Copenhagen Primary School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ attainment is not as high as it should be. Though results improved in 2014, attainment in mathematics, reading and writing were below average.  Pupils’ progress has improved significantly since the last inspection. However, these improvements have not been sustained over time for all groups of pupils, particularly in Years 5 and 6.  In mathematics, Key Stage 2 pupils are not asked to consider the efficiency of their calculations. They have too few opportunities to talk about their mathematical thinking.  It is too early to see the impact of recent improvements to the provision for pupils with disabilities and special educational needs.  Teachers are ensuring that gaps in pupils’ computing skills are closing. However, the legacy of poor teaching and underachievement mean pupils’ attainment is not as secure as it should be.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher, ably supported by other school leaders and the interim executive board, has been tenacious in driving improvements in teaching, behaviour and the early years. There is a culture of pupils and staff striving to ‘be the best you can be’.  The quality of teaching is reviewed regularly by leaders. Swift action has been taken to eradicate inadequate teaching. Most teaching is now good, and some is outstanding, particularly in English and mathematics.  Teaching in the early years is good. This ensures that children have a secure foundation for their learning in Year 1.  The vast majority of pupils behave well, enjoy school, and show pride in their work and surroundings. Pupils feel safe at school and know if they have any worries they will be dealt with quickly. They have a secure understanding of how to keep safe, for example when using the internet.  The school provides high-quality spiritual, moral,

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The school has the following strengths

social and cultural education, which enriches pupils’ experience. Staff and pupils apply the school’s values, which include positivity, equality, resilience, integrity, pride and appreciation.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day’s notice. Inspectors observed 16 lessons or parts of lessons. A range of short visits were made to classrooms with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and middle leaders. Inspectors observed morning and lunch breaks, and behaviour around the school.  Inspectors heard pupils read, looked at a wide range of their workbooks and reviewed evidence of their learning on tablet computers.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally in a meeting, informally during lessons and around the school. Inspectors spoke to them about teaching, learning, behaviour and safety. The lead inspector had meetings with two members of the interim executive board and two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors held meetings with a range of school staff, including senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors took account of the 18 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and feedback from

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Information about this inspection

four staff questionnaires.  The inspection team scrutinised pupils’ work in English, mathematics and in a range of other subjects. The team looked at a range of documents, including the school’s own pupil achievement information, checks on the performance of staff and records from the interim executive board. The team checked records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

David Storrie, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this school

 This is a slightly smaller than average primary school.  Children in the early years are taught in a full-time Nursery class, and full time in a separate Reception class.  Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. Almost three in four pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils that are eligible for the pupil premium is well above average at around seven in 10 pupils. This is additional funding provided for pupils who are looked after by the local authority or known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school was last inspected in September 2013. The headteacher had been in post for 11 days at the time of this inspection. The school was deemed to require special measures because the school was failing

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Information about this school

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education. The school has subsequently been subject to monitoring inspections by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. This inspection was the outcome of the fourth monitoring visit. The majority of teaching and support staff have been appointed since the last section 5 inspection.  The governing body was dissolved after the last section 5 inspection and in November 2013 an interim executive board was established in its place. The school and local authority were consulting on a hard federation with EGA School, a local outstanding secondary school, at the time of this inspection. It was proposed that the interim executive board would be replaced with one governing body over both schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in English, mathematics and computing across the school, particularly in Years 5 and 6, by:  ensuring that the substantial improvements in teaching are maintained so that pupils’ past underachievement is addressed fully  building on recent improvements in support for pupils with disabilities and special educational needs so that they consistently achieve as well as they should  providing regular opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 2 to deepen their understanding through reasoning mathematically, including methods of calculation and strategies for solving problems.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has been tenacious in driving improvement across all aspects of the school’s work. She sets very high expectations for pupils and staff. Her steadfast approach has been instrumental in the school’s rapid improvement. She has ensured that teaching is of a high quality and provides pupils with memorable experiences, so that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education. All areas for improvement identified at the last inspection have been successfully addressed.  Previously, subject leadership was not effective. Senior leaders have ensured that people are in the right roles and that they have had the support to tackle areas of underperformance. Middle leaders are effective and have a sharp understanding of pupils’ progress in their subjects. They work together as a team, sharing information and driving improvement. They ensure that there is a focus on closing gaps for

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The leadership and management are good

those pupils whose attainment is still too low due to the poor teaching they have experienced in the past.  Most parents are impressed with the improvements seen in the work of the school. Parents told inspectors that they have seen a transformation in expectations, teaching and behaviour. They said they had been ‘kept in the loop’ about changes so that they understood how this would benefit their children. Parents have a growing pride in Copenhagen Primary. A small minority of parents still report not being satisfied with the progress their child has made. One parent summed this up by telling the lead inspector ‘Leaders are doing all they can for our children, but my child has some way to catch up on learning they lost when teaching was not good enough.’  Staff at all levels are managed well. Leaders tackle poor performance resolutely and ensure good teaching is rewarded.  The school curriculum has been improved significantly, so that pupils learn more effectively within and

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The leadership and management are good

across subjects. For example, pupils have learnt to write non-chronological reports when writing up their conclusions from science experiments. The curriculum makes use of London’s cultural and religious learning destinations, for example the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Maritime Museum. This is helping pupils to make increasingly rapid progress and prepares them well for life in modern Britain. A middle leader carefully evaluates the impact on learning from these visits. This deep understanding of what is working has been instrumental in driving the quality of teaching and behaviour of pupils to good.  Leaders ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to do well. They carefully plan how to use additional funding for disadvantaged pupils and match this precisely to these pupils. This funding is used to provide additional teaching sessions for pupils at risk of not achieving their full potential, teaching support staff

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The leadership and management are good

and computering equipment. These strategies have narrowed the gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.  Leaders have successfully implemented the new National Curriculum. They have been using their preferred approach to assessment this academic year, so that it is ready for full implementation in September 2015.  Additional funding to support physical education has been spent effectively. Leaders have used it to employ specialist coaches and a sports teacher. This has helped to improve the quality of sports teaching and strengthen class teachers’ ability to deliver high-quality lessons.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. The headteacher and a team of trained staff are responsible for child protection, safety and attendance. They are successful in ensuring that pupils who are potentially at risk are quickly identified and supported.  The rapid improvements in the school have been well supported by the local authority. Rightly, they have

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The leadership and management are good

reduced their support considerably in recognition of the school’s improved capacity. In the past, the local authority provided a significant amount of support to ensure that teaching improved while internal capacity beyond the headteacher was developed. The local authority has taken a strategic role in brokering a proposed hard federation with a local outstanding secondary school.  The governance of the school:  The interim executive board has brought a wide range of experiences to the governance of the school. Members’ knowledge of the school is impressive and this has been used to provide exceptional challenge and support. Together with senior leaders, they have made difficult decisions which have been critical in moving the school forwards. Rightly, the board has focused its energies on securing the very best learning for pupils while working with the headteacher to tackle poor teaching. As a result,

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The leadership and management are good

inadequate teaching has been eradicated. Board members are still highly ambitious for all pupils. They have a clear understanding of how pupils’ achievement compares to other schools nationally. The board sets consistently high expectations and understands that the attainment of pupils is ‘still not good enough’, due to the long tail of historical underachievement. Members make regular visits to the school to ensure that the school’s improvement priorities are on track. They have built good relationships with parents and have worked especially hard to do this during the period of transition to the proposed federation. The board knows how pupil premium money is being used and understands how well eligible pupils are performing. It makes sure the school fulfils its statutory duties, including those that keep pupils safe through safeguarding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils’ behaviour has been transformed since the previous inspection.  There are positive and trusting relationships between pupils and staff. The school does not tolerate any kind of intolerance or discrimination. Pupils say that bullying is rare and that racist and homophobic bullying no longer takes place. Inspectors found that the few incidents of misbehaviour are tackled quickly to ensure no repetition.  Pupils have a clear sense of pride in their school. They are proud of their work, their uniforms and are keen to represent their school. They understand they have played an important part in helping the school to improve through their hard work, good manners, honesty and tolerance towards others.  Pupils are interested, curious and they want to learn. They have positive attitudes to learning and it is clear that they understand the importance of their education for later life.

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Behaviour

 Attendance has improved significantly. Pupils arrive at school on time and their attendance this year has been above the national average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The school has good systems for supporting those pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. Links are well established with external agencies, enabling pupils to receive the specialist support they need.  Pupils know what to do, and where to go, if they need help. They have a well-developed understanding of how to stay safe in school and beyond. They can discuss how they keep themselves safe from cyber- bullying and while using the internet. Pupils from Years 1 and 2 gave very practical examples of how to stay safe online. For example, they explained the importance of not talking to strangers via their games console and not clicking on pop ups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of teaching over time is good, and some is outstanding; no teaching is now inadequate. The quality of teaching has significantly improved since the last inspection. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They make regular checks on pupils’ learning to close the gaps in pupils’ learning from previous years.  Teachers plan lessons which help them to develop their English, mathematics and science skills across the curriculum. Skilful teaching is developing pupils’ vocabulary in different subjects and enriching their writing. Pupils’ confidence is growing as they realise they can live up to the school’s moto ‘Explore and Excel’.  Pupils make effective use of feedback from teachers to improve their work. In English, pupils use teachers’ comments to improve the quality of their writing. In mathematics, teachers carefully identify pupils’ misconceptions and ensure these are addressed. As a result, pupils are making more rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. They challenge and question pupils, extending their thinking. Their intervention work with pupils at risk of not achieving their full potential has helped to fill missing learning and drive improvements in learning.  Pupils are given regular opportunities to develop and practise their problem-solving skills in mathematics. Teachers do not always ensure that pupils are given sufficient opportunities to discuss and rationalise how they tackle a calculation, or why they did it using a particular method.  All teachers and teaching assistants are enthusiastic and committed to improving their skills. Staff are sharing best practice and ideas across the school. They draw on best practice from national reports and other schools in order to help them improve further. These factors have contributed to the very significant improvements in teaching since September 2013.

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requires improvement

 Attainment improved in 2014, but was still below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Too many pupils did not achieve as well as they should have.  The headteacher has taken decisive action to re-structure support staff so that pupils with disabilities and special educational needs receive high quality interventions and support. Inspection evidence shows that these pupils are benefiting from good support that is stretching their learning and helping them to make better progress. However, these interventions are still in their infancy and have not yet had time to fully show impact. Achievement for pupils with disabilities and special educational needs requires improvement because too many pupils have yet to catch up and achieve as well as they should.  More able pupils are being increasingly challenged to attain the highest levels of attainment. Their progress is increasing due to better challenge in teaching. This challenge has been hampered by the

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requires improvement

need to fill historical gaps in learning. More able pupils throughout the school are increasingly on-track to achieve as well as they should by the end of their Key Stage.  Current evidence from pupils’ books, the school’s own pupil performance information and visits to classrooms shows marked improvements in pupils’ achievement, particularly in English and mathematics. This is as a result of consistently good teaching this academic year, careful tracking of pupils’ learning and well-targeted interventions. These improvements have reduced the long tail of historical underachievement, but some pupils still have considerable ground to catch up on, to achieve their full potential.  The 2014 phonics (letters and the sounds they make) screening check of Year 1 pupils showed a below average proportion met national expectations. The school’s highly effective and systematic teaching of phonics is helping to improve pupils’ reading skills. Pupils are confident in their use of phonics and the

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requires improvement

attainment of pupils in phonics in Year 1 is already in line with last year’s national average.  Pupils are reading widely across the curriculum. Pupils are keen to read and are selective in the books they chose to read for pleasure. One Year 6 pupil explained, ‘I read the blurb to decide if I want to read the story. 'Sometimes I get mesmerised by the blurb and I can’t put the book down!’. Younger pupils of different abilities can use phonic strategies to work out unknown words in a book. Children in the Early Years enjoy choosing both paper and electronic books.  The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is below their peers in school and the average for other schools nationally. In 2014, the gap in attainment between eligible pupils and their peers nationally was around a term in mathematics, and two terms in reading and writing.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve equally well with their peers in the school.

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is good

 The Early Years provision is good. Middle leaders in the Early Years have secured effective improvements in teaching, achievement and behaviour since the last inspection.  Pupils start Nursery or school with skills, knowledge and experiences below the levels typically found for their age. Pupils who join in other year groups are carefully assessed so that all pupils get off to a good start in their learning at Copenhagen. This illustrates the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity for all pupils.  Children are attentive to adults; they behave well and are cooperative with one another. They show interest in the activities they are given and persevere to finish them.  The outside learning areas have been significantly improved since September 2013. They are used well to enhance children’s learning and physical activity. Children make good progress across the curriculum, but particularly in personal and social development.

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is good

 Teaching is good. Learning activities meet the varying learning needs and interests of children. As a result, they are now developing good attitudes to their early learning. Classrooms provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to explore their own interests.  Teaching is particularly effective in enabling children to acquire basic speaking and listening skills, early writing and understanding of mathematics and number. Phonics is well taught and introduces children to the sounds that letters make. Pupils are well prepared to start Year 1 and access the National Curriculum.  Parents are involved in helping the school to get an accurate understanding of what children can do when they start Nursery. Parental knowledge of their children’s learning is valued throughout the Early Years. This helps to ensure that the school has an accurate understanding of what is needed to extend the learning of children across the Early Years.

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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 100401 Local authority Islington Inspection number 454471

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 223 Appropriate authority interim executive board Chair Stephen Belk Headteacher Harsha Patel Date of previous school inspection 17–18 September 2013 Telephone number 020 7837 5597 Fax number 020 7837 4894 Email address office@copenhagen.islington.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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