Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Christopher Harrison George Carey Church of England Primary School The Rivergate Centre Minter Road Barking IG11 0FJ

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Primary School

Following my visit with Thomas Canning, Joanna Jones and Maureen Okoye, Ofsted Inspectors, to your school on 11–12 September 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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Primary School

This 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 the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements at the school. The inspection was unannounced.

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Evidence

Inspectors scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. Inspectors also considered minutes of governing body meetings, school improvement plans around safeguarding, and information about attendance and behaviour management at the school. Meetings were held with you and other senior leaders, including the designated safeguarding leader. Inspectors spoke to staff informally throughout the inspection. Inspectors also met formally with two groups of staff. A meeting was held with members of the governing body, including the governor who has oversight of the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Discussions were also held with an external consultant and two representatives from the local authority.

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Evidence

Inspectors toured the school, observing and speaking to pupils at work and leisure times. They met formally with a group of pupils and looked at case studies, focusing on pupils’ welfare, health and safety. Inspectors spoke with parents and carers at the start and end of the school day, and with parents whose children attend the school’s alternative resource provision. Having considered the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Context

George Carey is a large, voluntary-aided, Church of England primary school with a specialist additional resource provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. The school has expanded since opening in September 2011, reaching three forms of entry in September 2017. The school offers 78 part-time Nursery places for children aged three at the start of the academic year. There are current 661 pupils on roll, with 12 pupils attending the school’s additional resource provision. Admission to the additional resource provision is via the local authority referral process. All the pupils in the specialist provision have an education, health and care plan and the school receives additional high-needs funding. The additional resource provision works in close partnership with two other additional resourced settings for pupils with autism spectrum disorder.

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Context

Leaders have recently reviewed and further developed a range of suitable policies related to safeguarding which underpin the strong practice in the school. Governors have a clear understanding of their statutory safeguarding responsibilities. They provide an appropriate level of challenge and hold leaders to account. Governors have purposefully considered how they hold leaders to account and the questions they ask help them to understand more about the culture of safeguarding at the school. However, leaders have not considered how recent improvements to the school’s record keeping can be checked methodically so that they have a clearer oversight of any emerging needs.

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Context

Despite this, a strong culture of safeguarding prevails. All staff are knowledgeable about how to raise concerns and their statutory duties. This is because leaders make sure that staff and governors are well trained in the latest statutory safeguarding guidance.

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Context

The school offers safety and safeguarding information via a range of media, for example texts, emails and newsletters, for staff and the community. The staff handbook and recently reviewed guidance documentation on all aspects of safeguarding clearly outline key safeguarding messages. Pre-employment checks are in line with statutory guidance. Leaders ensure that the single central record of these checks is compliant.

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Context

The designated leader for safeguarding is highly experienced, diligent and visible. Child protection records are detailed and well organised. These records demonstrate the close attention to detail that is placed on individual pupils’ welfare. Leaders are persistent in following up any referrals and concerns with the relevant agencies. These comprehensive records are used effectively to make sure that vulnerable pupils and their families are well supported. Leaders and other staff demonstrate a deep understanding of the school’s context and the additional vulnerabilities of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff engage well with parents, a specialist consultant and a range of agencies, providing early help wherever possible.

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Context

The site is well maintained, safe and secure. Pupils are well supervised. Pupils attend regularly and their conduct around the school is calm, polite and sensible. Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils’ attendance and behaviour. Clear reward and sanction systems are in place and acted on by staff and pupils. All pupils who spoke with inspectors during the inspection said that they feel safe in school. This view was also shared by parents. Pupils feel confident that adults will deal with any issues well. The school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme is well planned to help pupils to keep themselves safe. It is flexible and reactive to local incidents or pupils’ concerns.

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External support

The school works well with partners from external agencies and an external consultant to make sure pupils’ needs are met. When safeguarding concerns arise, the school works closely with the local authority and relevant agencies, acting on the advice received.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Ensure that recent improvements to the school’s record keeping are checked methodically so that leaders have a clearer oversight of any emerging needs.

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Priorities for further improvement

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the Director of Education for the Diocese of Chelmsford, the regional schools commissioner and the Director of Children’s Services for Barking and Dagenham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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