Drayton Park Primary School

School report Drayton Park Primary School Arvon Road, London, N5 1PJ

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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 Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Pupils’ achievement over time has not been good enough. Some pupils do not make as much progress as they should in reading, writing and mathematics across the school.  There is not enough good and outstanding teaching to ensure that pupils achieve consistently well. Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of what pupils can do.  Work in pupils’ books shows that there are too few occasions when they use their writing and numeracy skills when learning other subjects.  Although pupils feel safe they do not always behave as well as they should. A few have poor attitudes to learning and do not always concentrate and work hard.  Although school leaders have identified actions for improvement, they do not yet have written plans to show how these actions are put into place.  Middle leaders are new to their roles and are not yet fully involved in checking and helping the work of other teachers.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They make good progress because adults understand their needs and plan activities that help them to learn and develop.  Provision for music and art is good and contributes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils get on well together and they feel safe in school.  The new headteacher, staff and governors are ambitious and determined to raise standards by improving the quality of teaching. They have successfully taken action to reverse the downward trend since the previous inspection  There is a carefully planned programme of training in place to improve the skills of all staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 lessons or parts of lessons, eight of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They listened to pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 read and looked at work in their books. They also attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other leaders in the school, three members of the governing body, groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the analysis of the 38 responses to the online survey, Parent View, as well as through informal discussions held with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also took into account the response to the questionnaire the school had recently administered to parents in their home language as well as three letters received from parents.  Among the documents scrutinised were the school’s own judgement of its performance,

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Information about this inspection

information about pupils’ attainment and progress, minutes from governing body meetings and information relating to how well the school keeps pupils and staff safe.  Inspectors also took into account the 27 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kewal Goel Additional Inspector Gill Walley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is higher than usual.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is above average. This is additional funding provided by the government to support those pupils who, in this school, are known to be eligible for free school meals or are in the care of the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is lower than usual. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Considerable changes to the teaching and leadership team have occurred since the previous

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Information about this school

inspection. The headteacher joined the school in September 2012 and the deputy headteacher was appointed from September 2013. Leaders for both literacy and numeracy are new to their roles.  A substantial building project was overseen by school leaders and governors. It will provide accommodation for community use and a specialist art studio.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good teaching by:  ensuring pupils do not have work that is too easy and have plenty of opportunities to work out the answers to difficult questions for themselves and giving pupils more chances to use their writing skills when learning in other subjects  making sure that pupils correct and improve their work when it has been marked by teachers  ensuring that work builds on previous learning to increase pupils’ rates of progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ behaviour and attitudes by:  ensuring that all staff implement the school’s policy for behaviour consistently and insist on high standards of behaviour  helping pupils to develop more positive attitudes to learning so that they concentrate, work hard and take pride in completing their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  making sure leaders produce a written plan to show how the school is to develop over the long and short term  developing the skills of leaders at all levels so they are more effective in checking and improving the work of other teachers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Not all pupils achieve as well as they should in reading, writing and mathematics. Although their attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 6, they do not make enough progress between Year 2 and Year 6. Scrutiny of their work shows that some teachers have low expectations and do not ensure that all pupils make enough effort when completing their work.  Leaders have improved systems to record and check pupils’ progress and this has enabled them to target support where it is most needed. Consequently, rates of progress for most groups of pupils, including pupils who are from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language, are increasing. Remaining gaps are rapidly closing, demonstrating that pupils have equal opportunities. Some teachers provide harder work for more able pupils and this is helping them to make better progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are provided with additional help

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

in class and also in small groups. They are given specific programmes of work to help them to overcome their difficulties and they are quickly catching up with their classmates.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage start school with skills that are below those expected for their age, particularly in language and communication. They make good progress so that, by the time they start in Year 1, their skills are broadly in line with those expected nationally. This is because staff check their progress in order to provide learning experiences that develop children’s skills.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding were about a year behind other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics in the national tests in 2013. The most recent performance information shows that they are now catching up rapidly and make progress in line with other pupils. This is because they receive targeted support from skilled teaching assistants.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Reading is given high priority across the school. During the inspection, pupils and staff dressed as characters from books as part of the celebrations for World Book Day. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their favourite books and how teachers inspire them to read. Pupils’ achievement in reading is improving although a few pupils in Year 2 had books that were too easy for them and provided little challenge.  Although pupils made good progress in writing in 2013, current work in their books shows that they do not all make enough progress across the school. This is because they do not regularly practise and reinforce their spelling, grammar and punctuation in English lessons or in other subjects.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is improving. This is because the school has increased the amount of time given to mental mathematics and there is more emphasis on developing basic number skills. However, there are too few occasions when pupils use their skills to solve real-life

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

problems and this hinders their progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is inconsistent across the school and requires improvement. Although school leaders have successfully tackled inadequate teaching, there is not yet enough good and outstanding teaching to secure good or better progress for all groups of pupils.  Not all teachers have high enough expectations for pupils. Sometimes the work set is too easy and pupils lose concentration and start to chat among themselves. Consequently, pupils do not produce the best work of which they are capable and their progress slows. There are times when work does not build on what pupils already know and so they do not develop and extend their skills and knowledge.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and they provide clear guidance about what pupils have done well and what they need to learn next. However, pupils do not always correct and improve their work, particularly in writing, and so they repeat the same mistakes.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 When learning is best, teachers inspire pupils to work hard. For example, in a Years 5/6 literacy lesson, pupils' imagination was stimulated as the teacher read a short horror story accompanied by an eerie soundtrack. This helped them to picture the scene as they discussed their ideas. They made good progress in developing the vocabulary to express their views about the meaning of the story.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage learn well because adults understand their needs. They have opportunities to develop well in all areas of learning, both in the classroom and outdoors. Children’s communication skills develop particularly effectively because of the way in which adults talk with them about their learning.  Pupils enjoy opportunities for them to work in pairs to share their ideas and this helps pupils to develop the confidence to answer questions in class. However, they miss chances to challenge

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils further by asking questions that probe their understanding and this prevents pupils from making better progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because their attitudes to learning do not always help them to learn well. They do not always show curiosity in their learning or concentrate well enough. When the pace of a lesson slows or the work is too easy, a few chat among themselves and do not listen to staff.  Leaders have introduced new procedures to manage pupils’ behaviour but not all staff apply them consistently and so pupils are not always clear about the expectations for their behaviour. A minority of staff and parents expressed their concerns about behaviour. Evidence from inspection confirms that this aspect of the school’s work requires further improvement.  Pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour are well supported through the good links the school has with external agencies. Records kept by the school show a reduction in the number of reported incidents of poor behaviour and exclusions are decreasing. Pupils’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

attendance has improved and is average.  Pupils are friendly and get on well together regardless of background. Most of them act sensibly and take responsibility for managing their own behaviour although a few of the older pupils still move around the school in a boisterous manner.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All adults and visitors to school are carefully checked and the school site is safe. Staff are fully aware of the procedures for reporting concerns regarding pupils’ safety or welfare through the regular training they receive.  Pupils say they feel safe in school. They say there is little bullying and that adults help to sort out any minor disagreements. High priority is given to ensuring that pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including when they are on the internet. They understand the risks associated with roads and know that substances, including some drugs, can

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because, until the headteacher joined the school, systems to check the work of the school had not been robust enough. Consequently, weaker teaching remained unchallenged and pupils did not make enough progress.  A skilled deputy headteacher and governors, who share the headteacher’s ambition and determination, provide effective support to him. On joining the school, the headteacher reviewed the school’s work and identified key actions for improvement but has not yet produced a plan to show how these actions are to be achieved. Consequently, it is difficult for school leaders and governors to check how well the school is doing.  School leaders check the work of teachers and consequently the quality of teaching is improving. Senior leaders visit classrooms regularly to see how well teachers are doing and set targets for improvement. Teachers know that their progression on the pay scale is linked to their

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The leadership and management requires improvement

performance in the classroom and that only the best teaching is rewarded.  Middle leaders do not yet check the work of other teachers, for example by scrutinising pupils’ work. As a result they do not provide enough guidance to teachers about how their work can be improved. The good leadership by the Early Years Foundation Stage leader has led to an improvement in provision in the Nursery and the Reception classes.  There is a collaborative approach to training. Groups of teachers who have a similar need work together, often with external support, to reflect upon and improve their practice and this has led to improvements in the quality of teaching.  Pupils learn a wide range of subjects and enjoy the various extra activities such as art, music and specialist provision for physical education. These effectively promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Provision for sports is already strong and the school plans to use the additional primary sports

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The leadership and management requires improvement

funding to work with a local network of schools providing activities otherwise unavailable. Plans are in place to provide training for staff and improve their skills as well as to introduce pupils to new sporting activities such as sailing. It is too soon to evaluate the impact of this funding.  The local authority provides ‘light-touch’ support to this school. School leaders act on all advice and support provided by the local authority.  Arrangements for keeping staff and pupils safe meet all statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors are enthusiastic and visit school regularly. Over the past two years much of their time has been diverted by extensive recruitment and overseeing the building programme. However, they are now back on track and they provide good challenge to school leaders regarding the performance of the school. They have attended training and know how well the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school performs compared to all schools nationally. They receive clear information from the headteacher so that they know that school leaders have tackled inadequate teaching and that only the best teaching is rewarded. Governors are well organised and ensure that all finances, including the pupil premium, are managed effectively. They have a broad range of professional skills that contribute to the smooth running of the school.

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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 100402 Local authority Islington Inspection number 440922

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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 335 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Samantha Egerton Headteacher Damien Parrott Date of previous school inspection 14 June 2011 Telephone number 020 7607 4142 Fax number 020 7607 1514 Email address admin@draytonpark.islington.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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