Marsh Green Primary School

School report Marsh Green Primary School South Close, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 9NJ

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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.  The quality of teaching across the school is consistently good, with some examples of outstanding teaching.  Children join the school with levels of skill and knowledge that are low compared to other children of the same age. As a result of well-matched activities, pupils make good progress and achieve well across the school.  Governors, senior leaders and managers and staff are ambitious for the school. They know the school’s strengths and areas of improvement very well.  The school has successfully closed the gap in attainment between pupils supported by the pupil premium and other pupils at the school.  Systems to check the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress are rigorous. These mean that all teachers know what they do well and how to improve.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because of targeted extra guidance and support to develop their early

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

literacy skills.  Pupils arrive punctually in school and quickly settle in lessons. Attendance is consistently above average.  Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and around the school. They feel safe at school.  Parents are very positive about what the school has to offer and increasing numbers are actively involved in supporting their children’s learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching in mathematics does not consistently ensure that the most able pupils make rapid progress across Key Stage 2.  Sometimes teachers’ comments in marking and feedback are not closely linked to pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ responses to teachers’ marking and feedback are often very brief. So pupils do not make the necessary improvements and continue to make the same mistakes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 parts of lessons, 12 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, Vice Chair and another member of the governing body, as well as a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 45 responses to the online Parent View survey as well as the views of the parents they met. Inspectors also considered the 20 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 development plan, safeguarding policies, and records and documents

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Information about this inspection

relating to the work of the governing body.  The inspection team scrutinised pupils’ work, records relating to behaviour, attendance, punctuality, records of the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and the additional sports funding action plan.  The lead inspector took account of the school’s website, data dashboard and external audits of school’s performance.

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Inspection team

Kewal Goel, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Mina Drever Additional Inspector Fatiha Mainland Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is larger than the average-sized primary school. It is expanding from one to two forms of entry.  There are currently two classes in Reception, Year 2 and Year 5. There will be two classes admitted in Reception every year from now on.  The Early Years Foundation Stage also has a nursery, which offers 52 part-time places, 26 in the morning and 26 in the afternoon.  The school population comprises pupils from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The two largest groups are from African and any other White ethnic backgrounds.  A higher than average number of pupils enter the school at times other than at the start of the academic year, especially in the Early Years Foundation Stage, as the school is expanding.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than average, with more pupils beginning the Early Years Foundation Stage in the early stages of

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Information about this school

English language acquisition.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is slightly above average to that found in most schools. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils 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 lower than average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  In 2013, the school did not meet the government’s current floor standards for Year 6, which set the minimum expectations for the pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics. However, the pupils who are not new to the school met the government’s current floor standards for Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the most-able pupils make rapid and sustained progress in mathematics in Key Stage 2 by consistently giving them work that ensures they make the progress they are capable of.  Make sure that teachers’ comments in their marking and feedback to pupils are closely linked to their learning.  Ensure that teachers regularly monitor pupils’ responses to the feedback the pupils receive about their work so that they do not make the same mistakes again.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge that are below those typical for their age. Their knowledge and skills are particularly low in literacy, mathematics and communication. Pupils make good progress across all year groups in school. Thus, by the time they leave, they are well prepared for their time in secondary school.  In 2013, the school did not meet the government’s current floor standards for Year 6. However, the attainment of pupils who had attended the school for a significant length of time was average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The quality of work in pupils’ books and the school’s own monitoring of pupils’ progress show that pupils are achieving well across the school. Pupils are making better progress the longer they spend in school.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because of the well-targeted support in developing their early literacy skills. Teachers use the information from their daily

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The achievement of pupils is good

observations to plan the next steps in children’s learning. They use the outdoor area, which reflects the learning in the classroom, very well.  As a result of the school’s increased focus on phonics (letters and the sounds they make) teaching this year, pupils’ performance in the phonic screening check has improved. It is in line 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 over the last three years. In 2013, pupils’ attainment was average in reading, writing and mathematics. This year’s results show that the current Year 2 pupils have achieved better results than last year. This is the result of better monitoring of teaching and more effective extra support and guidance to individual and groups of pupils.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. Early

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The achievement of pupils is good

identification of their needs and additional targeted support and guidance by 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. This is because of specific focus on visual clues, vocabulary and well- targeted extra guidance and support.  The most-able pupils are making good progress in English, but only expected progress in mathematics across Key Stage 2. This is because they are not always provided with work that is difficult enough to ensure they make rapid progress to reach higher levels of attainment.  Pupils use their acquired skills in reading, writing and mathematics across the curriculum very well. This is because of the more focused approach to literacy and numeracy in the topics of the curriculum.  Pupils enjoy reading and read a wide range of books. They develop the ability to make informed

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The achievement of pupils is good

choices in their reading. Pupils are capable of making inferences and predictions from their reading.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make good progress. There is no gap between their attainment and that of their peers in the school across all year groups. They are making better progress than pupils in the school who are not eligible for the funding. This is because the funding has been effectively spent on training the support staff, who provide good quality additional guidance and support to the eligible pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The large majority of teaching over time across the school is consistently good, with examples of some outstanding teaching. As a result of this most pupils are making good progress and achieve well.  Teaching is not outstanding because the most-able pupils are not always provided with work in mathematics which is matched to their ability in Key Stage 2. Sometimes they are required to complete tasks that are too simple and do not extend their learning.  Teachers and other adults create positive and welcoming classrooms and corridors throughout the school. Wall displays are very attractive and classrooms are tidy. This enhances pupils’ learning.  Staff promote good relationships and have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. There are effective systems to ensure everyone follows school rules and, as a result, most pupils are engrossed in learning.  Teachers use questioning well to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This helps pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

to make good progress.  Homework is set appropriately according to the age group of pupils. Teachers mark pupils’ work and give pupils feedback regularly. However, pupils receive inconsistent feedback about their written work, which is not clearly linked to learning. Pupils say that they do not always understand the feedback and how to improve their work. Teachers do not regularly monitor pupils’ responses.  Additional adults are deployed well. They understand pupils’ needs and support pupils very effectively.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff provide stimulating and caring learning environments for children, both indoors and outdoors. This helps children to become confident learners and make good progress in developing their speaking, early reading, writing and number skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are courteous and welcoming to visitors. They behave well in classrooms and around the school, including during playtime and at lunchtime.  Behaviour is not outstanding because pupils do not consistently display a thirst for knowledge.  Pupils know that the school's leadership listens to, and takes account of, their views. They enjoy taking responsibilities, for example showing visitors around the school, organising clubs and supervising common areas in the playground.  Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning. Pupils say that there is very little disruption in lessons. Whenever it happens, teachers deal with any disruption immediately and effectively.  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. The deputy child protection officer has attended additional training focused on protecting African children and learning about their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

cultural expectations of protection. Pupils say that they are safe in the school. This is also the view of the school staff and parents.  Most pupils get on with their work in class with no fuss whatsoever. Parents are happy with the way the school deals with any behaviour issues, which are extremely rare.  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. No racist incidents have been recorded in the school.  There have been no fixed or permanent exclusions over the last two years. However, this year there was one fixed term exclusion during the spring term for offensive and violent behaviour. Attendance is above average and all pupils are punctual to the school.  Pupils have a good sense of right and wrong, promoted well through teaching and personal, social and health education. Diversity is valued and celebrated. Pupils from all backgrounds get

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

on well with each other. Staff ensure that there is no discrimination and that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed.  The school has effective methods for preventing any poor behaviour, based on the principle of rights and responsibilities. All pupils are expected to know the rules and apply them to their own behaviour and to their peers in the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and the senior leadership and management team, including governors, work very well together. They demonstrate a clear drive and vision for the school.  The senior leadership team and middle leaders consistently communicate high expectations to staff about securing improvement. They inspire the whole school community to share a strong sense of purpose, working towards meeting ambitious targets for all pupils.  The senior leadership team is very focused and contributes effectively in the monitoring of teaching and learning across the school. Middle leaders also play a key role in monitoring and evaluating pupils’ achievement in their areas of responsibility. This helps all teachers to identify their strengths and areas for improvement.  The school’s understanding of its work is accurate, as the school regularly checks on the progress of its plans for improvement. The checks it makes are thorough and systematic. As a

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The leadership and management are good

result, leaders at all levels have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The school development plan addresses all identified areas of priority.  The leadership of teaching is good. The system for setting targets for teachers is very closely linked to the quality of their teaching, pupils’ progress and their personal and professional development. There is a close link between the management of teachers’ performance, appraisal and salary progression.  The topic-based creative curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to make gains in their learning. It has clear cross-curricular links. The curriculum is further enriched through a range of before- and after-school clubs, music, visits and sports. All that the school offers promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. It also promotes pupils’ love for learning.  The school uses the additional funding for sport to improve the quality of provision of physical

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The leadership and management are good

education. It has hired the services of a group who specialises in sports teaching, both in curriculum time and before and after school. It has also employed a qualified and experienced gymnastics and dance coach. There has been significant improvement in the quality of physical education teaching and increased pupil participation in sports and pupils’ awareness of healthy lifestyles.  The school works well with parents. It communicates with them through a range of channels, including termly reports, newsletters, an annual award ceremony, and the family-parent information booklet. It also invites parents to family literacy meetings in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The local authority has provided intensive support to the school during this academic year. It has carried out termly reviews to monitor pupils’ achievement and the school’s provision in English, mathematics and the Early Years Foundation Stage. The school is very appreciative of the

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The leadership and management are good

support it receives from the local authority.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school very well. They have good understanding of how the school performs against national standards. They ask relevant questions about pupil achievement and progress. When the blip in standards happened in 2013, they challenged the headteacher and took effective action. The governing body regularly checks that the pupil premium and additional sport funding are used effectively. Governors carry out learning walks to gather first hand knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They make sure that the system for managing the performance of staff is robust and links closely to the Teachers’ Standards. Governors attend relevant training to improve their effectiveness. The governing body has initiated a governance review and a skills audit to make it more strategic.  The governing body manages the school’s finances well. It ensures that safeguarding

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The leadership and management are good

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 101211 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 439827

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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 302 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mia Warwick Headteacher Natalie Sanchez Date of previous school inspection 18−19 November 2009 Telephone number 020 8270 4982 Fax number 020 8270 4983 Email address office@marshgreen.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 .

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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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