Roger Ascham Primary School

School report Roger Ascham Primary School

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is good because most activities are carefully planned and assessed at the right level for pupils. As a result, they make good progress, particularly in Key Stage 2.  Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception Years, and also make good progress.  Over the last year the teaching of reading has been reorganised. This has helped pupils to make better, sustained progress in reading in Key Stage 2.  Leaders, managers and governors have made sure that teaching and achievement have improved.  The headteacher and the leadership team have set clear expectations for good teaching and they support staff to improve their practice.  Pupils speak very highly of their school. They feel safe, behave well and treat adults and each other with kindness and courtesy.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe is exemplary. Pupils feel very well looked after and their parents are very confident that their children are secure in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. This, together with the work of their active school council, helps to prepare pupils for life in modern democratic Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is not taught consistently well and as a consequence progress in reading slows in some of the younger year groups.  Middle leaders, while extensively involved in checking the accuracy of teachers’ marking in their year groups, do not frequently examine pupils’ progress in class.  Not all adults are skilled in designing activities that help pupils, particularly the more able, to deepen and widen their knowledge.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 25 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 18 teachers. One session was observed jointly with the headteacher. An assistant headteacher joined an inspector in checking pupils’ workbooks. In addition inspectors observed pupils’ activities at the breakfast club, during break and lunchtimes, and at an assembly.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body, and subject and school leaders. Discussions took place between an inspector and an external school improvement consultant.  The inspectors took account of the 37 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and four letters from parents, as well as having informal discussions with parents. The views of staff were taken into account through meetings and the 37 responses to staff questionnaires.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and discussed their choices of reading books.  The school’s own attainment records for previous academic years were scrutinised in addition to

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Information about this inspection

published information on pupils’ achievement. Planning documents were examined.  Records relating to pupils’ safety and welfare, including security checks on staff, were also examined. Behaviour logs and attendance records were scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Patricia MacLachlan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school. The early years consists of a Nursery and two Reception classes. Children start school part-time and progress to full-time attendance when they reach compulsory school age.  The proportion of pupils who receive support through the pupil premium (extra money provided by the government for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and children who are looked after) is above the national average. About 40% of pupils are supported with this additional funding.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, at about 9%, is in line with the national average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.  The largest groups of pupils are of Other White and White British heritage. Other sizeable groups are from

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Information about this school

Pakistani, African and other mixed heritage groups. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  Roger Ascham Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 st January 2011. When its predecessor, also called Roger Ascham Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  Since becoming an academy, a middle leadership team of teachers who lead the individual key stages (phase leaders) has been created, an additional phase leader being appointed this September.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more is outstanding by:  making sure that all teachers from early years to Key Stage 2 use a consistent approach to phonics, and give all pupils opportunities to learn and reinforce letters and sounds through speaking, listening and reading  training all class teachers to use assessment information well enough to plan activities that help all children, particularly the most able, to make rapid progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership of teaching by:  improving reading further across the school by checking that pupils who are in danger of falling behind are picked up more quickly and given additional help where necessary  strengthening the role of phase leaders by training them to hold class teachers accountable for the progress of pupils in their respective year groups.

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The leadership and management are good

 The well-respected headteacher and leadership team have focused on making regular observations of pupils’ learning and detailed recording of their progress. This information is used well to improve the quality of teaching and drive up standards. Phase leaders have been involved in checking on work in the pupils’ books in their areas of responsibility. This is helping to improve standards because work is marked more consistently than in the past. However, middle (or phase) leaders do not visit classrooms frequently to check the progress that pupils are making. Neither do they use progress data systematically to evaluate the impact of interventions on groups of pupils.  In recent years, standards in reading, particularly for higher attainers at Key Stage 1 and middle attainers at Key Stage 2, have been lower than those in writing and mathematics. This has been addressed by re- organising the teaching of reading. The focus on additional resources and training for teachers is having a

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The leadership and management are good

positive impact on improving pupils’ progress in reading, being particularly evident in Key Stage 2.  Strong systems have been developed to make sure that only those teachers who meet the targets that are set for them move up the salary scale. The headteacher does not avoid tackling lapses in teaching performance when this is necessary. Extensive programmes of support, and paired teaching have been developed to help teachers to improve their work.  Teachers at an early stage of their careers receive effective support. They say, typically, that they ‘are given opportunities to try out new strategies when teaching’, that their suggestions ‘are always met with interest’, and the prevailing question is always, ‘what difference will this make to the children’s learning?’  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils reflect on the differences between right and wrong in religious

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The leadership and management are good

education lessons that are based on Christian values and respect for the ethical codes of other faiths. A particularly reflective whole-school activity took place after a visit to the Tower of London. Pupils made their own poppy installation in the playground and invited their parents to share in their ceremony to commemorate Armistice Day. Values of tolerance are promoted in the way that the school weaves opportunities to understand others’ viewpoints into classroom discussions. The school council and ‘young ambassadors’ prepare pupils for democracy in British society. Participation in school theatre, and trips outside London, has widened pupils’ cultural horizons.  The government’s sport funding has been used well to engage an assistant coach who helps the school’s specialist physical education teacher to provide an extra-curricular sports club for every pupil. Consequently, participation in sport has increased, promoting healthy lifestyles outside class time. The

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The leadership and management are good

fund has also been used to help subsidise swimming lessons for Key Stage 2 pupils in the Olympic Park, enthusing pupils, as well as their parents, to take up this sport.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide small-group teaching to help reduce the gaps between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and their peers. This is most markedly evident in Years 3, 5 and 6.  Safeguarding systems meet current requirements, and policies are consistently applied. Leaders promote equal opportunities and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.  Leaders are working successfully with other schools to develop common assessment arrangements for the new curriculum.  The school improvement consultant has given good support to the school by training early years staff as well as providing training programmes for governors and phase leaders.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body know the standards of achievement and teaching in the school because

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The leadership and management are good

the headteacher provides information in regular reports. Governors use published national performance information to ask more challenging questions, in particular about comparisons of pupil outcomes in the school with those of pupils nationally. They make regular visits on ‘Governor Days’ to check that reported improvements are taking place. The governing body has improved its effectiveness by undertaking local training programmes organised by the school improvement consultant. Governors understand the link between teachers’ pay increases and pupils’ progress and have revised the pay policy. The governing body receives summaries of teachers’ performance from the headteacher; governors are aware of what support has been provided to improve teaching and if there has been any underperformance. Checks are made to ensure that extra government funding is spent on the intended groups and that this is helping to improve their achievement. Safeguarding arrangements meet

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The leadership and management are good

requirements and the budget is carefully managed to support the school improvement plan. The governing body meets regularly with the school council and helps to prepare pupils for life in democratic Britain.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Their attitudes are positive because of the encouragement that they receive from the adults around them, sharing in discussions and explaining well their answers to questions. The school’s reward system of merit marks and house points is well understood and meets with pupils’ approval. ‘To achieve well, you need to behave well’, is a typical comment.  Pupils work cooperatively with each other in lessons. Behaviour is good, rather than outstanding, because attitudes to learning are not consistently excellent across all classes and subjects. Pupils take pride in their brightly decorated classrooms and volunteer eagerly to keep these areas tidy.  Typically, pupils conduct themselves very positively around the school because they want to live up to the high expectations that are set for them, and they understand the consequences of any lapses. Constructive values are stressed in assemblies and pupils respond well to this. For example, during lunch,

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Behaviour

where good manners are modelled by adults, pupils talk and eat together very politely. They play together harmoniously, taking turns with group games in their assigned areas.  Attendance rates are improving and are now in line with national averages. Improvements are particularly evident among groups that have found regular attendance difficult in the past. This is because of effective checking and diligent following-up of absences with parents. Exclusions have not been resorted to in recent years because management of behaviour is effective.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say that they feel very well looked after by the adults around them. They speak confidently of being happy to approach any adult in the school, trusting that their concerns will be addressed quickly. Forging relationships with the pupils as individuals is a priority for all adults. Consequently, a typical comment from pupils is that teachers are very approachable and help them to feel very secure in the school.  Pupils have a very strong awareness of personal safety, including when using the internet, because it is explained well in lessons. Pupils understand and can explain the importance of avoiding tobacco and drugs. They can also describe how to keep themselves safe from gangs. Road and cycling safety programmes are run for older pupils, and the school promotes safety in the water by organising intensive swimming courses at the Olympic pool.

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Safety

 Pupils take responsibility for promoting safety and look after each other well outside classrooms. For example, in the playground an older pupil approached the headteacher as a matter of routine, concerned to keep a special eye on a younger child who was by himself without companions.  The parents who responded to Parent View, or who otherwise expressed their views, are unanimous that the school provides a safe and caring environment. Pupils are adamant that bullying is rare, and this is borne out by school records. Pupils are confident that if unkindness does arise, staff will deal with it effectively.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A strength of the good teaching in this school is the positive rapport quickly established between all adults and pupils in the classroom. Consequently, pupils are eager to become involved in their lessons and discuss their answers with teachers and teaching assistants. Well-planned and interesting activities are set at the right level of difficulty for most pupils so that they make good progress.  For example, pupils in Year 5 were very engaged in writing information sheets for a target audience, responding to challenging questions, using prompts for the use of more varied vocabulary, and benefitting from constructive discussion. Groups such as pupils who speak English as an additional language received appropriate support so that all pupils made the same good progress and drafted well-written leaflets.  Activities in mathematics are designed to help pupils to apply their skills to practical problems, gaining

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The quality of teaching is good

valuable experience through explaining the methods they have used. Teachers provide good guidance to pupils in mathematics through detailed marking, which helps them to improve their answers and track their own successes through keeping progress logs.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and support progress by giving helpful advice for improvement in their English books. Marking of writing in other subjects is not as detailed so it is harder for pupils to see how to improve the accuracy and fluency of their written work, such as in history and religious education.  Conscientious teaching assistants give effective support to pupils who need additional help to complete tasks. However, they do not always challenge pupils to attain the very highest levels in class because they do not stretch them sufficiently strongly.  Reading is promoted across all year groups. Leaders have reorganised the routines and resources in

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The quality of teaching is good

classrooms so that time for reading is scheduled frequently for all classes. This has had a positive impact on the outcomes for pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2. Younger pupils’ progress in reading is recorded systematically so that it can be checked by parents as well as teachers. Parents expressed appreciation to the inspectors of the ways in which their children’s reading schemes were explained to them.

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is good

 Pupils make good progress and achieve well. Attainment in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2 has been significantly above the national standard for two consecutive years. Although standards in writing have been good, standards in reading declined slightly for some groups recently at the end of Key Stage 2.  Leaders have acted decisively, reorganising the teaching of reading. The school’s own records now show that for pupils currently on roll in Key Stage 2, high proportions are making good progress from their different starting points in reading. Among pupils currently in Key Stage 1, the proportion making better than expected progress in reading has improved.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the same good progress as their classmates. This is particularly evident by the end of Key Stage 2 because of well-planned extra support they receive from knowledgeable staff.

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is good

 Pupils from different ethnic groups make equally strong progress. Those who speak English as an additional language achieve well because they receive good support in small groups which helps them to develop their language skills quickly.  The performance of the most able pupils in 2014 was stronger in mathematics than in reading or writing. In mathematics, the high attainers made better progress than their peers nationally. For high ability pupils currently on roll, school records show that their progress has been good given their starting points, but the most able pupils could have progressed more rapidly.  Leaders recognise that this is because teachers did not always give hard enough work to enable the most able to do well enough in a wide range of subjects. Scrutiny of this year’s work of more able pupils shows that this picture is beginning to improve as a result of more focused teaching.

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is good

 Additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to run small-group activities in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2014 disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 were about three months behind other pupils nationally in mathematics, and four months behind in reading. They were about four months ahead of other pupils nationally in writing. There were no gaps in performance between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates in writing. In Years 3 and 5, they performed better than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics.

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is good

 Leadership and management of the early years provision are good because there is a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development. A varied curriculum gives children experiences that help their development across a wide range of areas. Parents speak highly of the careful way in which short visits by families are used to familiarise the children with school routines.  Children joining the school in the early years have skill levels that are generally below those typical of their ages. As a result of good teaching, in 2014, an above-average proportion achieved a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year. This reflects a trend of improvement over several years of good academic and personal progress. Children are well prepared to begin Year 1.  Both Nursery and Reception provide a secure and friendly environment. Children respond by behaving well and learning enthusiastically. Staff interact skilfully to help children make good progress through a

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is good

range of stimulating activities. They track progress very carefully and make sure that any children who may need additional help receive very effective support. Leaders are aware of the need to improve the teaching of phonics (linking sounds to letters) and have revised staff training plans in this respect.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 136362 Local authority Waltham Forest Inspection number 449383

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy Converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 549 Appropriate authority Roger Ascham Primary School Academy Trust ’ Chair Bob Carey Headteacher Matt Hanks Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 020 8527 3157 Fax number 020 8531 7227 Email address office@ rapsch .co.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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