Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ms Andrea Elliker Headteacher Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School Forest Road Ilford Essex IG6 3HB

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 2 November 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in September 2011.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

The school leaders have maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Since your appointment as headteacher in September 2015, you and your deputy headteacher have successfully identified areas for improvement, including those from the previous inspection. This came after a period of instability and high staff turnover. Your clear vision and high expectations have helped you address weaknesses swiftly and improve outcomes for pupils. You have used the support from the local authority to improve teaching and learning. Parents say they can see the changes you have made and the positive impact this has had on their children’s progress.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Your aspiration for raising pupils’ achievement has ensured that teaching is consistently good across the school and pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Well-planned lessons have improved pupils’ behaviour because the learning is stimulating. Teachers use assessment information effectively to challenge pupils in English and mathematics, particularly disadvantaged pupils and the most able. Girls’ progress has been a focus across the school. Teachers plan well to engage them in their learning. This results in improving their engagement in their own learning. Feedback gives useful next steps and pupils are able to reflect on their learning. They know what to do to improve their work. Consequently, pupils’ progress is good and especially so in reading and mathematics. Leaders and governors have a good understanding of school performance because pupils’ progress is checked effectively. The new middle leadership team, including

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

the early years foundation stage leader, is developing. Leaders have good capacity to improve pupil outcomes still further. Leaders’ regular monitoring enables them to hold teachers to account for improving pupil outcomes. Performance management systems are developing teachers effectively in the early stages of their careers. Leaders’ support for newly qualified teachers results in consistently good teaching across the school.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Support for vulnerable pupils is good due to the early identification of needs and effective use of teaching assistants to provide focused support. Good use of pupil premium funding results in the strong progress made by disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, particularly in reading and mathematics.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Pupils from a variety of cultures work well together within the Jewish character of the school. This results in the successful promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural education. Pupils have a strong understanding of British values. The school council is an example of how pupils experience the democratic system. Preparation of pupils for life in modern Britain is good and parents say that the inclusive ethos is a strength of the school.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

The dedicated group of governors are passionate about ensuring that standards improve for pupils. They attend training to develop their skills in order to continually offer the school leaders appropriate levels of challenge. They regularly make visits to the school so that they can see the school in action, and they have a good understanding of their statutory responsibilities.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Leaders, including governors, take their safeguarding duties seriously. As part of this, they are thorough in carrying out the required security checks to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. The school’s procedure for vetting volunteers is also robust. Training for staff and governors is up to date, including on the ‘Prevent’ duty, female genital mutilation and child sexual exploitation. Staff are confident in recognising signs of abuse and know what to do if they need to raise concerns. The school’s internal safeguarding system ensures that shared information is used effectively to support pupils. The school keeps risk assessments for trips updated. Pupil safety is clearly central to the school’s work.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Leaders regularly monitor attendance and the school’s system identifies when pupils’ absence becomes a concern. Staff provide families with the right support to ensure that their children attend school more regularly. Currently, overall attendance is in line with the national average. The system for rewards and sanctions is consistently applied, which leads to good behaviour management across the school. The school’s work around e-safety is effective and pupils talk confidently about ways to stay safe online. The school has supported pupils when issues occur and involves parents in identifying the risks their children may face when using technology. Pupils recognise the different types of bullying and say that staff deal with any concerns quickly. They know who to go to if they have any worries and that teachers work hard to keep them safe.

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Short inspection of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School

Parents say they are confident that the school keeps their children safe. They also recognise that the school’s broad curriculum gives their children good opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge in a wide range of subjects.

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Inspection findings

 Senior leaders are clear in their expectations for raising pupils’ achievement. The new team of subject leaders are developing their skills with good evidence of impact on pupils’ outcomes, although it is not yet consistent. As a result of good-quality advice and support all staff are committed to improving their practice.  Leaders and governors spend the pupil premium funding effectively. This ensures that by the end of Year 6 disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, make as much progress as other pupils nationally in reading and in mathematics.  The school’s analysis of the end of Year 6 results in writing identified that a greater number of the middle ability groups of pupils across key stage 2 need to make accelerated progress to meet the expected standard. Leaders adapted the curriculum, introducing daily grammar sessions in order to develop pupils’ vocabulary skills. Teachers plan effective and

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Inspection findings

challenging English lessons and books show that current pupils are making strong progress.  Good progress is evident in reading across the school and the most able pupils are also making good progress because of appropriate challenge in the material they are provided with. The school promotes reading for pleasure well and pupils are confident readers. They have access to a well-stocked library which supports the high expectations for pupils’ reading outcomes. Consequently, the number of pupils meeting the expected standard for reading, both by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is above the national averages.  Teachers have used training effectively and so mathematics lessons are well planned to ensure that pupils, including the most able, make good progress by the end of key stage 2.  Good teaching in key stage 1 means that pupils are making rapid progress to ensure they meet the age-related expectations in English and

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Inspection findings

mathematics by the end of Year 2.  Older pupils also enjoy their lessons because teaching is good. Classrooms are bright and attractive with stimulating displays that enhance and celebrate pupils’ learning. Pupils conduct themselves well when moving around the school. In lessons they are lively and articulate. They listen to each other with respect and challenge each other appropriately.  Following the appointment of the new headteacher, senior leaders identified that children in their Reception Year were not as prepared for Year 1 as they should be. The environment was adapted to ensure it provides children with appropriate challenge to develop good writing and number skills. The improved phonics teaching provides children with strategies to develop their early reading skills. Consequently, the current children are making better progress towards meeting the early learning goals in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Reception.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 middle leaders, who are new in post, develop their skills to take more responsibility for improving pupil outcomes in writing.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Redbridge. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

In preparation for the inspection the following key lines of enquiry were identified:

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Information about the inspection

 how the school keeps up to date with national requirements and how governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities  how the school supports vulnerable pupils  How the school has addressed the progress of the middle-attaining group of pupils in key stage 2  how the 2016 data has impacted on actions to improve standards for writing across key stage 2 and key stage 1 from the early years for different ability groups  how the school spends the pupil premium funding to address previous differences in the progress made by disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, compared to others  how effectively middle leaders are working to improve pupils’ outcomes.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, the deputy headteacher and the middle leadership team. Meetings were held with representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. The information reviewed during the inspection included the school’s safeguarding records, policies and procedures and records of staff security checks. I looked at the school’s assessment of its performance, minutes of meetings, a selection of pupil books and information about pupils’ progress. I held a discussion with a group of pupils and listened to them read. I spoke informally to a number of parents before school started. Lessons were visited, including English, mathematics and humanities. I took account of 105 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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