Hargrave Park School - Under Three Provision

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

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Mrs Lisa Horton Headteacher Hargrave Park Primary School 51 Bredgar Road London N19 5BS

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 22 May 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 March 2014.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Pupils in the school continue to make strong progress in reading and mathematics. You have made sure that pupils are challenged to think hard in mathematics lessons. Pupils learn methods of calculation that build on what they already know. Well-chosen resources help pupils to understand mathematical concepts. You and your governors have promoted a love of reading by investing heavily in high-quality books for your school library. Pupils choose a book and the school orders it. You have introduced a challenge for pupils to read new stories from a range of authors to encourage them to read widely. In Years 1 and 2, you make sure that pupils know the link between sounds and letters so that they can read words fluently. You also make sure that they understand what they read. You showed me that current pupils are making good progress in reading, despite a dip

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

in standards in reading at the end of Year 2 last year. As a result of your work, most pupils reach the standard expected for their age in reading and mathematics.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

You and your leaders have identified that raising pupils’ achievement in writing is a school priority. You have put in place strategies to drive improvements in writing. Together with other leaders, you visit lessons regularly and check the quality of work in books to make sure that improvements are sustained. Your middle leaders support teachers well by planning with them and sharing best practice.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

At the previous inspection, inspectors found that there was more work to do to make sure that pupils are challenged to achieve their best. Inspectors also asked leaders to give pupils more opportunities to think more deeply and to give fuller answers when answering questions in class. The school has addressed this securely. Teachers set high expectations, giving clear guidance and expecting pupils to improve their work. Teaching assistants provide effective support. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are strong, and they are enthusiastic and motivated to work hard in lessons.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

Following the last inspection, you improved the quality of support for pupils who join the school during the school year. You now track their progress carefully and give them extra help with their learning where needed. These pupils typically make good progress.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

The school environment reflects your high standards. Pupils’ artwork on display around the school is impressive. You provide an outdoor environment that gives pupils confidence and independence. They learn about the world and about how to look after it, for example by making compost in the school garden and using it to grow vegetables. They take care of the school chickens.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

The school has a positive and friendly atmosphere. Pupils in lessons work well together. In one class, pupils applauded each other when they read their work aloud.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

You have worked hard to build strong relationships with parents and carers. In the online survey, Parent View, parents expressed their confidence in your leadership. They are particularly appreciative of your inclusive approach.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

You place a high priority on keeping pupils safe. The culture in the school is about always putting pupils’ well-being first. One member of staff summed it up when he said, ‘It is all about listening to pupils, knowing them and getting the right support when they need it.’ All staff understand that everybody has a role to play in keeping pupils safe. Staff have regular conversations about pupils’ well-being and are quick to refer to the school’s safeguarding team if they have concerns. Relationships between pupils and teachers are warm and supportive. Parents agree that their child feels happy and safe in school.

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Short inspection of Hargrave Park Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained and knowledgeable so that they can spot and deal with any problems quickly. You teach pupils how to keep themselves safe online. Recently, pupils had online safety training and then delivered the training to their parents.

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Inspection findings

 The rich and vibrant curriculum is a key strength of the school. You rightly make it a priority to develop your pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills. However, this is not at the expense of learning across a range of other subjects. Staff make careful and appropriate links between subjects to help learning become memorable for pupils. For example, pupils recently visited a Picasso exhibition. They looked at his work and made their own paintings and collages. They then wrote diaries in role as the artist. As a result of this approach, pupils’ engagement, attitudes to learning and motivation are strong. They typically produce work of a high standard.  You have invested in a science laboratory in school. We saw pupils in white laboratory coats enthusiastically investigating magnetism. They made predictions and then tested them out. Work in their books shows that they are developing strong scientific skills. However, their writing is not always of the same standard

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Inspection findings

as that in their writing books.  You have identified the need to introduce systems for assessing pupils’ skills and knowledge over the wider curriculum.  We agreed that we would explore the progress pupils make in writing. As they make strong progress in reading and mathematics, we wanted to check that they achieve equally well in writing. You have put in place strategies to improve standards in writing. You have increased the opportunities for pupils to improve their speaking skills. Philosophy lessons have improved pupils’ ability to debate important questions. Pupils practise performance poems in class that they perform in assemblies. You have also provided training to make sure that teachers are skilled in teaching pupils to write grammatically, using the correct punctuation and spelling. Pupils enjoy spelling competitions. School progress information and work in books show that current pupils make good progress in

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Inspection findings

their writing.  Pupils typically have good presentation and fluent handwriting in their writing books, but this needs to be consistent across all classes and all subjects. You rightly commented that you want pupils to have pride in themselves, in their own appearance and in their handwriting.  Governors support and challenge you and your leadership team well. They have a good understanding of the school’s priorities and how to evaluate the impact of the school’s actions.

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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

 pupils’ writing in subjects other than English, such as science, is consistently of the highest quality

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Next steps for the school

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

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I held meetings with you and the deputy headteacher. I met with four middle leaders. I met with two governors, including the chair of the governing body. I met with the head of school improvement for Islington. We visited classes together, from Year 1 to Year 6, to observe learning and to look at pupils’ work. I spoke to pupils in lessons and informally at breaktime. I spoke to members of staff around the school. I evaluated recent information about pupils’ progress and attainment. I looked at records and documentation related to safeguarding. I checked the school website and documentation available to parents. I considered the views of 18 parents from Parent View, the online Ofsted survey tool. I also took into account 19 free-text comments received from parents.

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