St Andrew's CofE Primary School

School report St Andrew's Church of England Primary School 116 Churchbury Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 3UL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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

 Since her appointment, the headteacher has created a dynamic leadership team. Leaders at all levels contribute fully to the initiatives to raise achievement and the quality of teaching. Together with the governors, they are uncompromising in their drive to improve pupils’ achievements.  A robust approach to monitoring the quality of teaching, good training, and individual guidance have eradicated many weaknesses. Pupils’ progress and teaching are good across all year groups and improving strongly.  Well-considered methods used to teach reading, writing, and mathematics have improved progress.  The decline in pupils’ achievement found at the time of the previous inspection has stopped. Achievement is rising quickly and attainment is currently above the national average at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 6 are prepared very well for their transfer to secondary school, with some working at levels more typical

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of Year 7 than Year 6.  Children in the early years are prepared well for their work in Year 1 in reading and writing.  As a result of skilled support, disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs, or those who speak English as an additional language, achieve well.  Pupils say they feel safe. Their personal development is good, as are their behaviour and attitudes to work. They are well motivated to achieve highly and this enhances their progress.  Information from checks of pupils’ progress is used effectively, especially in reading and writing, to provide additional challenge for the most able pupils and to support those who may be falling behind.  Parents have full confidence in the school. They speak highly of the changes in the last two years.  Governors fully understand their roles. Their decision to fund extra staffing to help disadvantaged pupils and additional time for teaching assistants to plan work with staff is raising

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In the early years, children do not have sufficiently challenging opportunities when playing outdoors to develop their own ideas to solve problems or to apply their developing mathematical skills.  Not all staff always pitch work at the right level in mathematics. The approaches used do not always capture and sustain pupils’ enthusiasm.  A few teachers do not fully apply the school’s policy for marking pupils’ work in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 28 parts of lessons, as well as some support staff working with pupils who require extra help. Some were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Pupils spoke to inspectors in a formal meeting and informally during break times and lunchtimes and in lessons. Their previous work, especially the work of pupils supported by additional funding, was scrutinised. Some pupils from Years 1, 2 and 6 read to inspectors.  Meetings were held with staff who have leadership and management responsibilities, and representatives of the local authority and governing body.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the school day. The responses of 106 parents to the online survey Parent View, and the results of the school’s own survey, were taken into account. In addition, 31 responses to the staff questionnaire were considered.  A range of school documentation was reviewed. This included the school’s self-evaluation and

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Information about this inspection

improvement plan, arrangements to keep children safe, behaviour logs, records of attendance and information about pupils’ progress.

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Inspection team

Kath Beck, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Lacey-Hastings Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average primary school. Children in the early years who are in the Nursery attend the either in the morning or in the afternoon. Older children in the two Reception classes attend full-time.  The school meets current floor standards set by the government, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below that found in schools nationally. Pupil premium funding is money provided by the government to give extra support to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is broadly similar to the national average.  One third of the pupils come from a wide range of different minority ethnic backgrounds. Few are at an early stage of learning to speak English.  Since the previous inspection, there have been many significant changes to leadership, staffing and

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Information about this school

governance. The headteacher took up her substantive role in September 2013. All staff with leadership responsibilities have taken up their roles within the last 18 months. Eleven new teachers have been appointed. The governing body includes long-serving and new governors who have reorganised the way in which they work.  An inspection of the religious aspect of the school was carried out in December 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In the early years, accelerate progress by providing children with challenging tasks outdoors that allow them to:  develop their own strategies and ideas to solve problems  apply their developing mathematical skills in their play activities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in mathematics so that it is always good or better by ensuring that all staff:  use their knowledge of what pupils know and can do to pitch the work at the right level  use approaches that capture and sustain pupils’ interest throughout their lessons  implement fully the school’s marking policy so that pupils always understand how to improve their work and make faster progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders and governors, under the dynamic leadership of the headteacher, are uncompromising in their drive to improve the school and make it outstanding. They set high expectations and share their ambitions and aspirations for pupils to achieve highly. Consequently, the previous decline in pupils’ achievements has stopped. Attainment at the end of Reception, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is higher this year than in the previous two years and consolidates an improving pattern of success.  Subject leaders are skilled and have a clear understanding of their roles. They make important contributions to the drive to improve teaching, raise attainment and sustain good behaviour.  Through their robust checks on the quality of teaching, strong management systems, intensive training, and individual guidance, leaders at all levels have eradicated many of the weaknesses found at the time of the previous inspection. These factors, together with well-researched methods to teach reading and

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The leadership and management are good

writing, have raised the quality of teaching. Achievement is rising in all year groups, although for some pupils, progress in reading and writing is much faster than in mathematics.  Staff are held fully accountable for their pupils’ progress. They make regular checks on pupils’ achievements to identify those who need additional challenge or support because they may be falling behind or need to fill gaps in their learning. Extra funds are directed effectively to ensure disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs receive the help they require.  Rigorous self-evaluation identifies clear priorities for improvement. Senior leaders work in close partnership with the Diocese, local authority and other school leaders. They check the impact of developments on pupils’ progress and identify how the school could be improved further. Senior leaders respond quickly to their suggestions for refining and improving teachers’ skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new curriculum has been implemented well to enable pupils to develop their reading, writing, mathematical and research skills across the curriculum. It is enriched by visits to places of interest and clubs that are run at lunchtime or before-and-after-school.  Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain through the strong promotion of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are tolerant, cooperate well with one another and know that it is important to respect those from different faiths and backgrounds. Staff foster good relations between all the children in school and when out in the community. Discrimination is not tolerated.  All staff and governors are committed to equal opportunity. Finances are targeted to ensure that pupils from all backgrounds and abilities receive the help they need to achieve well. The decision to provide teaching assistants with additional time to work on planning with teachers, and pay for additional teaching

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The leadership and management are good

time for disadvantaged pupils is proving highly beneficial.  Funds to increase pupils’ participation in a range of sports and enhance their health and fitness are spent well. The school is successful in inter-school competitions, especially gymnastics. Many pupils are active during the breaks from lessons, playing a wide range of games.  Senior leaders and governors ensure that pupils are kept safe. Their arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. Governors review their effectiveness each term, especially with regard to vulnerable pupils.  Parents have full confidence in the school. Those who expressed their opinions to inspectors spoke highly of the changes since the appointment of the headteacher. Their views are sought regularly. Changes to the arrangements for homework were introduced following consultations with parents.  The local authority and the diocese have provided good support to the school, contributing to the

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The leadership and management are good

improvements in teaching and rising trend in achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  There have been many changes to the membership of the governing body over the past two years. Following an independent review, governors altered the way in which they worked. They know well their roles, responsibilities and the boundaries within which they operate.  Governors bring a wide range of expertise which they use to benefit the school. They are extremely knowledgeable about its strengths and weaknesses. Their regular visits are linked to checking the impact of developments in the school improvement plan on the achievements of the pupils, especially those supported by additional funding.  Governors are fully aware of the school’s performance compared to that of other schools nationally and those working in a similar context. They use this information and the school’s records of pupils’ progress to challenge and support senior leaders. In addition, they check the performance of all staff each year.

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The leadership and management are good

Good teaching is rewarded. Underperformance is tackled rigorously.  Finances are monitored carefully and targeted to raise the rate at which pupils progress. Governors meet with parents, and talk to staff and pupils to gain their perceptions of the school and what needs to be done to improve it. They ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the heart of the school’s work.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The school’s strong promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has a good impact on their behaviour. They conduct themselves well as they move around the school, often holding doors open for adults and their friends to pass through. They are well mannered and polite. The games makers help younger pupils to take part in different sports and games so that lunchtime is spent in purposeful activity.  In Year 6, pupils have excellent attitudes to learning, and this is contributing well to the rise in their attainment this year. While most pupils in other year groups settle quickly to work, there are occasions when a few pupils talk and distract one another. This happens when the work is not pitched at the right level, occasionally in mathematics, and can slow progress.  Pupils say they enjoy being at school, and working with their friends in small groups. They are motivated

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Behaviour

to do their best, and are keen to write because they have the skills to do so and interesting things to write about. They present their work well.  Pupils take pride in their appearance and in the school. They help to keep it neat and tidy.  Attendance is above average, and pupils regularly arrive on time.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Senior leaders work closely with a range of other agencies to keep pupils, including the most vulnerable, safe. Checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children are appropriate. Regular training in safeguarding procedures enable them to know what to do if they become concerned about pupils in their care.  Pupils say that there is very little bullying or name calling. A very small number of pupils have been temporarily excluded because they have been unkind to others over the past year.  Staff act quickly if pupils are at risk of harm. They ensure that the curriculum, and talks from a wide range of visitors, help pupils to know how to keep themselves safe in different situations. This includes when using new technology in school and at home.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Parents believe that teaching is good. Records of pupils’ progress and their current work support this view.  The quality of teaching has improved in all year groups, including the early years, since the previous inspection. This is because senior leaders have made clear their high ambitions for pupils’ achievements. Teachers know what they need to do to ensure pupils meet their expected goals.  Intensive training, good individual guidance and helpful initiatives to teach reading, writing and mathematics have raised teachers’ expectations of what pupils know and can do. Staff work closely with teachers from a secondary school to challenge pupils in Year 6 to reach the levels expected in these subjects in secondary schools.  Good teaching through stimulating and imaginative activities motivates pupils to want to write using a good style of handwriting. Staff help pupils to develop a wide range of vocabulary that allows them to

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The quality of teaching is good

write stories that engage the reader’s attention. Pupils’ work shows their skills in spelling and knowledge of grammar and punctuation help them to write confidently. They are encouraged to apply these skills widely in other subjects.  Methods used to teach reading enable pupils to develop their skills quickly and apply a wide range of strategies to read unfamiliar words. Pupils enjoy reading a wide range of good quality children’s literature and non-fiction books. Homework and tasks set across the curriculum help them to enhance their reading skills when carrying out research from books and the internet.  In mathematics, most lessons and resources are designed carefully to foster pupils’ command of a wide range of strategies to solve problems. The most able pupils can recall knowledge quickly. Tasks enable them to use mathematical language well to justify the way they choose to resolve problems. However, not

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The quality of teaching is good

all mathematical activities are always pitched at the right level. On these occasions, pupils lose interest and concentration slows.  Teaching assistants are well trained. They work closely with teachers to plan work so that they are clear about what pupils are to learn and how they should assist them. This ensures that the needs of the most able and disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs, or those who speak English as an additional language are met well.  During feedback in lessons, teachers and teaching assistants ask probing questions that help pupils to think through their ideas and deepen their learning. The school’s marking policy is implemented by all staff in writing. Consequently pupils have a good idea about how to improve their written work, but this is not always the case in mathematics.  Homework is set regularly. It extends the work pupils have been doing at school.

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The achievement of pupils

 Pupils’ achievements dipped in 2013 and were below average overall. While attainment in Year 6 in 2014 in reading and mathematics rose again to average, it remained below average in writing. The many changes introduced by senior leaders, and improving teaching, are bringing a rapid rise in pupils’ achievements this year, especially in writing. This is why achievement is good, when published data may suggest otherwise.  Staff have worked unstintingly to fill gaps in pupils’ learning and accelerate their progress in all year groups. From their varied starting points, pupils this year are on course to reach above average levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  In Year 6, the most able pupils are working at levels typically found in Year 7 in reading, writing and mathematics. More pupils in Year 2 this year are working at levels above those expected for their age than

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The achievement of pupils

in the past.  In 2014, pupils entered Year 1 from the early years with broadly average starting points. There was a big difference between the achievements of boys and girls, however. Staff have adapted the curriculum to make it more appealing to boys and they are catching up quickly.  Through practical and motivating activities, pupils overall make good progress in Key Stage 1 and Years 3 to 6. They apply their good knowledge of the sounds linked to letters to reading and writing, and are acquiring essential mathematical skills quickly. Pupils new to speaking English do well and rapidly gain fluency.  Disadvantaged pupils are making faster progress than in the past. This is because they receive additional support that is targeted to meet their individual needs. In 2014, the number of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 was very small. Some had been at the school for a very short time. The gap between their

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The achievement of pupils

attainment and that of other pupils nationally was wide. It was over four terms in mathematics and writing, but less than three in reading. The gap between these pupils and their classmates was almost five terms in mathematics, and less than three terms in reading and writing. Records of pupils’ progress in 2015 show that the gap is narrowing quickly in all year groups, and some are outperforming their classmates.  Staff working with disabled pupils and those with special educational needs have a good understanding of the difficulties these pupils face. The programmes of work pupils undertake in and out of class help them to make good progress from their widely differing starting points.

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The early years provision

 The high turnover of staff has impacted on outcomes over the last two years. In 2014, however, children’s achievements were in line with the national figures at the end of Reception year. Senior leaders analysed these outcomes rigorously. They found that the most able, boys and disadvantaged children did not achieve as well as others, especially in reading and writing.  New arrangements to support the learning of disadvantaged children are having a positive impact on their progress. Planned activities, such as ‘Super Heroes’ and ‘dinosaurs’, are capturing the interest of boys. These themes and initiatives to help young children to develop their skills in reading and writing more effectively are helping them to make good progress. It is anticipated that the proportion of children expected to reach or exceed the expected levels for their age will be above average this year.  The most able children are challenged to write well. They write for a wide range of purposes, such as

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The early years provision

amusing stories, to share information, and to label displays in the classroom. Staff provide a good range of resources to help children write without the supervision of an adult.  Disabled children and those with special educational needs are integrated well into all that the early years has to offer. Their precise needs are identified carefully and, with effective support, they make good progress.  Boys and girls, and children from a wide range of backgrounds, collaborate well. They share their toys, take turns, and sustain their interest in activities for long periods of time. Staff take care to ensure that the resources children use are in good condition and that they are safe.  In the Nursery and Reception classes, adults engage children in conversations that enhance their vocabulary and confidence in expressing their needs. Staff model a good standard of spoken English, which assists well those who do not speak English as their first language.

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The early years provision

 Throughout the early years, there are many good opportunities for children to play and explore, and be active in their learning. For example, children in the Nursery enjoyed hunting for mini-beasts, identifying them and looking at them through magnifying glasses. However, there are not as many opportunities for them to use their own ideas to solve problems or apply their developing mathematical skills when they are playing outside.  Good leadership and management in the early years have raised the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good, and children are making good progress across all the areas of learning. This means children are better prepared for their work in Year 1 this year.  The strong partnership with parents is established as soon as children start school. They share their child’s interests with the school so that staff can use them to plan exciting activities.

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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 102029 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 462171

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 465 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tim Harrison Headteacher Cath Mann Date of previous school inspection 24–25 April 2013 Telephone number 020 8363 5003 Fax number 020 8363 9618 Email address admin@st-andrews-enfield.enfield.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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