Essex Primary School

Essex Primary School Sheridan Road, Manor Park, London E12 6QX

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have improved the school significantly since the last inspection. The school now provides an excellent standard of education.  Staff, governors, parents and pupils work together to form an inclusive community where pupils excel.  Leaders foster pupils’ aspirations for the future exceptionally well. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility and play a useful role in society. They are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support. Leaders’ oversight and provision for pupils with complex needs is first-rate; these pupils are fully included in school life.  Middle leaders provide substantial oversight of their roles and responsibilities. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across different subjects is consistently high.  Parents and carers are highly positive of the wide variety of opportunities that pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

receive. As one parent said, ‘They teach fabulously, look after the children, and are simply ace at what they do.’  The rich curriculum makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are highly developed. They behave very positively at all times.  Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ progress and conduct are high. They plan exciting lessons underpinned by very strong subject knowledge. As a result, pupils achieve highly and are deservedly proud of their work.  Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, attain highly across the curriculum. They make substantial progress in writing, mathematics and French, for example. Pupils leave the school very well prepared for their secondary education.  Children in the early years make good progress. They make good progress in their development, and are well prepared for Year 1. Adults do not routinely deepen children’s

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

thinking during their interactions with them.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 To improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the early years by: – ensuring that adults routinely deepen children’s thinking during their interactions with them.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 Inspirational leadership of the school has led to substantial improvements since the last inspection. The executive headteacher and headteacher work extremely effectively alongside senior leaders to provide pupils with an excellent standard of education. Leaders and governors successfully meet their aims of, ‘Everyone valued, everyone challenged, everyone achieving.’  Governors and leaders are highly committed to pupils achieving their best. Staff, leaders, pupils and parents work collaboratively in an inclusive environment where pupils excel. As a result, pupils from all backgrounds achieve highly and receive an extremely well-rounded education. Pupils love coming to school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well promoted. Pupils are highly respectful of different beliefs and faiths. They learn about the significance of Holocaust Memorial Day and black history, for example. One pupil shared a commonly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

held view: ‘We are all equal in this school, no matter what anyone’s background.’ They are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Subject leaders provide highly effective support for staff. They monitor their areas of responsibilities regularly. This helps them to have an accurate understanding of the school’s priorities. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning across subjects is high.  Leadership of the provision for pupils with SEND is highly effective. Leaders know these pupils exceptionally well, particularly those with complex needs. Leaders’ actions, including the use of specialists, place these pupils’ well-being at the heart of their work. Pupils with SEND are routinely included in all aspects of the school’s life, including in sporting clubs, for example.  The curriculum is very strong. Pupils excel at English and mathematics alongside other subjects. Leaders have thought carefully about how to improve the quality of reading

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

outcomes through using high-quality texts, for example. Specialists in physical education and French provide exceptional opportunities for pupils to achieve highly in these subjects.  Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. Leaders have a strong understanding of these pupils’ needs, and check the impact of their actions to support them. As a result, these pupils attain highly across the curriculum.  The sports premium is used very effectively. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to take part in competitions, including against other schools. Leaders make very good use of the funding to support staff’s professional development in teaching physical education.  Leaders take great care to involve parents and carers in the school’s life, including through workshops and regular communication. Parents value the approachability of leaders and staff, particularly in responding to any concerns they may have. Parents

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

spoke highly positively of the school. As one parent said, ‘I love sending my child to this school.’

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Governance of the school

 Governors are highly committed and successfully oversee an inclusive school where everyone is welcome. They are well trained, and benefit from a broad range of expertise. Governors are up to date in their safeguarding training, including preventing radicalisation. They have a very good understanding of the local community and the school’s actions to help keep pupils safe.  Governors use their link roles very effectively to deepen their understanding of the school’s priorities. Governors meet with senior and middle leaders regularly, and plan additional leadership training. Governors hold leaders to account rigorously, including by inviting subject leaders to governor meetings. Governors use these meetings to check the impact of leaders’ actions, in reading and mathematics, for example.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders keep up to date with the latest statutory guidance. They provide staff with regular training including on the additional vulnerabilities of pupils with SEND and the procedures for reporting cases of female genital mutilation. As a result, staff understand the school’s procedures very well and know how to raise concerns, including using external agencies.  Leaders understand contextual safeguarding risks to pupils. They work very effectively with pupils to help keep them safe from potential risks in the locality. Planned opportunities through the curriculum help pupils to have a very strong understanding of how to keep safe, including online. Pupils learn about the potential risks of grooming and how to counter extremism, for example. In sessions with the police, pupils learned about the dangers of knife crime, and how to keep safe from gangs.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding because teachers use their very strong knowledge of individual pupils to plan exciting lessons, which pupils are highly motivated to learn. Adults set very high expectations and use pupils’ assessment information skilfully to plan challenging activities. As a result, pupils achieve very highly across a range of subjects.  Teachers constantly encourage pupils to share their ideas about their learning. Lessons buzz with energy and activity, and pupils clearly thrive. Teachers build on pupils’ prior learning skilfully through effective questioning. For example, pupils used historical evidence to consider how the design and materials of houses in the Stone Age affected people at that time.  In reading, teachers have developed their practice considerably since the previous inspection. They use high-quality texts to engage pupils and deepen their knowledge of vocabulary and phrases. Pupils are encouraged to use texts to justify their answers and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

do so with confidence.  Teachers demonstrate very strong subject knowledge, which ensures that pupils develop a deep understanding in their learning. For example, some pupils discussed different ways that personification could be used in narrative texts. This helped pupils to think carefully about improving their own writing.  Teachers use resources very effectively. They maintain a very careful balance between developing pupils’ independence and using resources to help them in their work. During a mathematics lesson, for example, pupils were given the choice to use place value mats in their work about decimals.  In French, pupils are engrossed in their learning. The specialist French teacher has extremely high expectations and uses excellent subject knowledge to enthuse pupils. Careful modelling of language and clear routines help pupils thoroughly enjoy their lessons.  Teachers encourage pupils to collaborate. Pupils discuss their learning with each other

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

with great enthusiasm, and support each other to complete tasks. This helps pupils to develop strong learning habits. The most able pupils are very well supported and respond positively to challenge. This results in these pupils achieving highly.  Writing is taught well across the curriculum. Teachers encourage pupils to plan their writing skilfully, and to think carefully about their use of punctuation and grammar. For example, in a science lesson, pupils were reminded regularly to use full stops and capital letters. As a result, pupils develop very strong writing skills from an early age.  Pupils with SEND receive very well targeted support. Adults create an inclusive and nurturing environment so that these pupils excel. Adults design stimulating activities to support pupils’ individual needs. For example, pupils in the resource base learned to dress themselves. Others learned how to pick up a cup, thus developing their fine

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

motor skills.  Pupils love their learning. They take immense pride in their work, which is reflected in their high standards of presentation. Pupils are proud to talk about the vibrant displays that celebrate their work in a range of subjects, including writing, history and art.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Leaders have created a highly inclusive community where pupils from all backgrounds are valued. Relationships between adults and pupils are excellent. Adults are extremely positive role models, and set very high standards of pupils’ behaviour. This helps pupils feel at ease, and enables them to value their time at school.  The rich curriculum provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ well-being. Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities, including in sports, activities, trips and workshops. Pupils benefit from regular musical performance days. For example, pupils learned to sing in a wide range of languages, as part of celebrating different people’s mother tongues. These activities help to broaden pupils’ experiences, cultural awareness and confidence.  All pupils that spoke to the inspectors said they felt extremely safe in school; parents

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Personal development and welfare

agree. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They trust adults to deal with any concerns, should they arise. Pupils are highly confident, and speak with interest and maturity to visitors.  Pupils learn to take responsibility, and learn about the need to consult others in decision-making. For example, school councillors were proud of their input into changing the menu, and creating a garden area, together with a new running track. In the dinner hall, pupils encourage each other to clear away their food and arrange the cutlery correctly. Pupils take great pride in their leadership roles.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. Their conduct in lessons and around the school is first-rate. Pupils cooperate with each other very positively. They discuss, help and support each other with great kindness.  Transitions between lessons and around the school are very orderly because staff manage these extremely well. Adults are vigilant during lunch and playtimes, and interact positively with pupils as they play.  Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are very good. They love coming to school and this helps them to value their education.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 Pupils make excellent progress across all areas of the curriculum. Since the previous inspection, pupils’ progress and achievement have risen significantly. The most able pupils are challenged appropriately, while lower-ability pupils receive great support to make strong progress.  At the end of key stage 1, pupils attain standards similar to or above others, nationally, in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils make very strong progress from typically low starting points when they enter the school.  Over the last three years, pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has been above the national average. Pupils’ attainment in these subjects at the expected standard has been at least similar to the national average.  In 2018, the proportion of pupils attaining at least the expected standard in reading was similar to the national average. Year 6 pupils’ progress in reading has been similar

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

to the national average for the last three years.  In 2018, the attainment of Year 1 pupils in the phonics screening check was above the expected standard. There has been a significant upwards trend over the last few years. Current pupils demonstrate very strong phonics knowledge. They are able to blend and segment words, and recognise familiar words without having to decode. Pupils benefit from personalised support to develop their fluency in reading. As a result, pupils’ early reading skills are strongly developed.  Pupils with SEND, including in the additional resource provision, make excellent progress. Their needs are very well met by knowledgeable adults who are committed to inclusion in their school. These pupils benefit from clear routines, including additional physical education (PE) to strengthen their gross and fine motor skills.  Pupils make sustained progress in their reading. This is because they read, discuss and

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

infer from high-quality reading texts. Pupils have many opportunities to read aloud and recite poetry, including for large audiences. This helps to develop their reading fluency. Pupils read with expression and very good intonation because of precise adult guidance.  Pupils have very strong speaking and listening skills. Even the youngest pupils speak with confidence and engage very positively with adults. Across key stage 2, pupils are highly articulate, and demonstrate a very strong use of subject-specific vocabulary in their lessons.  In French, pupils achieve exceptionally high standards. Adults support pupils to be fully immersed in the French language. Pupils listen to instructions in French, and reply in full sentences during conversations. Pupils use adverbs, basic tenses and correct vocabulary in French, and attain well above age-related expectations.  In mathematics, pupils have very strong calculation skills. They are encouraged to

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

reflect on the different methods they use, which help them to be fluent in arithmetic. Pupils reason about their work, and have regular problem-solving and investigation activities, which they relish.  In science, pupils achieve highly. They have regular opportunities to develop their scientific enquiry skills; they predict and summarise with confidence. Pupils demonstrate strong knowledge and understanding of topics, including the water cycle. Adults help to develop pupils’ very strong technical vocabulary. For example, Year 1 pupils could explain the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees, accurately.  Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum. They have well-embedded skills, including in music, geography and history. For example, pupils speak confidently about the ‘legacy’ of the Romans and Tudors in modern Britain. Teachers use the wider curriculum as a means to engage pupils in their writing. For example, they write

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

beautifully using complex vocabulary, and have many opportunities for extended pieces.  Disadvantaged pupils make very strong progress. They are supported very well and attain highly, particularly in writing and mathematics.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years provides children with a good start. Leaders know their priorities well, and have clear ideas for improvement.  Children enter the early years with skills below those expected for their age. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development is at least similar to the national average. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education in Year 1.  Teachers develop children’s phonics skills effectively. They demonstrate good subject knowledge and practise previously learned sounds to build on children’s understanding. Adults help children to learn familiar words, and this helps children to make a good start to their early reading.  Children use their phonics skills and can apply them to their early writing. Adults help children with opportunities to write. For example, children wrote Mother’s Day cards, while being reminded of their phonics sounds.  In mathematics, children learn strong early number understanding. Children work using

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Early years provision Good

practical equipment to develop their counting. For example, children used counters to help them with their addition and subtraction calculations.  Children enjoy using a variety of resources across all areas of learning. They paint, make models with construction bricks, and use the sand and water areas sensibly. Children enjoy role playing, including taking on the role of a vet. Themed story times help children to act out stories. Children retold a story of the ‘Gingerbread Man’ using character masks they had made in Nursery, for example.  Children typically behave well because of clear routines. They start the day by reading books and follow adults’ instructions well. Children enjoy their PE lessons, demonstrating good balance and collaboration with each other. Pupils with complex needs receive bespoke support, and join in purposefully in activities.  Parents agree that their children are well supported and kept safe in school. Children

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Early years provision Good

receive good information about how to keep themselves safe. For example, children listened attentively while learning about the ‘underwear rule’ and the importance of protecting their personal space.  Adults use good questioning skills to develop children’s knowledge and understanding. For example, adults asked children about the reasons why a car would go further if it was dropped from an increased height on a ramp. However, adults do not routinely use these opportunities to deepen children’s thinking.

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School details

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

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 April 2018

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. During the school’s last section 8 inspection, the school demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. The school’s last section 5 inspection took place in January 2014, when it was judged to be good.  The executive headteacher works for three days at the school. The headteacher works at the school full-time.  The school operates a resource-based provision catering for the needs of thirteen pupils with autism. These pupils are in mainstream lessons for their learning.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is similar to the national average. In upper key stage 2, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils is significantly above average.  The majority of pupils are from an Asian or Asian British background. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is similar to the national average. The proportion of

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Information about this school

pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan is below the national average. However, a larger than average proportion of pupils have complex needs.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, governors and members of staff. An inspector had a telephone conversation with the local authority’s school improvement adviser.  A wide range of documentation was considered, including information related to safeguarding, school development planning and attendance.  Inspectors observed learning in all year groups at least three times. Senior leaders accompanied inspectors for most of these visits to lessons. Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in all year groups.  Inspectors spoke with pupils informally during lessons and in social times. An inspector held formal meetings with groups of pupils to gather their views about the school.  Inspectors took account of 201 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered 69 responses from staff. Inspectors also took into account

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Information about this inspection

parents’ views through meeting parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Birtles 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 .

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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 .

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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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 .

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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 .

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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

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