Warrender Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Warrender Primary School Old Hatch Manor, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 8QG

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Outcome

Warrender Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy. They say they feel safe in school. They are enthusiastic learners who settle quickly and engage well. Pupils are well behaved and say while bullying happens rarely, it is always dealt with quickly if it does occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils to become well-rounded citizens, and fully prepared for the next stage of their learning. They have developed a curriculum that identifies subject-specific skills in all subjects, which they are continuing to refine. This is helping pupils to remember more and make progress.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being and emotional resilience are given high priority, as leaders believe they are essential for successful learning. The school’s motto and ethos reflect this and are evident across all aspects of school life. ASPIRE (achieve, support, pride, inspire, respect and enjoy) characteristics are woven throughout the curriculum to support pupils’ personal development. Even the youngest pupils are identifying and demonstrating these behaviours in their learning.

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

Leaders are ambitious that all pupils become fluent readers. Letter sounds are introduced in the Nursery, and phonics teaching begins straight away in Reception. Books used to teach pupils to read are closely matched to the sounds they know. As a result, pupils develop their reading fluency well. Teachers are well trained. Regular assessments identify those who need extra help. These pupils are supported through daily interventions to help them catch up.

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

The mathematics curriculum is clearly sequenced in small steps to ensure all pupils are supported to make progress from the early years through to Year 6. Key knowledge and skills have been identified for each year group. Pupils can apply their mathematical knowledge and vocabulary in variety of ways that embeds their learning and deepens understanding. In the early years, children are taught the key knowledge that ensures they are well prepared for the next stage of learning in Year 1. 6 and 7 October 2021

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Pupils follow a programme that meets the ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders have identified the important key skills and knowledge needed in all subjects. They have identified a broad order in which these are taught from the early years to Year 6. Leaders have now started work on even more detailed planning. For example, in geography, leaders have planned how pupils’ detailed knowledge of maps will develop. Year 5 pupils showed very clearly, how learning about coordinates in Year 4 has helped them plot landmarks on a map using three- figure grid references.

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All pupils have equal access to the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Work is adapted and interventions provided. This ensures pupils’ needs are met but that they also make progress. Whilst these interventions are carefully tracked in school, a small number of parents say they are not regularly informed about their child’s progress. Leaders already have plans in place to ensure the parents of pupils with SEND are better provided with regular progress updates and next steps. It is important that these plans are realised.

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Almost all parents and pupils who responded to the online survey rightly thought behaviour was well managed. Pupils are well behaved in lessons and when moving around the school. They enjoy learning and work well together to support each other.

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Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities, available before and after school. Lunchtime clubs to support COVID-19 catch-up also improve pupils’ well-being. Trips are carefully planned to enhance the curriculum. While these have been paused due to COVID-19 restrictions, leaders have trips booked again for the future.

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Staff are overwhelmingly supportive of leaders. They say they are listened to, and their opinions and well-being are considered. Newer members of staff talked about wanting to work at the school because of its values. A very small group of staff expressed concern about workload related to the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns. They were clear, however, that leaders tried to mitigate impact where they could. Staff are encouraged and supported through the wider professional development they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained. This ensures that individuals who need help are identified swiftly so the right support can be provided. Leaders work well with external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are clear that school is a safe space. They are knowledgeable about ways to keep safe both online and in other aspects of school and home life. They know who to ask for help if they need it.

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Safeguarding

The personal development curriculum is planned and adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. They are taught about making good choices, consent and how to travel safely to and from school. 6 and 7 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have identified the order in which key knowledge is taught in every curriculum subject. Subject leaders are now working on the finer detail and identifying how pupils build specific knowledge and skills over time. A good start has been made in geography. This should be completed across all subject areas, to deeply embed pupils’ knowledge and understanding.  While the majority are happy with communication from the school, a small number of parents (including those whose children have SEND) say they do not know what is being learned in school. The school website currently has limited information about the curriculum offer. More detailed information is needed to bridge the gap between home and school. This will enable parents to better understand and support their children’s learning.

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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 outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 6 and 7 October 2021

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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 and 7 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200329 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 9 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is an expanding primary school.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with four governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 6 and 7 October 2021

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 The inspector also looked at curriculum plans for other areas of the wider curriculum.  The inspector considered early mathematics in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 October 2021

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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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