Northview Junior and Infant School

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

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David Syed Headteacher Northview Junior and Infant School Northview Crescent London NW10 1RD

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 28 March 2017, 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 November 2011.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

Since your appointment as headteacher, you have provided strong leadership and taken the school successfully through a turbulent time. The deputy headteacher’s appointment in September 2016 injected fresh energy and focus for continuing to improve teaching across the school. You and the deputy headteacher have clear procedures for sharing information and ideas. As a result, there is a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. You have taken appropriate action when necessary to ensure that pupils’ outcomes have continued to improve.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

Most of the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection have been addressed successfully. Teachers use the school’s new assessment system to ensure that teaching challenges pupils to make stronger progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ standards, from low starting points, have continued to rise. The number of children achieving a good level of development in the early years was above the national average in 2016. Leaders successfully addressed the 2015 dip in the phonics screening check results. In 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the national standard in Year 1 was closer to the national average. By the end of Year 2, the proportion of pupils, including the most able, meeting or exceeding the 2016 standards was above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. At the end of key stage 2, the number of pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, achieving the expected and higher standards was

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

above the national average for reading and mathematics.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

You and the deputy headteacher ensure that teachers have the right support to improve their classroom practice. More experienced teachers are successfully mentoring those new to the profession. This has resulted in the continued improvement of teaching overall. Well-trained teaching assistants provide high- quality support across the school. Teachers deploy them effectively in classrooms. They also work with groups of pupils identified as needing to catch up, to ensure that this happens quickly.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

Middle leaders are enthusiastic and are keen to take more responsibility to raise pupils’ standards. You agree that they require more time to build on the part they play in developing teachers’ practice and supporting school improvement, particularly in writing across the curriculum.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

Parents are supportive of the school’s work. The responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents were positive about the way the school staff successfully manage pupils’ behaviour. Parents are confident that their children are happy and progressing well.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed. Procedures for ensuring that staff are suitable to work with children are robust. The link governor checks safeguarding records and school safeguarding processes regularly. The governing body receives detailed reports from senior leaders. This ensures that governors are fully informed. They fulfil their statutory duties well.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

Training for staff and governors is up to date. This covers topics such as female genital mutilation and identifying signs that pupils may be at risk of extremism. Staff are vigilant in reporting any concerns. You have ensured that small changes in pupils’ behaviour are tracked through the new school system, which means that staff share information to keep pupils safe effectively.

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Short inspection of Northview Junior and Infant School

Pupils know how to assess risks online. Consequently, they have a good understanding of why they should not share personal information online. They appreciate that staff work hard at keeping them safe in school. Parents agree and are supportive of the school’s work to help their children keep safe.

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Inspection findings

 In my first key line of enquiry, I focused on the safeguarding procedures in school. I checked with governors that they were clear about the school’s system for improving the attendance for groups of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those eligible for free school meals.  The school analyses pupils’ attendance information regularly. Governors receive reports that outline the school’s work to address pupils’ low attendance. Parents have received information regarding the importance of regular attendance at school. You liaise with the education welfare officer when pupils’ attendance is a concern. The court system of fining parents is used as a last resort. As a result, parents are engaged in ensuring that their children are in school more regularly. Currently, the overall attendance figure is now above the national average.  I looked at how the school tracks groups of pupils’ progress. The new system

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Inspection findings

enables teachers to precisely analyse rates of progress. Links with other schools have improved teachers’ confidence in accurately assessing their pupils’ work. They use the information effectively to plan future learning. In most classes, pupils’ work matches their needs and starting points. As a result, pupils, including the most able pupils, disadvantaged pupils and the most able disadvantaged pupils, make strong progress with their learning.  Mathematics is a strength at the school, particularly for boys. Their achievement at the end of 2016 was well above the national standard. I looked at how leaders have taken the successful approach to this subject and applied it to English across the school.  Work in books shows that pupils have a range of opportunities to deepen their mathematics learning through the wider curriculum. Leaders recently revised English teaching using the successful approaches in mathematics teaching. As a

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Inspection findings

result, pupils’ skills in sentence development have improved because lessons now start with a daily quick grammar session. Teachers ensure that resources are successfully targeting boys’ interests. This has resulted in an improvement in boys’ writing. The online reading system has had a positive impact on standards of reading for both boys and girls. Currently, there is no gender difference in progress across the school.  Finally, I met with middle leaders to analyse the impact of their work on pupils’ progress.  Middle leaders are concentrating on ensuring that the school’s results for writing are as strong as reading and mathematics by the end of Year 6. They carry out book scrutinies, observe lessons and lead staff training. As a result, they are beginning to demonstrate the positive impact of their work. They require more support and time to embed the school’s initiatives and further improve writing

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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 develop their roles so that they can improve further the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects, enabling a higher proportion of pupils to attain the greater-depth standard 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 Brent. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

 During the inspection, I met with the headteacher, senior leaders and middle leaders.  I held a meeting with the chair of governors.  I observed the beginning of the school day in the playground.  I met with a group of pupils from Years 1 to 6 to seek their views of the school.  I reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, information about pupils’ progress, minutes of the governing body meetings and pupils’ attendance.  I reviewed the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks and safeguarding procedures.  I scrutinised the school’s website and confirmed that it meets requirements on the publication of specified information.  I scrutinised a number of pupils’ books with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  I considered 12 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.  I visited all classes jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

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