Randal Cremer Primary School

Randal Cremer Primary School Ormsby Street, Hackney, London, E2 8JG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Some groups of pupils across the school do not make enough progress in their writing skills. Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainment in mathematics is below the standards expected nationally.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do not make good enough progress in mathematics and English.  Teaching does not always enable pupils to know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.  Teachers do not always use their teaching assistants effectively and, as a result, pupils do not get the full benefit of the adults’ support in lessons.  Middle leaders are not consistently effective in monitoring and tracking the skills of their teams and the progress of pupils.  Governors have not allocated pupil premium funding well enough and, as a result, attainment gaps between those eligible for the pupil premium and their classmates are not

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The school has the following strengths:

 The new headteacher has a clear vision for the school and there has been a marked improvement in teaching since her arrival.  The practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and, as a result, children are now achieving levels that are higher than national expectations.  Pupils make good progress in reading and mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is similar to that in most schools.  Pupils behave well, have positive attitudes to learning and attend school regularly.  Parents and carers are keen to liaise with the school and believe that their children are safe and happy.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons, 14 of which were joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. In addition, the inspection team made 17 shorter visits to lessons to focus on specific aspects.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the headteacher, subject leaders, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  There were insufficient responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, to be analysed. Inspectors took account of the comments from parent surveys carried out by the school. Members of the inspection team also spoke to parents and carers as they brought their children to school.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including school improvement plans, data on pupils’ current progress, pupils’ written work, the governing body minutes, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 The headteacher is fairly new, having started in September 2013.

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Inspection team

Janev Mehmet, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Sleightholme Additional Inspector Patricia MacLachlan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families, is high. There are currently no pupils from service families in the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is higher than the national average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  Most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and most of them speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is good and better by ensuring that:  pupils receive more demanding opportunities in lessons to enable them to excel in their skills, especially in writing  pupils understand how well they are doing, and what they need to do to improve further  pupils regularly receive feedback in their workbooks that challenges them to improve  teachers use their teaching assistants more effectively so that all pupils benefit from the expertise in the classroom.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:  all leaders regularly and rigorously track and monitor the quality of teaching so that all pupils are provided with consistently good or better learning opportunities  teachers’ understanding and use of data ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to excel in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because progress levels for writing are below national expectations. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics at Key Stage 1 is also below the standards expected nationally.  Pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding do not make as much progress as their peers in school. In 2013 at the end of Key Stage 2, these pupils were two terms behind their classmates in mathematics and two terms behind them in English.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do not make good enough progress overall because sometimes specialist teachers and their assistants do not sufficiently address their individual needs.  By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils, including the most able, attain standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are in line with national expectations.  Pupils, including the most able, achieve higher than national expectations in reading and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

mathematics. They enjoy reading and are very enthusiastic about attending the library and story clubs.  Children join the school with skills and knowledge that are below the levels expected for their age. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, their attainment is either in line with or, more recently, above the expected level for their age, indicating that they have made good progress overall.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage learn to recognise their letters and sounds. Teachers encourage the use of play and singing to develop and practise speaking. The teaching of language, literacy and communication skills ensures that children are achieving to their full potential. Consequently, the phonics (the sounds that letters make) screening check at the end of Year 1 shows that pupils’ reading skills are above the national average.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because teachers do not consistently provide challenge for pupils in classroom activities. Consequently, pupils do not learn and develop their skills rapidly enough.  Teachers do not check pupils’ books consistently well enough. As a result, feedback and guidance on how to improve are not always clear to pupils. More recently, however, some teachers have started to improve their practice and are providing pupils with strategies to check their own learning.  Teachers sometimes use technology to ensure pupils enjoy and understand what they are learning but this is not consistent across the school.  Teachers do not always make effective use of teaching assistants in lessons and, as a result, activities do not challenge the most-able pupils or support the progress of less-able pupils.  Displays around the school are vibrant and contribute to a stimulating, clean and ordered

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

learning environment across the school. In lessons where learning is good, pupils are enthusiastic about their tasks and talk maturely about their views. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils debated whether or not zoos should be banned.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children learn and develop speaking rapidly because their teachers sing, play and talk with them. In addition to this, teaching assistants are trained to teach dance and movement activities to children in order to improve their coordination and gross motor skills. Children enjoy this and consequently develop their skills rapidly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They take pride in their work and are always willing to follow the teacher’s instructions in order to complete their learning tasks.  Where learning is well organised, pupils are keen to discuss and articulate their views – for example some Year 3 pupils confidently expressed the pros and cons of children having mobile phones. They worked well in pairs and on their own to think through and write their arguments for and against.  Pupils particularly enjoy reading and talked with excitement about book fairs and the variety of books they have in their school library.  Pupils are polite. They behave well in class, and move around the building sensibly and with regard for others. They take part enthusiastically in after-school activities and opportunities to be responsible. Pupils also take turns in leading assemblies for the rest of the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The school ensures that pupils know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils understand potential internet dangers, feel safe in school and are confident that staff will deal with any incidents in school, if the need arises.  The school council helps to organise anti-bullying activities and internet safety days.  Parents and carers have positive views of the school and believe their children are safe and happy. They are encouraged to work closely with the school to ensure their children’s learning is developed. For example, parents and carers attended a trip to a bookshop with teachers and children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Attendance is average and most pupils are punctual for school.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because standards in reading, writing and mathematics are variable across the school, and do not consistently meet standards that are expected nationally.  Middle leaders are not all rigorous enough in monitoring and ensuring that high-quality teaching. Tracking of pupils’ learning is irregular and, as a result, some pupils are underachieving.  The new headteacher has already had a positive impact on the school. Programmes for developing teachers are in place and have already improved some of the teaching. There is also a keen understanding of how well pupils are doing and the specific actions that need to be taken to ensure that underachievement is eradicated.  Although leaders have a determined approach to eliminating discrimination, the variation in pupils’ progress means that not all pupils currently have equal opportunities to succeed.  The school makes use of the additional sports funding by promoting physical education and

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The leadership and management require improvement

pupils’ health and well-being through a borough-wide programme. This provides pupils with sports activities such as gymnastics, running and cricket. It also trains teachers to be better teachers of sports activities. There has been increased participation in borough competitions, and pupils have also benefited from attending the Paralympic games.  The curriculum enriches the experience of the pupils. They go on many excursions and consequently are more excited about learning. For example, Year 6 pupils who visited the London Eye were keen to link their experiences with their writing activity in class.  The school ensures that all elements of spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning are embedded across the curriculum. Pupils learn about different religions, study French, play a variety of instruments, and learn about art. During ‘Art week’ all classes studied international artists and replicated some of their artistic styles with a twist of the pupils’ own style. This work

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The leadership and management require improvement

was displayed around the whole school and pupils praised each other for their work.  Safeguarding practices meet the statutory requirements.  The local authority provides effective challenge and support for the school. It has been a ‘critical friend’ in supporting school improvement since the arrival of the new headteacher by taking part in reviews and lesson observations.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has appointed a headteacher who is having a positive impact on the school’s progress. The Chair of the Governing Body and vice chair hold the school to account by working closely and enthusiastically with the headteacher and new parent governors. Governors are linked to particular areas of the school and visit regularly because they are keen to keep up to date. They attend a variety of relevant courses, and have an improving understanding of the school’s data and how they are used to raise achievement through

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The leadership and management require improvement

improved teaching. Governors understand how to reward good performance of teachers that is related to the quality of their teaching and pupils’ achievement. Pupil premium funding has not been allocated effectively enough. Consequently, although those eligible for the pupil premium make the expected progress in their reading, writing and mathematics skills compared to their peers nationally, governors have not ensured that the attainment gaps between these pupils and their classmates are reduced.

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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 100236 Local authority Hackney Inspection number 431288

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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 461 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rebecca Nelson Headteacher Jo Riley Date of previous school inspection 8–9 July 2009 Telephone number 020 7739 8162 Fax number 020 7729 5807 Email address jriley@randalcremer.hackney.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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