Horsenden Primary School

Inspection of Horsenden Primary School Horsenden Lane North, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 0PB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 25–26 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has undergone a period of significant change. Senior leaders, middle managers, governors and staff have changed since the previous inspection. The quality of education is not strong. The headteacher, governors and leaders know what is required and have made improvements. However, these are not yet fully embedded.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour during unstructured times is not as good as it should be. This is particularly the case when adults are not around, including in corridors and the playground. In some lessons, pupils behave very well. However, this is not always the case. Adults’ expectations of pupils’ conduct are variable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are a delight to talk to. They are confident and articulate. Pupils said that their teachers are caring. They love opportunities for visits, workshops and to use the school’s swimming pool. Most pupils enjoy their learning. They shared that staff were quick to deal with any serious incidents should they occur. Pupils feel safe and are able to speak to the many adults who they trust.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Incidents of bullying, particularly repeated name calling, have been an issue at the school. This frustrates some parents and carers. Leaders recognise this and have begun to deal with it.

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better?

Changes to governors, senior leaders and staff have meant that many areas of the school are not as effective as they should be. Leaders, including many new to their posts, have taken positive actions to improve the school. Leaders and governors now have a clear vision of what to do and when. They are accurate in their evaluations of the school and have clear plans for improvement. However, these actions are at an early stage of development.

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better?

Subject planning has not been a high priority since the last inspection. Many subject plans lack ambition or do not exist. This is particularly the case in art, computing, music, design and technology, French, and geography. Pupils have gaps in their learning. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders’ actions to ensure that pupils with SEND are supported have improved. They make better use of external agencies to support these pupils’ needs.

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better?

Subject leaders are mostly new. They have an accurate understanding of the effectiveness of the subject areas they lead. They know what is needed to improve. Leaders have begun to prioritise support for subject leaders, but in many areas this has yet to begin.

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better?

Leaders’ work to improve the school’s writing has been more effective. Pupils have a better understanding of how to write well. They use a growing range of vocabulary 25–26 February 2020

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and ideas to write more concise pieces. In mathematics, pupils showed strong knowledge and understanding. This helps them to know more and remember more, particularly in their arithmetic tasks. Leaders’ recent work to improve teachers’ expertise has been positive. For example, in history, Year 6 pupils shared a strong understanding about ‘mutiny’ and ‘rebellion’.

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Teachers’ subject knowledge is variable. This is due to the many changes in staffing and the weak leadership in the past. Many teachers demonstrate strong knowledge and engage pupils with relevant tasks. They build on pupils’ prior learning well. However, this is not embedded across the school. In the early years, adults do not develop children’s communication and language skills as well as they should. This limits children’s opportunities to express themselves and deepen their understanding. In Reception, adults do not build on children’s previous learning. Children become confused about what they are expected to do.

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Reading has not been a high priority until recently. In the past, weak phonics teaching in the early years meant that too many pupils in key stage 1 were working below where they should have been. Leaders’ have been proactive in dealing with these problems. Staff receive regular professional development to improve their expertise. Adults in the Nursery and Reception know how to help children learn their initial sounds. The proportion of pupils achieving the standard in the Year 1 phonics skills check improved significantly to above the national average in 2019. Support for pupils with historical poor reading skills is effective. Adults help these pupils to catch up effectively, particularly in Years 1 and 3. Pupils learn to apply their knowledge of phonics to read words and sentences.

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Most pupils have positive attitudes. They enjoy their learning. When adults’ expectations are clear, pupils behave well. However, sometimes pupils do not follow the school’s rules as well as they should, including in the early years. This results in low-level poor behaviour that limits pupils’ learning. During breaktimes, some pupils enter buildings unsupervised. Transitions between the playground and class are not always effective.

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Pupils appreciate the school’s diversity. They learn to be respectful citizens and understand the school’s ‘HORSE’ values well. Pupils learn about the world around them through assemblies and class discussions. For example, pupils learned about the importance of individual liberty. While there have not been many reported incidents of homophobic bullying, leaders have not ensured that pupils have been taught about homophobia.

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Staff shared mixed views about the school. Most are positive about the support they receive. However, some said that they felt overwhelmed by the pace of changes introduced. Leaders recognise this.

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Most parents and carers are happy with the improvements made to the school over the last year. However, many also shared their frustrations about too many changes of staff and of senior leaders. 25–26 February 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders place a high priority on safeguarding. They have improved the school’s procedures, so that any concerns reported are followed up quickly. Leaders work well together to identify any concerns. They work proactively with external agencies to provide families with support. Leaders keep up to date with potential risks in the local area, including knife crime and gangs.

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Safeguarding

Staff are vigilant and know their responsibilities. Regular training helps staff to be knowledgeable about how to deal with concerns should they occur. Pupils learn about personal safety, including how to keep safe using social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have begun the process to review subject plans. Most subject plans in foundation subjects are at an early stage of development. They do not identify what should be taught and when and lack ambition. Leaders should ensure that they continue to review plans in foundation subjects and support teachers’ professional development, including in the early years, so that they are confident in what to teach and when.  Leaders have improved the school’s behaviour systems over the last year. However, adults’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour are still not consistent, including in the early years. In some lessons and during play and lunchtimes, pupils do not behave as well as they should. Leaders should continue to work on raising all adults’ expectations and pupils’ self-regulation skills so that low-level disruption does not affect lessons or the day-to-day life of the school.  A small number of bullying incidents, particularly around repeated name calling,

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

still exist. Leaders have begun to deal with these. They must ensure that they continue to work with pupils and parents, so that incidents of bullying are effectively managed.  Pupils learn about being respectful and are tolerant of those with differences. However, pupils do not learn about homophobic bullying. This limits their understanding about different types of prejudice. Leaders should ensure that they have clear plans for pupils to learn about homophobia. 25–26 February 2020

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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 are the school and you are 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. 25–26 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110370 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 7 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2018.  The governing body has many new members, including the chair.  Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in staff. In 2019, 11 new teachers joined the school.  In 2019, the school appointed five new middle leaders with responsibility for leading subject areas and year groups.  The school uses alternative provision.

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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 headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. We held a meeting with a group of governors. A representative from the local authority held a meeting with an inspector. 25–26 February 2020

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 We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography, writing and science. This included meeting with subject leads, visiting lessons and holding discussions with staff and pupils. We also considered other subjects as part of this inspection.  We checked the school’s documentation, including for safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Abdul-Hayee Murshad Ofsted Inspector 25–26 February 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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