Fryent Primary School

School report Fryent Primary School Church Lane, London, NW9 8JD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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.  Pupils achieve well from very low starting points in the Early Years Foundation Stage to reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The quality of teaching throughout the school is good, with some examples of outstanding teaching. Teachers ask probing questions that extend and deepen pupils’ learning.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage enjoy the wide range of learning activities, both inside and outside the classrooms, that enable them to achieve well.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety in classrooms and around the school are good.  The headteacher and the governing body ensure that all staff have high expectations, drive and ambition to improve the school. They know the school’s strengths and areas for development very well.  The governing body effectively holds the headteacher, senior and middle leaders to account. They have a clear understanding of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the effectiveness of the school and the management of the school’s finances.  Systems to check the quality of teaching by all the leaders in the school are rigorous and effective. Therefore, all staff know exactly what they do well and how to improve.  The school provides good opportunities for developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through a well-planned curriculum.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching does not consistently ensure that all pupils make rapid progress across all year groups.  Progress in reading and writing in some year groups is slightly slower than in mathematics.  At times the most able pupils are not given difficult enough work to enable them to make rapid progress.  Attendance is broadly average, but a small minority of pupils are not punctual as they arrive at school after the morning registration.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 parts of lessons, three of which were jointly observed with the senior leadership team. Inspectors undertook a series of short visits to other lessons across the school and listened to children read.  Meetings were held with staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body, as well as a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 55 responses to the online Parent View survey as well as the views of the parents they met. Inspectors also considered the 39 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including national test results and the school’s own information about pupils’ achievement. They looked at how the school checks on how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, safeguarding policies, and records and documents relating to the work of the governing body.  The inspection team also looked at pupils’ work, records relating to behaviour, attendance,

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Information about this inspection

punctuality, the school’s website, data dashboard, records of the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and additional sports funding action plan.

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Inspection team

Kewal Goel, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Liz Kissane Additional Inspector Bimla Thakur Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is much larger than the average-sized primary school. It is expanding from two to four forms of entry. This expansion will be completed by 2018.  The school has an Early Years Foundation Stage, which is made up of two part-time Nursery classes and four Reception classes.  The school population comprises pupils from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The two largest groups are from a Pakistani and Afghan heritage, with smaller proportions coming from White Eastern European, Indian and Somali ethnic backgrounds.  The mobility is higher than average, especially in the Early Years Foundation Stage, as the school is expanding rapidly.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average to that found in most schools. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils

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Information about this school

known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is high. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school contributes to two wider school partnerships, the Byron Court and Uxendon Manor training forum and the Kingsbury Schools Together cluster.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards for Year 6, which set the minimum expectations for the pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure pupils, especially the most able, make rapid and sustained progress in reading and writing across all year groups by ensuring that all pupils receive work that is sufficiently challenging.  Improve attendance and punctuality by engaging more actively with parents so that their children arrive in time at the start of the school day.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge that are well below those typical for their age. Their knowledge and skills are particularly low in literacy, numeracy and communication. Pupils make good progress throughout their time in school. Thus, by the time they leave, they are well prepared for their time in secondary school.  At the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment was average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because the provision is good. There is a clear focus on early literacy and numeracy, and adults plan interesting activities which engage children well. Although, children make good progress from their starting points, they are still below the levels expected for pupils on entry to Key Stage 1.  As a result of the school’s increased focus on phonics (letters and the sounds they make) teaching this year, pupils’ performance in phonics screening check has improved. It is in line

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The achievement of pupils is good

with the national average. This represents good progress from pupils’ achievement at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  In Key Stage 1, attainment has been improving steadily since the last inspection. In 2013, pupils’ attainment was average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. Early identification of their needs, additional targeted support and guidance by teachers and teaching assistants ensure that these pupils achieve well.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language (including those at an early stage of learning English) achieve well because of specific focus on technical vocabulary and language development.  Pupils are making better progress the longer they spend in school. They are increasingly achieving more progress than expected nationally. However, too few of the more able pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

have been making better than expected progress. They are not always appropriately challenged with work that is difficult enough to ensure rapid progress to reach higher levels of attainment.  Pupils’ work across different subject areas shows that pupils are applying the skills learnt in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils are making good progress in these areas across the wider school curriculum.  The school encourages pupils to read widely and often. Pupils enjoy reading, read a wide range of books and express their opinions confidently about their favourite authors and literature.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make good progress. The gap between their attainment and that of their peers in the school is closing quickly across all year groups. However, in 2013, there was a six month gap between them and their peers in the school. The school is using the designated funds well to support these pupils. It is providing special teaching

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The achievement of pupils is good

programmes in English and mathematics and a range of workshops for parents of pupils across the school. The workshops are enabling parents to support their children at home.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good across the school. Improvements in the quality of teaching since the last inspection have ensured that pupils’ achievement has accelerated over the last 18 months. However, it is not outstanding as the progress in reading and writing in some year groups is not rapid.  Teachers have high expectations and use information and communication technology as a teaching tool well. This enables pupils to demonstrate their knowledge and deepen their learning.  Teaching consistently has a clear focus on vocabulary and on the development of pupils’ communication skills, especially for pupils who have English as an additional language. Teachers also give pupils ample opportunities to rehearse and practise the use of technical vocabulary. As a result, pupils’ writing over time shows pupils are making good progress in enriching their work with an ever-wider range of words.  Planning is thorough across all year groups and takes into account the needs of different groups

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The quality of teaching is good

of pupils. However, in some lessons, the more able pupils are not always given more demanding work as soon as they are ready. This, on occasion, limits the progress these pupils can make.  Teachers know their pupils well and generally adjust their depth of questioning to extend pupils’ thinking and deepen their knowledge and understanding. Pupils interact confidently with teachers’ and peers’ questioning and challenge. This further extends their learning and understanding.  Additional adults are deployed well. They have a good understanding of pupils’ needs and support and challenge pupils very effectively.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and their feedback helps pupils to extend their learning. They make sure that pupils act upon the advice given in the feedback to improve their work. Pupils actively respond to the feedback they are given and make improvements to their work.  The Early Years Foundation Stage staff have developed stimulating and engaging classrooms

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The quality of teaching is good

and outdoor learning areas. Children are motivated, keen to learn and interact together very well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are courteous, friendly and welcoming to visitors. They behave well in their classrooms and around the school, including during playtime and in the dining hall. Pupils demonstrate a high level of engagement in their learning. There is no low level disruption in lessons. Positive learning examples, seen on learning walls and behaviour walls displayed in the classrooms, further enhance pupils’ learning.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school carries out detailed risk assessments for a range of activities to ensure pupils’ safety. Pupils say that they are safe in the school. This is also the view of school staff and parents.  Pupils are fully aware of different forms of bullying, including homophobic and cyber bullying. A very small number of bullying incidents are well managed and dealt with effectively. A very small number of racist incidents has been logged, where both (the perpetrator and the victim) parties

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

concerned have been supported and the matters have been resolved.  Pupils know the school rules and are keen to be rewarded for good behaviour, hard work and regular attendance at school.  A small number of fixed term exclusions have been given. Support plans are put in place and this has reduced exclusions and improved behaviour of the pupils concerned.  Pupils have a good sense of right and wrong, promoted well through teaching and personal, social and health education. They know the effect of their actions on others. Diversity is valued and celebrated. Pupils from all backgrounds get on well with each other. Staff ensure that there is no discrimination.  Staff manage behaviour consistently well by using the school’s behaviour management procedures. Pupils respond well to these procedures.  The senior leadership team and the school-based counsellor have reviews and updates at weekly vulnerable children meetings. As a result of these meetings, the school provides counselling and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

therapeutic programmes for those pupils to ensure that social, emotional and communication difficulties do not get in the way of their learning.  Pupils say they have a voice in the school and they are listened to, for example through the school council representation.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly average. The school does all it can to follow up absences and actively involve the education welfare officer. However, punctuality is an issue because a small number of pupils, on occasion, miss the start of the school day.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leadership team, including governors, have high expectations. They have ensured all staff share their ambition and are driving improvement in achievement for all groups of pupils.  The school’s understanding of its work is accurate as the school regularly checks on the progress of its plans for improvement. The checks they make on their work are thorough and systematic. As a result, leaders at all levels have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The school improvement plan addresses all identified areas of priority.  Monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning and pupil progress by the senior leaders and middle leaders are rigorous and well planned. This helps all teachers to identify their strengths and areas for improvement.  The system for setting targets for teachers is very closely linked to the quality of their teaching,

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ progress and their personal and professional development. There is a close link between the management of teachers’ performance, appraisal and salary progression.  The headteacher is empowering the senior leadership team through clear delegation based on the team’s strengths and interests. This is aligned rigorously to the needs of the school. The school has recently reviewed its staffing structure and put in place very effective and focused support systems for newly qualified teachers and those at an early stage of their career.  The curriculum focuses on developing pupils’ knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics and personal, social and health education. A wide range of subjects is taught by staff, specialists, sports coaches, theatre groups and out-door adventure leaders. The curriculum is further enriched through a range of clubs, visits and after-school activities. It promotes pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

love for learning. The school uses the additional funding for sport by employing qualified coaches to work alongside teachers in lessons. This is increasing their knowledge and confidence and the level of competitions entered with other local schools. The number of after-school sports clubs has also widened, for example gymnastics and tennis. Rates of participation in the after- school clubs have increased from 15% of pupils taking part to 46% this academic year.  The school works well with parents. It communicates through a range of channels, including curriculum evenings, newsletters and in-class learning workshops. Parents are also invited into classrooms in the morning. They value the various cultural events as a way of finding out more information about their children’s education. The school has a parents’ room and is in the process of opening its library to parents.  The local authority has provided intensive support during this academic year, which has been

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The leadership and management are good

welcomed by the school. It has carried out termly reviews to monitor the progress of the school’s action plan and provided support and challenge if needed.  The school’s safeguarding systems meet all statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very knowledgeable and have high expectations for the school. They understand how the school performs against national standards and ask relevant questions about pupil achievement and progress. Governors know the school’s strengths and areas for improvement very well. They carry out a range of monitoring visits termly, including learning walks with the local authority representative, meetings with subject leaders and senior leaders and attendance at a variety of school meetings. All of which, help them to get first-hand knowledge of pupils’ performance. The governing body regularly checks that the pupil premium and additional sport funding are used effectively. Governors have attended a range

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The leadership and management are good

of training, including HMI ‘Getting to Good’ and ‘Getting to and sustaining Good Governance’. As a result, their monitoring is much sharper and has supported the rapid improvements being made in teaching and learning throughout the school. Governors hold the headteacher to account for the school’s performance. They make sure that the system for managing the performance of staff is robust and links closely to the Teachers’ Standards. They have employed an external bursar to monitor school finances. The governing body ensures that safeguarding arrangements and other policies meet statutory requirements.

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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 101531 Local authority Brent Inspection number 442123

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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 592 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bob Wharton Headteacher Jean Thwaites Date of previous school inspection 22−23 November 2012 Telephone number 020 8205 4047 Fax number 020 8205 3480 Email address admin@fryent.brent.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 and 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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