Durdans Park Primary School

Durdan’s Park Primary School King George’s Drive, Southall, UB1 2PQ

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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.  Strong leadership from the headteacher and senior leaders has maintained a clear vision for the school and has brought about good improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Teaching throughout the school is good and some is outstanding. This results in good progress for nearly all groups of pupils.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The strong focus on acquiring skills in speaking and listening and personal and social development means that children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.  The school places a strong emphasis on spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Most pupils enjoy their learning. Attainment has risen steadily over the last three years. Nearly all groups of pupils achieve well, including those known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium.  Pupils feel safe and enjoy their learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Relationships are good, with pupils consistently showing great care and respect for each other and all other adults. They behave well.  Governors are well informed and support the school well. They hold the school to account about the progress all pupils make and understand the link to the quality of teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders have not yet secured outstanding teaching throughout the school. In a few lessons, the pace of learning is not fast enough and pupils are not given enough time to consolidate what they have learned.  The quality of pupils’ comprehension skills is not yet strong enough to ensure rapid progress in reading at the higher levels of attainment.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons or part lessons. Several were observed together with the assistant headteachers.  Discussions were held with the Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, the headteacher, both assistant headteachers, subject leaders, and staff with whole-school or year group responsibilities.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, documents relating to safeguarding and special needs, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and the school’s view of its own performance.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class, at break times and at other times around the school.  Inspectors attended an assembly.  There were 13 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors spoke to parents in the playground and account was taken of a recent survey carried out by the school.

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Inspection team

Gillian Bosschaert, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gill Whalley Additional Inspector Peter Thrussell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools, and has a nursery.  The vast majority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, predominantly Indian, Pakistani and other Asian backgrounds.  The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is lower than schools nationally.  The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than schools nationally.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding is below average. This is the additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and other pupils.  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?

 Make teaching outstanding and improve pupils’ progress by making sure that all teachers:  give pupils enough time in lessons to consolidate the new things they have learned  maintain a brisk pace in lessons  benefit from sharing the best practice in marking and use it effectively to raise pupils’ achievement.  Develop pupils’ comprehension skills by the explicit teaching of more complex reading skills which help pupils analyse, evaluate and understand texts.

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The achievement of pupils good

 Children start in the Nursery with skills and knowledge that are well below the levels expected for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. Children settle well into school and by the end of Reception they are broadly in line with children nationally in all areas of learning, although literacy is a little weaker. They leave Reception classes having made good progress.  Key Stage 1 standards are average. These have slowly risen in recent years from below average. The introduction of a focused systematic approach to phonics (the sounds letters make) has had a significant impact on pupils’ reading and writing ability. Most pupils enjoy reading and read fluently and with accuracy. They are able to tackle new words, both in reading and writing, with confidence. Less rapid progress has been made in mathematics.  Key Stage 2 pupils’ progress in mathematics has risen rapidly since the last inspection and

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The achievement of pupils good

standards are now in line with schools nationally. Standards in reading and writing have also risen. Writing is also broadly in line with schools nationally, but reading dropped slightly in 2013 from being broadly in line in 2012. This decline is being tackled by the school as a high priority. Some pupils struggle with understanding the texts fully because their comprehension skills are not as well developed as they could be.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support pupils in a variety of ways. Group work with a qualified teacher and some one-to-one tuition have resulted in these pupils making significant progress to be above similar pupils nationally in English and mathematics and above their classmates in mathematics, and in line with their classmates in reading and writing.  The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is inconsistent across year groups. This is because teaching is stronger in some classes than others. In 2013,

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The achievement of pupils good

pupils supported through school action plus and those with statements were three terms behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. However, pupils supported at school action made better progress and are in line with their classmates. The school has employed a trained teacher and a speech therapist. There are clear individual plans which ensure specific needs are met. This early intervention has helped improve the development of pupils’ communication and language skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of teaching is good, with examples of outstanding teaching. There is a strong commitment within the staff to constantly improve. They have high expectations of the pupils and themselves. Pupils know what they have to do in lessons and quickly get on with their work. Teachers check pupils’ progress in lessons and adapt the learning accordingly.  Pupils respond well to their teachers, they work hard and show good application to their learning. Where teaching is strongest the pace of learning is fast and teachers’ expectations are high. Demanding questioning requires pupils to think hard. Teachers constantly review the learning and adapt questioning to move on pupils’ learning, but some interrupt too frequently to allow pupils enough time to produce sufficient work or make the most of what they have learned in writing or problem solving.  Pupils work well together, they willingly discuss and explore these questions and make rapid

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The quality of teaching is good

progress. Talk partners are a common feature of lessons. Pupils are able to share ideas which help clarify their thoughts and accelerate learning.  Marking has been a recent focus for the school and is becoming more consistent. In the best examples it analyses where pupils have gone wrong and moves pupils on to the next steps in their learning. Pupils have opportunities to mark their own and others’ work and respond to comments made by their teachers. However, this is not yet consistent in all classes and all subjects. In a few cases teachers do not go back to check pupils’ responses.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teachers use good vocabulary and extensive questioning to develop children’s speaking and listening and deepen thinking. Children have many opportunities throughout the day to talk to an adult. This makes a valuable contribution to their development.  Each pupil’s progress in English and mathematics is carefully checked. Pupils have individual

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The quality of teaching is good

‘passports’ for reading, writing and mathematics, with appropriate steps to improve that are easily understood by the pupils and their parents.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils fully understand rewards and sanctions, which are consistently applied by staff. The school is a calm and orderly place where the vast majority of pupils enjoy learning. They are polite and considerate to each other and to all adults. Peer mentors gain the respect of other pupils by helping to mediate if squabbles arise in the playground. Behaviour in and around the school is good.  Pupils understand how to keep safe, especially when using the internet. They have spent time discussing cyber bullying and understand what to do. Parents, too, have had the opportunity to discuss cyber bullying and how they can combat it in the home.  Parents and staff agree that behaviour is good. Pupils feel safe in school and both parents and staff agree with this from their responses to recent questionnaires and Parent View.  Pupils are highly motivated in most lessons and settle to learning quickly. They willingly take part

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

in discussions and are able to share ideas well. However, in the few cases where teaching is less effective, some pupils become distracted. This is managed well by the teachers and this low- level disruption does not affect whole class learning.  Attendance has increased steadily and is now average. Systems for monitoring non attendance are rigorous. The school places a high priority on making sure that pupils attend regularly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong leadership from the headteacher and the leadership team has secured improvements in pupil achievement and maintained good teaching.  Teachers are fully aware that they have an important part to play in raising pupils’ attainment and are accountable for the progress pupils make.  The quality of teaching has been developed through an exemplary approach to teachers’ in- house training. The senior leaders accompany teachers to other classes for joint observations, discuss findings, then present these to each other with areas for development. Written feedback is given, together with a summary for the next observation.  Each teacher has this opportunity and relishes the opportunity to take part. Areas for development are incorporated into individual performance management. These written observations become an evidence base for teachers to present in order to gain pay progression.  This good practice is shared with other schools. Senior leaders are valued by the local authority

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The leadership and management are good

which uses their expertise to help other schools improve.  The curriculum is enhanced by a good variety of after-school activities. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils learn to respect a range of faiths and celebrate major events in different cultures. Older pupils learn about current affairs and a ‘Rainbow’ display showed many moral dilemmas for pupils to consider. The school is very committed to equal opportunity. Discrimination is not tolerated.  A specialist teacher is employed for instrumental music and singing to enhance the curriculum further. The additional funding provided by the government to help pupils become more active and improve their fitness is used appropriately to employ a sports coach who not only teaches the pupils but also helps to develop teachers’ skills. It is too early to measure the impact of this work.  Safeguarding meets all statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority offers light touch support to the school and the school purchases another six visits per year. This support helps to keep senior leaders and subject managers fully abreast of current developments. Teachers are able to access centrally-provided training.  The governance of the school:  The governors know the school well and have a thorough knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses. Governors have had a clear focus on progress and attainment of pupils and the link to good teaching, and are able to challenge senior managers accordingly. They understand the school’s performance in comparison to other schools both locally and nationally. They undertake training regularly to ensure that they are able to meet the tasks involved in being a governor.  Governors use the school improvement partner to help set objectives for the headteacher. They fully understand the link between performance and pay for all staff. They know what the

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The leadership and management are good

school is doing to tackle any underperformance.  The pupil premium and other funding are carefully monitored by a governors’ committee, not only for how they are spent but also for their impact. Finances are managed securely and spent appropriately.

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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 101896 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 433147

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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 505 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Derek Barnes Headteacher Chris Duhig Date of previous school inspection 2 – 3 March 2011 Telephone number 020 8575 1477 Fax number 020 8575 6826 Email address admin@durdans-park.ealing.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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