Osidge Primary School

Osidge Primary School Chase Side, Southgate, London, N14 5HD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The recent resignations of the headteacher and assistant headteacher have reduced the capacity of the senior leadership team. This has stretched the school’s remaining resources, limiting the impact leaders have had on ensuring that pupils receive a good education.  The high number of teachers leaving and joining the school has led to inconsistency in the quality of teaching and learning. This, in turn, is having a detrimental impact on the outcomes of pupils currently on roll. It has also caused concern among parents and carers, a significant proportion of whom are concerned about its impact on their children’s education.  As a result of limited challenge and poor use of assessment information, pupils, including the most able, do not make enough progress from their starting points and do not reach the standards they are capable of.  Pupils’ behaviour is not consistently good. When managed well, pupils engage enthusiastically in

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This is a school that requires improvement

their learning, demonstrating respect for their peers and for staff. At other times pupils are dependent on adults’ guidance and close supervision.

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The school has the following strengths

 Governors have taken decisive action to address the recent departure of senior leaders. They have acted promptly to appoint a new headteacher and to ensure that appropriate interim leadership arrangements are in place.  Children get off to a good start in the early years. They are articulate and start Year 1 with the skills and understanding they need to tackle learning in key stage 1.  Pupils’ academic performance in recent years has risen. In 2015, their attainment at the end of key stage 2 was significantly above average.  Pupils feel, and are, safe at school. Parents and carers have confidence in the school’s work to keep their children safe.  The innovative approach taken to providing curriculum-enriching, enterprise-based activities provides pupils with valuable insights into the world of work.  Residential visits to a range of destinations from Year 2 to Year 6 help to provide pupils with a rich

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: – the planned increase in leadership capacity results in leaders having the time to focus their attention on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and, thereby, pupils’ outcomes – leaders take effective steps to promote positive relationships with parents and carers.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency of the quality of teaching so that pupils make the expected, or more than expected, progress from their starting points by ensuring that: – teachers are equipped with the subject knowledge required to teach effectively across the curriculum – teachers’ questioning promotes pupils’ deeper thinking and provides teachers with the assessment information they need to support pupils’ subsequent learning – the most able pupils are challenged to achieve all they are capable of – assessment information about individuals and groups of pupils is used effectively.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have encountered significant challenge in appointing teachers of a sufficiently high calibre. This has led to a reliance on supply teachers and a succession of interim arrangements. This has had a negative impact on the quality of teaching, pupils’ behaviour and, consequently, their outcomes. Although historical outcomes have been strong at the end of key stage 2, too many pupils currently on roll are not making sufficient progress and are not reaching the standard they are capable of.  After a period of instability and low morale, staff report that they now feel valued by leaders. They explain that leaders have an increasing trust in their work and that the environment is more conducive to bringing about school improvement.  The governing body has taken decisive action to appoint interim leaders in the light of recent resignations of senior staff, including that of the headteacher. Appointing the recently retired deputy headteacher to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

return in an acting capacity as headteacher has provided much-needed stability at a time of significant staff change. Prompt action by the governing body, with the support of the local authority, has ensured that a substantive headteacher has been appointed to lead the school from September 2016.  Throughout the recent changes, leaders have maintained their focus on checking staff performance. They use a variety of strategies to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers’ work including formal observations of teaching, scrutiny of pupils’ work and making short, unannounced visits to lessons. Records of visits to lessons indicate that leaders focus on the impact of teachers’ work on pupils’ learning, taking into account the progress pupils make.  Leaders have a clear understanding of individual teachers’ performance. Teachers receive clear feedback about what they are doing well and what could be improved, as well as specific guidance about how to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

improve their practice.  The curriculum is taught through a series of topics which encompass various subjects. There is a clear emphasis on making sure that skills are taught progressively and on ensuring that pupils can make links between their learning in different subjects. A variety of extra-curricular activities enhance pupils’ learning with music having a high profile in the school. During the inspection, the school orchestra rehearsed an arrangement of Star Wars, with pupils demonstrating high levels of musicianship and engagement. Similarly, the key stage 1 choir practised during lunchtime with all involved participating enthusiastically and tunefully. The curriculum is broad and caters well for pupils’ interests and needs. Pupils recall a wide variety of engaging activities that they have enjoyed across the curriculum.  The school’s work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong through

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

the provision of varied opportunities in, and beyond, school. Effective strategies are used to ensure that pupils gain an understanding of topical issues and prepare them for life in modern Britain. For example, the current ‘monthly value’ is ‘leadership and democracy’ to link with the London mayoral elections and the forthcoming European referendum.  Pupil premium funding is used to provide a variety of support including targeted support for individual pupils as well as to subsidise the participation of disadvantaged pupils in curriculum enrichment activities. It has been well targeted to ensure that the gap between the performance of disadvantaged pupils and others narrows. This gap narrowed significantly between 2014 and 2015.  Physical education and sport premium is spent effectively. Over half of pupils take part in additional weekly sports activities with nearly half having represented the school in events or competitions. School

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

teams have experienced success in tournaments with the girls’ football team winning the local league and teams reaching the quarter-finals in tennis and netball tournaments. Staff confidence in teaching physical education has been raised as a result of training in the subject.  The local authority has a good understanding of the school’s needs and has provided effective support during the recent changes to leadership including supporting the governing body through the recruitment process for the new headteacher.  Parents have mixed views of the effectiveness of the school’s work. Some speak highly of the support they and their children receive to tackle special educational needs or disability, while others have had less positive experiences. Generally, parents appreciate the recent efforts of the governing body and leaders to bring greater stability, and to restore the ‘family’ nature of the school community.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school Governors are committed to ensuring that school improvement is rapid and that no time is wasted. They have taken prompt action to establish interim leadership arrangements following the departure of the headteacher. They have pupil progress at the heart of their work and are aware of the performance of different groups of pupils. The governing body has taken steps to review its own performance and has participated in a review of its work in conjunction with the local authority. This is indicative of its determination to improve the quality of its challenge and support for the school. Governors are well qualified for their roles, having backgrounds in a variety of fields, including education.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Procedures for recording and reporting concerns about pupils’ well-being are well known by staff. They understand that it is right to be cautious and to liaise

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

with other agencies, sharing information as required. Staff have a good awareness of ‘Prevent’, the government strategy to tackle radicalisation and extremism, and of the signs to look out for which may indicate that a pupil is at risk. Training on the subject of internet safety has ensured that staff understand the importance of teaching pupils to adopt a safe approach to being online. Morning briefing meetings are used effectively to ensure that staff are aware of pertinent information relating to individual pupils and their changing needs. Leaflets presented to visitors on arrival at the school give clear instructions about the expectations of them to report any concerns about pupils’ welfare or safety without delay.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent throughout the school. The high turnover of staff in some year groups has had a negative impact on the quality of teaching.  At its best, teaching engages pupils and is targeted accurately according to pupils’ abilities. However, in other cases, it is not sufficiently focused on pupils’ needs; some pupils are not sufficiently challenged whereas others find the work too challenging and are not able to engage with the learning. In both cases, pupils’ progress is limited.  The most able pupils are not consistently well challenged. They are often required to repeat work of a similar level or depth to work they have already completed, when they have already demonstrated that they understand the concept involved. This results in them finding some activities too easy and in them making limited progress.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is inconsistent. In the best cases, concepts are explained clearly with a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

thorough appreciation of how pupils learn best at the heart of teachers’ approaches. Where practice is weaker, misconceptions are not addressed robustly or promptly enough, allowing pupils to become confused.  The extent to which teachers’ questions promote pupils’ deeper consideration of concepts varies. Where practice is strongest, questions which require pupils to explain ‘how’ and ‘why’ are effective in consolidating their understanding. In other cases, questions are superficial and do not require pupils to grapple with concepts or develop their imagination.  The quality of presentation of pupils’ work is not consistently good. In some classes teachers have high expectations but in others pupils’ untidy work is not challenged.  The computerised system for collecting and analysing pupils’ assessment information is newly implemented. Leaders are aware that there is further work to do to ensure that it provides reliable and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

accurate information about pupils’ progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils’ well-being, rightly, has a high profile with staff being vigilant and proactive in responding to any concerns about pupils’ welfare.  Pupils say they feel safe and parental comments support this view. Pupils are able to explain a variety of strategies in place to ensure their safety, including the security arrangements to prevent unauthorised entry to the site, and the supervision of staff.  Older pupils have a good understanding of numerous approaches to keeping themselves safe when using the internet, including using online tools to report content that concerns them, and seeking the support of a trusted adult.  Pupils speak enthusiastically about the wide range of residential trips they undertake from Year 2 to Year 6. Year 6 pupils spoke of their fond memories of feeding chickens during their trip to Magdalen Farm in

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Personal development and welfare

Somerset and of their sailing experience in Year 4. These opportunities contribute to pupils being self- assured and confident.  In Year 6 pupils’ writing exemplifies their empathy with those less fortunate than themselves. For example, letters to the International Development Secretary urge consideration of the lack of education for children in some parts of the world. Pupils demonstrate a firm commitment to supporting others through numerous charity collections organised both by individuals and groups of pupils.  Pupils engage in a range of enterprise activities and visits to businesses to raise awareness of the world beyond school and of potential future employment opportunities. For example, a recent ‘crime day’ saw part of the school identified as a crime scene with pupils using a range of clues and strategies to solve the mystery of the missing chocolate.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils’ behaviour is not consistently good throughout the school. In general, pupils in key stage 1 are attentive and focused, persevering to complete tasks they have been set. In key stage 2, pupils in Year 6 generally apply themselves well and are enthusiastic about their learning. However, others are less engaged, showing a lack of respect for other pupils or staff. Where the same teacher has remained with the class over a sustained period of time, behaviour is better because effective relationships have been established.  Pupils report that they do not recall any issues relating to racism or prejudicial based behaviour. They understand the benefits of their diverse community and are accepting of difference. They enjoy learning about each other’s backgrounds.  Where teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well, there is little need for adult intervention. Where it is less

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Behaviour

well managed, pupils require significantly closer guidance from staff with frequent reminders of rules and expectations. This reduces the time available during lessons for learning.  Pupils’ attendance is above average and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is below average. Leaders analyse attendance information regularly and act promptly to address concerns. They take robust action to discourage unauthorised absence and, in a number of cases, have issued fixed penalty notices.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 There are marked differences between the performance of pupils who have attended the school in the past, and of those currently on roll. The decline in the quality of teaching, exacerbated by the high number of changes to the teaching staff, has had a detrimental impact on pupils’ outcomes. The work in pupils’ books shows that, particularly in key stage 2, they do not make sufficient progress.  For pupils currently on roll, attainment and progress is inconsistent. Due to the inconsistency of the quality of teaching, pupils’ performance varies according to their year group and class. Scrutiny of the work in pupils’ books demonstrates that, in general, pupils are not sufficiently challenged to make the progress of which they are capable. This limits their rate of progress and, consequently, their attainment.  The proportion of children reaching a good level of development in 2015 was slightly higher than the

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

national average. This was an improvement on the previous year’s outcomes. The school’s assessment information indicates that this proportion will rise again in 2016.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was average in 2015, an increase on the previous year’s figure. Leaders’ assessment information indicates that it will rise to be above the national figure this year.  Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 has risen for the last three years and was above average in 2015.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 has risen steadily since the previous inspection. Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has been above average for the last three years and significantly so in 2015.  Higher proportions than seen nationally made the expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

between key stages 1 and 2 in 2015. Significantly higher proportions than average made more than expected progress in reading and mathematics.  The proportion of most able pupils attaining above age-related expectations in 2015 was higher than that seen nationally. However, too few most-able pupils currently on roll sustain the performance of which they are capable given their starting points.  The gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others in school narrowed significantly between 2014 and 2015 having widened from the previous year. Small gaps exist between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils currently on roll and others, with the widest gap being in Year 5.  Pupils with special educational needs or disability who finished key stage 2 in 2015 made better progress than average. The progress of those currently on roll is variable due to the inconsistency in the quality of teaching.

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Early years provision is good

 Leadership of the early years is strong. Staff have used effective links with other early years provision locally to develop practice. The early years leader has a good understanding of what constitutes effective practice. She has a clear picture of the provision’s strengths and its areas for development. The judgements teachers make about children’s attainment have been found to be accurate through moderation by local authority staff.  Activities are purposeful and address the full range of the areas of learning. Good use is made of both the indoor and outdoor areas. They are well resourced, well maintained and provide a stimulating environment.  Relationships between adults and children are very positive, with staff highly attuned to children’s social and learning needs. Adults’ most effective questions are those which ask children to explain their thinking or to predict what may happen next, and why. For example, children were asked to explain what they

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Early years provision is good

thought would happen when food colouring was added to water. This led to animated discussion between children, keen to discuss their views.  Children are articulate and enjoy talking about their learning. They move freely and confidently between well-chosen activities, concentrating well to overcome challenges. Adults are highly attentive and supervise children skilfully, allowing them to explore activities for themselves without unnecessary intervention. Children are safe, confident, and participate in their learning enthusiastically.  Parents spoken to during the inspection showed unanimous support for the early years provision. They appreciate the lengths to which staff go to ensure that their children are happy and settled. They value the regular newsletters that inform them about what their children have done during the week and how they can support their learning at home.

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School details

Unique reference number 101356 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10008712

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 433 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Has Mahir Acting Headteacher Shirley Phillips Telephone number 0208 886 7108 Website www.osidgeschool.org Email address office@osidge.barnetmail.net Date of previous inspection 7–8 February 2012

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Information about this school

 The headteacher, appointed since the previous inspection, has recently left the school and a successor has been appointed to start work in September 2016.  The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. There are two classes in each year group with the exception of the Nursery, where there is only one class.  A lower proportion of pupils than seen nationally are eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding to support the achievement of disadvantaged pupils).  A higher proportion of pupils than average speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs or disability is lower than average.  The school meets the current government floor standards (the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics).  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about governors on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors made short visits to all classes, some with senior leaders, to observe teaching and learning. They also made brief visits to an assembly and to rehearsals of the choir and orchestra.  Meetings were held with three members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors also met with a group comprising teaching assistants and teachers.  The views of staff were considered through 23 responses to an online questionnaire.  Inspectors took account of the 113 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. They also considered three letters and an email received from parents. Inspectors spoke with parents in the playground at the beginning of both days of the inspection.  A range of documentation was scrutinised including records relating to pupils’ behaviour, safeguarding and leaders’ own views of the work of the school.

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Inspection team

Jeremy Loukes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Michelle Bennett Ofsted Inspector Christina Cleugh Ofsted Inspector Nicholas Cornell Ofsted Inspector James Robinson 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

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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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