Tottenhall Infant School

Inspection of Tottenhall Infant School Tottenhall Road, Palmers Green, London N13 6HX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 3 and 4 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They think that teachers make learning fun. Pupils feel safe and well looked after. They try hard to follow the school’s values, such as getting along with one another, and being resilient and organised. This helps them to behave well, and they do not worry about being bullied. Pupils told us that teachers deal with the rare incidents of bullying effectively. One parent captured the views of many parents and carers in saying: ‘This is a nurturing and caring school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the Reception and Nursery classes, children settle in quickly. They enjoy exploring the exciting outdoor spaces. Here, they learn about taking turns, making friends and looking after one another. The well-planned curriculum ensures that they are prepared for learning in Year 1 .

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What is it like to attend this school?

Reading has a high profile. Pupils are expected to read daily in school and at home. Pupils enjoy learning a broad curriculum. Art, science and physical education are some of their favourite subjects. Overall, pupils achieve well. However, in a few subjects, planning does not deepen pupils’ learning as effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents recognise the improvements that leaders have made. They value the extra opportunities offered to their children, such as after-school clubs. Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) praise the support provided for their children.

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better?

In most subjects, the curriculum is both ambitious and well planned to meet the needs of all pupils. Leaders and teachers have a clear understanding of the curriculum they want pupils to follow. Subject plans identify the next steps pupils need to take to firmly establish what they know. Leaders have assessed where pupils have fallen behind in their learning during the pandemic. They have adjusted the curriculum and the order of learning to help pupils catch up quickly.

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better?

Ensuring that pupils learn to read with confidence and enjoyment is a priority. Pupils spoke about how teachers encourage them to read different authors and stories. All staff have received training in teaching phonics. Pupils learn to read fluently through a systematic, well-planned phonics programme. This begins as soon as they join the early years class. Older pupils who continue to need support with developing their reading receive effective extra help. Staff make sure that resources and books continue to match their needs.

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better?

Teachers plan lessons to help pupils better remember what they learn. They make sure that pupils use their existing knowledge to learn new ideas and concepts. For example, in geography, teaching makes effective links with knowledge that pupils had gained from reading books in English lessons. In mathematics, the curriculum is well planned and taught. Teaching ensures that pupils build up their knowledge of place value as well as how to add, subtract, multiply and divide accurately. For 3 and 4 November 2021

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instance, Year 2 pupils were able to explain the difference between hundreds and thousands. Pupils apply and practise their mathematical knowledge well.

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Early years leaders and subject leaders work together closely. In each subject, they ensure that curriculum plans develop children’s knowledge right from the start of early years, and that this is built on effectively from Year 1 upwards. Pupils with SEND learn well, including in early years. Adults check that pupils understand what they are learning and adapt work to meet their needs.

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Subjects are planned effectively overall. However, in a few instances, leaders have not identified as clearly how pupils should extend their subject knowledge over time. Systems to check how well pupils are learning are not fully embedded in a few subjects. Leaders’ plans to further strengthen the curriculum slowed due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some subject leaders have been appointed recently. They are at the early stages of taking steps to further develop the curriculum in their subjects.

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Pupils enjoy the activities they do in lessons. This encourages good behaviour and little interruption to their concentration. Pupils and staff work well together. Relationships between staff and pupils are harmonious.

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Leaders organise activities to develop pupils’ social skills and cultural awareness. Assemblies, visits to the community and themed days encourage pupils to be responsible. These activities also make pupils more aware of the society in which they are growing up.

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Leaders work closely with parents to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence. That said, leaders recognise that there is still more to do to ensure that a small number of pupils attend school as regularly as they should.

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Governors support the school well. They know the school’s strengths and areas for development. Morale throughout the school is high. Staff said that it is a ‘breath of fresh air’ to be in a school where there is a strong emphasis on work–life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. This is because leaders and governors take safeguarding seriously and act effectively when concerns are raised. Staff are well trained and know how to keep pupils safe. They have a good understanding of issues that pupils face in the local community.

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Safeguarding

Pupils said that they feel safe and that, if they have concerns, staff deal with them quickly and effectively. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in different situations. For instance, they learn about topics such as ‘stranger danger’. Leaders have ensured that pupils and their parents know what they can do to stay safe when using the internet. 3 and 4 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects are not planned and sequenced as precisely as others. This means that pupils do not always deepen their knowledge and build on what they know and can do. In these subjects, leaders should continue their work to fully embed recent improvements to the curriculum, including assessment procedures.  Many subject leaders have been appointed recently. They are developing their knowledge of their subject, but this is at an early stage. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders receive the training and guidance they need to develop their subject expertise and leadership skills.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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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 and 4 November 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

23 and 24 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the leadership of the school has changed. A new deputy and assistant headteacher joined the school in September 2018. There is also a new chair of the governing body.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. They also met with the special educational needs coordinator and carried out joint lesson visits. They also met with representatives of the local governing body and the local authority. 3 and 4 November 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading and English, art, geography, science and music. Inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects, including mathematics, computing, and design and technology.  Inspectors listened to pupils read to a familiar adult and visited reading and phonics lessons.  Inspectors spoke to members of the safeguarding team and considered documentation about safeguarding. They also spoke to pupils and staff about safeguarding and behaviour, and observed pupils’ behaviour around the school.  Inspectors considered responses by staff, pupils and parents to the Ofsted online questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andy Turnock Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 November 2021

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