Winton Primary School

Winton Primary School Killick Street, London, N1 9AZ

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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.  Attainment and progress at both key stages are good.  Attainment in reading dipped in 2013 but has improved rapidly since then.  Pupils learn well because they have very good relationships with teachers. They want to live up to the teachers’ high expectations.  Teaching makes use of learning materials which excite pupils and help them to learn quickly.  Pupils feel safe. Pupils from different year groups play well with each other and look after each other.  Pupils have very good manners. They are welcoming to visitors, and are respectful to teachers and each other.  Leaders and managers are ambitious for the school. They have brought about improvements in teaching and achievement because they act very quickly to address any areas of weakness.  The governing body’s work has improved and is now good. Governors are very clear about what good or better teaching looks like.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Although pupils feel that marking tells them clearly how well they have done, they do not feel that it always gives them the guidance to challenge themselves and to do better.  Occasionally, when pupils are focused on an activity, teachers’ interruptions slow down their progress.  Subject leaders were new in post in September 2013. They are very clear about the school’s strengths and weaknesses but they are not as clear about which of their actions have been successful, and unsuccessful, in bringing about improvements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 16 lessons or part lessons, six lessons of which were observed jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, governors, staff, and with representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation, its monitoring of teaching over time, and safeguarding arrangements. They observed the school’s work, looked at pupils’ books and the tracking system used to monitor pupils’ progress.  Inspectors took into consideration the 13 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire and the responses from the school’s staff, parent and pupil questionnaires. Inspectors talked to parents and carers in the playground.

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Inspection team

Miranda Perry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Winton Primary is a smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is above average. The proportion of those at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  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 with a parent or carer in the armed services, is above average. In this school, the pupil premium provides funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for those in care.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The number of pupils who join or leave part-way through the year is higher than in primary schools nationally, and has risen recently.  Previously, there has been a high staff turnover, but staffing is now stable.  Subject and key stage leaders were new to post in September 2013.  The school does not provide access to any external provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the typical quality of teaching to outstanding levels by:  ensuring that teachers mark pupils’ work in a way that guides and challenges pupils to do better  making sure that when teachers check pupils’ understanding, they ensure that pupils’ pace of learning remains high.  Give subject leaders the opportunity to measure the success of their actions, and the actions of their colleagues, to bring about outstanding progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children enter the Nursery with skills and knowledge below the levels typical for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. When attainment in reading dipped in 2013 in Key Stage 1, some Year 2 pupils had arrived mid-way through the key stage with gaps in their knowledge and skills. Because the school was quick to address the gaps, they still made good and sometimes outstanding progress.  In reading, writing and mathematics the proportion of pupils making average or better progress at Key Stage 2 was above national rates in 2013, even though attainment in reading dipped. Progress and attainment in reading have improved since then. During reading lessons at Key Stage 2, pupils are given books about subjects that excite and interest them.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. There are very positive relationships between staff and these pupils. Pupils say they feel confident to ask for

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The achievement of pupils is good

help if they do not understand anything.  The most-able pupils also make good progress. They think they are given hard things to do in lessons and they say they ‘love’ it. One Year 4 girl said, ‘Sir always tries to catch us out with a really tricky sum, but we never let him beat us.’  Pupils from ethnic minority groups achieve well. Many of them arrive mid-way through the year. Pupils questioned said the school has high expectations of every pupil, regardless of their background. Parents and carers questioned from ethnic minority groups think their children do well because the school makes it very clear to them how to support their children.  Pupils’ achievement in the national screening check in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) was good in 2013. Since then, pupils’ progress in understanding phonics in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 has improved. This was seen where children in Reception made

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The achievement of pupils is good

outstanding progress in a phonics lesson because they enjoyed the materials the teacher used. They could not wait to see what words would come out of the ‘tricky words hat’.  In the national tests at Key Stage 2 in 2013, pupils eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium were six months beyond other pupils in mathematics, six months behind in reading and 12 months behind in writing. Their attainment has since improved, and the gaps between their achievement and their peers’ are narrowing. The school has used some of the funding to run clubs which help pupils with their mathematics homework and one-to-one sessions for pupils who need to catch up on their reading.  The school has used primary school sports funding to improve pupils’ progress, particularly in competitive sports. Pupils now compete successfully in a range of events across the local authority, for example, cross-country, athletics, tag rugby and tri-golf.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Occasionally, pupils’ progress slows when, while they are concentrating on developing their ideas, interruptions by the teacher to check whether they understand what they are doing cause them to lose focus.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good. Pupils get on very well with their teachers, so they work hard because they want to please them.  Pupils achieve well because teaching reflects staff who have good subject knowledge and skills. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, for example, pupils pushed themselves to do more and more difficult mental calculations because their teacher helped them by first demonstrating very clearly how to work the calculations out.  Pupils are challenged by the pace of lessons. In a Key Stage 2 mathematics lesson, pupils were keen to think of as many ways to work out a fraction sum as they could in two minutes. One boy said, ‘I think my brain will explode if I think any harder.’  The teaching of reading has improved and is now a strength of the school. Pupils are taught to read books in lots of different ways, to understand the plot, the characters and the language writers use. Pupils enjoy reading lots of different types of books and decide which ones they like

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The quality of teaching is good

best and why. ‘We’ve always got our head in a book in this school’, as one pupil said.  Pupils write well because they read well. Once they have been introduced to exciting stories, they conscientiously explore how to write their own stories. In a Year 1 class, pupils learned well because they discussed what it was that made the story ‘The Princess and the Pea’ so good, and then worked out how they would make it better.  Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs are taught well. Teachers and other staff work closely together to make sure pupils’ special needs are planned for, and that learning materials absorb them so they learn well.  Teaching is also good in the Early Years Foundation Stage. If children find something difficult, they are taught not to give up. For example, when children played a number game and the numbers got bigger, the teacher’s praise and enthusiasm gave them the confidence to keep going, and they

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The quality of teaching is good

quickly learned how to apply the principles of what they had learnt to everyday situations.  Good teaching helps pupils understand letters and sounds. Pupils make good progress when they explore and discuss the differences between words. Two girls for example, enjoyed discussing how the words ‘confusion’ and ‘conversation’ were spelt the same way at the beginning, but then recognised that the rest of the letters gave the words very different meanings.  Pupils think marking is very clear in showing them how well they have done. However, they do not always feel that marking helps them to understand how to do better. For example, they say that sometimes they get challenges that are too easy, and sometimes they do not get challenges at all to help them improve their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils themselves made the posters around the school which say, ‘How good are our manners?’ They are eager to ask visitors this question, and are anxious that visitors respond that they have a high opinion of them.  Pupils learn well in class because they respond very quickly to teachers’ guidance. They listen carefully to what they are told to do, and are always willing to clear up and get the room ready for the next lesson. Their attitudes to learning are not yet outstanding because they are more conditioned by the extent to which teachers direct them, rather than through their making more rapid progress through their own initiative.  Pupils ask for each other’s help, and they are willing to help each other. For example, in Year 3, when a pupil arrived mid-way through the lesson, the other pupils, without being asked, got her book out, and talked her through the work they were doing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved dramatically over the last year and is now at the national average. Pupils are very clear that they cannot learn if they do not come to school. Parents and carers questioned in the playground were very supportive of the school’s drive to improve attendance. Fixed-term exclusions have reduced significantly.  Pupils say that they really enjoy the activities available to them, and are very sensible when using the equipment in the playground. One boy said, ‘I never thought skipping at lunchtime would make me behave better, but it does.’ Pupils settle very quickly to lessons after lunch and break.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils belong to ‘e-teams’ and train each other on how to keep safe on the internet. All Year 6 pupils are given a responsibility. One Year 2 pupil said, ‘The Year 6s always keep an eye on us. We don’t have to worry.’  Year 6 pupils are given time and training to support and lead the other pupils. They consult with

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the other pupils on bullying; check that it is rare, and that all pupils know what to do if it does happen. They work with staff to ensure discrimination is not tolerated.  Pupils really want to learn and are usually self-disciplined. On the rare occasions when they are taught by someone other than their class teacher, they are focused and learn well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is strongly driven, and is passionate and determined to improve the school so it is the best that it can be. His staff have confidence in him, and completely behind him in his drive for improvement.  Senior leaders lead by example. They never expect teachers to do anything they cannot do themselves. They check the quality of teaching regularly and accurately. The support they provide to teachers helps members of staff who need to improve their teaching to do so rapidly.  Senior managers measure pupils’ progress very thoroughly to make sure they always know how pupils are doing. If a weakness in teaching or pupils’ performance comes to light, senior managers act extremely quickly to address the weakness.  The leaders and managers with specific responsibility for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are very well trained in, and knowledgeable about, their pupils’ needs.

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The leadership and management are good

They have high expectations for these pupils to be successful, which the pupils respond to by doing their best and achieving well.  The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is strong. Leaders make sure the school works closely with parents and carers so that they know what to expect of school, and so children start to make rapid progress from the moment that they arrive in the school.  The school works in partnership with the local authority and leads educational initiatives across the authority. The school is very good at asking the local authority to challenge its performance and help it to identify strengths and weaknesses.  The school has been very successful in using primary school sports funding to increase the number of pupils who participate in physical exercise. Pupils love playing dodge ball with a sports coach at lunchtime. The range of sports clubs after school has increased. Pupils are encouraged to

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The leadership and management are good

bring only healthy snacks to these clubs, and in physical education lessons, there is a focus on how to keep fit and healthy.  The pupils appreciate the fact that subjects connect to real life. For example, pupils were concerned in a Year 6 lesson on averages to find out how an imbalance of fairness led to some children in the sample getting on average more sweets than others. One pupil said, ‘The school shows us how what we learn will help us when we are in the world without them.’  Subject leaders are relatively new to their role. They are skilled and enthusiastic. They have carried out actions and worked with colleagues to bring about improvements. However, they have not yet measured the success or otherwise of these actions, or worked with the senior leaders on how their action plans fit in with the long-term plans for the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have worked hard and successfully to improve their impact on the school’s performance since the last inspection. They work closely with the headteacher. They understand the data he shares with them and have been entirely supportive of his work to reward good teachers and tackle the underperformance of others. They are ambitious for the school, are aware how it performs compared to other schools, and clear about what the school needs to do to make its teaching outstanding. They have revised the school’s pay policy so that financial reward is clearly linked to staff performance. They undergo regular training and are diligent in holding the school to account for the impact of additional funding, and are aware how this funding us being used to improve achievement for pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium. Governors ensure that all statutory safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 100428 Local authority Islington Inspection number 433425

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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 195 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Katherine Heffernan Headteacher Andrew Rigby Date of previous school inspection 13 October 2010 Telephone number 020 7837 6096 Fax number 020 7837 0945 Email address office@winton.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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