during a debating session and had used the dictionary to find the meaning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good because leaders are highly ambitious, evaluative and are always seeking ways to improve their practice. They ensure equal opportunities for pupils to make good progress in English and mathematics.  The headteacher, appointed since the last inspection, has improved the systems for monitoring teaching, and pupils are now making better progress and the quality of teaching has improved. He has restructured the leadership team and made some new appointments to more effectively monitor the quality of teaching. Assessment data are now being used more effectively to track pupils’ progress.  Leaders have used the information from regular lesson observations and their analysis of the quality of pupils’ work in books to provide effective support or training for teachers. They hold teachers to account for pupils making good or better progress.  The management of the performance of teachers is now more rigorous and the headteacher has

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The leadership and management are good

used this system to improve the quality of teaching across the school, especially in Key Stage 1. Consequently, pupils are now making better progress in this key stage.  The school acknowledges that there are some inconsistencies remaining in the quality of teaching.  The local authority and an external consultant have worked effectively with leaders to accurately identify strengths and areas for further improvement in the school. The external consultant has helped leaders to evaluate the provision and the quality of teaching. This in turn has enabled the school to more clearly identify areas for improvement and strategies to secure that improvement.  Leaders promote a strong ethos of care and orderliness. They have been rigorous in their monitoring of pupils’ attendance and have worked hard to improve their communications with parents and carers. Most of the parents and carers interviewed were very pleased with the

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The leadership and management are good

regular updates and information they receive from the school.  The curriculum provides an enriching array of learning opportunities and promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development well. The school has had various multicultural celebrations and pupils’ social skills are developed well through eco-council, pupil groups and residential visits. They are tolerant of other religions because they have had many visits to different places of worship. At the time of the inspection, the religious education lessons explored the key features of different religions.  The pupil premium funding is effectively used to provide additional adult support and additional extra-curricular activities and clubs, as well as to subsidise educational visits.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive of the school’s work and challenge leaders to ensure that pupils make at least good progress. Most have children in the school and are very passionate about

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The leadership and management are good

the high-quality education that they want pupils to achieve. They have been instrumental in the appointment of the headteacher and have been a part of the recruitment process for appointments to the restructured leadership team. They have been closely involved in the restructuring of the governing body. At the time of the inspection, they had organised a ‘Governors’ Away Day’ to work with leaders in the school. They have a good understanding of pupils’ progress data. The performance management sub-committee sets targets for teachers at the beginning of year and these are monitored every term. They have a good understanding of how good teaching is rewarded and underperformance tackled. Link governors visit the different classes in their designated year group and provide feedback to both the leaders and other members of the governing body. They know how the pupil premium funding is used. Governors have attended many training events and have

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The leadership and management are good

undertaken skills audits to identify further training needs to improve their practice. They have ensured that all safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 130995 Local authority Newham Inspection number 402439

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 927 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ashuk Hussain Headteacher Darren Williams Date of previous school inspection 13-14 July 2010 Telephone number 020 8472 5588 Fax number 020 8475 0104 Email address info@centralpark.newham.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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