Setting

Sarah Shaughnessy Headteacher Meridian Angel Primary School Ladysmith Road London N18 2DS

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School

Following my remote inspection with Nick Turvey, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 16 March 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to require improvement.

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School

This monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on- site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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School

The inspection took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in November 2019.

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School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 complete work on redesigning the curriculum across all subjects and year groups so that the knowledge pupils are expected to learn is clearly sequenced

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 make sure that the delivery of phonics provides pupils with enough time to apply their knowledge of letter sounds to reading so that they secure their blending skills.

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Context

 The headteacher joined the school in January 2020. The assistant headteacher took up her post in January 2021. At the same time, the deputy headteacher took up her post and was appointed from within the school.

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Context

 Four fifths of pupils were educated at home when the school was closed to most pupils at the start of the spring term. Almost all vulnerable pupils and half of pupils with education, health and care plans attended on site.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, more than nine out of ten pupils have returned to school. A small number of families are reluctant to let their children return to school. Staff remain in contact with them to encourage a timely return.

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Main findings

 Leaders ensured that pupils continued to be taught all subjects during the period of partial school closure. They made adjustments to subjects such as art and physical education to provide activities that were possible at home. Leaders made sure that all families had access to electronic devices and the internet so that pupils could access learning.

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Main findings

 By the start of the pandemic, leaders had begun to revise subject plans to make sure that they set out clearly what pupils were expected to learn. They drew on training from an external agency to support this planning in science, history and geography for Years 3 to 6. These plans are ambitious for pupils’ learning. However, this work needs to be extended to all subjects for all year groups.

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Main findings

 The inspection took place in the second week of the school being fully open to all pupils. Leaders had prioritised pupils’ well-being in the first week of school. They plan to carry out suitable checks of pupils’ new starting points after this initial period.

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Main findings

 Leaders have prioritised reading throughout the period of remote education. Pupils have enjoyed daily story-reading sessions. An online resource has enabled pupils to access books matched to the sounds they know.  Phonics is taught daily to whole classes, with additional provision for those at risk of falling behind. However, sometimes the teaching of phonics does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise their sounds and the blending of these sounds. As a result, some younger pupils struggle to read the books they are given because their blending skills are not strong.

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Main findings

 Leaders are providing appropriate work packs to a very small number of families whose children have not yet returned to school.

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Main findings

 During the period of partial school closure, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities continued to receive their planned curriculum. This was supplemented, where appropriate, with extra reading and mathematics sessions. Staff and families have worked together well to support pupils with more complex needs in returning to school.

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Main findings

 Governors have informed themselves of the work of the school and its current situation. They are supportive of staff and committed to the school. They are sharpening their focus on leaders’ current actions and the impact of these.

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Main findings

 An external provider has supported the school with curriculum development in some subjects so that plans clearly show the expected progression in pupils’ learning in these subjects.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, the multi-academy trust chief executive officer, pupils, staff and representatives of those responsible for governance to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also viewed recorded lessons and examples of children’s work. We heard children read. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including four free-text responses, and 20 staff questionnaires.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the chief executive officer of the LDBS multi-academy trust, the director of education for the Diocese of London, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Enfield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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