St Augustines Federated Schools: CofE Primary School

St Augustine’s CofE Primary School Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 5XA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Significant changes to leadership and a high turnover of staff have had a negative impact on the school. Consequently, some groups of pupils, especially in key stage 1, are not making consistently strong progress.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment in key stage 1 is not as strong as it is in key stage 2. This has resulted in pupils making weak progress, including in their phonics.  Over time, leaders have not ensured that they provided opportunities for pupils to gain strong knowledge, understanding and skills in all subjects. Pupils’ progress in a wide range of subjects is not good enough.  Governors are supportive of the school and hold leaders to account for most aspects of the school’s work. However, they have not been thorough in their oversight of provision for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  The provision for pupils with SEND is too variable. As a result, these pupils do not make

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s work to foster pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective.  Senior leaders have made some positive improvements to the quality of teaching and learning through focused professional development.  In 2018, pupils’ progress at the end of key 2 was well above average in mathematics and average in reading and writing.  Pupils are well behaved. They feel safe at school. The large majority of parents and carers say their children are well cared for.  The quality of teaching in the early years is good. Consequently, most children make strong progress in all areas of learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – the curriculum is planned and delivered sufficiently well so that pupils across key stages 1 and 2 are provided with opportunities to make good progress in all subjects – leaders raise standards in key stage 1, including in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics – provision for pupils with SEND and lower-attaining pupils is effective in helping them to make good progress from their individual starting points – governors ask probing questions to challenge leaders on the progress of pupils with SEND and lower-attaining pupils.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that they are consistently good and lead to strong progress for pupils, particularly in key stage 1, by ensuring that teachers: – raise their expectations of what pupils can do and achieve – use assessment information effectively to plan learning activities that are well matched to pupils’ abilities and build on previous learning

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– provide pupils with opportunities to broaden their learning in a wide range of subjects – plan and teach phonics effectively to enable pupils to develop the reading skills expected for their age.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection, the school has undergone significant changes in senior leadership and there has been a high turnover of staff. Although the March 2018 inspection found that the priorities for improvement identified from the previous inspection were met, the progress the school had made has not been sustained due to these major staffing changes.  Leaders are aware that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in key stage 1 is not good enough and has had an impact on pupils’ progress. There are appropriate plans and support in place to tackle this.  The leadership of SEND provision is not effective. Although leaders have put in place some interventions for pupils with SEND, they are not able to demonstrate the difference these are making to pupils’ progress.  The interim leaders have recently revised the curriculum to ensure that pupils gain knowledge, understanding and skills in a wide range of subjects. However, it is too

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

soon to see the full impact of these revisions.  The pupil premium funding is accounted for and used to support disadvantaged pupils’ learning and well-being and to provide enrichment activities. However, the progress of this group of pupils is inconsistent across the school.  The local authority and the London Diocesan Board for Schools offer the school a good level of support. Their work is beginning to make a difference in improving the quality of education provided.  The interim senior leadership team has recruited teachers and provided positive support to help them improve their teaching skills. As a result, the quality of teaching is improving, particularly in key stage 2.  Pupils are provided with good opportunities to enrich their learning beyond the classroom. These include educational visits, such as residential trips. Pupils talked confidently about such experiences, which support their personal development well.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. For example, pupils are given the opportunity to experience democracy at first hand when they vote for their peers to represent their views on the school council. Members of the school council develop their leadership skills and abilities to work as a team.

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Governance of the school

 Members of the governing body provide good support for the school and have held leaders to account for the weak quality of teaching and learning in classes. However, they do not sufficiently challenge leaders on the progress and attainment of pupils, particularly pupils with SEND.  Governors contribute well to leaders’ discussions on the school’s self-evaluation and development priorities.  Governors visit the school regularly to check that the school’s policies and procedures relating to safeguarding are followed rigorously. They regularly check that adults working with children are suitably vetted.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders and governors have created a strong culture of safeguarding that protects pupils from harm or potential risk. Staff have received training in line with latest legislation to ensure that they are able to report swiftly and reliably any concerns about a pupil’s safety or well-being, should the need arise.  Leaders have identified the potential risks in the local area. They discuss these with pupils in an age-appropriate way to raise their awareness. The curriculum offers pupils a range of activities and resources on how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils are taught about online safety.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe at school. They know that they can talk to a trusted adult at school if they have any concerns and that these concerns are taken seriously.  Leaders work closely with external agencies to support pupils’ safety and well-being.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent between key stages 1 and 2. It is better in key stage 2. As a result, pupils’ progress varies between the key stages.  The quality of teaching and learning in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 1 is weak. Pupils’ previous strong learning from Reception is not built upon well enough as they move into Year 1. Teachers do not have a clear understanding of the standards expected for pupils in each year group.  The teaching of phonics is not effective. As a result, pupils do not develop their reading skills and have difficulty in reading unfamiliar words. Consequently, the pupils in key stage 1 do not make good progress in reading. Pupils in key stage 2 use their reading skills well to research topics.  Teachers do not use assessment information effectively to match learning activities to the needs of pupils with different abilities. Learning tasks set are too easy or too hard.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

This has resulted in pupils, including the most able pupils, lower-attaining pupils and pupils with SEND, making insufficient progress, especially in key stage 1.  Although the curriculum is planned to cover a range of subjects, there is inconsistency from year to year both in the depth and quality of teaching. At times, the tasks set do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to deepen their learning, particularly in the humanities subjects and science.  The quality of teaching is strongest in key stage 2. For example, the written work in pupils’ books shows that most Year 6 pupils are making good progress in developing their writing skills. They learn to write in a range of contexts and styles.  The teaching of mathematics is effective in key stage 2. Pupils use mathematical vocabulary well to reason about their strategies.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils talked confidently to inspectors about their learning and their views about school life. They listen attentively to each other, showing respect.  Pupils report that bullying is a rare occurrence and this is confirmed by school records. Events such as ‘anti-bullying day’ and the posters designed by pupils and displayed around the school help to raise awareness of the forms that bullying can take and what to do about it.  Leaders promote pupils’ physical, emotional and mental well-being effectively. Pupils told inspectors that expert visitors are invited to the school who give them strategies to manage their feelings and alleviate stress. Pupils are encouraged to eat healthily and keep fit.  Pupils report that they feel safe at school. They learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, including when using the internet. Pupils know the importance of

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Personal development and welfare

having regular fire drills at school.  Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of diversity and respecting differences. In the words of pupils, ‘We are all equal. Nobody is higher than another person.’ They understand the school’s ‘golden rule’ well: ‘Treat others as you want to be treated.’

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Typically, pupils walk around the school in an orderly fashion. Pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime is good. On occasions, when the teaching does not fully capture pupils’ interest or meet their needs, low-level disruption is evident. This was confirmed by a few pupils who reported that, sometimes, behaviour within lessons and playtimes is not as good as it should be.  Leaders work well with parents and other professionals, such as therapists, to support and manage the behaviour of vulnerable pupils.  Leaders use a range of effective strategies to encourage pupils’ attendance, which is above the national average. Persistent absenteeism is low and below average. There have been no exclusions in the last year.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress across the school is variable. This is because the quality of teaching is stronger in key stage 2 than it is in key stage 1.  Current pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 1 is not as strong as that of pupils in key stage 2. This is due to teachers’ weak use of assessment information to plan learning activities that meet the needs of pupils of different abilities, particularly pupils with SEND and lower-attaining pupils.  Pupils in key stage 1 make limited progress in writing and mathematics from the outset because teachers do not build on their learning from the early years.  In 2018, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the phonics screening check declined for the third year in succession, and was in line with the national average. Current pupils’ progress in phonics is not good enough, due to weak teaching. This prevents pupils from developing the reading abilities expected for their

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

age.  The work in pupils’ humanities and science books shows that their progress is inconsistent across the school and, in some year groups, is limited. Subjects such as modern foreign language and drama are not taught.  Pupils’ progress across key stage 2 in writing is variable. For example, the written work in Year 6 pupils’ books shows that pupils are making good progress and that they apply their skills well to work in other subjects, such as history. However, this same good progress is not evident in other year groups.  Pupils in key stage 2 make strong progress in speaking and listening skills and mathematics. They are encouraged to use mathematical vocabulary and discuss their strategies to support their learning.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years provision is well led and managed. It is the only part of the school that has not endured significant staff changes, which has provided stable conditions for children’s learning and development.  The quality of teaching is effective. Staff provide children with a range of activities that interest them in their learning. Children are provided with good opportunities, which are based on high-quality, age-appropriate texts. For example, using ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’, children used phonics well to spell words when writing a shopping list for a character from the story. They made use of resources such as ‘sound mats’ with visual images to help them spell difficult words.  Children are well behaved. They remain focused on the task at hand. They follow adults’ instructions quickly so learning time is not wasted. Children play and learn in a safe, happy environment because of the clear and well-established routines. Adults

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Early years provision Good

help to develop children’s speaking, listening, reading and writing skills well.  Adults work well with parents to support them with their children’s learning and development at home. They have an ‘open-door’ policy for parents to discuss their children’s learning. Parents are offered a range of workshops on topics such as phonics and reading to help them support their children. This provides a seamless continuity in learning between home and school.  The work in children’s ‘learning journals’, books and displays around the classrooms shows that most children are making good progress in all areas of learning.

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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

Headteacher William Dean (interim consultative headteacher) Dawn Conjoyce (acting headteacher) Telephone number 020 7328 0221

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School details

Website www.st-augustines-primary.co.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 March 2018

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Information about this 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 October 2013, when it was judged to be good.  There have been significant changes to the leadership structure since the previous inspection. The substantive headteacher, other senior leaders, six class teachers and other members of staff left the school at the end of July 2018. The substantive deputy headteacher has taken the position of acting headteacher since September 2018.  The school receives support from the local authority, which brokered the services of the interim consultant headteacher, who has been in post since January 2019. The London Diocesan Board for Schools also provides support.  The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in February 2017.  This school is an average-sized primary school.  The school was in the top 20% of all schools for the proportion of pupils who are

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited all classes to observe pupils’ learning in a range of subjects, mostly jointly with the interim senior leaders. They scrutinised pupils’ work within and outside of lessons.  Inspectors spoke with pupils during lessons, at breaktime and at lunchtime to discuss their learning and seek their views about school life. They met formally with two groups of pupils. Inspectors also listened to pupils read.  One inspector also attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with leaders, staff and governors. The lead inspector met with representatives of the local authority and the London Diocesan Board for Schools.  Inspectors talked to parents at the start of the school day. They took into consideration the 13 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and six free-text comments.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour within lessons and during social times.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation relating to safeguarding,

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Information about this inspection

attendance and behaviour and the school’s self-evaluation.

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Inspection team

Rajeshree Mehta, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sahreen Siddiqui 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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