Anson Primary School

Anson Primary School Anson Road, London, NW2 4AB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 A cohesive staff team and supportive governors provide strong support to assist the headteacher in meeting her ambitions for the pupils and to raise their achievement.  School leaders have successfully driven improvements to teaching, including good use of teachers sharing their expertise and learning from each other. As a result, teaching is consistently at least good, leading to pupils making good progress and their attainment steadily rising.  Teachers use their accurate assessment of the learning of each child in the early years to plan teaching and activities that stimulate and challenge them. The children’s language development is given a very high priority by all adults.  The school is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for its innovative use of information and communication technology to stimulate the pupils’ learning and engage with parents and others.  School leaders are very effective at identifying

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

where pupils might be experiencing difficulties that impede their learning. They are quick to put in place appropriate action or deploy suitable resources to eliminate any problems.  The pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are kind and considerate of others, and respectful of adults.  Pupils generally have very positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to learn and readily share ideas with each other.  Staff and governors make sure that pupils are safe in school. Pupils feel safe and know they can confide in staff if they are worried about anything.  The school’s very strong partnership with parents enables them to support their children’s learning well. Parents are also engaged through social media with projects to guide learning at home.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and apply their mathematical skills in solving problems, undertaking investigations or in other subjects.  Subject leaders do not always check closely and at first-hand the quality of teaching and performance of pupils in their areas of responsibility.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons, nine of which were visited with the headteacher or other senior leaders. They also looked at work in pupils’ books from the current academic year.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff, the interim Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors. A meeting was also held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 30 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View). They also considered results from a school survey from the summer term 2014 with 106 responses. In addition, inspectors met informally with a small number of parents 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 pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents regarding safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also took account of the 34 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Martin Beale, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is well above average in size compared with other primary schools.  Most pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds with the largest groups being pupils of Other White or Pakistani heritages.  Two thirds of pupils speak English as an additional language. This proportion is high compared with other schools.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for funding through the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding which, in this school, supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well above average.  An above average proportion of pupils join or leave part way through their primary education. Most pupils who enter the school after the start of Year 3 speak little or no English.  The Nursery caters for 60 children on a part-time basis. Children attend the two Reception classes full

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Information about this school

time.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2013, having previously been the deputy headteacher.  The governing body has reconstituted this term. It is led by an interim Chair and currently has several vacancies.  The school hosts privately run breakfast and after-school clubs. These are inspected separately.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching in mathematics and its impact on learning by making sure that teachers build into their lessons the opportunity for pupils to practise and apply their skills in order to deepen their understanding of the concepts they are learning.  Ensure that subject leaders have the skills needed to monitor and evaluate the impact of teaching on the pupils’ learning in their areas of responsibility so that they can push forward improvements more rapidly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported by senior leaders, gives very clear direction. At the heart of their ambitions is the drive to raise the pupils’ achievement through improved teaching. Together with other staff, the school’s leaders have developed a strong ethos in which their high expectations of behaviour are visible at all times.  Rigorous self-evaluation enables leaders to focus action sharply on key aspects of provision. Local authority engagement, although relatively light touch, has been effective in helping them to confirm their judgements and priorities for action to bring about continued improvement.  The headteacher sets teachers targets linked to whole-school priorities and to pupils making at least good progress. Salary increase is linked closely to meeting these targets. Training to meet these targets includes teachers sharing their expertise and learning from each other. As a result, teaching is good and

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The leadership and management are good

improving.  Subject leaders are effective in bringing about improvements to teaching in their areas through the support and guidance they give their colleagues. However, they do not always monitor performance or interrogate assessment data closely in order to identify precisely what action will drive improvement more quickly.  The school’s creative use of modern technology gives the pupils’ work a global audience through the radio station, film making and book publishing projects. Their learning also benefits considerably by researching information, writing programmes and enhancing the presentation of their work. Leaders and governors are continually striving to provide classrooms of the future that enhance and extend learning.  Teachers have responded to the new national curriculum by writing topic themes designed to develop subject skills systematically as pupils move through the school. However, this does not always include

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The leadership and management are good

supporting mathematics skills coherently.  Assemblies are memorable events for the pupils. They contribute much to their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, such as when looking at the idea of ‘resilience’ and the value of having a strong work ethic. Pupils learn to respect others by studying their religions and cultures. They learn about Spain through its language, being twinned with two schools there, and by providing opportunities for pupils to visit Barcelona.  Learning about British values is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. They learn about democracy through being made aware of the current election. One pupil has succinctly identified the basic principles of different political parties and others have written manifestos for their own imaginary parties.  Leaders promote equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination well. Relationships are good. Any gaps in achievement between different groups of pupils are either minimal or closing rapidly. Data are analysed

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The leadership and management are good

rigorously so that resources, such as the pupil premium, can be deployed closely to meet individual needs. The school supports disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs well through its close links with outside agencies and parents.  The school provides much-valued workshops for parents, such as on internet safety. Parents are given regular information through texts and newsletters about what their children will be studying. The school’s online animations explaining new national curriculum features in mathematics have already been accessed by significant numbers of parents, not just at the school, but across London.  Additional sports funding has been thoughtfully and effectively used. Through training and working alongside experts, teachers have become more highly skilled and confident. Pupil participation in clubs and lunchtime activities has increased, contributing to the drive to improve their fitness and well-being.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and effective procedures ensure that pupils are kept safe at all times. All staff are trained so they can spot concerns and pass these on to designated leaders swiftly.  The governance of the school:  Governors are effective in their role and support the school well in its ambitions to be even more successful. They question leaders carefully about their plans and the impact of their actions. They are clear about how the good standard of teaching has been achieved, what the headteacher is doing to improve it further, and how salary is linked closely to teachers meeting challenging targets.  Governors have identified that since recently reconstituting, their expertise in understanding assessment data has been reduced. They are taking action to tackle this through further training. They manage finances prudently with a surplus earmarked for various site redevelopments. Governors have supported

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The leadership and management are good

changes to pupil premium allocations as attainment gaps had not been closing sufficiently.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are friendly, polite and respectful of adults and each other. They move sensibly around the school and play happily together on the playground. This helps to make for a harmonious and orderly school.  Pupils take responsibilities seriously and with pride, such as acting as representatives on the school council. Pupils who join the school midway through their primary education are very happy with the way others welcome them and help them to settle into school.  Pupils try hard, listen carefully to their teachers, and work well together on tasks and in discussion. Most take great pride in their work, as shown by its neat presentation and their willingness to try to improve. Most engage well in lessons, but attention and work rate can slip a little when work set is too easy and teaching does not hold their interest.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Parents are strongly of the view that the school keeps their children safe. Pupils feel safe and say how much they trust staff to look after them and sort out their problems. Very regular training helps pupils understand the dangers of using the internet and what to do if they have any concerns.  Pupils say there is very little bullying and any that occurs is sorted out quickly. Their parents agree, and school records confirm these views. Pupils also know that defamatory language in any form is simply not tolerated by staff.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers respond well to the targets the headteacher sets to improve their teaching. The result is that teaching is leading to consistently good, and at times more rapid, learning. Teachers manage the behaviour of pupils well so that learning is not disturbed. Expectations and routines are fully established and understood by pupils.  Teachers use interesting methods and creatively chosen resources to stimulate the pupils’ imaginations. Skilled questioning draws out their thoughts. Work set is generally hard enough to make pupils think, and encourages them to try out ideas themselves. Pupils learn well with and from each other by discussing ideas and working together on tasks.  Teachers are sharply aware of the needs of individual pupils. This enables them to allocate resources and deploy the very skilled team of support staff carefully. This ensures good learning, particularly for pupils with additional language or learning needs. Teachers make sure that pupils think for themselves and do

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The quality of teaching is good

not spoon-feed answers.  Reading is taught well, particularly phonics (the sounds that letters make) skills, to groups of pupils at similar levels. The teaching of writing is increasingly effective. Pupils are given time to plan their writing over several lessons, trying out their ideas before producing the finished extended piece.  Mathematics teaching is good. However, not all teachers provide pupils with enough tasks to help them master the skills they have learnt. Pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to apply these skills to solve problems or undertake mathematical investigations. Pupils also have very few opportunities to practise and hone their skills in other subjects.  Pupils are generally clear about how well they are doing, and how to improve pieces of work and eliminate mistakes. Where pupils diligently respond to their teacher’s comments, their learning improves, but this is

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The quality of teaching is good

not consistently the case across all classes. Marking has developed well this year following changes to policy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The pupils’ average standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics are rising by the end of Year 6. This is because they make good progress from their starting points at whatever time they enter the school.  Year 6 test results have been following a rising trend over the last few years. They were average in reading in 2014 but below average in writing and mathematics. This difference was largely because fewer pupils reached higher levels in writing and mathematics. The range of action being taken by the school to tackle this difference is having a positive impact.  The most-able pupils make good progress. The small number leaving Key Stage 1 at Level 3 have generally reached Level 5 by the end of Key Stage 2, with several of them reaching Level 6 in mathematics.  Pupils new to speaking English as an additional language make good progress in their language development, and in reading, writing and mathematics, once they have gained fluency and confidence in

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The achievement of pupils is good

English. However, not all pupils entering during Key Stage 2 have had enough time at the school to reach levels expected for their age by the end of Year 6.  There are no significant patterns to variations in the achievement of different minority ethnic groups, including that of pupils of Other White and Pakistani heritages. Pupil numbers in each group are small and subject to other factors, such as their later entry to the school.  The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good, and more rapid in reading than in writing and mathematics. Programmes are sharply focused on their assessed needs and quickly adjusted based on a regular analysis of their progress.  The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and others in their year group and nationally widened in 2014. It was over four terms in mathematics and writing. The gap with others in the same year group

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The achievement of pupils is good

was three terms in reading but slightly narrower when compared with all pupils nationally. These pupils are making good progress from their differing starting points. Attainment gaps are eliminated or closing fast following changes to the way the school allocates pupil premium resources.  Children in the early years make good progress in the development and application of phonics. This is built on well at Key Stage 1. Results of the screening check for Year 1 pupils have been average for the last two years, and have been rising at a similar rate to that found nationally.

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The early years provision is good

 Children make good progress in the early years. Their attainment is above average and rising by the end of Reception. They are prepared well for Key Stage 1. Good teaching is tailored to the children’s interests, challenging and engaging all children, including the increasing number with specific learning needs. Children who speak little or no English are helped to develop their communication skills rapidly by skilled questioning and a continual dialogue between adults and children.  The children’s initial attempts at writing develop well because they find the activities interesting. Children have written their versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears by themselves using their phonic skills and organising their words to make plausible sentences.  Adults make sure they react quickly to extend the children’s learning. For example, when a child dressed up in a firefighter’s outfit, staff created a fire station to develop his understanding of the service. Sessions

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The early years provision is good

led directly by adults are highly focused, but they are not making effective use of the outdoor area in Reception to extend the children’s learning.  Children behave well and are keen to learn. They remain engaged on tasks because adults communicate their expectations clearly and show children how they should behave. Children feel safe in the setting, and so are confident to explore the resources put out for them.  Leadership and management of the early years are good. The partnership with parents is strong. The children’s language development is given a very high priority by all adults.  Staff track the progress of children carefully. Teachers accurately assess the learning of each child to plan stimulating and challenging activities, although leaders are not always as sharply aware of what assessment data is saying about the performance of the setting.

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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 101495 Local authority Brent Inspection number 448224

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 428 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Emma Liberman Headteacher Saadia Lansiquot Date of previous school inspection 5 October 2009 Telephone number 020 8452 8552 Fax number 020 8450 3845 Email address admin@anson.brent.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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