Monteagle Primary School

School report Monteagle Primary School Burnham Road, Dagenham, Essex, RM9 4RB

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Achievement over time has been below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2, especially in mathematics and reading; not enough pupils attain the higher levels in all subjects at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Progress across the school has been too uneven and is especially slow in Year 3.  Progress in reading is slow because pupils are not given enough opportunities to read regularly and guided reading sessions are poorly organised.  Progress in mathematics is slow because pupils do not have enough opportunity to practise their skills across other subjects.  Teaching in Year 1 through to Year 6 requires improvement because the recent training by the senior team and local authority has not had sufficient time to develop consistently good or better teaching.  Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough and work is not always challenging enough, especially for more able

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

learners.  Marking in pupils’ books and expectations of the quality of pupils’ work are not consistently good across classes and subjects.  The school development plan is too complicated and, as a consequence, leaders at all levels including governors are unable to carefully track effectively the impact of activities.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 The new strategic leaders in the school have quickly assessed the school’s strengths and weaknesses and know what to do to bring about rapid improvements.  Pupils’ progress is accelerating rapidly in most classes and attainment is rising since September 2013.  Progress in writing across Key Stage 2 was significantly above the national average in 2013.  Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception because of predominantly good teaching.  Pupils who have special educational needs, including those supported through the Additional Resource Base, make good progress because they are well supported.  Pupils are well cared for and feel safe; attendance is improving.  Governors have the appropriate expertise and experience to move the school forward.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 33 lessons or parts of lessons. Twelve of these were jointly observed with senior leaders.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors took account of the online Parent View questionnaire and talked to several parents before school. They also considered the views of staff expressed in 31 questionnaires.  Discussions were held with representatives from the local authority’s advisory service, the Chair of Governors and another governor, and members of the school staff.  Inspectors examined pupils’ progress data and other school documentation, including the minutes of governors’ meetings and safeguarding information.  A formal discussion was held with a group of pupils. Inspectors also talked to pupils at break and lunchtimes as well as in lessons.

p.2

Inspection team

Barbara Firth, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Worgan Additional Inspector Patricia Underwood Additional Inspector Brian Netto Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Monteagle Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language or come from minority ethnic groups is very high.  A higher-than-usual proportion of pupils join and leave the school during the school year.  The school has a lower than average proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs identified as having an autistic spectrum disorder. The Additionally Resourced Base has places for up to 12 pupils; currently, there are nine on roll.  The proportion of children who are eligible for the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional funding given to schools for children in specific groups including

p.3

Information about this school

those in the care of the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been a number of changes in leadership as a result of the long-term absence of the substantive headteacher, including two interim headteachers since September 2013. The most recent appointment started in January 2014.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or better across the school, and especially in Year 3, by ensuring that: − existing good practice is shared across the school − teachers use the information they know about pupils to provide challenging work in all subjects and particularly for the most able learners − teachers’ marking consistently provides pupils with feedback that will help them improve their work in all subjects and that pupils consistently respond to teachers’ marking and that their responses are, in turn, checked for accuracy.  Accelerate pupils’ rates of progress so that pupils attain standards at least in line with the national average at the end of both key stages, particularly in reading and mathematics, by:  ensuring that activities during guided reading sessions are purposeful and challenging enough to develop effective reading skills, including those of the more able  reinforcing pupils’ literacy and numeracy targets by increasing the opportunities for pupils to

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

read and practise their skills in mathematics across all subjects.  Improve the leadership of the school by: − ensuring that planning for improvement is uncomplicated, sharply focused on what pupils need to do to improve and has tight deadlines and measurable, specific indicators of success so that all leaders can monitor and evaluate the impact of actions more precisely − establishing ways for more governors to be regularly and purposefully involved in the daily life of the school.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement is not yet good because improvements in standards are too recent and there is still some inconsistency in progress across the school. Progress is particularly slow in Year 3.  Children enter Nursery with skills below those typical for their age and as a result of good teaching they make good progress. Children that have not had the benefit of the school’s Nursery provision make slower progress across Reception. As a consequence, outcomes have been below the national average at the end of Reception over time. However, improved and more consistently better teaching is having a positive impact on children’s progress and, currently, children are on track to achieve in line with the national average.  Although the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with the national average, not enough attain the higher levels in any subject.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading and mathematics has been low over time. Attainment in writing, however, has improved and has been in line with the national average for the last two years. Not enough pupils attain the higher levels in any subject. Although there is an improving picture with regards to the progress that Year 6 pupils make from the end of Key Stage 1 to the end of Key Stage 2, in 2013 it was significantly below in reading and mathematics. However, in writing, as a result of a whole school focus on improving the teaching of writing, progress was significantly above national expectations.  Although the proportion of pupils that made expected or better progress in reading and mathematics was below the national average in 2013, it was an improvement on 2012. In addition, the proportion of pupils that made expected or better than expected progress in writing was above the national average.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 As a result of increasingly better teaching, school data indicate that this improving picture is secure for all groups of pupils including those of a higher ability and those with English as an additional language.  The proportion of Year 1 pupils reaching the national average in the phonics screening check has been above the national average for the last two years as a result of good quality teaching of phonics (linking letters and sounds) across the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Year 1. However, this progress in reading has not been sustained across the school. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 6 the proportion reaching the expected standard has been well below the national average over time. Current data indicate that, as a result of better teaching, progress has quickened in reading in most classes and Year 6 pupils are on track to be in line with the national average by the end of this academic year.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress from their individual starting points made by disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those supported through the Additionally Resourced Base, is good. This is because the school carefully and regularly checks on their progress to ensure appropriate and well-delivered provision is in place to meet their individual needs.  Pupil premium funding is used to support learning through increased staffing to deliver individual and group support for targeted pupils. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils supported through this funding achieve in line with their peers in school and similar pupils nationally. At the end of Key Stage 2 they attain as well as similar pupils nationally, but are 11 months behind their peers in school in reading and eight months behind in writing, English grammar and spelling. The gap is less in mathematics. Current data indicate that the gap is currently narrowing.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although the quality of teaching is improving, it is still not consistently good in classes from Year 1 to Year 6 and there remain some pockets of inadequate teaching. There is, however, enough good or better teaching in the school which can be used to model good practice. Recent improvements in pupils’ progress are testament to this.  Even in the better lessons, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough and lessons are not planned carefully enough to ensure that the more able learners have the challenge they need in order to attain highly. In the weakest lessons pupils are not expected to work hard; they do not get down to the activities quickly enough and their learning is interrupted frequently and unnecessarily by the teacher. In these lessons some pupils’ behaviour is poor and impedes progress.  In the better lessons, teachers have high expectations and check how well pupils are learning

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

frequently during the lesson and ensure that there is enough time available for them to finish their work or practise the skill. An example of this was seen in a Year 6 mathematics lesson in which pupils were working in pairs to consolidate and develop their multiplication skills. The puzzles were of different levels of difficulty, providing all pupils with the correct level of challenge. As a result, all of the pupils, including the more able, had to work hard to solve the puzzle. The teacher checked their learning frequently and ensured that pupils had enough time to practise and consolidate their learning.  The teaching of phonics is of a good quality across Nursery, Reception and Year 1 and pupils make good progress. Progress slows in reading from Year 2 onwards because opportunities to read regularly to an adult are not systematically in place and teachers miss opportunities for pupils to practise their reading skills in all subjects. Guided reading sessions observed during the

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

inspection were of a poor quality. Whilst teachers and other adults generally worked well with their specifically identified focus groups, the progress of other pupils was slow because the activities they were given were undemanding and the level of reading materials was not challenging enough, especially for more able readers.  Although the teaching of mathematics has recently improved and data show that pupils are now making better progress, opportunities to practise and extend pupils’ mathematical skills are missed in other subjects.  Teachers do not systematically refer to pupils’ targets in literacy and numeracy across all subjects, thus missing opportunities to encourage and reinforce pupils’ progress in these key skills. Marking has become more helpful and pupils have opportunities to respond to their teachers’ guidance. But, as recognised by the interim headteacher and other senior leaders, this

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

has yet to reach the quality and consistency they would want across the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive good support from well-trained staff and specialist teachers. This is provided individually, in groups and in class, both in the main school and in the Additionally Resourced Base. It allows these pupils to make similar progress to their peers from their individual starting points and demonstrates the school’s commitment to equal opportunities for all pupils.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because pupils’ attitudes to learning are too variable; behaviour around the school and in the playground is sometimes boisterous.  When pupils are not given enough opportunities to be fully involved in their learning, or when teacher expectations are not high enough, some pupils become fidgety and distracted and some do not work hard enough.  Although most pupils are polite and friendly, a small minority of pupils do not take enough pride in their work or their school. For example, during the inspection, the dining hall where pupils ate their packed lunches was strewn with litter at the end of lunch time.  The school works hard to support the small number of pupils with behavioural difficulties and as a result exclusions are low.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils from all backgrounds and abilities generally work well together; they have a good understanding of the different types of

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

bullying, including cyber bullying. They say that when bullying does occur it is dealt with appropriately and swiftly by their teachers and other staff. Incident logs are rigorously kept and demonstrate that any incident is followed through.  Parents and carers told inspectors that behaviour has improved recently and that their children are kept safe. Pupils say that the school helps them know how to keep safe and that they feel safe in school.  There is an increasing range of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, including the school council and being a playground buddy. Pupils with an additional language skill are used very effectively to support younger children who are in the early stages of developing English.  Attendance is broadly average and improving as a result of the increased efforts by the school and the employment of the attendance officer and parent support adviser.

p.5

The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management are not good because pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching are not yet consistently good.  The new interim headteacher, together with other leaders and managers, is very focused on improving pupils’ achievement across the school. Staff are keen to improve their practice and many have already made big improvements. With the support of the local authority, the school has forged links with local good and outstanding schools so that teachers at Monteagle can see the modelling of expert teaching.  Senior and middle leaders have a pivotal role in leading on teaching and learning and demonstrate a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They can show their impact on pupils’ progress currently in the school. However, although some inadequate teaching has been eradicated, there are still pockets in the school.  The school development plan sets out an adequate agenda for improvement, but needs revising

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

to ensure that all leaders and managers including governors have ownership of its contents. Activities are not planned in enough detail, about when and how success will be measured by leaders.  Teachers’ performance is linked to their pay, the Teachers’ Standards and pupils’ progress. Leaders have ensured that training opportunities have been focused on individual needs and the school’s priorities for improvement. Newly qualified teachers are well supported.  As a result of good leadership and management, the majority of pupils supported by the Additionally Resourced Base and children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress.  The school has worked closely with the local authority since September 2013. Their effective support has included developing the practice and leadership skills of senior and middle leaders and improving the quality of teaching, especially in mathematics.  The school is developing its partnerships positively with other local schools and uses external

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

agencies well to ensure that pupils’ well-being, in particular that of vulnerable pupils, is good. There are many opportunities for parents and carers to engage with the school.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and enhanced through a range of enrichment activities. It supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The school is using the school’s sports funding to employ qualified coaches to extend the range of sports available for pupils to take part and compete in and to develop teachers’ skills in teaching physical education. A recent analysis suggests that this funding is having a positive impact on pupils’ well-being, development and success in sport.  The governance of the school: − Governors are ambitious to secure improvements to teaching and pupils’ achievement. They know what the school does well and what it must do better to improve and are not afraid of making difficult decisions. They bring a wide range of skills to the leadership of the school.

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

They understand data and ask searching questions about pupils’ achievement. − They have a rigorous performance management structure in place which is supported by the local authority and ensure that teachers are rewarded appropriately for their work. − Some governors, including the Chair, visit the school regularly; but for other governors visiting is more ad hoc. Although they have link roles with regards to administration and safeguarding, links to monitoring specific subjects or progress towards achieving the school’s priorities are not in evidence. − Training for safer recruitment and safeguarding has been undertaken and governors ensure that the school does all it can to keep pupils safe. − Governors know what the pupil premium is used for and check the impact of its use and that of the sports funding.

p.6

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 130340 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 430810

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 725 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Miss Natalie Newton Headteacher Mr Hugh Godfrey Date of previous school inspection 5–6 July 2012 Telephone number 020 8270 4613 Fax number 0208 270 4615 Email address office@monteagle.bardaglea.org.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10