Raglan Infant School

Wellington Road, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 2NS

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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.  The headteacher’s strong leadership is supported by an effective senior team. They have tackled energetically what needed to be done after the last inspection and are quite aware where further work is required.  Governors are vigilant in monitoring the work of the school, its performance and whether the school is meeting its targets.  School leaders continuously focus on improving teaching and learning by checking each teacher’s performance carefully and putting in place effective training programmes.  Teaching is good, and improving, with the result that pupils are making more rapid progress than previously and so their attainment is rising. This is particularly so in writing and phonics (the sounds that letters in words represent).  Teaching is good in the Nursery and Reception. This enables children to become confident learners and make good progress in all areas.  The school provides well not just for the pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

academic progress but also for their personal development.  Pupils behave well and are keen to learn. They conduct themselves considerately around the school, are polite and show good manners at all times to each other and to adults.  Pupils feel safe and happy in school. Their attendance is above average and has been rising.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 At times, teachers do not take sufficient account of the pupils’ progress and their responses to adjust their teaching or the work they set.  Not all teaching assistants in Years 1 and 2 are fully effective in their support for the pupils’ learning.  Marking has improved in the guidance it provides for pupils on how to improve their work, but this is not consistent.  Activities for children to explore ideas are not as inviting in the Nursery as in Reception.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons. In each of these lessons, inspectors examined the work in pupils’ books. Ten lessons were seen, together with the headteacher or other senior leaders.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 55 responses to Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire, Parent View, and held informal discussions with parents and carers at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information on the pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors also took account of the 25 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Martin Beale, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Brigid de Rivaz Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools.  The majority of pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is well-above average. Few are at the early stages of learning English.  The school receives pupil premium funding for a below-average proportion of the pupils. This is additional government funding which, in this school, supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are in the care of the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school is in a federation with the Raglan Junior School under one headteacher and a single governing body.  The school receives support from a local National Leader of Education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by ensuring that:  teachers carefully check the pupils’ learning and understanding in lessons so that they can adapt their teaching appropriately to help all pupils make the best progress  all teaching assistants have the skills to support learning highly effectively in Years 1 and 2  marking enables pupils to be clear about how to improve their work and teachers check that pupils read and act on their guidance  activities in the Nursery are as interesting and stimulating for children as those in Reception.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are now making good progress across the school. The results of Year 2 assessments have been consistently above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ current attainment is at a similar level, and rising, most notably in writing. The most able pupils also make good progress.  The school has taken effective action to increase the pupils’ progress in writing and to increase expectations and challenge for the more able. As a result, attainment has risen and more pupils are writing at higher levels than previously. Pupils have regular and frequent opportunities for extended writing and to develop their skills across subjects.  The school took speedy action to improve the teaching of phonics following below average results for Year 1 pupils in the screening check in 2013. The pupils’ attainment has risen sharply this year. Teachers constantly emphasise letter sounds and so pupils apply their skills without

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The achievement of pupils is good

prompting when faced by unfamiliar words.  The school has also tackled the requirement from its last inspection to deepen the pupils’ mathematical understanding. Pupils now regularly solve problems, undertake investigations and apply their skills in practical situations.  Children enjoy learning and make good progress in the Nursery and Reception from skills typical for their age on entry. This is because relationships between adults and children are positive and create a feeling of great security.  Progress is good for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Additional programmes of support are carefully planned and quickly put into operation to tackle their precise learning needs.  There are no patterns to any differences in the achievement of pupils from different minority ethnic backgrounds. Pupils speaking English as an additional language make similarly good progress as other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses additional funding well to support the achievement of eligible pupils, such as providing staff to support reading and additional computer equipment. These pupils make similarly good progress as others and reach levels of attainment which are above those of similar pupils nationally. Although they are behind their peers by the end of Year 2, the gap is closing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Improvements in teaching mean that pupils are learning well and making good progress over time. Teachers plan lessons, teach and set work that meets the needs of individual pupils. Work in the pupils’ books shows that the most able pupils are challenged and their understanding deepened through work that is more demanding than that set for others.  The good teaching in the Nursery and Reception prepares children well for Key Stage 1. Children show confidence, can work by themselves or with others and choose appropriate resources they need, mainly because of the strong relationships they have with all adults. Activities are engaging and stimulate their curiosity, but more so in Reception than in the Nursery. Adults continually talk with the children to introduce new vocabulary and to move their learning forward.  Teachers accurately pinpoint the next steps in the learning for disabled pupils and those with

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The quality of teaching is good

special educational needs. They brief support staff carefully and set work accordingly. Support staff who work with these pupils are trained well and make a significant contribution to their learning. However, although improving, not all teaching assistants make similarly high-level contributions to pupils’ learning in Years 1 and 2.  Pupils know their targets in English and mathematics, but the guidance given through teachers’ marking and verbal feedback does not always help them to see how to achieve them. Marking is improving, particularly in writing, but teachers do not check consistently enough that pupils have followed their advice and, as a result, misunderstandings are not always eliminated quickly.  Teachers develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills well as pupils are expected to answer questions properly, often in full sentences. Teachers mostly probe the pupils’ understanding and extend their learning by questioning carefully and adjusting their teaching and the work they set

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The quality of teaching is good

in the light of pupils’ responses. However, at times, teachers do not pick up quickly enough what pupils have learned and occasionally miss opportunities to correct misunderstandings. This slows otherwise good learning, for example when less able pupils are confused about what they should be doing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of the pupils is good. Staff manage behaviour well by consistently implementing agreed procedures. This helps pupils to make positive decisions about their behaviour. Records show there are very few incidents of inappropriate behaviour and, when these occur, the school informs parents and seeks their support, usually successfully.  The school successfully promotes good relationships and ensures that there is no discrimination. The school council has been central to developing the school’s values based on the Olympic and Paralympic values. The council is keen that these are reinforced in lessons and at all times around the school. Pupils love outdoor play because, as one said, ‘We enjoy mixing with each other and making new friends.’ Pupils are keen to learn, as shown by how quickly they respond to their teachers’ instructions and their keenness to answer questions. Their confidence,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

concentration and constructive collaboration start in the Nursery and Reception and build well across Years 1 and 2.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Parents say their children are safe and well cared for in school. Pupils value activities such as the fire drill because they ‘now know what to do’.  Pupils say they know how to recognise bullying, but that there is none. School records confirm this. Friends sometimes fall out with each other, but they know there is always someone on hand to help resolve their differences quickly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is strongly supported in his drive to improve the school and the pupils’ achievement by a team of well-trained senior, subject and year leaders. They work well together as a cohesive team. Staff are embracing change and are fully behind the headteacher’s actions to meet school priorities.  The school has the capacity to make further improvements. Rigorous monitoring and the careful analysis of assessment data mean leaders are sharply aware of the school’s strengths and the action needed to maintain its improvement. As a result, teaching has improved, progress has increased and both attainment and attendance have risen.  The school’s commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils has resulted in reducing the gaps in attainment between different groups.  The focus on improving teaching includes a very tight link between good classroom performance and salary increases. School leaders check each teacher’s performance thoroughly and provide

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The leadership and management are good

individual training programmes depending on the level of need. This includes observing high- quality teaching in partner schools as a model for teachers to work towards.  Engagement with the local authority and local schools has significantly benefited the quality of teaching and leadership. Local authority consultants have helped to identify future action to be taken and provided training for subject and phase leaders. The National Leader of Education has provided valuable guidance for teaching phonics and writing, and for marking, all of which are improving.  The curriculum is being adapted to meet the changes required from September 2014, while building on what is already in place. Planning supports well the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Learning is linked between subjects, such as in the Year 2 workshop where pupils dressed up as knights and soldiers and built castles. Pupils learn about other

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The leadership and management are good

peoples and their customs. When finding out about the historical and cultural influences on Spain, they considered flamenco. The pupils’ experiences are widened by trips such as to an animal shelter and visits from a local theatre company. Pupils learn to respect and value differences, for example by displays of the language of the month.  The school makes good use of additional sports funding. The pupils experience a wide range of sports through the engagement of an additional sports coach. Their participation in lunchtime and after-school activities and house competitions has increased.  The governance of the school:  Governors have considerably strengthened the way they check on the school’s performance and the impact of action being taken to improve teaching and raise achievement. This includes requiring the headteacher to provide more detailed assessment data. Their expertise in understanding data and regular focused visits to see the school at work enable governors to

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The leadership and management are good

ask searching questions of the headteacher and senior staff. They know that, through the headteacher’s work, teaching has become good. They are clear how this has been achieved, where further action is needed, and how this links to salary enhancement. Governors are also very rigorous in their management of finances and their evaluation of the impact of additional funding the school receives. Governors ensure that safeguarding processes are secure and rigorously implemented by staff.

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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 102004 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 442128

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 419 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anna Williams Headteacher Martin Kelsey Date of previous school inspection 12 February 2013 Telephone number 020 8360 5121 Fax number 020 8360 2813 Email address office@raglanschool.org 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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