West Twyford Primary School

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

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Miss Rachel Martin Headteacher West Twyford Primary School Twyford Abbey Road Park Royal London NW10 7DN

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Short inspection of West Twyford 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 December 2013.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

This school continues to be good. You and the leadership team have maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You are clearly deeply committed to ensuring that the pupils at your school receive the best education possible and you lead the school with a clear vision that pupils understand. Together with a new and diligent leadership team, you have clearly placed the pupils at the heart of everything you do at West Twyford.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

You have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and where the school needs to improve. Senior and subject leaders are effective and support teachers well in classrooms. This has led to pupils making strong progress in writing and mathematics. Currently, the school is correctly focused on improving the progress pupils make in reading and, particularly, their skills of comprehension with reference to understanding the meaning of more demanding texts.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

Governors are knowledgeable and are routinely involved in the work of the school. They offer you strong strategic support. Working together, you have ensured that pupils gain a secure grasp of the basic skills expected for their age in writing and in mathematics. These are emerging strengths of the school. Leaders have made significant improvements to the school since the previous inspection. There have been notable improvements in teaching. Here, you have ensured that pupils are well taught by teachers who are hardworking and motivated to do their very best.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

Teachers give pupils clear guidance on how to make their work better. This is proving very helpful in ensuring that pupils, irrespective of their prior attainment, make good progress. Teachers’ feedback includes setting a degree of challenge for pupils to extend their learning. This is proving successful, and an increasing number of pupils are starting to achieve the higher standard in the end of key stage tests, particularly in mathematics and writing.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

Teaching assistants are effective in supporting pupils’ progress. They encourage pupils, particularly those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, not to give up on work they find hard, and help them to overcome difficulties.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

Safeguarding is effective. You, your leadership team and governors have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are complete. All checks on the suitability of staff to work at the school are in place. Clear systems exist for staff to make referrals when concerns arise, and subsequent actions are followed up effectively. Leaders work very well with families and external agencies to ensure that pupils receive well-targeted support when required. Staff training, including that related to the ‘Prevent’ duty, is up to date. Staff have a good knowledge of potential concerns within the local area. This increases their vigilance in spotting and reporting concerns about pupils’ well-being.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

The school has a very friendly atmosphere, and pupils appreciate this. I observed and chatted with pupils, including during lunchtime, and they were relaxed and happy. They told me that they feel very safe in school, and that, on the rare occasions when bullying has occurred, it gets sorted out quickly. They enjoy coming to school and told me they find the staff both helpful and respectful. This in turn helps pupils to behave well and to have positive attitudes about the school.

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Short inspection of West Twyford Primary School

Most parents and carers appreciate the work that the school does to keep them well informed about pupils’ progress. Several commented that the school is honest, open and warm. Because of this, pupils’ attendance is strong.

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Inspection findings

 For the first line of enquiry, we agreed to look at key stage 2 pupils’ progress in reading. This is because, last year, standards in reading were lower than in writing and mathematics. You have rightly identified this as a priority.  The school has taken several important steps to improve reading. Teachers have received additional training and support from the local authority and the school’s subject leader. This has given them greater confidence in instilling pupils with a real love of reading from an early age.  You have renewed the school’s stock of fiction and non-fiction texts to inspire pupils to want to read. Together with innovative whole-class reading focus lessons, this is now paying dividends. Pupils spoke to me about their favourite authors and how their work in class is frequently enhanced by trips to watch plays being performed and visits from renowned authors.  The teaching of reading has shown significant improvement. During the

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Inspection findings

inspection, I saw how information about the quality of teaching is monitored. Useful feedback is given to teachers that provides them with information that will improve their work. The work that you have done to improve this area should remain a focus, so that improvements continue and are reflected in pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 2.  The second line of enquiry was to check whether pupils get off to a good start in learning to read in the early years and key stage 1. Again, you and your team have been quick to address a slight decline in the proportion of pupils achieving the national standards in phonics at the end of Year 1.  Following a close analysis of performance information and observation of practice, you have been able to provide bespoke training to key staff so that the teaching quality has improved. One subject specialist is already reporting that standards are improving. Staff are working hard to ensure that pupils of all

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Inspection findings

abilities are taught systematically in a way that meets their needs.  Our third key line of enquiry was to check that leaders are ensuring that children in the early years are getting off to a good start in their school journey. On meeting the key stage leader, looking at recent achievements and visiting classes, it became evident that this is indeed the case.  Children usually enter the school with skills and abilities below those seen in children of the same age nationally. Many children are at an early stage of English fluency. Because of the hard work and consistent care taken to ensure that interesting activities capture children’s imagination, they make a strong start to life at West Twyford.  Finally, we looked at science and subjects other than English and mathematics. In 2017, standards in science were above the national average in key stages 1 and 2. Information on the school’s website said little about this and other

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Inspection findings

subjects, and so I was keen to explore this area of the curriculum.  Since implementation of changes to the national curriculum, leaders have developed the curriculum plan so that several subjects are brought together in themed groups to enable a better understanding for pupils. From speaking to pupils who were keen to show me their work, this creative approach to learning is proving very successful.  All subjects are well presented, and pupils take pride in their work. Some subjects, such as music and physical education, are taught by specialist teachers. In these subjects, pupils achieve well. In other subjects, such as art and science, work is rich and varied, and pupils make good progress. Pupils are proud of the practical skills they develop while working scientifically and have great enthusiasm for this area. Teachers make very good use of home learning projects to engage with parents and extend pupils’ learning further.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  reading standards continue to rise by the time the pupils leave the school at the end of key stage 2  the work started to develop the acquisition of early reading skills (phonics) continues so that a greater proportion achieve the expected standards in Year 1.

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Next steps for the school

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

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I held several meetings with you and the deputy headteacher. I met with three governors and held a meeting with a representative from the local authority. I considered the 57 responses to Ofsted’s online survey Parent View and the 19 written comments on the free-text facility. You and the deputy headteacher accompanied me on visits to classrooms. I talked to pupils about their learning and looked at the 201 responses to Ofsted’s pupils’ survey. I looked at pupils’ books and listened to a range of pupils read as they worked in lessons. A total of 24 staff surveys were completed and used to gauge staff opinion about working at the school. I also evaluated a range of school documentation, including school development plans, safeguarding records and information about current pupils’ achievement.

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