Ashmole Primary School

Ashmole Primary School Summit Way, Southgate, London N14 7NP

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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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, governors and staff share an ambitious vision for every child and pupil to excel in their education, and to enjoy learning.  In its first two years since opening, the school has achieved exceptional outcomes for children in Reception and Year 1.  The proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of their Reception year is significantly above the national average. This is also the case for the percentage of pupils who reached the required standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.  Evidence in pupils’ books shows that Year 2 pupils make excellent progress from their different starting points. Literacy and numeracy skills are promoted across all subjects.  The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Teachers and support staff have a strong understanding of how pupils learn. Care and attention is paid to pupils’ spiritual and pastoral needs, as well as to their academic

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

development.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive a very high level of care and support. They make strong progress from their starting points.  Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the high level of professional development they receive. All staff seek continuously to improve their practice. Team work and mentoring ensures that staff feel supported by outstanding practitioners.  The curriculum is broad, and it is delivered in a way that engages all pupils. There is more work to do in the wider curriculum so that pupils routinely have opportunities to extend their writing skills.  Pupils love coming to school and rarely miss a day. Attendance is above the national average. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent in lessons and at breaktimes.  Early years provision is outstanding. Children receive high-quality learning experiences in the classroom and in the outdoor learning space.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the quality of education their child receives, and with the communication from staff. Parents make a significant contribution to the life of the school.  Safeguarding is effective. Governors and all staff are trained well to keep pupils safe.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders and teachers should ensure that all pupils routinely have opportunities to extend their writing skills across the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 Leaders and governors have created a culture that encourages pupils and staff to excel. The school’s vision and values are shared by everyone in the school community, including parents. Relationships between adults and children are exemplary, ensuring that pupils thrive. All pupils try their very best and demonstrate a love of learning.  Leaders and governors are uncompromising in their ambition for pupils to achieve well. Through accurate self-evaluation and clear development plans, they set themselves challenging targets, which they have achieved to date. Leaders and governors regularly review school information to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of teaching and learning. Leaders are open to challenge, and continuously reflect on what they can do better. Regular external reviews validate their judgements.  Pupils achieve extremely well. Disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as others, and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make very strong progress from their starting points.  Leaders use high-quality professional development to support staff to deliver outstanding teaching. The school works closely with local outstanding primary schools to ensure that staff learn from best practice. Teachers regularly take part in professional development provided by the local authority. This ensures that they are well informed, and that they implement the latest initiatives. Teachers and support staff praise leaders for the quality of training and support they receive. Leaders have created a climate where teachers are motivated and trusted to take risks and innovate in ways that benefit pupils.  Pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum, which inspires and develops their curiosity. Subject specialists deliver some subjects, for example Spanish and physical education (PE). Pupils make excellent progress because these lessons are well planned.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

Teachers have a deep understanding of the knowledge and skills pupils need.  In other subjects, teachers make learning enjoyable, and they plan activities to match the abilities of pupils. The school organises a wide range of events and celebrations to broaden pupils’ experiences and develop their appreciation of living in a diverse society.  Parents are fully involved in the life of the school, and they make a positive contribution to enriching the curriculum. Examples include running the school library, organising international food events, sharing their religious practices with pupils, and developing the wildlife garden.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have detailed knowledge about the school’s effectiveness. They work in partnership with leaders to ensure the school continues to improve. They are highly visible in the school, and they understand the daily experiences of the pupils. Governors are proud of the school’s achievements, and they seek to improve their own practice. They bring a wide range of skills to their role.  Governors hold leaders to account through regular full-board and committee meetings. Leaders provide accurate and detailed reports to governors, which they analyse carefully. Governors ensure that all additional funding has the desired impact for targeted groups of pupils. The pupil premium grant, sports premium and additional funding for pupils with SEND are all spent effectively.  Governors contribute effectively to the culture of safeguarding. They are well trained in safe recruitment of new staff, and they regularly check the school’s single central

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Governance of the school

record. They ensure that safeguarding matters are discussed at every governing board meeting, and they participate in staff training.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff and governors ensure that pupils are safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe in the community. Visitors are checked thoroughly on arrival at the school. Leaders deliver high-quality training so that staff recognise and report any concerns. Safeguarding leads work closely with external agencies to provide additional help to families. Comprehensive record-keeping shows that leaders ensure all aspects of safety are checked. The school’s policies and procedures are reviewed regularly.  Pupils said that they feel safe in school, and have trusted adults they can talk to if they have any concerns. Pupils talked knowledgeably about staying safe online. Leaders ensure that pupils and their parents are well informed on all safeguarding matters.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Teachers plan lessons very effectively, and they demonstrate very good knowledge of the subjects they teach. Lessons are planned well across year groups, using a wide range of resources and activities to engage pupils. Teachers and support staff use questioning carefully to check pupils’ understanding and guide them to correct their mistakes.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is exemplary. Teachers also set clear rules and routines for classroom behaviour so that pupils know what is expected of them. Positive behaviour is celebrated, and pupils respond well to all forms of praise.  In lessons, pupils are given time to practise skills and embed their learning. Teachers provide challenging extension tasks for the most able pupils and ensure that less-able pupils have the support they need. In mathematics, for example, some pupils work in small groups with their own clocks to practise telling the time, while other pupils learn

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

to compare digital and analogue clocks. Pupils develop their reasoning skills by explaining their answers to others. The school’s model of ‘talk partners’ ensures that pupils learn to communicate confidently.  Pupils with SEND receive excellent support. All staff take responsibility for setting targets and monitoring the progress of these pupils. Interventions maximise opportunities for pupils with SEND to participate in all activities. Where additional support is required, staff use advice from specialists to adjust learning activities to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, this group of pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Work in pupils’ books is routinely of high quality. Feedback from teachers is precise, and pupils use teachers’ comments to improve their work. There is clear evidence in all year groups of the progress pupils make in their writing and mathematical skills during

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

the year. Pupils take pride in their work. The emphasis on regular handwriting practice has resulted in well-presented work, and pupils are increasingly confident to write in cursive script.  Teachers promote reading, writing and oral communication highly effectively across the curriculum. In humanities lessons, for example, pupils use a range of reading resources to find facts about Christopher Columbus. Subsequently, they write descriptive messages in a bottle to describe long journeys at sea. Pupils learn to apply their mathematical knowledge to other subjects. For example, they record data in science experiments. While there is a range of writing activities in the wider curriculum, all pupils should be encouraged to write more extensively in order to match the quality of writing they achieve in their English lessons.  Teachers set challenging homework. This deepens and consolidates pupils’ learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

Many pupils take the initiative to extend their learning voluntarily at home. Reading records indicate that pupils’ love of reading is nurtured in school and at home. A well- resourced library provides stimulating material for pupils. It is busy at lunchtimes when pupils choose to read with parent volunteers.  Parents reported that they are provided with clear and timely information about how their child is progressing. Parent workshops and regular newsletters keep them well informed about their child’s education. Parents are welcomed to school events. In the early years, parents make a positive contribution to their child’s learning journal.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are confident and self-assured learners. In all year groups, they are eager to learn and improve their work. Children in Reception were keen to share their learning journals with inspectors, and they were able to show us how their writing had improved since they joined the class.  Pupils are provided with many opportunities to practise listening to and respecting the views of others. In all lessons, the ‘talk partner’ model emphasises turn-taking and sharing ideas. In religious education (RE) lessons, pupils discuss and debate similarities and differences between themselves and others. They learn to share their cultural experiences and different points of view. In setting up the school council, pupils have learned about democracy and the British voting system.  Attendance is above the national average. Pupils value their education and rarely miss

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Personal development and welfare

a day. No groups of pupils are disadvantaged by low attendance.  Pupils can confidently talk about how to keep themselves healthy. The school provides healthy lunches and snacks, and it promotes the drinking of water throughout the school day. School initiatives to encourage walking, cycling and scooting to school have been embraced by the wider school community. Pupils receive high-quality regular sports lessons to encourage an active lifestyle. International dance celebrations and sports weeks provide opportunities for pupils to enjoy a wide range of active pursuits. In the early years, play equipment helps children to develop their gross motor skills.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. In all their interactions, pupils demonstrate high levels of respect and kindness to each other. The school’s values permeate every aspect of school life. Pupils respond well to the school’s positive reward systems.  Teachers and support staff promote clear messages about the impact of bullying and unkind words towards others. In Reception classes, children are taught to be kind and think how others might feel, if treated unfairly. Parents and pupils report that incidents of bullying are rare, and that they are dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development equips them to be thoughtful and caring. Pupils say that all cultures and religions are welcomed and celebrated at school. The school’s values are taught explicitly through personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) lessons, and they are embedded throughout the

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 Pupils in all year groups make good or better progress from their starting points. In 2018, 98% of pupils achieved the required standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1. This compared well to the national average of 83%. 85% of children at the end of Reception Year achieved a good level of development, compared to the national average of 72%. This year, work in pupils’ books and the school’s progress tracking information indicate that the school’s high standards of achievement are being sustained across all year groups. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND make the same progress as their peers.  Leaders and teachers set targets for all pupils and monitor them on a termly basis. This is to ensure no pupil falls behind. Summer-born boys and children who speak English as an additional language were previously identified as making less progress than their peers. With targeted interventions in place for each pupil, the achievement gap is

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

closing over time.  Pupils’ love of reading is nurtured through daily reading sessions. Adults read to pupils, and they have access to a well-resourced library in the heart of the school. Pupils say that reading helps them to become better learners. Most pupils read widely and across subjects to a high standard, with fluency and comprehension appropriate for their age. With an excellent grounding in phonics, children in the early years are able to identify and blend sounds, and to attempt unfamiliar words. In key stage 1, guided reading sessions develop pupils’ reading comprehension very effectively.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 Leaders and staff demonstrate an uncompromising determination to maintain the highest level of outcomes for all children. For the past two years, all children have met or exceeded their expected targets in all areas of the early learning goals. Children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.  Careful transition planning by leaders ensures that children settle in to Reception class very well. Staff establish children’s starting points early on with baseline assessments of each child’s knowledge and skills. This information enables staff to plan activities that build on every child’s learning.  Staff work highly effectively as a team. They receive regular training opportunities to develop their teaching, and they are skilful in meeting the wide range of needs of children in their class. Staff plan collaboratively, and all team members contribute to developing children’s understanding and skills in activities. Leaders share their

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Early years provision Outstanding

expertise through mentoring and modelling best practice. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning is outstanding.  The teaching of phonics and numeracy is highly effective in developing children’s reading, writing and understanding of number. Daily structured sessions ensure that key knowledge and vocabulary is taught to children. Detailed planning and leaders’ excellent subject knowledge ensure that literacy skills are taught systematically. As a result, children become confident in their reading and writing skills.  Children’s learning journals, which record their experiences and achievements, are detailed and informative. They show clear evidence that children of all abilities progress exceptionally well from their starting points. Staff use the learning journals as an assessment tool. At key points throughout the year, children’s achievement and progress are assessed, and staff agree targets for each child. Parents are encouraged

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Early years provision Outstanding

to contribute to their child’s learning journal.  Staff have created a stimulating and attractive learning environment in the classroom and in the outdoor learning space. The curriculum provides rich, varied and imaginative experiences, which develop children’s language, reading and numeracy skills. Children are rarely off-task, and incidents of poor behaviour are rare. They demonstrate high levels of self-control, cooperation and respect for others. They are taught to take turns and listen to each other during snack time. Routines are well established, and children are frequently praised and rewarded for their positive behaviour.  Adults model high levels of support and care for children to ensure they feel safe. All safeguarding and statutory welfare requirements are fully met.

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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 Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Ashmole Primary School opened as part of the Ashmole Academy Trust in September 2016. The primary provision is located on the site of the existing secondary school, and runs alongside it. The primary provision moved to this new state-of-the-art building in September 2018. The headteacher oversaw the registration process, and he has been in post since April 2016.  There are currently pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2. The school is a smaller- than-average sized primary school, but it is growing significantly each year.  One third of pupils are White British, and one quarter of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The number of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils in lessons over the two days of the inspection. The majority of observations were carried out jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors looked at evidence of pupils’ progress in their books, and they discussed work with pupils of all ages. Inspectors heard pupils read and met with Year 2 pupils to discuss their views of the school. Inspectors observed pupils at lunchtimes, breaktimes, and as they moved around the school.  Meetings were held with leaders, teachers, support staff and governors.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents provided by the school. These included the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, the school’s internal data, curriculum plans, reviews of the use of pupil premium and sport funding, and reports from governors’ meetings.  Inspectors analysed the school’s single central record of staff suitability checks, and

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Information about this inspection

they considered documents showing how the school keeps pupils safe.  The views of parents were taken into consideration through meetings with parents and analysis of the responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View. Staff views were considered by analysing responses to the staff questionnaire and through interviews with a selection of staff. Pupils’ responses to the pupils’ questionnaire were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Angela Tempany, 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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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