Raglan Infant School

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

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Mr Martin Kelsey Headteacher Raglan Infant School Wellington Road Enfield EN1 2NS

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Short inspection of Raglan Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 27 February 2018, 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 July 2014.

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Short inspection of Raglan Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Raglan Infant School

You, together with your deputy headteacher, provide strong leadership for the school. Over the past few years, there have been many changes in staffing. You recognised that improvements were needed because of the uncertainty these changes caused. As a result, you have been successful in building a skilled leadership team that is able to move the school forward. At the end of 2017, outcomes in national tests showed that most of the pupils at Raglan School were reaching standards expected for their age. You know that more pupils can achieve at higher standards, particularly in mathematics, and that disadvantaged pupils at your school are not achieving as well as they should. You and your leadership team are united in your determination to improve outcomes for these pupils.

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Short inspection of Raglan Infant School

You and your governors have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors use a range of assessment information to challenge and support leaders about the school’s performance. You have developed an effective team of skilled senior and middle leaders with clear roles and responsibilities. They are working together effectively to raise standards across each phase.

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Short inspection of Raglan Infant School

Pupils are caring and respectful and collaborate well with each other and adults. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere at the school. Of those parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View, the overwhelming majority would recommend the school to other parents. Safeguarding is effective.

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Short inspection of Raglan Infant School

You, together with your leadership team and governors, have ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Robust systems and processes are in place and, as a result, all staff know how to report any safeguarding concerns. Nine leaders are fully trained as designated safeguarding leads, so prompt and appropriate action can be taken should a concern arise. As a team, you follow up any issues carefully and swiftly, working well with external agencies to support vulnerable pupils.

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Short inspection of Raglan Infant School

You make sure that staff have received regular and appropriate safeguarding training that supports their understanding of the current statutory guidance. You remind staff frequently about their duties in safeguarding pupils. This is to ensure that all staff are kept up to date with the Secretary of State’s latest guidance, including keeping children safe online and the awareness of radicalisation.

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Inspection findings

 We first agreed to explore what leaders have done to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. This was because, in 2017, the proportions of pupils reaching expected standards was well below national averages, both in the early years and key stage 1. You and the governors have acted quickly to address this.  You have appointed an assistant headteacher with responsibility for disadvantaged pupils and, in particular, the impact the school is having on improving their progress. For example, additional support for teachers has been provided to ensure that they design classroom activities that meet pupils’ needs. Teachers are now skilled in attending to the needs of these pupils in the classroom, ensuring that they are participating fully in learning. Action is taken promptly following pupils’ progress reviews and checked regularly. Teachers know their pupils well and the progress they make. I looked at a range of books

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Inspection findings

across all areas of the curriculum. Progress is improving and celebrated. Some disadvantaged pupils also have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means that their starting points are not at age-related expectations but, nevertheless, their progress is improving.  Leaders are ensuring that there are funded places at ‘Wrap club’, which provides breakfast and after-school care for pupils. Disadvantaged pupils are also funded for a wide range of after-school clubs, music lessons, trips and visits. Since September 2017, a third more disadvantaged pupils are attending clubs regularly. This ensures that enrichment activities, together with academic support, provide a fully rounded education, and disadvantages are minimised.  We next agreed to investigate whether expectations are high enough for the most able pupils, particularly in mathematics. This was because, in the assessments at the end of year in 2017, the proportion of pupils who achieved at

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Inspection findings

the higher levels was below national averages in mathematics in both key stage 1 and the Reception Year.  You sought external support and training for teachers across the school. Evidence from our visits to classrooms and scrutiny of pupils’ books show an improving picture of progress and deeper learning in mathematics. There is a consistent level of mathematical discussion and debate in classrooms. Mathematics books demonstrate a range of opportunities that pupils are being given to think things through and apply their solutions to different contexts. Progress in mathematics books is strong. Pupils respond to questions posed by teachers and are learning to explain their reasoning, both orally and in writing.  This learning is also evident in the early years. Here we observed a wide range of practical apparatus, practical problem-solving opportunities and questioning which challenges children’s understanding and deepens their learning.

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Inspection findings

 Finally, we agreed to look at the consistency across your early years provision. This was because one of your areas for improvement from the previous inspection was to improve provision in the Nursery. I wanted to see whether this had been addressed, since there has not been an improvement in the proportion of children achieving age-related expectations at the end of the Reception Year.  Leaders and governors have secured an impressive new building for the Nursery. The teacher leading the provision has relished the challenge of this project and integrating the children into their new setting. Phonics and mathematics-based sessions take place daily, led by both the teacher and well-trained teaching assistants. These provide an appropriate level of challenge, questioning and links to the wider curriculum. Children are making strong progress. At present, around half of your Reception children come from your Nursery. You and your governors

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Inspection findings

have plans to increase the numbers in Nursery to address this.  Leaders, governors and the local authority acknowledged in a review last year that Reception provision was not as good as it should be. A newly appointed assistant headteacher, with responsibility for planning and monitoring teaching and learning in the early years, has secured significant improvement. Weak teaching has been addressed. For example, external support for mathematics has had a significant impact on improving children’s numeracy skills, and a focus on the development of writing has paid full dividends. In the books I saw, progress in writing is improving and many more children, including disadvantaged children, are on track to both meet and exceed age-related expectations at the end of the Reception Year. We agreed that classrooms would be enriched by having more children’s work, particularly writing, on display. This would encourage the

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Inspection findings

children to take more pride in their work and celebrate their progress.

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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

 the positive improvements in Reception continue so that more children, particularly the most able, make stronger progress by the end of the early years foundation stage and a far higher proportion exceed age-related expectations  improving rates of progress for disadvantaged pupils remains a high priority for the school so that more reach standards in line with national expectations. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Enfield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I held meetings with you, your deputy headteacher and governors to discuss the school’s self-evaluation, as well as the actions leaders have taken to maintain and improve on the good quality of education. I visited all classrooms, together with assistant headteachers from each key stage. I observed and talked to pupils as they were learning. I met with the assistant headteacher responsible for pupil premium funding. I also looked at examples of pupils’ work and assessment information to evaluate their outcomes over time. I reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record of vetting checks on staff. I considered the views of parents through the 117 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View. No responses were received from children or staff to Ofsted’s surveys.

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