Crowlands Primary School

Crowlands Primary School London Road, Romford, RM7 9EJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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.  Children make a good start in Nursery and Reception and are prepared well for Year 1.  Pupils achieve well in Key Stage 1 because the teaching is consistently good.  Progress in Key Stage 2 has accelerated so that attainment is above national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 3 to 6.  In 2013 Year 6 pupils did particularly well in mathematics.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers make learning interesting and enjoyable.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They behave well in and around the school and say they feel safe.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been successful in raising staff morale and setting a clear vision for the school based on excellence.  As a result of actions taken by senior leaders, managers and governors, teaching has improved since the previous inspection and achievement has risen.  Senior leaders keep a very close check on the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quality of teaching and learning and hold teachers fully to account for the progress that pupils make.  Governors understand their roles and provide a good level of support as well as asking challenging questions.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Marking does not consistently show pupils how to improve their work and teachers do not always give pupils time to respond to their advice.  Leaders with key areas of responsibility do not follow-up their checks on teaching with enough rigour to have the greatest impact on driving improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 37 lessons or parts of lessons, including some joint observations with the headteacher.  The inspectors heard pupils read and, with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, looked closely at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspection team looked at a wide range of school documents, including development plans, policies, self-evaluation reports, monitoring files, safeguarding and curriculum materials, evidence of the school’s partnership work and information for families.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils chosen at random. Discussions were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and other staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 43 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View and spoke with several parents outside the school.  The inspectors considered the 34 staff questionnaires that were completed.

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Inspection team

Nick Butt, Lead inspector Karla Martin-Theodore Bryan Meyer Gill Walley Additional Inspector Additional Inspector Additional Inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a much larger-than-average sized primary school. It has moved from an intake of 75 pupils to 90 each year.  Most pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which in this school provides additional funding for children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is also below average.  Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have been awarded permanent posts (they were in acting roles last time).

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Move teaching from good to outstanding by:  making sure all teachers give clear feedback to pupils about how they can improve their work when marking their books  giving pupils time to respond fully to teachers’ written comments so that they extend their learning  enhancing the school’s programme of coaching to share outstanding teaching across all year groups.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the role of leaders with key areas of responsibility so that they follow-up their findings with rigour to ensure that all teachers apply best practice with greater consistency.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Previous underachievement has been tackled in Key Stage 2 and pupils now make good progress across the school, resulting in standards that are above average by the end of Year 6.  The trend of good achievement and rising standards in Key Stage 1 has continued because teaching is consistently good and teachers actively involve pupils in their learning.  Children join the Nursery with skills and abilities that are typical of those expected. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because teaching focuses on the precise needs of the children in developing their communication and social skills especially.  Pupils achieve well in reading. Most pupils reached the required standard in the Year 1 reading check. Pupils use a range of approaches to tackle unfamiliar words. Older pupils speak with enthusiasm about the authors they enjoy.  In 2013 Year 6 pupils made outstanding progress in mathematics, with a much greater

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The achievement of pupils is good

proportion exceeding expected progress. This came about because teachers raised their expectations following a programme of training and support which improved their subject knowledge. They also made sure that pupils could access quality resources when solving problems in mathematics.  Writing has improved because pupils have more opportunities to write at length for a purpose and the quality of their writing is assessed regularly. These assessments are checked for accuracy by senior leaders, making sure that the results are reliable.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well because they receive good support from teaching assistants who are trained well in meeting their particular needs. Leaders make sure that they benefit from a wide range of support programmes designed to help them catch up with their peers.  Pupils who are learning English as an additional language make good progress like their peers

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The achievement of pupils is good

because teachers and support staff adapt tasks to suit them and make sure they have plenty of opportunities to communicate and pick up helpful phrases.  New arrivals are assessed quickly and integrated well into the life of the school. Those pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium achieve as well as the other pupils and the gap in their attainment has narrowed. In 2013 eligible pupils were around one term behind the others in English and two terms behind in mathematics. This is a narrower gap than the national picture.  The most-able pupils are sufficiently challenged and their needs are well met, enabling them to reach the higher levels of attainment.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now consistently good with some that is outstanding. Teachers make good use of technology to engage and interest pupils and to show them what they are learning.  Teaching is active and encourages pupils to work together in pairs and groups. Classrooms are brought alive by role play and drama to inspire pupils to write. For example, Year 4 pupils had to react to news of the assassination of Julius Caesar as part of a Romans project. They were able to take the part of different key characters and responded with sensitivity.  Teachers take full account of how pupils have been doing to plan work that is right for them and that challenges them appropriately. This means that most-able pupils make good progress in reaching the higher levels of attainment.  The teaching of reading is good. Children learn the sounds that letters make systematically, and

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The quality of teaching is good

this puts them in a strong position to tackle unknown words. Pupils read widely across the school, and are well supported at home.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly those who are eligible for the pupil premium and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They are well briefed by teachers and have the skills to help pupils make rapid progress in their development.  In Nursery and Reception all adults use language skilfully to help children widen their vocabulary and become more confident in speaking and listening. They join in with children’s imaginary games to extend their thinking. For example, in Reception the teacher became the patient at the hospital and was treated for all manner of ailments, requiring a succession of ‘doctors’ to write her prescriptions, bandage her broken bones and deliver diagnoses on her rapidly deteriorating

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The quality of teaching is good

condition.  Work in books is marked regularly and shows that pupils make good progress over time. While most teachers give pupils helpful feedback to extend their learning, particularly in mathematics, this is not fully consistent across all classes. There is also some variation in the time pupils are given to respond to teachers’ comments in their books. Sometimes they do not have the chance to review their work or they are rushed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils want to do well at school, and have very positive attitudes to learning. They respond well in class and in groups. Records of behaviour show that behaviour has improved considerably since the headteacher and deputy headteacher joined the school. This is because a clear behaviour policy is followed closely by all staff and pupils know exactly what is expected of them.  Pupils are courteous to one another, to adults and visitors. They are passionate about their school and speak highly of their learning experiences. Pupils do not feel threatened by bullying because incidents are so rare, even though they know about different types of bullying such as cyber bullying.  Pupils know that discrimination of any kind is not tolerated, and that the school takes all forms of abuse, including racial abuse, very seriously. They are confident that adults will help them with their worries. Parents are very supportive of the school and value the way behaviour has

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

improved.  Some pupils become distracted on the rare occasions the teaching does not fully engage them, for example if they are waiting for resources to be handed out. This is why behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding.  Pupils take their responsibilities seriously, as playground buddies and members of the school council. The older pupils help the younger ones and all pupils are involved in raising money for charities.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and know about how to keep safe in a range of potentially dangerous situations, such as when crossing the road, confronted with fire, or when near water. Junior road safety officers make sure that these matters are kept at the forefront of pupils’ attention.

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The leadership and management are good

 The impact of the headteacher and deputy headteacher has been considerable in raising staff morale and driving improvement. Their determination to move the school forward is fully supported by staff, governors, parents and pupils alike, who are delighted with the changes that they have made. As a result, teaching has improved rapidly, progress has accelerated and standards are continuing to rise.  Senior leaders have done much to develop leaders with key areas of responsibility, so that they play a full role in checking the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ progress. However, they do not always follow-up their findings with enough rigour to be sure that everybody is consistently applying the best practice the school expects.  Very regular meetings between key leaders and teachers mean that pupils’ progress is kept under constant review, and any signs of possible underachievement are picked up straight away

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The leadership and management are good

and dealt with. In this way the school makes sure that all pupils are on course to do the best they can, so that all have equal opportunities to succeed.  Teachers are set clear targets to improve their performance and these are checked termly to make sure they are meeting them. A programme of coaching has helped move teaching to consistently good. The school has identified that its next step is to extend this so that examples of outstanding teaching are shared more widely across all year groups and teaching continues to improve even more.  Strong leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage means all adults contribute well to pupils’ good achievement. The renovated outdoor areas enhance pupils’ experiences, especially with regard to exploring sand on a grand scale. Innovative use of an electronic programme for recording children’s achievements gives adults a clear view of how everyone is getting on.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have made sure that the curriculum focuses on developing pupils’ skills in ‘creative, technological and global’ ways to make it relevant but also rigorous. This includes studies of other cultures and presenting information in imaginative ways. A good range of clubs, visits and visitors enrich pupils’ experiences, including ‘living history’ days devoted to subjects such as Ancient Greeks, Romans and Victorians. These activities contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school is spending its primary sports funding on additional coaching and training to develop healthy lifestyles and well-being, and has plans for checking the effectiveness of this activity.  The school enjoys strong links with parents, who fully supported a recent ‘stay and learn’ week, spending time in the classroom with their children. The parent–teacher association raises large

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The leadership and management are good

sums to support the school’s work. Parents value their key role in children’s development.  Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements to keep pupils safe.  The school has received good support from the local authority, especially in providing an external perspective and confirming the judgements of senior leaders on the quality of the school’s work.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a detailed knowledge of the quality of teaching and data about the school’s performance, which enables them to support leaders and also ask challenging questions of them. Governors know how targets are set for teachers to improve their practice and how good teaching is rewarded and any underperformance tackled. They take a keen interest in securing value for money and to this end keep a close eye on how the finances are spent, for example on the pupil premium, and the impact this has on pupils’ achievement.

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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 135812 Local authority Havering Inspection number 425445

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 645 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tony Wood Headteacher Hayley McClenaghan Date of previous school inspection 19 – 20 September 2012 Telephone number 01708 743402 Fax number 01708 742175 Email address office@crowlands.havering.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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