Summerside Primary School

Summerside Primary School Crossway, Finchley, London N12 0QU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders and governors have not sustained a good quality of education for pupils since the last inspection.  Teachers provide pupils with guidance of a variable quality in order to help them improve their work. Some teachers do not review lessons promptly when pupils need more support or more difficult work.  The progress of pupils has been inconsistent over time, and is only very recently showing early signs of improvement.  Leaders and governors do not use the information about outcomes effectively. They do not analyse differences between outcomes for different groups of pupils with precision.  Leaders and governors do not check on the impact of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils well enough to ensure that these pupils make consistently good progress.  Teachers do not implement the curriculum effectively in some subjects. As a result, outcomes for pupils across a wide range of subjects require improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 New and well-established senior and middle leaders do not set clear objectives and timescales when deciding how to improve the school. As a result, the quality of teaching remains inconsistent.  The attendance of pupils who miss too much school is not improving rapidly.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Safeguarding is effective.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good.  Pupils progress rapidly in their personal development.  The teaching of phonics is good.  Children get off to a good start in the early years and are well prepared for Year 1.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from most starting points.  Pupils who arrive at the school with no or very little English make rapid initial progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good and ensures outcomes for pupils are good, by: – ensuring that teachers adapt lessons promptly and effectively when they notice that pupils need more help or harder work – providing consistently helpful advice when explaining how pupils can improve their work – using information about disadvantaged pupils effectively to ensure that they make good progress from their starting points – using time effectively and applying good subject knowledge to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress in a wide range of subjects.  Ensure that leaders and governors sharpen their plans for improvement by linking measures of success more explicitly to outcomes for pupils.  Ensure that leaders and governors set precise and demanding timescales for checking how successfully their work is improving the school.  Rigorously check on the impact of the use of additional funding for disadvantaged

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

pupils so that their progress is consistently good from all starting points.  Monitor the impact of work to improve the attendance of pupils who are persistently absent so that their attendance rapidly improves. An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have not tackled weaknesses in the quality of teaching promptly or effectively enough to prevent a dip in outcomes for pupils which is only very recently showing signs of being reversed. It is too early to tell if the recent improvements in pupils’ progress are sustainable.  Leaders and governors do not use information about pupils’ outcomes sharply enough when evaluating the impact of their actions. They do not set ambitious or precise enough timescales for improvement. Leaders and governors do not consider rates of progress of pupils from different starting points thoroughly enough when checking the impact of teachers’ work.  Senior leaders and governors have recently become more successful in recruiting staff who have the necessary skills to fulfil their duties. Some appointments made since the last inspection have been ineffective and have had a negative impact on pupils’ progress. Teachers appointed in the current school year who are new to the profession

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

say that they are supported well by senior leaders in their professional development.  Leaders have sharpened the checks they make on the quality of teaching. They now understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual teachers well. The arrangements for managing the performance of teaching staff have also been strengthened. Objectives are linked more robustly to priorities for improvement and outcomes for pupils. However, leaders have not been able to use these arrangements to ensure that teaching is consistently good.  Senior leaders and governors have not evaluated decisions about the use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils accurately over time since the last inspection. As a result, although some differences in outcomes for these pupils with others nationally are beginning to diminish, significant gaps still remain. Leaders do not analyse variations in outcomes of these pupils from different starting points skilfully enough.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The curriculum provides suitable opportunities for pupils to develop a broad range of skills and knowledge. However, the quality of the curriculum varies from subject to subject. The leadership of developments in some subjects, such as music and art, requires improvement because pupils do not produce work of a sufficiently high standard. Where leadership is more effective, such as in computing, pupils make better progress and acquire a broader range of skills. For example, most-able pupils in Year 3 progress quickly when learning about coding.  Leadership of the work of the school to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. This is because leaders use information skilfully to check on the impact of their actions very regularly. They ensure that the expertise available in the additional provision for deaf pupils is used to improve the skills of teachers across the whole school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is well catered for. Leaders have been successful in establishing a culture which enables pupils to value differences and consider the views of others. This work is helping pupils to prepare well for their future lives in modern Britain and understand modern British values.  The primary sports premium funding has been used to broaden the range and increase the challenge of sports offered to pupils. For example, the school offers a dance club with a particular emphasis on extending the skills of most-able pupils.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have developed a well-considered strategy for the school’s further development. They provide valuable support for the headteacher and ensure that parents understand their work. They are improving their skills in understanding information. However, written records of their work show that governors do not ask questions which challenge leaders sufficiently about the impact of the work. They do not insist that leaders provide ambitious timescales for necessary improvements, such as those related to attendance.  Governors have a secure understanding of their safeguarding duties. Their skills and knowledge are sufficient to decide how to check that safeguarding is effective. They make decisions about teachers’ pay which are based on a suitably broad range of evidence.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Each year, leaders handle a very large volume of concerns and deal with them skilfully. Leaders pick up on concerns such as neglect, which appear to be more prevalent in the range of concerns seen. They use this information to make well-considered decisions about the focus for further training.  Recently appointed and less experienced staff are supported well to understand the school’s safeguarding arrangements.  Leaders ensure that pupils become resilient to risks which may affect them in their future lives. Their work to improve opportunities to reflect on sensitive issues has been well received by pupils.  Most parents and pupils express confidence in the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Leaders act effectively to ensure that good communications exist with parents who are new to the school community or speak little English.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is improving in the current school year. However, inconsistencies remain in how effectively teachers adapt lessons and provide guidance to support pupils of all abilities. The quality of teaching across a wide range of subjects remains variable.  Some teachers have only recently increased their expectations of what the most able pupils are likely to achieve. Pupils have noticed this and told governors that they are enjoying the higher level of challenge. Work seen in books indicates that pupils’ more recent work shows the positive impact of higher ambitions and more effective guidance. However, the quality of this guidance remains variable. Some pupils who responded to the online survey indicated that work is too easy for them.  Until very recently, teachers have not used the information available about disadvantaged pupils to keep a close enough track on how their progress compares

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

with that of other pupils. As a result, very few of the most able disadvantaged pupils work at a higher level than expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.  The teaching of early reading skills and phonics is a strength of the school. Teachers cater skilfully for a wide range of pupils’ needs and abilities in reading lessons. They help pupils understand how to try to read unfamiliar words. However, over time, teachers have not ensured that enough pupils have built on this good start to attain at the level expected of them by the time they leave primary school.  The deputy headteacher has acted promptly since her recent appointment to improve teachers’ skills in teaching pupils to write. Pupils are now expected to write at length and improve particular aspects of their work, following more precise guidance given by teachers. However, some teachers use imprecise language when explaining how pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

can sharpen their writing. They do not provide sufficiently challenging prompts for most-able pupils.  Teachers provide regular, helpful guidance to support pupils in the development of their mathematical skills. They ask effective questions to check pupils’ understanding. Some teachers notice when the most able pupils are ready to move onto harder work and adapt their lessons accordingly. In other classes, the progress of the most able is held up when they are asked to work for too long on skills or calculation methods which they already understand securely.  Teachers and support staff ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are able to understand what they are to learn and receive very valuable support. Teachers use effective questioning and well-chosen language to encourage and support the learning of these pupils. The effective teaching for pupils in the additional provision for deaf pupils is a powerful role model and source of expertise

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

for all teaching staff.  Pupils arriving at the school with little or no understanding of the English language benefit from skilful teaching in alternative English lessons. They make rapid progress and gain confidence as a result of their teacher’s accurate assessments and effective guidance.  One teacher is now responsible for teaching science to all pupils in key stages 1 and 2. Until the current school year, the poor quality of science teaching has led to most pupils working at levels of attainment below that expected for their age. The science teacher has needed to adapt the curriculum to help these pupils catch up.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to build a secure understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet. Leaders ensure that new risks are identified promptly and the curriculum is updated to take account of these.  The school provides good opportunities for pupils to contribute to the local community.  Recent work to build further opportunities to help pupils express their views and discuss their feelings is enhancing personal development, particularly for the most able pupils. As one pupil explained, ‘Teachers are good at changing our mindsets.’  Pupils are taught to appreciate the advantages of the diverse community which is a hallmark of the school. Whatever their needs, pupils are able to participate fully in all aspects of school life.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Rates of persistent absence remain high. Some pupils continue to require very skilful management from teachers to sustain a commitment to learning in lessons.  Pupils usually demonstrate good attitudes to learning in lessons. They work hard and cooperate well with one another. Teachers in the current school year are skilful enough to ensure that the less positive behaviour of some pupils rarely interrupts learning. However, over time, poor behaviour has had a damaging impact on the progress of some pupils.  The behaviour policy has recently been reviewed. Pupils understand the new system of rewards and sanctions better.  Leaders keep detailed and thorough records of instances of poor behaviour. These indicate that discriminatory behaviour, including bullying and racist abuse, are infrequent and declining. Pupils understand the school’s anti-bullying strategy and say

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Behaviour

that they feel well protected from discrimination.  In 2015, rates of absence were very high. Leaders have ensured that these have recovered rapidly. However, rates of persistent absence remain high. Leaders understand the often complex reasons for the poor attendance of individual pupils. However, they have not analysed the impact of their actions to improve attendance sharply to ensure that persistent absence rates are declining quickly or extensively enough.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Inconsistencies in pupils’ progress over time since the last inspection have led to low attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 and 2. Provisional information for 2016 indicates that the proportion of pupils attaining at the expected level was below national averages. Recent information provided by the school from the current term indicates that rates of progress are increasing. However, it is too soon to know if these rates will be sustained.  Provisional 2016 information indicates that pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics in key stage 2 was broadly similar to national averages. However, the progress of pupils in reading was well below national norms.  Disadvantaged pupils of average prior attainment in reading and mathematics made significantly weaker progress through key stage 2 than other pupils did nationally. Their progress in writing was at a similar rate to that of other pupils nationally.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The most able pupils throughout the school make progress which is in line with other pupils of similar ability nationally. In 2016, all of the very small group of most-able disadvantaged pupils made good progress to reach a higher level in mathematics.  Pupils make good progress in developing their basic reading skills. The proportion of pupils attaining the level expected of them in phonics by the end of Year 1 is now similar to that seen nationally. However, attainment in reading by the end of Year 2 remained below the national average according to provisional 2016 information.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Their needs are accurately identified and teachers are consistently skilful at supporting them.  Pupils arriving with no or little English make very rapid initial progress as a result of effective teaching. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

progress to other pupils in the school.  Pupils’ attainment across a wide range of subjects is inconsistent. Where teaching has been consistently good for some time, such as in computing, pupils’ outcomes are good. In other subjects, such as science and art, attainment remains low.

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Early years provision Good

 The recently appointed early years leader is keeping a close eye on the quality of teaching, and receives effective support in this from the headteacher. She ensures that teachers use regular, skilful assessments to provide the necessary challenge and support for children of all abilities. The teaching of early skills in reading, writing and mathematics is consistently good. As a result, most children are making good progress and are on track to be well prepared for Year 1.  In 2016, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year increased, so that it was in line with the national average.  A good range of stimulating activities is available for children to enjoy both indoors and outside. The provision for children’s physical development is particularly strong.  Meetings with parents ensure that they understand how the school teaches early skills

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Early years provision Good

in reading, writing and mathematics. These meetings help parents find out how they can continue to help their child learn at home.  The early and accurate identification of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensures that these children begin to make good progress from their starting points at an early stage.  The good range of additional provision for disadvantaged pupils is ensuring that these children are making better progress in reading, writing and mathematics in the current school year. Additional funding available for these children is being used effectively in the early years.  Safeguarding is effective. Children are provided with good opportunities to learn how to stay safe. For example, they learn how to recognise and use road safety signs.  Teachers explain expectations for good learning behaviour clearly so children of all abilities can understand them.  Effective arrangements are made for information to be transferred and used as children

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address admin@summerside.barnet.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  Summerside Primary School is a larger-than-average sized primary school. Children attend the Nursery classes on a part-time basis.  The school met the 2015 floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The deputy headteacher joined the school in September 2016. A permanent member of the senior leadership team is temporarily covering the leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Just under half of all pupils are eligible for free school meals. This is well above the national average.  Over half of all pupils are from a minority ethnic heritage, and the majority speak English as an additional language.  A higher-than-average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors conducted observations in 16 lessons and during a tour of the school. Most observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also looked at a wide range of pupils’ work and heard some pupils of different abilities read.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body and groups of pupils. The lead inspector met briefly with an officer of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at records and policies related to safeguarding and school improvement. They considered a range of information offered by the school concerning outcomes for pupils in the current school year.  Inspectors met parents informally at the beginning of the school day and considered 29 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The views of 11 pupils who responded to the online survey during the inspection were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Andrew Wright, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jacqueline Underwood 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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