Plaistow Primary School

School report Plaistow Primary School Junction Road, Plaistow, London, E13 9DQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Outstanding leadership from the headteacher ensures that the whole school works together very effectively as a team. She is ambitious for the school and drives a clear focus on improving standards.  Achievement is outstanding. From low starting points, pupils make rapid progress. Standards reached by all groups of pupils at the end of Year 2 are higher than those reached by pupils in other schools.  Pupils at risk of not doing as well as their peers are very well supported. Consequently, they make exceptional progress.  Regular checks by the school’s leaders ensure that teaching is consistently good, and often outstanding.  Behaviour is exemplary throughout the school day. Pupils of all ages and groups play and learn together harmoniously.  Parents are extremely supportive of the school’s work.  Children develop self-esteem and enthusiasm for learning in the Early Years Foundation

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Stage. They make outstanding progress in developing social and emotional skills and really enjoy school routines.  Pupils have a very clear understanding of how to keep safe. All staff work very hard to provide safe and stimulating classrooms and school for the pupils.  Learning support assistants are highly skilled and work closely with teachers in tight knit teaching teams. They provide excellent support for the pupils with whom they work.  Teachers are very skilled at planning interesting and challenging activities. There are many opportunities to enrich learning and this contributes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development extremely well.  Leadership and management at all levels, including governance, are outstanding and have a direct impact on the quality of teaching together with pupils’ achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. They visited 25 lessons including parts of lessons. Joint observations were carried out with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also observed a range of activities provided by the school to support individuals and small groups of pupils.  In addition to looking at pupils’ work in lessons, inspectors carried out a scrutiny of pupils’ books jointly with members of the senior leadership team. They also attended three assemblies, visited the breakfast club and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors held discussions with leaders and managers including governors, staff and pupils and the National Leader of Education who has been supporting the school.  They met informally with parents at the beginning and end of the school day to find out their views about the school. They took account of the 23 responses to the online questionnaire

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Information about this inspection

(Parent View). Inspectors also took account of 52 staff questionnaires, as well as the school’s recent parent questionnaire.  Inspectors looked closely at a range of documentation, including the school’s information about the progress of pupils and leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They studied improvement plans, safeguarding policies and records relating to checks on teachers’ and the school’s effectiveness.

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Inspection team

Gay Whent, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Clifford Walker Additional Inspector Alastair McMeckan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Plaistow Primary School is larger than the average -sized primary school.  The headteacher has been in post for four years.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is slightly above the national average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also slightly above the national average. These pupils have a variety of barriers to learning, which are mostly related to behaviour, social and emotional difficulties and speech, language and communication needs.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is much higher than 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 those who are looked after.  The very large majority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of those pupils

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Information about this school

for whom English is an additional language is above average. At the time of the inspection, pupils with 38 different languages attend the school.  The school runs a breakfast club which is managed by the governing body. The school also has a children’s centre on site.  Since its last inspection the school has been supported by a National Leader of Education who is headteacher of Elmhurst Primary School in Forest Gate, London. The school is also a member of the E13 Learning Community.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on existing outstanding practice by continuing to embed the use of challenging activities for the most able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Standards in reading, writing and mathematics have risen rapidly throughout the school in every key stage in the last three years. There is a rigorous focus on improving teaching and a systematic, structured approach. These have led to very good learning in all classes throughout the school and for all groups of pupils. They make exceptional progress compared to all pupils nationally.  Most of the children in the Nursery and Reception classes start school with low levels of knowledge and skills for their age. They are given a wide range of activities to do which place excellent emphasis on speaking and listening and solving problems for themselves. This helps them to develop personal and social skills with outstanding success.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is now very well established and highly effective. This is shown consistently by the high results achieved by pupils in the Year 1 phonics

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

check. This has enabled pupils to make rapid progress in learning to read.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make at least good, and often excellent, progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is due to detailed checking of each pupil’s progress and needs.  The school provides very good support for those pupils who are eligible for additional funding. Although they do not reach the same high levels of attainment as other pupils in the school in reading and writing, they do in mathematics. Their progress by the end of Year 6 in 2013 was significantly above similar pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The school is highly successful in reducing gaps in their learning by identifying their needs accurately. Teachers put effective strategies into place to aid their learning.  The achievement of pupils whose first language is not English is outstanding. Although there are

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

many different languages spoken, the superb support given in individual and small group activities is highly effective.  Everyone in the school community strives to foster good relationships where every child is important. This is why pupils of all nationalities make excellent progress. This is evident in their lessons, around the school and in assemblies, where pupils work and play together harmoniously.  Challenging tasks for the most able pupils are helping them to reach the highest of levels in their work. The main focus for school development throughout the school is ensuring that more pupils attain the highest levels of which they are capable.  Pupils enjoy reading. They read fluently, confidently and with expression. Older pupils share their love of a wide range of different types of books.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers are continually improving their teaching. This is due to the feedback they receive from colleagues and leaders, together with well-matched training opportunities. Well planned lessons ensure that activities are set at just the right level of difficulty for all ability groups. Pupils willingly seek a more challenging activity if they find they understand their work well.  Teaching is never less than consistently good, and much is outstanding. As a result, pupils make excellent progress. Everyone in the school knows the importance of their role in ensuring that learning is effective and how this makes a positive difference for pupils.  Opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas are helping pupils to develop their thinking skills and rapidly improve their confidence in speaking. All pupils, from the Nursery upwards, greatly enjoy this aspect of their learning and it is contributing strongly to their progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers have high expectations for pupils. When learning is at its most effective, Year 6 pupils reflect on a range of different solutions in calculating the largest area of land they can fence off when given a certain length of fencing. They discuss their solutions, concentrate really hard and persevere with their learning until they reach agreement.  Teachers and their assistants work together effectively in teams. They have excellent relationships with pupils. Some assistants have responsibility for small groups, others for individual children. They ask good questions which pupils think carefully about before responding. Effective teaching strategies and appropriately targeted support ensure that most pupils’ needs, whatever their ability, are very well met.  Classrooms are calm, purposeful places for learning. Displays link to current learning and are used as a learning resource by adults and pupils alike. Pupils focus well on whatever activity

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

they are undertaking in almost all lessons.  Marking in pupils’ books is extremely helpful. It recognises where there has been success. Pupils know how to improve their work as comments provide clear actions for improvement. All pupils have opportunities to reflect upon and respond to their feedback comments. In mathematics, all pupils enjoy the challenge question they receive in their books at least once a week.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. One boy commented that, ‘If I could improve the school, I would have more lessons as the learning is so good, even the homework!’  Pupils listen well to each other, check each other’s work and often help each other. This also makes a strong contribution to their exceptional social, moral and cultural development.  The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. All parents unanimously agree that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. In and around the school, behaviour is calm and well managed. Pupils move between lessons, groups and activities without fuss because they understand exactly what is expected. They have pride in their learning and in their school.  Pupils demonstrate many attributes of very good behaviour for learning. They try hard, persevere and show resilience when tasks are difficult.  At the heart of this exemplary behaviour are the excellent relationships between pupils and all

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

the adults in the school community. This is a real strength of the school. It is seen in lessons, assemblies or as pupils walk along the corridors.  Behaviour is impeccable when older pupils focus on supporting each other in assembly. They all join in with the time for reflection, which is silent and peaceful.  Pupils say that the behaviour seen during the inspection is typical. They have confidence that if they have any concerns, adults will help them sort them out.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents and staff agree that children feel safe at the school and are well looked after. Pupils also agree and say that they feel very safe in school. They show good understanding of e-safety and know how to keep safe when using the internet.  Pupils talk knowledgeably about the different forms of bullying, including the inappropriate use of language towards different groups. Pupils understand exactly what action to take should it

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

occur. They recognise very well what is not bullying.  Attendance is consistently above average and continues to improve. There is a relentless drive to ensure that parents understand the importance of coming to school every day. The breakfast club provides a positive start to the school day and helps to ensure that punctuality is good.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school is very well led by the headteacher who is determined that all pupils achieve as well as they possibly can. The school’s focus is to ensure that teaching is as effective as possible. Very regular checks on how well pupils are doing take place.  All leaders, including governors, are fully signed up to high aspirations for pupils and work as a very cohesive team in order to attain their goal. In the words of one member of staff, ‘There is a strong collective aim to do the best for pupils.’  The passionate drive for improvement on behalf of pupils at Plaistow Primary School permeates all aspects of the school’s work. It is of the utmost importance to leaders that pupils leave the school ready for their secondary education. This has resulted in the creation of a culture in which teaching and excellent behaviour can flourish.  Leaders at all levels, including senior and middle leaders, focus sharply on ensuring that all

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The leadership and management are outstanding

pupils fulfil their potential. This includes ensuring that pupils have equal opportunities to prosper and that there is no discrimination.  The school delights in its multicultural community and values this rich diversity. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively through the school’s international primary curriculum, both inside and outside, and in the school’s wide variety of clubs. These range from fencing to homework clubs, crochet to science.  An action plan is in place for the new primary school sport funding. This focuses on improving teachers’ skills and confidence in teaching a variety of sports. The plan includes the promotion of a health and fitness week for all pupils. The school is using the funding so that more pupils participate in a much wider range of sporting activities.  The school meets the national requirements for safeguarding.  The school has received extremely appropriate advice from a local headteacher, which has also

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The leadership and management are outstanding

included training for staff. This had immediate impact and has been very well received.  The governance of the school:  Governors are highly ambitious for the school; they are keenly aware of the importance of teaching in order for pupils to achieve their best. Improving standards are at the heart of what they do. They fully understand how the school has improved and the key priorities necessary to move it even further forward. Governors use the school’s information and national figures to check pupils’ progress. Governors ensure that finance is carefully allocated and checked, including any additional funding. They have a very good grasp of how the management of the performance of staff is managed. They understand what is being done to tackle underperformance. Governors manage the school budget effectively so that there is funding available to reward good practice. Governors take full advantage of training opportunities.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

They visit the school often, challenge regularly and also are able to support school leaders when needed to do so.

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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 132812 Local authority Newham Inspection number 430833

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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 445 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Iain Hale Headteacher Janine St Pierre Date of previous school inspection 21 May 2012 Telephone number 020 854 85620 Fax number 020 854 85621 Email address info@plaistow.newham.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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