Setting

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

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Ms Helen Mawer Selwyn Primary School Cecil Road London E13 0LX

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No formal designation inspection of Selwyn Primary School

Following my visit, accompanied by Kanwaljit Singh and Chris Birtles, Ofsted Inspectors, to your school on 14 and 15 March 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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No formal designation inspection of Selwyn Primary School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about outcomes for pupils at the school.

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Evidence

We examined policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils, including mandatory checks made for the safer recruitment of staff. We met with you, the executive deputy headteachers, the chief executive officer (CEO), the chair of the local governing body and a member of the trust board.

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Evidence

We also looked at other relevant evidence including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan, assessment and monitoring information held by the school, surveys of stakeholders’ views, minutes from local governing body meetings and from meetings of the board of trustees. We held discussions with members of teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as middle leaders. In addition, we spoke to parents at the start of the day, and pupils informally in lessons and at playtimes. We interviewed the school council. We visited every class to observe learning and we scrutinised samples of pupils’ books. We listened to pupils read.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Context

Selwyn Primary School is a larger-than-average school, with 460 pupils. It is part of the Leading Learning Trust. The majority of pupils at the school are from minority ethnic backgrounds and speak English as an additional language. Over a quarter of pupils are entitled to support from the pupil premium fund; all pupils in Newham primary schools receive free school meals. Approximately one sixth of pupils are included on the register of special educational needs, a number of whom attend the school’s provision for deaf and hearing-impaired pupils; the proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is average. The number of pupils who join or leave the school mid-year is high. The headteacher was appointed this academic year and is supported well by the CEO, who was the previous headteacher. The school has had a high turnover of staff but leaders have successfully found ways of recruiting and retaining quality staff over the last two years.

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Context

Leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff are fully checked and vetted before they work with pupils. Staff receive regular updates with current safeguarding information and all staff know how to make referrals when they have a concern. Staff training, including that related to the ‘Prevent’ duty, is up to date.

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Context

The school has an atmosphere which is welcoming and polite. Pupils were confident and respectful in conversation. Pupils told us that they can go to a member of staff if they have a concern. They feel well-informed about current and local issues and consequently know how to stay safe in and out of school. Pupils and parents say that bullying is rare and school records confirm this.

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Context

The leadership team has maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Current pupils make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school. As a result, the vast majority of pupils reach standards at least in line with national expectations. A large proportion of pupils attain higher standards. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and disadvantaged pupils, make even stronger progress than their peers, enabling most of them to access the same curriculum as their classmates. Leaders can evidence this because, since the decline in key stage 2 outcomes in 2017, pupils’ performance in English and mathematics has been analysed according to context and prior attainment. This analysis informs leaders’ actions. In 2018, Year 6 pupils achieved much higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress in mathematics was particularly impressive.

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Context

Improvements in all subjects have continued and are evident in pupils’ books.

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Context

Pupils behave very well at all times and demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning. They are ambassadors of the school’s values. They support each other with their learning very maturely and listen carefully when they talk to each other about their thinking. They demonstrate pride in their work, which is very well presented. Pupils write at length in clearly legible script from early in their schooling, in all areas of the curriculum.

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Context

The school offers an extremely positive, focused learning environment. Trustees, governors, staff and parents appreciate your passion for pupils and adults to succeed. Governors feel well informed so they can challenge and support leaders. They believe that pupils are well placed to succeed in the future because they have had the ‘Selwyn Experience’.

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Context

You have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas that should be further developed. You constantly seek to provide the best education possible for the pupils in your care. Improving progress in reading has been a priority. The actions of you and other leaders have led to significant improvements. This has included focusing on developing pupils’ vocabulary and offering non-negotiable expectations to staff about how to teach reading. Because you have many effective and experienced staff, you and the leadership team are able to mentor those who need more support, through peer support. Phonics teaching and learning are very high quality. Many children in the Nursery are already reading words and sentences independently and this positive practice continues, resulting in most pupils becoming fluent readers by the start of key stage 2.

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Context

Pupils enjoy their reading. They spoke enthusiastically about the style of different authors and how characters, settings and plots are developed through the choices of vocabulary. Higher-attaining pupils make very strong progress and demonstrate a mature understanding of subtleties within texts.

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Context

Leaders and governors monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They recognise the link between the school’s ethos of high expectations and pupils’ outcomes. Everyone has a thorough understanding of how teaching at this school is structured so that all groups of pupils continue to achieve well. In addition to improvements to reading, success in the teaching of writing is already making a significant impact on pupils’ learning. For example, Year 1 pupils use alliteration and similes to improve their work.

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Context

Leaders have introduced a curriculum that has clear structure and offers rich learning opportunities for all pupils. The links made between humanities subjects, vocabulary development in reading, and opportunities to write in a range of genres are well developed. Many pupils reach high standards in science, humanities, physical development and the arts. Pupils develop a thorough range of knowledge across a variety of subjects while enhancing their understanding and skills. Subject leaders support colleagues, ensuring that they receive relevant training to develop their practice. Leaders gather information about pupils’ learning in all subjects but do not use it as effectively as they do for English and mathematics. Leaders make excellent use of community projects locally to give pupils the chance to work with people outside school and to develop their understanding of how to use their skills in later life.

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Context

Pupils model their understanding of knowing right from wrong in all aspects of their work. The school has an entirely inclusive culture and contributes very well to preparing pupils effectively for life in modern Britain. Pupils identify charities to support such as the Red Cross and Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day. They understand that their fundraising helps others. They receive awards for positive attitudes as well as academic prowess.

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Context

Children in the early years benefit from extremely effective learning opportunities that focus on language development and basic skills. Children are encouraged to develop their growth mindset so that they have the confidence to tackle new learning. For example, a boy explained, ‘It’s difficult but I am trying really hard.’ Their environment includes a gardening area which benefits pupils of all ages. Produce which pupils grow is used in cookery lessons and surplus is sold by them at Borough Market. This is an example of how leaders support pupils with learning skills for later life.

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External support

An external adviser offers challenge and validation of your self-evaluation. He advises leaders, including the governing body and the trust, on how to make further improvements.

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External support

The school is part of the Teaching Alliance with The Boleyn Trust. Leaders work closely with the alliance to ensure that their work is moderated, high-quality staff training is offered and self-evaluations are further validated.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Continue to develop the way the pupils’ learning is analysed to track progress in the wider curriculum, to match that already embedded for English and mathematics. I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Newham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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