Churchfield Primary School

Churchfield Primary School Latymer Road, Edmonton, London N9 9PL

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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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

 In the past, leaders and governors have not taken effective action to maintain the outstanding quality of education at the school. Consequently, the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes have declined considerably.  In the past, leaders and teachers have not had high enough aspirations for pupils’ achievement.  The current leadership team is ambitious and determined to raise standards for pupils. Nevertheless, the impact of inconsistent teaching means that some pupils have considerable ground to make up in order to overcome their previous underachievement.  The quality of teaching is variable. Not enough of the teaching enables pupils to make good progress.  Previous assessment information was inaccurate. Leaders and teachers did not make effective use of this information to inform future learning. As a result, teaching has not been challenging enough to ensure that pupils typically make good progress and achieve to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the best of their abilities  The school’s curriculum requires a revision so that it can better meet the needs of pupils and support the development of their basic skills. Currently, it does not deepen pupils’ learning or build on knowledge sufficiently. The school has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since his appointment in October 2016, the executive headteacher has taken swift and decisive action to reverse the deterioration in the quality of education provided. He has wasted no time in securing a rapid programme of school improvement.  The new leadership team’s vision to provide high-quality education for pupils is clear and shared by staff, parents and governors. As a result, morale is high and the school is improving, although it is too early to see the full impact of the new team’s work.  Governors now have a more secure understanding of the school’s performance than in the past. Safeguarding arrangements are effective and well managed.  Pupils are polite and well mannered. They like their teachers and have positive attitudes to learning.  Parents and carers are pleased with the changes since the new leadership team has been in place.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that: – all teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve so that work is sufficiently challenging, particularly for the most able, and enables pupils to make good progress from their starting points – assessment information of pupils’ work is used effectively by teachers to plan work that meets the needs of pupils in order that standards are raised across the school.  Develop a curriculum that meets the needs of pupils by ensuring that: – teachers successfully build on pupils’ prior knowledge to secure good progress across a wider range of subjects – pupils deepen their learning by having challenging opportunities to apply their English and mathematics skills in the wider curriculum subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Since the school’s last inspection, the quality of education has declined. The previous leadership team, including governors, were too slow to identify and address weaknesses in the quality of teaching. Since taking over the school in October 2016, the executive headteacher has worked with the new leadership team to quickly tackle the school’s historical weaknesses and improve the education for pupils at Churchfield Primary.  In the past, leaders’ efforts to maintain high standards were reduced because they were unclear about their areas of responsibilities and how they would measure the impact of their work. The new leadership team has ensured that their responsibilities are well defined. Middle leaders are supportive of the vision to ensure that pupils’ life chances improve. They understand the key priorities for the school and their role in driving improvements in the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ outcomes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

They use a wide range of performance information effectively to inform their plans for improvement and help teachers develop more successful classroom practice.  Teachers have welcomed the firm and fair approach of the leadership team. The recently implemented performance management system sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement and holds teachers to account effectively.  Teachers new to the profession feel well supported by the school leaders. Since the new senior team has been in place, new teachers say that support has improved and they now receive regular, constructive guidance to develop their classroom practice.  Leaders have ensured that the allocation of pupil premium funding provides pupils from a disadvantaged background with a range of high-quality support in order that they make stronger progress. As a result, from typically low starting points, these pupils are progressing well. It is too early to tell if they have caught up with other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

pupils nationally.  The arrangements for supporting pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are good. Leaders’ actions have been effective in identifying the requirements of pupils, particularly those who have more complex needs. Additional funding is spent wisely on extra support that helps pupils learn well and develop positive attitudes to school. As a result, progress for these pupils is secure and improving.  The sports premium funding is used effectively to ensure that pupils are able to take part successfully in a number of competitive sports. The use of sports development officers at breaktimes also helps pupils to develop a healthy attitude to physical exercise.  The new school behaviour system is underpinned by the agreed school values of ‘respect , honesty , responsibility , determination and kindness’. Leaders showed pupils and parents how the values work in their prompt action following the recent fire at

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

school. They ensured that pupils lost little learning time. The voting process in the election for membership of the school council enables pupils to see democracy in action. As a result, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good and improving.  Leaders have successfully gained the respect and confidence of parents since their work began at Churchfield. Parents who spoke to inspectors said that they are happy with the open communication they have with school leaders. Leaders’ daily presence on the playground means that they sort out any concerns quickly. Parents are confident that their children are safe in school.  In the past, leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching lacked rigour. Consequently, teachers received insufficient guidance on how to improve their practice to ensure that pupils achieved well. The new leadership team has quickly developed reliable procedures to check the quality of teaching. They use a secure base of evidence,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

highlight areas of weakness and tackle them swiftly. While this has had the impact of eradicating some weaker practice, teaching remains variable across the school.  The legacy of weak assessment of pupils’ work led to declining outcomes for pupils. The new leadership team promptly secured an accurate base from which they can measure the rates of pupils’ progress. The information the school holds is now reliable. Although pupils’ progress requires improvement, it is moving in the right direction.  Leaders have rightly identified that although the school’s curriculum follows the national requirements, it does not build successfully on pupils’ knowledge and support pupils to deepen their basic skills. They have plans for a new scheme for teaching the wider curriculum subjects in order to address this. This scheme has not been fully implemented yet and it is therefore too soon to judge its impact.

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Governance of the school

 In the past, governors have not held leaders to account sufficiently for the quality of education the school provides. In part, this is because governors lacked the necessary information to challenge leaders about what needs to be better.  During the change in school leadership, governors have inducted new members who bring skills to help drive improvements in pupils’ outcomes. Through the turbulence of the leadership change, the chair of governors has been a strong example of the determination the school has to ensure that teaching improves quickly.  Governors now have an accurate and thorough knowledge of pupils’ performance. They use their range of skills to challenge school leaders to ensure that the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress improve quickly.  Governors ensure that the pupil premium and sports funding benefit pupils. They make sure that the school’s website provides a wide range of useful information for parents.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors regularly check that records held on staff are fit for purpose and meet statutory requirements. This ensures that the school employs people suitable to work with children.  Up-to-date safeguarding training sharpens staff awareness of signs that pupils may be at risk of extremism and/or female genital mutilation. Staff are confident in raising concerns they may have. Leaders regularly review information logged on the school’s system. This ensures that no information regarding pupils’ welfare is missed. The safeguarding lead teachers work well with parents and external agencies to ensure that pupils have the right level of support to help keep them safe.  Pupils talk confidently about how to keep safe when using online technology or social media. They receive useful information to help them spot potential risks to their welfare. Well-attended workshops are effective in helping parents support their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Following a thorough review of the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning , the new leadership team found that work had not been routinely challenging for pupils, particularly the most able. This resulted in limited, and in some cases declining, progress for some classes. While leaders’ actions have reduced much of the weaker teaching, there remain inconsistencies across and within subjects.  In some classes, teachers’ expectations are not high enough and pupils are not given clear enough guidance for what is expected of them. As a result, pupils do not routinely attempt tasks which deepen and extend their knowledge. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils.  Although teachers manage behaviour well, when teaching is not challenging enough pupils lose concentration and this limits their progress.  Leaders have put in place a robust system for improving teaching using the effective

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

teaching from the middle leaders to demonstrate high expectations of pupils’ achievement. This is to ensure that more pupils make better progress in reading, writing and mathematics. While this has been successful in reducing weaker teaching, leaders agree that more work is required to improve the proportion of good or better teaching across the school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The new leadership team has effectively promoted a culture where pupils’ well-being is linked to ensuring that pupils are ready to learn. Pupils have quickly developed trust in the adults to keep them safe. They know how to assess risks to themselves when using online technology.  Pupils are developing successful strategies when responding to teachers’ guidance. They are using it effectively to improve their work.  The school’s values provide a strong framework for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. Pupils are becoming more confident in expressing their views appropriately. They are polite and eager to share their learning. This is evident when teaching is matched to pupils’ abilities and sustains their interest.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Staff have successfully instilled high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Nevertheless, pupils’ behaviour in class is better when the learning is suitably challenging.  Pupils have a good awareness of the types of bullying that can occur. Name-calling is infrequent and behaviour records show that repeat occurrences have reduced.  Most pupils behave well and play sensibly with the wide variety of outdoor equipment at breaktimes. The playground is supervised well. Pupils respond politely to staff when they move around the school.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school is calm and this results in an orderly and smooth- running school day. This is also evident in pupils’ behaviour in the breakfast club.  Parents ensure that their children attend school regularly. The robust school systems identify when this is not the case. Pupils’ attendance overall is above the national

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ outcomes across the school in 2016 highlighted previous weak teaching, and pupils’ attainment in all subjects was below national averages. Leaders swiftly put in support for teachers to stem this decline. As a result, teaching is more effective than in the past in helping pupils achieve well. Although overall standards in some year groups remain below age-related expectations, pupils’ books show that there has been a steady improvement in pupils’ progress.  Not enough teaching builds effectively on pupils’ prior knowledge to ensure that they make good or better progress. In some classes, the inconsistent challenge in the wider curriculum subjects means that pupils, in particular the most able, do not develop their writing skills in depth. Where teaching is stronger, teachers use assessments of pupils’ progress to secure better outcomes for groups of pupils so that they catch up to meet age-related expectations. This is more evident in mathematics.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Currently, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check is below the national average. Leaders recently introduced a new scheme for teaching phonics. While there has been an improvement in pupils’ progress, it has not been in place long enough to have the required impact this year.  Teachers’ subject knowledge of reading is stronger in key stage 2. Texts are typically well matched to pupils’ abilities. As a result, pupils develop a love of reading and pupils’ progress in reading is improving.  Leaders have ensured that the pupil premium funding has enabled disadvantaged pupils to receive well-focused support with their learning. Currently, work in pupils’ books shows that these pupils are making better progress than they have done in the past.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well in class and through their personal curriculum. Skilled staff ensure that these pupils’

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

needs are met effectively. School information shows that these pupils are making secure progress from their starting points.  Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers deliver the full range of national curriculum subjects, but pupils’ progress is inconsistent. Presentation is of a variable quality. Where it is better, it demonstrates the pride pupils are taking in their work.  Leaders have secured better progress for the current Year 6, particularly in writing for the low- and middle-attaining groups. Current assessments have been externally moderated and show that most pupils have made sound progress. As a result, pupils are better prepared for the next stage of their education than they have been in the past.

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Early years provision Good

 Children get a good start to their education in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Teachers plan high-quality activities developed from children’s interests. This is the case in the classrooms and in the well-organised outdoor provision.  Current information shows that children are making strong progress because they are taught well. Teachers’ secure subject knowledge successfully develops children’s early reading and writing skills. For example, children show that they can write simple sentences accurately and form their letters well.  The most recent assessments of children’s skills are more secure than in the past. They show that although the proportion of children reaching a good level of development was below the national averages in 2016, progress is strong from typically low starting points.  Children develop positive attitudes to learning quickly. Routines are established effectively. As a result, children learn to cooperate and sustain concentration through

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Early years provision Good

activities set by their teachers. For example, children are able to write independently and persevere when tackling challenges set by their teachers.  The early years additional funding for disadvantaged children is spent well. Leaders ensure that these children receive the right support and are making good progress.  Leaders make sure that parents feel able to contribute to their children’s progress in the early years. Parents fully support the school’s work to ensure that their children are ready for their move to Year 1.

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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

Executive headteacher Matthew Kleiner-Mann

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School details

Email address churchfield.office@churchfield.enfield.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22–23 June 2010

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school was part of the Field Federation. This partnership was dissolved in April 2017.  The school suffered an arson attack in February 2017. Pupils from Years 5 and 6 were educated for eight weeks in a local secondary school during the refurbishment.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than that seen nationally.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than national figures.  In 2016, the school did not meet the government’s floor standard (the minimum expected of pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of key stage 2).  The executive headteacher is a national leader of education.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out a series of visits to classrooms in each year group. Most of these visits were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Discussions took place with senior leaders, governors, middle leaders, pupils, parents and a representative from the local authority.  Documentation relating to the school’s website and safeguarding, including the single central record of recruitment checks, was scrutinised.  The school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress were evaluated.  Pupils’ work in different subjects was scrutinised with senior and middle leaders.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, as well as before school in the breakfast club and during break and lunchtimes, was observed by inspectors.  Inspectors listened to pupils from Years 1 to 6 read.  This was an exempt inspection. Therefore, no responses from parents were recorded on the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, over the course of the inspection. This

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Information about this inspection

was also the case with the pupil and staff online surveys.

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Inspection team

Sara Morgan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Roger Easthope 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

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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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