St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE)

St Andrew’s Southgate Primary School (C of E) 297 Chase Road, Southgate, London N14 6JA

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Leadership over time is good. After a period of change since the previous inspection, when it was led by an interim headteacher, the school is well led by the current headteacher.  Senior leaders, governors and middle leaders work effectively as a team to bring about improvements. As a result, the quality of teaching is good and pupils make good progress. The school is still improving, and its capacity for driving further improvement is good.  Governors are highly effective in their roles. They provide strong support and challenge to senior leaders, and hold them to account for the impact of their actions.  Good quality teaching in the early years ensures that children get off to a good start in school.  All groups of pupils, including those who have special educational needs or disability, are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards are above average at the end of key stages 1 and 2.

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This is a good school

 The school’s exciting curriculum is broad and balanced and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively.  British values are taught well and pupils are very prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils enjoy their learning and try their best to do well. They feel safe and love coming to school; this is reflected in the high rates of attendance.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and throughout the school is good, largely because they practise the school’s values in their daily lives.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers sometimes do not make the best use of pupils’ progress information, to ensure that their learning moves on more rapidly in lessons.  The strengths in teaching are not shared across the school enough to improve the quality of teaching even more.  The outdoor learning in the early years is not as strong as the indoor learning, particularly in developing children’s physical development.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is outstanding in order to raise achievement further, by: providing continued opportunities for teachers to observe outstanding practice making the best use of the assessment information so that planning is much sharper, in order to extend pupils’ learning.  Improve the early years provision by ensuring that the outdoor learning experience for children is as good as that indoors, particularly in improving their physical development.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher is highly effective and leads a relentless drive for school improvement. His high expectations for pupils and commitment to continuous improvement are shared by other leaders, governors and middle leaders.  Leaders promote a culture of respect, tolerance and empathy. This is done through the school’s values of stewardship, compassion, peace, service, thankfulness and justice.  The leadership of teaching has improved since the previous inspection. Leaders observe the quality of teaching more frequently and provide the appropriate support and training for teachers to improve their teaching. Leaders have implemented robust procedures for the setting of targets for teachers and teaching assistants to improve, which has ensured that teaching is now good. However, leaders know that more needs to be done to ensure that all teachers across the school benefit from the most effective teaching

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

practice that exists. This will improve the quality of teaching further. Leaders, including governors, ensure that there is a clear link between the teachers’ quality of teaching, the progress that pupils make and pay progression.  The school’s own evaluation of its strengths and areas for improvement is accurate. Leaders use this effectively to identify the main priorities for improvement. This is improving the quality of teaching and raising achievement.  The role of middle leaders has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Middle leaders monitor the quality of teaching and undertake book scrutinies and learning walks to check the quality of teaching and learning. They are closely involved in developing and monitoring the school improvement plan and updating governors on the developments in their areas of responsibility. Middle leaders are increasingly holding teachers to account for the progress their pupils make; their work is making a positive contribution

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to the school’s capacity to improve further.  Leaders have improved the system for tracking pupils’ progress. Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is closely and regularly monitored to identify those who are not doing as well as they should. These pupils are provided with timely and effective additional support to help them make better progress. This ensures that all pupils, including pupils who have special educational needs or disability and disadvantaged pupils, make good progress. For example, leaders have been effective in eliminating the attainment gaps between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils, both nationally and in the school. In this way, the school demonstrates its commitment to providing equal opportunities to all and tackling any forms of discrimination.  The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to the needs of different pupils. It engages pupils and promotes good behaviour, learning and enjoyment. Pupil experiences are enriched by educational visits and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

through participating in a range of after-school activities and clubs, including philosophy and mathematics master classes and debating programmes. There is a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ communication, language, literacy and numeracy skills across the school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils value diversity and show respect for people from different backgrounds and empathy with those new to the school and area. An assembly was used effectively for pupils to reflect on the theme of ‘hospitality’ and to think about the plight of refugees. The theme was ‘Let us be examples in our lives of generous hospitality.’ Pupils know about, and show appreciation of, cultural and religious diversity and the school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  The school promotes British values effectively. Displays about school values also reflect British values, and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

show that pupils learn about rights and responsibilities, the rule of law and democracy. Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of British values because they practise these values in the daily life of the school.  The school uses its physical education and sports premium funding effectively to ensure that pupils have access to, and take part in, a wide range of sporting activities. This has provided them with more opportunities for competitive sport. It has enabled pupils to take part in sports which are new to them: dance and participating in a dance festival, cycling and tennis. Teachers have enhanced their subject knowledge and skills in teaching physical education through working alongside specialist coaches.  Nearly all the parents to whom inspectors spoke said that the school is well led and has improved since the previous inspection. This was reflected in the online Ofsted survey, Parent View, were most parents agree

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

that the school is well led and managed.  The local authority has provided high-quality advice and support since the previous inspection. This has been very effective, together with support from the diocese, in helping the school on its journey to becoming a good school.  The governance of the school Governors played an important and significant role in steering the school through a period without a substantive headteacher. Their determination to keep searching until they found the right person to drive improvements has paid off. The governing body, supported effectively by the local authority and the diocese, has taken effective action to bring about improvements following the previous inspection. Governors are very skilled and knowledgeable, and are highly ambitious for pupils. They know the school very well, including its strengths and areas for development. They keep themselves informed by carefully

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

considering the information provided to them by senior leaders and middle leaders; they visit the school regularly to gain first-hand information. Governors have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress. They implement robust arrangements for setting targets for the headteacher and seek assurance that the management of teachers’ performance is linked to pay progression. They ensure good teaching is recognised and weaknesses are tackled. Governors are trained on the use of pupils’ performance information. They check for themselves how well pupils are learning, and how their performance compares with other schools nationally. They are knowledgeable about safeguarding issues, and make appropriate checks on safeguarding arrangements to ensure pupils are safe. Governors manage the finances effectively. They review the impact of the use of the government’s additional funding, known as pupil premium, so that disadvantaged pupils make at least good progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

They ensure that the physical education and sports premium is used to improve pupils’ health and well- being. Governors are highly committed to continuous school improvement and have ensured that the school has a good capacity to improve further.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and staff create a safe culture and environment for pupils and are robust in their work to safeguard pupils. Training for staff on how to keep pupils safe is extensive and policies are kept up to date.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Leadership over time has been effective in improving the quality of teaching. Teaching is good now and pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders, including middle leaders, have worked effectively as a team to strengthen the quality of teaching across the school, including in the early years.  Leaders ensure that there is effective training and support available to teachers to improve their quality of teaching. Teachers plan together to share expertise; this is overseen by middle leaders and monitored by senior leaders. However, not all teachers across the school benefit from the existing strengths in teaching to improve their quality of teaching further.  Staff provide effective additional support for pupils who need to catch up quickly, including pupils who have special educational needs or disability, those who speak English as an additional language and disadvantaged pupils. This support is led by skilled teaching assistants, with teachers providing one-to-one

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

tutorials when appropriate. There is additional focused teaching in class, to small groups or individuals, to ensure that these pupils make good progress with their learning. Pupils who are most able are often provided with additional challenges to deepen their understanding and move on in their learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning effectively to check pupils’ understanding, clarify any misconceptions and make them think about their work. Teachers use their subject knowledge well to develop pupils’ use and understanding of technical vocabulary and reinforce learning. This, together with positive relationships between pupils, and pupils and adults, creates a calm and purposeful environment where learning can flourish.  In line with the school’s policy on marking, teachers provide good feedback to pupils on how well they are doing in lessons and how to improve their work further. Pupils are given time to respond to the advice and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

guidance that teachers provide. Pupils are also given time to analyse their own work in order to identify areas for improvement. Pupils were eager to explain to inspectors about the ‘cold’ and ‘hot tasks’ that they do in their lessons: teachers find out what pupils can do (‘cold task’) and then set challenging tasks to extend their learning (‘hot task’). This, pupils say, helps in their learning.  Although senior leaders ensure that pupils’ progress is tracked in detail, not all teachers make good use of this information to ensure that activities are planned at the right level to extend pupils’ learning.  Reading is taught well throughout the school. Effective teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) in the early years and key stage 1 enables pupils to secure the key skills they need to read and write successfully from an early age. For example, pupils in Year 1 were able to use their knowledge of phonics to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

read difficult or unfamiliar words and practised writing letters and words on the lines of their exercise books. Pupils’ proficiency in reading is enhanced through the daily ‘guided reading’ sessions. Pupils say ‘We read a lot’, ‘We love reading’ and ‘We love the school library.’  Pupils’ writing has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils are encouraged to write at length to improve their writing skills, with a greater emphasis on pupils improving their grammar and spelling. Pupils have good opportunities to develop their literacy skills. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils wrote about a story setting and were able to extend their written sentences by using adjectives and similes confidently. One pupil shared his example of writing using alliteration: ‘fine, fragrant flowers’. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils thrived on the challenge of improving their teacher’s written recount, eagerly ‘marking’ and improving the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

teacher’s work; one pupil said, ‘This will help us with our own written account.’  There are good opportunities for pupils to enhance their speaking and listening skills through discussions about their work. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils collaborated well with each other to plan an alternative opening to ‘Macbeth’ using a ‘flashback’; they produced high-quality feedback, with one pupil saying: ‘It’s not every day you see a king murdered!’ This benefits pupils who have weaker communication and language skills particularly, including pupils who are at early stages of speaking English as an additional language. As a result, these pupils are better able to articulate their ideas and make good progress with their English.  Teaching in mathematics is strong and helps pupils to achieve highly in this subject. Teachers’ subject knowledge develops pupils’ use and understanding of mathematical vocabulary. Pupils enjoy solving

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

mathematical problems through practical activities. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, pupils enthusiastically made their own number line and ordered it into a circle to represent a scale to explore mass.  Most parents, responding to the Ofsted online Parent View questionnaire, say that their children receive appropriate homework for their age.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. School values, which are rooted in Christian values, contribute significantly to pupils’ own development and attitudes to each other. Staff refer to school values regularly in lessons and around the school and celebrate them in assemblies and through displays around the school.  Most parents responding to the Parent View questionnaire feel that their children are happy and feel safe at school. Pupils are very proud of their school and enjoy their learning. One of the pupils told an inspector that ‘it is easy to make friends in the school, and we are one big family’.  Pupils say that they feel safe in the school and that, if they have any concerns, they can easily approach a member of staff. Pupils have a ‘worry box’ to share their views and concerns with teachers. They say that teachers listen to any concerns they have and are very supportive. The local vicar runs the ‘Happy and Sad

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Personal development and welfare

Club’ to provide pupils with an opportunity to share any worries they may have. There are trained members of staff to help pupils with any emotional difficulties.  Pupils develop a secure understanding of how to lead safe and healthy lives through engaging in a range of different activities. For example, pupils enjoy the physical activities that are on offer through the after-school clubs, and they know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They know about different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. Pupils say that bullying or derogatory name-calling are not an issue in the school and that staff take appropriate action on the rare occasions when they arise.  Pupils enjoy the extra responsibilities with which they are provided, such as monitors, house captains, and school councillors. House captains take their responsibility seriously when rewarding children with house points for showing really good behaviour. As one pupil said: ‘Our teachers have given us this responsibility

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Personal development and welfare

and we take it seriously. We cannot be biased with house points; we award them fairly.’ Pupils are involved in charity work such as helping the homeless.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are thoughtful, courteous and polite. They are keen to engage with adults to talk about their learning.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in their high levels of attendance, good punctuality and low levels of persistent absence. There is a culture of respect and pupils show great care for the school environment and keep it tidy.  Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are eager to learn, and behave in lessons and there is no disruption to learning. Occasionally, however, some pupils lose concentration and begin to chatter, particularly when they are not sure about their learning.  The school behaviour policy is well understood by all. Pupils say that behaviour is good and the behaviour systems, including rewards and sanctions, are effective. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour; this is reflected in the very few cases of poor behaviour recorded in the incident book.

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Behaviour

 Most parents responding to the Parent View questionnaire feel that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Senior leaders, including governors, have been effective in improving the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. As a result, the quality of teaching is now good and pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 has improved from broadly average to significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics in 2014 and 2015. The school’s information shows that current pupils are making good progress. The learning witnessed in classrooms and the progress seen in pupils’ books confirms this good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The teaching of phonics is effective, and is helping pupils to read with confidence and develop a love for reading. The most-able pupils in Reception and Year 1 enjoy the challenge of working with older pupils; this helps them make rapid progress with their reading. In 2015, most pupils achieved the expected level in the

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Outcomes for pupils are good

Year 1 phonics screening check. The school’s records show that current pupils are achieving well, and the improvement in phonics’ development is being sustained.  By the end of key stage 2, pupils’ attainment is above average in reading, writing, mathematics, English grammar, punctuation and spelling. At the end of Year 6 in 2015, all pupils made the progress expected of them in reading and mathematics; nearly all did so in writing. A much higher proportion than average made more than expected progress in all of these subjects. Pupils reached the standard expected for their age in all three subjects and the proportion reaching the higher levels was above the national average.  The most-able pupils make good progress from their starting points. In 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving high standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stages 1 and 2 was above the national average. The most-able pupils are provided with challenging work and teachers have high

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Outcomes for pupils are good

expectations of their achievement. The current school information and work in pupils’ books indicate that most-able pupils make at least good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The strong teaching in mathematics is helping pupils to make good or better progress in this subject across the school. Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that pupils consolidate their knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts and skills and are able to solve mathematical problems using a range of methods. At the end of Year 6 in 2015, all the most-able pupils made more than expected progress in mathematics.  Pupils’ writing has improved since the previous inspection. Writing is particularly strong in key stage 1, with younger pupils using their knowledge and understanding of phonics to improve their writing skills. Leaders are aware that at the end of Year 6 in 2015, the attainment in writing was not as strong as in reading and

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Outcomes for pupils are good

mathematics. Pupils are encouraged to write at length in English and in other subjects to improve their writing skills. The current school information and work in pupils’ books show that writing is improving, and pupils make good progress in this subject across the school. The new marking policy is helping pupils to reflect on their written work more deeply to make improvements.  The progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability and those who speak English as an additional language is good in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders, including middle leaders, track the progress of these pupils closely; teachers and skilled teaching assistants provide them with effective, targeted support.  Disadvantaged pupils make good progress as they move through school. The small number of these pupils, at the end-of-Year-6 tests in 2015 did better than their classmates in reading and writing; they did as well as

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Outcomes for pupils are good

their classmates in mathematics. They did better than other pupils nationally in all subjects.  Year 6 pupils are prepared well to tackle secondary education by the time they leave the school.

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Early years provision is good

 Most children start Reception with knowledge, understanding and skills that are typical for their age. Good teaching and high-quality care and support help children to make good progress from their starting points. By the end of Reception, in 2015, the majority of children achieved a good level of development. The school’s information shows that all groups of children are currently making good progress. Most are on track to achieve a good level of development by the end of this summer term. The children are well prepared for Year 1.  Effective links are made with parents and most of the pre-school settings before the children start school. This ensures that each child experiences a smooth school life. This helps children to settle down and become familiar with classroom routines quickly.  Children learn and play together well, and are well behaved usually. They show a very positive attitude in

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Early years provision is good

their learning which impacts positively on the progress they make. Occasionally, however, a few become over enthusiastic and lose concentration, particularly boys.  Staff are skilled in assessing what children know and can do, so plan activities to address any gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Children’s learning journals capture in detail their achievements and they reflect good progression from the start of the year. There is a greater focus on ensuring that the next steps in children’s learning are clear, which helps staff to plan targeted activities.  Children have good opportunities for speaking and listening. Staff model language well and use open-ended questioning to extend children’s thinking. Children interact well with each other and are eager to talk about their learning with adults, including visitors. Children who have speech and language difficulties receive high- quality, small-group support from the class teacher and specialised staff to develop their language and

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Early years provision is good

communication skills and promote their confidence.  Children receive a good balance of carefully planned adult-led activities and opportunities for independent learning. They are confident and able to make choices about their indoor and outdoor learning activities. As one child said to the inspector: ‘We decide what we want to do!’ However, the outdoor provision, which is there to support children’s learning and to promote their physical development, is weaker than the indoor provision.  There is a good emphasis on promoting children’s phonics skills. Children act as ‘word detectives’ and use a magnifying glass to find small printed words; they sound them out and then use these words in a written sentence. Children learn to tell the time and the difference between the two hands on the clock. Most-able children are extended in their thinking through questioning: ‘What is one hour later?’ and ‘What is one hour

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Early years provision is good

before?’  Good leadership of the early years has led to good teaching. Progress of different groups of children, such as disadvantaged children, those who have special educational needs or disability and children who speak English as an additional language is monitored closely. Effective support is provided to ensure that these groups make good progress. Leaders have rightly identified that the outdoor area is less well developed than provision indoors and are taking action to address this.  Leaders and staff ensure that safeguarding is effective and that children are safe and secure.

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School details

Unique reference number 102030 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 10002006

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School details

This inspection 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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Binns Headteacher Matthew Clifford Telephone number 020 8886 3379 Website www.st-andrews-southgate.enfield.sch.uk Email address office@st-andrews-southgate.enfield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 November 2013

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than the averaged-sized primary school.  Pupils attend the Reception class on a full-time basis.  Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic groups, with the largest group being from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below average compared to similar schools nationally.  The proportion of pupils supported with additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is below the national average. This funding is provided for those known to be eligible for free school meals and looked after children.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  There have been a few changes to staffing since the previous inspection, with a newly appointed headteacher, assistant headteacher and middle leaders. The school appointed an interim headteacher

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Information about this school

from September 2014 until the current headteacher took his substantive post in September 2015.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 16 lessons, of which 11 were joint observations with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher or the assistant headteacher. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and attitudes in classrooms, and at breaks and lunchtimes.  A meeting was held with different groups of pupils to discuss their learning and views about the school. Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 1 and 2 and discussed their reading with them.  The inspectors held discussions with senior leaders, middle leaders and three governors, including the chair of the governing body. A discussion was held with a representative from the local authority and the diocese of London.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plan, checks on the quality of teaching and learning, information about pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour records and safeguarding policies.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors examined pupils’ books in different subjects across the school to see what progress they make and the quality of teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils in line with the school’s marking policy.  The inspectors took account of 59 responses received from parents to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, inspectors spoke to 22 parents in the playground at the start of the school day.  The inspectors also considered seven questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Gary Rawlings Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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