Old Oak Primary School

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

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Mr Joseph Brown Headteacher Old Oak Primary School Melitus Street East Acton London W12 0AS

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Short inspection of Old Oak Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 6 March 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 November 2013.

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Short inspection of Old Oak Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. You set clear expectations for staff and pupils, underpinned by the school’s values. This leads pupils to say that these values ‘help us to become better people’.

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Short inspection of Old Oak Primary School

You have created a caring and inclusive school. This is recognised by staff, pupils and parents and carers. One parent reported that they had ‘seen our children grow and become who they are today which would not have been possible without the contribution of everyone in the school’. Pupils are also proud of their school. They work hard, are keen to talk about their achievements and play an active part in the life of the school. Pupils who have roles in the school’s ‘Bubble and Squeak’ food waste project are impressive and mature ambassadors for the school. They are making a difference to their world through their actions.

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Short inspection of Old Oak Primary School

You have a good understanding of what action needs to be taken to address current areas of underperformance. Since the previous inspection, leaders have tackled the weaker issues in writing so that pupils now have more opportunities to apply literacy skills in lessons. However, you are aware that you need to build on these improvements and strengthen the quality of teaching still further. This is particularly the case for the teaching of writing across key stage 2.

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Short inspection of Old Oak Primary School

Another area for improvement was to increase the achievement of the most able pupils by involving them more in their own learning so that they have a clear indication about how to reach the higher levels. Pupils now routinely edit and improve their work. Nevertheless, you recognise that there is still more work to do to improve outcomes so that the most able pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, routinely attain the standards of which they are capable.

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Short inspection of Old Oak Primary School

Governors know the school well and demonstrate a clear understanding of their strategic role in both supporting and challenging you and your leaders on key aspects of the school’s work. This includes asking relevant and probing questions relating to pupils’ outcomes. They ensure that the pupil premium funding is spent appropriately and targeted to meet the needs of the school’s disadvantaged pupils.

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Short inspection of Old Oak Primary School

There is a strong and effective culture of safeguarding in the school. School leaders and governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities to help keep pupils safe. The single central record for pre-recruitment checks meets requirements and is checked at regular intervals by the governors. Safeguarding policies and procedures are also reviewed regularly. Detailed electronic records are stored securely to ensure confidentiality. All staff and governors receive timely training to develop their understanding and skills to identify concerns relating to child protection. Case studies show that pupils who have been identified as being at risk are supported sensitively and promptly by staff who know pupils and their families well. Pupils reported that they feel safe in school and know who to speak to if they have any concerns.

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Inspection findings

 At the beginning of the inspection, we agreed key lines of enquiry to evaluate the quality of education. The first one reviewed the actions leaders are taking to increase progress and standards in writing overall. This is because, in 2016 and 2017, standards attained by the end of key stage 2 were lower than the national averages.  You and your leaders are taking effective steps to improve pupils’ outcomes in writing. Actions are sharply focused on improving teachers’ subject knowledge. A new writing approach has been implemented which focuses on embedding the teaching of appropriate grammar. In key stage 2, pupils were observed using and applying these new strategies effectively. For example, pupils confidently explained how they improve the quality of their writing by refining sentence structures. The impact of leaders’ work is clearly evident in the increasing proportion of pupils who are making good progress in writing across the school.

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Inspection findings

 In key stage 1, you have put in place a programme of support and reorganised the teaching of writing so that more attention is given to pupils’ needs. During our learning walk in key stage 1, pupils displayed a positive attitude towards writing, with many reporting to me that writing is their favourite subject. While leaders’ actions have strengthened the quality of teaching, more work is needed to embed these changes so that all groups of pupils achieve as well as they can across key stage 1.  We agreed to focus the second line of enquiry on the effectiveness of leaders’ actions to support the most able pupils, in particular the most able disadvantaged, to ensure that these pupils achieve at the combined higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. This is because, in 2017, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher level at the end of Year 6 was below the national average.

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Inspection findings

 To address this, leaders have prioritised ensuring that the most able pupils are routinely challenged in all lessons. Teachers plan activities that capture pupils’ interests early and stretch their skills and understanding. Leaders have focused additional support in Year 6 to support the most able pupils to make good gains in their language development. This has been particularly effective in responding to the needs of the high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  During our learning walk across key stage 2, we saw examples in books of pupils typically making good gains in their learning. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the way teachers use real-life and cross-curricular links in learning that allow them to demonstrate their skills in writing and mathematics.  We also agreed to focus a key line of enquiry on the school’s use of the pupil premium funding and the impact that this is having on improving outcomes for

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Inspection findings

disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1. In 2017, those entitled to the pupil premium in key stage 1 achieved less well than their peers in reading and writing. The pupil premium strategy is clearly detailed on the school’s website and outlines how the funding is being used to reduce differences in outcomes for identified groups.  The school has provided additional reading and phonics support in key stage 1. This has had a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. Leaders have evidence of regular tracking for individual pupils’ achievements in reading which record the rapid gains made in their learning as they catch up with their peers.  Through funding nurture group interventions, leaders have improved pupils’ attendance and punctuality. These strategies also ensure that pupils are ready to learn. Actions taken by school leaders are therefore reducing differences in outcomes between those who are disadvantaged and other pupils in key stage 1.

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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 quality of the teaching of writing is strengthened further in order to maximise the progress made by all groups of pupils  the number of pupils achieving the combined expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 is at least at or above the national average. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hammersmith and Fulham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I carried out a range of activities. I held meetings with you, senior leaders and other members of staff. I met with two governors, including the chair and the governor responsible for safeguarding. I also spoke with a representative of the local authority. I met with pupils from key stages 1 and 2. I visited classrooms across the school with senior leaders to gather evidence about our key areas of enquiry and to look at pupils’ work. I considered documents, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the development plan, information about the use of pupil premium funding, information about the progress made by pupils, and documents relating to safeguarding. I also looked at information on the school’s website. I analysed the confidential responses to the online inspection surveys from 27 pupils and 12 members of staff. I also took account of the views of the one parent who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s

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