Welldon Park Primary School

Welldon Park Primary School Kingsley Road, South Harrow, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 8LT

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Safeguarding is ineffective. Leaders and governors have not equipped staff with an adequate understanding of how to keep children safe.  The school has been affected by fragile leadership, particularly since the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools in 2015.  The school continues to suffer from high staff turnover. Parents and carers cite this as a major concern. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is weak, particularly in key stage 2.  A large proportion of pupils work at standards well below those expected. The development of pupils’ speaking, listening and writing skills is especially poor.  Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities receive inadequate support. These pupils are not included appropriately in lessons.  Disadvantaged pupils make weak progress in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly at the end of key stage 2. The majority of Year 6 pupils leave the school without the

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

knowledge and understanding needed to succeed at secondary school.  Pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate. Pupils do not receive enough information on how to keep themselves safe, especially online. Behaviour is poor across the school – boys in particular.  Overall attendance rates are below national averages, especially for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.  Early years provision is inadequate. Leadership is weak, and leaders do not have a secure understanding of children’s progress. The quality of teaching is too inconsistent.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The recently appointed interim executive headteacher and associate headteacher are committed to improving the school. They have provided stability to an otherwise rapidly declining school.  The teaching of phonics is good. Pupils develop strong phonics skills in key stage 1.  Pupils have opportunities to learn a range of subjects and receive strong provision in physical education (PE) lessons.

p.1

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management so that: – leaders responsible for safeguarding have the necessary skills to fulfil their roles – all staff have a robust understanding of how to keep pupils safe – all pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe, particularly online – stable and consistently strong leadership is found at all levels, including in the early years – teacher retention rates improve – leaders, including middle leaders, take effective action to improve pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics – all teachers have consistently high expectations for pupils’ behaviour, particularly that of boys – absence rates of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, are reduced to be at least in line with national averages – all staff respond appropriately and in a timely manner to concerns raised by parents.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that: – the standard of teaching and learning across the school is consistently effective – teachers plan work that meets the needs of all groups of pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, enabling them to make at least good progress in reading, writing and mathematics – pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are fully included in lessons, with work that is well matched to their needs.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and governors have not ensured that safeguarding arrangements are effective. They have not checked that leaders are fulfilling their safeguarding responsibilities adequately.  Leaders do not ensure that staff are given the appropriate training on how to identify potential safeguarding concerns. Staff have a limited understanding of statutory safeguarding guidance. As a result, pupils are at potential risk.  Weak leadership, particularly since the amalgamation of the junior and infant schools in 2015, has plagued every aspect of the school. Leaders do not understand how to fulfil their roles effectively. The school should not seek to appoint newly qualified teachers.  The use of pupil premium funding is not effective. Leaders and governors have put a number of actions in place, but these have not made a positive difference. Disadvantaged pupils’ achievement continues to be low because of a legacy of

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

underachievement.  Additional funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used ineffectively. Leaders do not ensure that staff have a secure understanding of how to identify pupils with additional needs. Pupils who have education, health and care plans are given one- to-one support with adults who lack the relevant training to meet pupils’ specific needs.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is not effective. One reason for this is because pupils do not have well-planned opportunities to develop their appreciation of art and culture. Pupils’ opportunities to learn about different forms of bullying (particularly homophobic bullying) and diverse types of families in modern Britain are limited.  The high turnover of staff has resulted in a lack of confidence among parents, particularly over the decline in their children’s progress. Many parents feel that leaders

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

do not communicate effectively about concerns they raise. Parents recognise that the recently appointed interim associate headteacher responds to their concerns more appropriately.  The recent appointments of the interim executive headteacher and associate headteacher have resulted in significant improvements to the school’s leadership capacity. Together they have an accurate understanding of the school. They have improved staff morale and introduced new systems, including for performance management and assessment.  The sports premium funding is used well. Pupils benefit from a specialist sports coach who manages the additional funding well and has clear plans for further improvements.  Pupils benefit from opportunities in the wider curriculum. They take part in extra- curricular clubs, including sports clubs. Pupils receive regular music lessons, which they enjoy.  The local authority continues to provide support to the school, but this has not led to

p.3

Governance of the school

 Governors have failed to ensure that statutory safeguarding duties are met. They have not embedded a culture of vigilance around safeguarding policies and procedures.  Governors have struggled to recruit leaders. They recognise that the school is not effective in several areas.  Governors appointed in April 2017 by the local authority have been more effective in their roles. The chair has restructured governors’ committees. This has helped governors fulfil their roles more effectively.  In the past, numerous complaints by members of staff went unresolved. The governing body, working alongside the interim leadership team, has managed to resolve these systematically.

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  Leaders and governors do not have an accurate understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. Leaders do not share safeguarding concerns well enough with each other. Records of safeguarding concerns are haphazard and leaders do not have a secure understanding of how vulnerable pupils are supported. Leaders were unable to provide inspectors with any records of safeguarding concerns prior to the current academic year and said that they had lost them. As a result, vulnerable pupils are at potential risk.  Leaders do not ensure that all staff have an adequate understanding of statutory safeguarding guidance. Consequently, staff do not have the necessary skills to identify potential risks and report them.  Safety around the school site is lax. During the inspection, inspectors found an unlocked cleaning cupboard containing hazardous chemicals, an unlocked door where

p.4

Safeguarding

pupils could access the main car park, and unsecured windows on the top floor which also present potential safety risks.  The curriculum does not enable pupils to understand potential risks and help them to keep safe. Pupils have a limited understanding of how to keep safe online. Pupils said that they did not inform adults about potential concerns because they did not know them well enough.  In the past, governors and leaders did not ensure that pre-employment checks on staff were thorough. This included checks on senior leaders. Leaders and governors relied too heavily on local authority audits and did not check the accuracy of these for themselves.  Extensive building work is taking place on the school site as part of an expansion programme. Leaders manage this well to keep pupils safe from the potential dangers posed by this work.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The high turnover of teaching staff has disrupted pupils’ learning.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. This frequently results in work being too easy or too difficult for many pupils. As a result, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is inadequate.  Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are particularly weak. Many pupils speak with incorrect use of standard English and pronounce words incorrectly. This is because teachers do not adequately help pupils develop these skills. Pupils are typically confused about what they are learning and respond to questions from adults in a manner below that expected of their age.  Teachers routinely provide pupils of all abilities with similar work. The lower-ability pupils often find the work too difficult, particularly when they are given texts that they cannot read. The most able pupils are not provided with challenging tasks that extend

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

their thinking. Too often, the most able pupils repeat previously learned work, which they find too easy. Support for disadvantaged pupils does not meet their specific needs. As a result of all this, most pupils work at standards below age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.  Support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is inadequate. Adults do not have a good enough understanding of these pupils’ specific needs. Pupils in the SEN resource base who have education, health and care plans receive poor one-to-one adult support. These pupils are not fully included with their peers and work set for them does not meet their specific targets.  Standards of pupils’ writing are poor across the school. Opportunities to write good- quality extended pieces of writing are limited and basic punctuation errors are common. Work in pupils’ books shows that progress is variable and standards of

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

presentation are inconsistent. In some classes, pupils are made to copy out words and sentences and are not encouraged to use their own ideas. Typically, pupils are unable to explain the meaning of vocabulary they have used in their writing. As a result, in some year groups the majority of pupils write at standards below those expected of their age.  Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ reading standards are inaccurate. Consequently, pupils are given books to read that do not match their reading abilities. Some pupils told inspectors that they had asked teachers to read more challenging books, but these had not been provided. Teachers do not develop pupils’ reading comprehension skills well enough. The most able pupils do not have the appropriate skills to help them identify unfamiliar words. As a result, these pupils’ knowledge of what they are reading is limited.  The teaching of phonics is good. Adults have secure subject knowledge and provide

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

strong guidance and support for pupils. As a result, many pupils are able to decode words well. However, teachers in key stage 2 do not build on these strong foundations to enable pupils to use their phonics understanding in their writing.  Pupils’ understanding in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics is limited. In history and geography, pupils do not receive work that allows them to build on their knowledge. In some lessons, pupils spend a long time cutting out and sticking worksheets in their books, with a limited understanding of what they are supposed to learn. Consequently, they make inadequate progress in these subjects.  The teaching of mathematics across the school is too inconsistent. Teachers’ subject knowledge is limited and they do not challenge pupils. Pupils have limited opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills, and calculation skills are at a basic standard.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Since the recent arrival of the interim associate headteacher, some improvements have been made to pupils’ writing, particularly in Year 6. For example, pupils wrote a story about ‘the piano’ using a range of extended vocabulary and phrases. In a minority of classes, where teachers’ expectations are higher, pupils’ standards of presentation are better and pupils are proud of their achievements.  Pupils told inspectors that PE was their favourite lesson because they had opportunities to take part in a range of competitions, including netball and cricket. In music, pupils learn to sing, but poor behaviour sometimes hinders their progress.

p.6

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  Leaders have not ensured that procedures to keep pupils safe are rigorously followed.  Pupils have a limited understanding of how to keep safe online and do not readily share any concerns with adults. Pupils have limited opportunities to develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is limited by adults’ low expectations of what pupils can achieve.  During the inspection, breaktimes were not appropriately supervised. Adults allowed pupils in Years 5 and 6 to engage in unsafe behaviour and did not challenge this. At the end of lunchtime, pupils in Years 5 and 6 take too long to settle down and this significantly affects their learning.  Pupils benefit from opportunities to keep themselves fit and healthy. For example, pupils can enjoy a variety of organised games on the playground, including football and

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.  The behaviour of boys is particularly poor. There have been a high number of exclusions, all involving boys, where pupils have been racially abusive and other pupils have been physically assaulted. Adults do not deal with these incidents effectively. Instead, they rely on calling senior staff to intervene.  In key stage 1 and in Year 6, most pupils behave well in lessons and are keen to learn. However, this is not the case across the rest of the school. In Years 3, 4 and 5, pupils’ learning is affected by poor behaviour. Pupils are eager to participate but often shout out and talk over the teacher. This severely hinders their progress. During the inspection, many pupils left their seats and wandered aimlessly around the classrooms. Teachers raise their voices to try and settle pupils, but pupils typically ignore them.  The interim associate headteacher has implemented a new behaviour policy, which

p.6

Behaviour

staff and pupils said was making a difference. Pupils told inspectors that the rewards and sanctions are now fairer compared to the past. As a result, serious incidents are dealt with more effectively by the interim leadership team.  Where teachers have established effective routines, pupils behave well and are settled. Pupils in these classes quickly begin their work and with little disruption.  Pupils’ attendance has fallen to below the national average. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities have higher absence rates than other pupils nationally.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 In all classes, the proportion of pupils working at age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics is low. The progress of these pupils, including those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, is inadequate.  Pupils’ progress in the wider curriculum is inadequate because pupils do not sufficiently develop their knowledge and understanding across the full range of subjects.  In 2016 and 2017, Year 6 pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics was among the lowest 2% of all schools nationally. Pupils’ progress in reading was below the national average.  In 2017, the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 2 attaining the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics was well below the national averages. Only a third of pupils reached the national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics combined. This meant that the majority of these pupils did not have the appropriate knowledge and understanding required for secondary school.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 The achievement of disadvantaged pupils remains low. In 2017, at the end of key stage 2, disadvantaged pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly below that of other pupils nationally.  Very few pupils reached the higher standards in writing at the end of key stage 2 in 2017. No disadvantaged pupils reached the higher standards in reading or mathematics.  Standards at the end of key stage 1 in 2017 were below national averages in reading and writing. This represents inadequate progress from these pupils’ strong starting points at the end of early years. The proportion of pupils attaining the national expectations in mathematics was broadly average.  The proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2017 was above the national average.

p.7

Early years provision Inadequate

 The early years is inadequate because leaders do not have a secure understanding of children’s progress. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inconsistent. Leaders have put in place plans to improve the early years. However, it is too soon to notice any significant difference that these plans have made.  The school’s safeguarding procedures are ineffective. This compromises children’s safety.  Too often, adults do not promote children’s learning well enough. In lessons, adults spend too long gathering assessment information and this hinders their interaction with children. This also limits children’s progress. On the small number of occasions when adults interact and help children to learn new skills, children make better progress.  From their starting points, the progress of children, including disadvantaged children, is not good enough. This is particularly the case for boys and those who also have SEN

p.7

Early years provision Inadequate

and/or disabilities. In 2017, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development dropped to below the national average. As a result, some groups of children are not as ready for Year 1 as they should be.  Adults do not challenge boys’ poor behaviour. While the majority of children behave well in the Nursery and Reception classes, the behaviour of some boys is unsafe and unkind. They only receive minimal guidance from adults, which these children often ignore.  The effectiveness of additional adults to support children’s learning is inconsistent. Some adults’ interactions with children are about giving basic instructions rather than fostering children’s learning. Where adults promote children’s learning through effective questioning, children progress well. For example, in a Nursery session, an adult used strong questioning and toys as props to elicit children’s understanding about farm

p.8

Early years provision Inadequate

animals. The adult encouraged children to build on their own experiences, which helped to develop children’s speaking and listening skills well.  The teaching of phonics is a strength. Adults demonstrate strong subject knowledge, and children progress well. Children are encouraged to use their letters and sounds to write words and check their accuracy using well-embedded strategies. Occasionally, the lower-ability children do not have the appropriate resources to enable them to write newly taught sounds independently and rely too much on adult support.  All areas of learning are covered well and children have a number of opportunities for creative work. For example, children enjoyed their work on mini beasts and had opportunities to make their own models. The learning environment is well resourced and orderly.  A number of parents told inspectors that they were particularly concerned by the high turnover of staff.

p.8

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.9

School details

Interim executive headteacher Mr Sascha Hamidi

p.9

School details

Website www.welldonparkprimary.harrow.sch.uk

p.9

School details

Email address office@welldonparkprimary.harrow.sch.uk

p.9

School details

Date of previous inspection 9–10 May 2011

p.9

Information about this school

 The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The junior and infant schools were separate schools on different sites. They amalgamated into a primary school in 2015. The substantive headteacher took early retirement in December 2017. Since January 2018, an interim executive headteacher and interim associate headteacher, brokered from a local school, lead the school.  Welldon Park Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school. The school has a split site and is currently undergoing a new build as part of expansion.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The largest groups come from

p.9

Information about this school

Asian or Asian British families.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above the national average. The school has a resource base for 11 pupils with significant speech, language and communication needs.

p.10

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all year groups. Many observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors met with governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a senior school improvement adviser from the local authority.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders to evaluate the impact of their work.  Inspectors heard pupils reading and talked with pupils informally throughout the inspection.  Inspectors scrutinised books in all classrooms, across a range of subjects.  A range of documentation was considered, including the school’s self-evaluation, assessment information and records relating to attendance, safeguarding and behaviour.  Inspectors considered 37 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. They also took into account the 21 staff responses and nine responses from pupils to the online surveys.

p.11

Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.11

Inspection team

Robert Greatrex 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 .

p.11

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 .

p.12

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.

p.12

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 .

p.12

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.

p.12

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 .

p.12

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 .

p.12

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.12