Randal Cremer Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Randal Cremer Primary School Ormsby Street, Shoreditch, London E2 8JG

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Outcome

Randal Cremer Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to this school. They feel happy, safe and well cared for. Pupils are kind to each other and helpful to visitors. Pupils generally play well together and are sensible in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders give pupils lots of memorable experiences through their ‘drop down’ learning days. This includes outdoor learning in their wildlife garden and trips to theatres. Staff make the most of the school’s location to support pupils’ learning. For instance, pupils visit the Geffrye Museum and explore the history of the local area. Teachers do all they can to make the lessons interesting. Pupils told me that they enjoy their lessons and that learning is fun. Staff support pupils and their families well. There is a community feel in this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults listen to pupils and help them to be independent. Pupils told me that bullying happens at times, but that staff make sure that it stops. Staff expect pupils to try their best at all times. Pupils’ attitudes in lessons are respectful. They know about the rules for behaviour and understand why they are important.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders understand what pupils should learn in all subjects. They have given careful thought to the knowledge pupils need for future learning. This is most evident in English and mathematics. Leaders know what is working well and what needs to improve.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff and governors share high expectations for their pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are no exception. Leaders work closely with external professionals. Together, they find the best ways to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are also well supported. The partnerships that leaders have formed with families contribute to this work. 3–4 March 2020

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Pupils’ wider development is very important at this school. Pupils learn about life in modern Britain. For example, all pupils took part in a community project with a local organisation. They learned how to celebrate other cultures and faiths.

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Most pupils follow teachers’ instructions straight away and focus on their learning. Where there are disruptions, teachers support pupils to concentrate on their learning. Staff deal with any behaviour issues promptly and fairly.

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Leaders and staff make sure that pupils become confident readers. In the Nursery and Reception classes, children get off to a strong start. They begin learning phonics straight away. Staff get support to make sure that they follow the phonics programme precisely. As a result, most children build up secure phonic knowledge. Teachers give pupils lots of opportunities to practise their reading. Parents and carers like the opportunities to read with their children in school. Pupils enjoy listening to their teachers read stories aloud. Pupils who find reading difficult get the help they need.

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Pupils like learning mathematics. They enjoy applying their knowledge of number and calculation methods. Teachers generally have strong subject knowledge. Teachers plan activities well. Pupils link new concepts with what they already know. This helps pupils solve difficult problems.

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Leaders have a clear plan to improve pupils’ learning experience. Currently, the school operates ‘drop down’ learning days. Pupils learn art, music, drama and geography through ‘topic’ lessons on those days. Teachers choose which subject to teach based on their own interests and experience. This does not help pupils gain the full depth of each subject. It does not prepare them well enough for the next stage of their learning.

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Leaders have started to plan the curriculum more carefully. They have decided to teach all subjects separately. This has already begun in history. Subject leaders are working with leaders of other schools to help them. They have identified exactly what content they want pupils to know well. For example, they use timelines to help pupils to understand how to put events in order. Pupils can then draw on this knowledge for future learning. This level of planning has not yet started in all subjects.

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Staff well-being is a priority for leaders. They support staff to manage their workload. Leaders encourage teachers to develop subject plans with their peers. Teachers told me that this has helped them to use their time better.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The safety of pupils is leaders’ highest priority. They make referrals to the appropriate agencies quickly so that vulnerable pupils receive the right help. All staff, new and experienced, understand and know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Pupils learn how to stay safe online. Leaders know the risks for pupils in the local area and provide support and guidance for pupils and families. Pupils told me that they get lots of 3–4 March 2020

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advice on how to stay safe in and out of school. They know what to do if they feel worried or unsafe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have reviewed the school’s curriculum offer. Subjects such as art, music and geography are taught as topics based on a theme. Pupils do not study these subjects in much depth. Some improvements have been made in curriculum areas such as history. However, leaders now need to improve the planning and sequencing of the art, music, drama and geography curriculums so that pupils continue to build on their prior skills and knowledge.  The school’s curriculum is not sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year’s curriculum and train staff that they are in the process of bringing about this change.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 3–4 March 2020

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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. 3–4 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121598 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8–9 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher has been in post for a number of years.  Randal Cremer Primary School is a community school. When it was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of The Hackney Learning Trust and the headteacher works with other school leaders in the trust.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, chair of the governing body and the school improvement adviser. I also met with other senior leaders and subject leaders.  I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. In each subject, we visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and held discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. I observed pupils being taught to read by school staff and spoke to pupils about their reading habits. All other subjects were also considered.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, I reviewed school policies, procedures and records. I met with senior leaders to review examples of actions they take to keep pupils safe. I also checked staff’s understanding of how to keep pupils safe. 3–4 March 2020

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 I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, and at breaktimes and lunchtime. I looked at documentation related to behaviour and bullying, including records of incidents and how they were managed.  I met with groups of pupils and spoke to pupils informally when visiting lessons. I also considered the 16 responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.  I considered the two responses, including written comments, submitted to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents and carers.  I took into account the 26 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and considered teachers’ views in my meetings with them.

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Inspection team

Ogugua Okolo-Angus, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3–4 March 2020

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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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