Goodmayes Primary School

Goodmayes Primary School Airthrie Road, Goodmayes, Redbridge, IG3 9RW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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’ attainment by the time they leave the school is above the national average in writing and similar to the national average in reading and mathematics.  Progress in reading, writing and mathematics is good.  Teaching is good because teachers have good subject knowledge, clear expectations and pupils have a positive attitude to learning.  Pupils learn well in lessons because the additional adults provide good support.  Leaders are ambitious for the school and have clear plans to support the school’s development.  The thematic curriculum provides pupils with excellent opportunities to learn about the wider world.  Parents and carers are very happy with their children’s education and provide good support for the school.  The pupils behave well, feel very safe in school and want to learn.  Governors are knowledgeable, they know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and ask appropriate questions to help the school

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Teaching is not outstanding because it does not always provide learning experiences which consistently provide a high level of challenge for all pupils.  Marking does not always help pupils to understand how they can improve their work.  Pupils’ progress is not rigorously checked enough and so not all pupils make the same rapid progress throughout all year groups.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 28 full and part lessons, of which four were joint observations with the leadership team, and also carried out a learning walk with the headteacher.  A joint book scrutiny was carried out with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, two members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. A telephone conversation was held with the associate adviser.  Inspectors heard pupils read and met with a group of pupils.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers from 29 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and met some parents and carers informally at the start of the school day.  The views of 44 staff who returned questionnaires were taken into account.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including: the school’s own self-evaluation; the school’s development plan; the school’s information for tracking pupils’ progress; checks on the

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Information about this inspection

effectiveness of the school and teaching; work in pupils’ books; behaviour and attendance records; minutes of the governing body meetings; and the documentation relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Pervina Saunders, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alastair McMeckan Additional Inspector Janice Thomas Additional Inspector Matthew Klimcke Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average size primary school and has been growing over time. It is now fully three forms of entry from this academic year.  There is a high proportion of pupils from ethnic heritages other than White British, with the largest groups being Indian and Pakistani.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is lower than that found nationally. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is higher than the national average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for children in local authority care, children from service families, and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. In this

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Information about this school

school there are no children from service families.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is typically outstanding by making sure that:  all planned activities challenge pupils so that they achieve exceptionally well in all lessons, particularly the most able pupils  time is used well in all lessons to motivate pupils and actively engage them  all marking feedback consistently provides pupils with advice on how to improve their work, and that pupils always follow the advice given.  Increase the rate at which pupils make progress by:  rigorously checking pupils’ progress in each year group so that pupils of different abilities all make good or better progress throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in reading, writing and mathematics have improved over time throughout the school. In 2013, attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 was better than the national average in writing and broadly similar to the national average in reading and mathematics. This is due to good teaching in lessons and the good support pupils get from other adults in the classroom.  Since the last inspection the school has worked hard on improving boys’ attainment in writing and has been successful in narrowing the attainment gap between boys and girls. Boys are now achieving higher levels because they are more engaged and are writing at length.  Pupils, overall, make excellent progress in writing, particularly in Key Stage 2, because the school has successfully linked writing experiences to books read by the pupils. Therefore, the proportion of pupils exceeding national expectations is now greater than the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress is typically good in reading and mathematics but it is not as rapid as it is in writing because the work in lessons does not always challenge all groups of pupils. As a result, over time the proportion of able pupils exceeding national expectations is lower than the national average.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported well by knowledgeable adults and so most make similar progress to their peers in reading. However, their achievement is less strong in writing and mathematics because their progress is not systematically checked enough.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium are overall making good progress and the gap in attainment between them and the other pupils is closing. In 2012 they were three terms behind in both English and mathematics but in 2013 the gap has reduced to a term. This is because some of the pupil premium money has been used to fund a parent support adviser who has had a

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The achievement of pupils is good

positive impact on attendance and punctuality. This money has also been effectively used to provide focused support to individuals and groups of pupils by experienced staff.  Pupils from ethnic heritages other than White British and those that speak English as an additional language are achieving well compared to their peers because adults understand their needs and provide appropriate activities effectively.  The percentage of pupils in 2013 reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check for sounds that letters make was below the national figure. However it was an improvement on the 2012 results. Staff have been given further training and pupils are now being tracked more closely with appropriate intervention programmes in place for the pupils who did not reach the expected level. Most of the pupils who took the phonics check in 2012 have now reached the expected level.  Children joining the Early Years Foundation Stage have skills and abilities below the levels

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The achievement of pupils is good

expected for their age, particularly in language and communication. During their time in Nursery and Reception they make good progress due to the engaging learning activities and the good assessment system that is in place. They enter Year 1 with an overall good level of development, however, their literacy and mathematics skills are below the levels expected for their age.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good because teachers make clear to pupils what they expect them to achieve. They listen to and observe pupils carefully during lessons, check their work and give good verbal feedback.  Teachers’ understanding of the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures that they make a good start to their learning. They settle quickly in the Nursery, are keen to learn and readily engage in the creative activities set out.  Relationships are good and all groups of learners cooperate well with each other. Pupils generally participate well in whole-class sessions but some lose interest when the pace slows.  Teachers plan lessons which build on previous learning. For example in a Year 1 literacy lesson on writing sentences with descriptive words pupils were encouraged to think about the book they had been reading, Handa’s Surprise, when constructing their sentences.  In lessons where pupils are making rapid progress teachers have good subject knowledge, high

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The quality of teaching is good

expectations, and use a range of strategies to motivate the pupils. For example in a Year 6 lesson, pupils were actively involved in playing the role of a reporter by preparing questions for a mock interview on a radio programme. The interview was linked to work on Black History Month.  Where teaching is less effective, expectations are lower and the pace is slower. The work provided does not always challenge the pupils, especially the most able, and consequently their progress is limited.  Additional staff provide good support in lessons because they are thoughtfully deployed and well prepared by the teachers. They are particularly effective in enabling disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those eligible for the pupil premium to make good progress and feel valued.  Teachers mark pupils’ work and praise what has been achieved. Comments are made about how pupils can improve their work but these comments do not always enable the pupils to address

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The quality of teaching is good

the next step in their learning. Teachers also do not consistently check that the pupils have applied the guidance given.  Almost all parents and carers that responded to the Parent View questionnaire said that their children were taught well and were making good progress. Work in books confirmed this.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 This is a welcoming school with a very positive ethos. Pupils are well mannered, polite and respectful to adults and peers. They take pride in their school and say that everyone is ‘nice and kind’.  Pupils from different backgrounds get on well with each other and have good attitudes to learning. Their behaviour is typically good in lessons because they want to do well.  Pupils know about different types of bullying and say it is uncommon and most of the parents, carers and staff agree.  Parents and carers are very positive about the school and say their children are happy and well cared for.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and know about safety while using the internet and about how to stay safe when travelling, for example they know about ‘stranger danger’.  Pupils enjoy joining in a range of after-school clubs and activities such as basketball, rugby, cycling, drama and cooking. They particularly enjoy the sporting activities and know that they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

help them to keep healthy.  Attendance is now similar to the national average and unauthorised absence has been reduced considerably. The attendance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium has greatly improved over time as a result of the good work the parent school adviser has carried out with parents and carers.  The school has appropriate policies in place which promote equal opportunities for all pupils.  Behaviour is not outstanding because pupils are not always encouraged to be actively involved in their learning. They are not yet able to manage their own behaviour and attitudes to learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have high aspirations and are keen to ensure there is no discrimination and that every pupil succeeds.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and there are clear action plans linked to it.  There are clear systems and structures in place for checking and improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress such as learning walks, lesson observations, looking in pupils’ books and pupil progress meetings. However, the checking of progress made by pupils in each year group and the progress made by pupils from different starting points is not rigorous enough and so not all pupils are achieving as well as they could be.  Subject leaders are enthusiastic about their subjects and eager to develop their roles. Although some are newly appointed they have made an excellent start to understanding the priorities in their subjects. They have carried out some activities to check the effectiveness of their subjects

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The leadership and management are good

and have worked with a local school to moderate judgements. However they have not had a sufficiently strong impact on improving the quality of teaching in their subject. The school is aware of this and they are getting relevant training.  Staff who responded to the staff questionnaire are extremely positive about the school, the leadership team is committed to school improvement and so the school demonstrates the capacity to improve.  The curriculum is broad and balanced with lots of focused enrichment activities such as trips to local places of interest, which the pupils thoroughly enjoy. The promotion of cross-curricular learning is preparing the pupils well for the future. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong with very good opportunities for the pupils to engage in a range of cultural experiences.  Parents and carers readily contribute to curriculum activities and they are encouraged, through

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The leadership and management are good

the school website, to use Parent View to put forward their views.  The funding for sport has been used effectively to provide extra lessons on gymnastics for pupils as it was highlighted that pupils were achieving less well in this area of the physical education curriculum.  Safeguarding policies and procedures are fully in place.  The local authority provides light touch support to this good school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is experienced and effective in helping the school to improve. Governors know the school well and check its performance through making visits, attending regular meetings and asking relevant challenging questions. They know how well the school is achieving and have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and how any underperformance is being addressed. They are aware of how the management of teachers’ performance links to salary progression and have plans to link teaching staff targets to the

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The leadership and management are good

headteacher’s achievement target. They are knowledgeable about the budget and are clear about how the pupil premium money has helped to close the attainment gap for these pupils. They are ambitious for the welfare and physical well-being of pupils and know that the sports funding has been used to provide extra gymnastics lessons so that more pupils can succeed in physical activities. They are keen to improve their skills and have attended training on how to analyse information on pupils’ performance and safer recruitment.

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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 102807 Local authority Redbridge Inspection number 425623

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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 683 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Judith Marshall-Camm Headteacher Marjorie Lopez-Stewart Date of previous school inspection 25–26 September 2008 Telephone number 020 8590 5810 Fax number 020 8597 8607 Email address admin.goodmayes@redbridge.gov.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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