Meridian Angel Primary School

Inspection of Meridian Angel Primary School Albany Road, Edmonton N18 2DX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 6–7 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe here. Leaders and staff show strong levels of care towards all pupils. Pupils talk with excitement about the opportunities they get in school. Through the well-planned ‘Aspirations programme’, inspirational professionals teach pupils about the wider world of work and what it can offer them. For example, pupils went to a prestigious London hotel to learn how to become a chef.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. Staff help pupils to behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils are polite and well mannered and treat adults with respect. Pupils said that they are almost always kind to each other. If problems do happen between pupils, staff are quick to sort it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The recent introduction of the ‘Meridian Angel College’ provides Year 5 and 6 pupils with a range of social and cultural experiences. For example, ballet, cooking and sculpture lessons enable pupils to broaden their horizons. Parents and carers like the range of activities on offer, such as the ‘cultural awareness day’, English as a second language courses and ‘Kinder Kitchen’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lots of improvements have been made in the school since the last inspection. Children in Reception get a good start to their education and settle well. Pupils in all year groups are taught a wide range of subjects and their learning has improved. But in some subjects, including mathematics, history and physical education (PE), not all pupils build up their knowledge and skills as well as they could.

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better?

Trust and school leaders have brought about considerable changes in the school, including improvements in pupils’ achievements. Staff agree that leaders consider their workload and manage changes carefully. Leaders have taken clear actions towards planning, delivering and developing all subjects to match the ambitions of the national curriculum. They have started to help staff improve their subject knowledge and teaching skills.

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better?

Teachers successfully build pupils’ knowledge and skills in subjects such as personal, social and health education (PSHE), science and religious education (RE). For example, pupils in Year 6 know a great deal about the topic of light and can explain about a range of religions, including Christianity. Not all subjects are as well planned, including history and PE. In these subjects, pupils are not consistently building their knowledge and skills over time.

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better?

Children achieve well in the early years, from low starting points. Teachers find out as much as they can about the children before they start the school year. They identify early on those children who need extra support. This helps them catch up. Staff have focused on improving children’s speech and communication skills. The language-rich classroom, the outdoor area and well-thought-out activities ensure that children’s skills develop quickly. 6–7 November 2019

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Reading is taught from the very beginning of the Reception Year. Pupils learn phonics as early as possible. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme, and teaching of this is strong. In the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1, pupils achieve very well.

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Leaders are determined that all pupils will read well. Staff have good subject knowledge. Teachers support pupils to learn new vocabulary and language using high-quality books. Pupils develop a love of reading through the stories that teachers read very well, bringing the text to life. Pupils who fall behind in reading get extra support so that they can catch up. As a result, most pupils achieve well in reading. However, some weaker readers and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not read well, particularly in key stage 1. These pupils do not practise reading the sounds they know because reading books are not well matched to their ability level. This means that they struggle to develop quickly into fluent and confident readers.

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Early years teaching gives children a solid start in mathematics. They are provided with good opportunities to develop mathematical understanding and revisit basic concepts. However, some older pupils have gaps in their mathematical knowledge because the programme of study has not been adapted to meet their needs. Furthermore, it is not always taught in a logical and systematic way. This is the case for pupils with SEND.

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Pupils behave well in class and show pride in their work. They understand the school’s values of hope, resilience and friendship. They model these in their actions. Through the ‘day explorer’ programme, pupils learn how to discuss and debate current issues, including climate change and plastic pollution. They know that it is okay to be different and show tolerance towards each other. Pupils enjoy their special roles as school councillors and ambassadors.

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Parents are positive about the school. They say that their children are safe and happy and want to come to school. Pupils’ improved attendance levels support this view.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff at all levels have a thorough understanding of the risks that pupils face in the community. Pupils learn about the risks they may face beyond the school gate. For example, they learn about road safety, gang and knife crime, and the dangers of social media.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in safeguarding and take local issues into account. They know what to look out for and how to share a concern if they are worried about a pupil. The school provides strong pastoral care. This enables vulnerable pupils and their families to get the help they need at the earliest possible stage. 6–7 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The lowest-attaining pupils, particularly in key stage 1 and pupils with SEND, struggle to read fluently. They need to be given reading books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. This will help them better develop their reading skills.  The school’s curriculum in some subjects is well planned and modified to build pupils’ knowledge and skills, including in PSHE, science and RE. In mathematics, history and PE, learning needs to be better planned and adapted so that all pupils, including pupils with SEND, can build strong knowledge and skills over time.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 6–7 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10121521 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Cheryll Milner and Carol Sandercombe

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–15 June and 18–19 July 2017

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Information about this school

 In September 2018, the school joined the LDBS Academies Trust and restructured its governance arrangements.  In September 2018, the deputy headteacher and headteacher became joint headteachers.  The school is designated as a Church of England primary school and its last section 48 inspection took place on 11 October 2016.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the joint headteachers, subject leaders, pastoral leaders, representatives from the LDBS Academies Trust, members of the local academy committee, staff, parents and pupils.  We looked at several subjects in detail. These were reading, mathematics, history and PE.  We visited lessons alongside leaders, reviewed pupils’ work and evaluated the 6–7 November 2019

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views of senior and subject leaders.  We listened to readers, including pupils with SEND.  We spoke informally to parents at the beginning and end of the school day. We took into account the views of parents.  We looked at a range of documents, including those related to safeguarding, school improvement, the work of the governors, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Andrew Hook, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rosemarie Kennedy Ofsted Inspector 6–7 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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