Furness Primary School

Inspection of Furness Primary School Furness Road, Harlesden, London NW10 5YT

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 30 November and 1 December 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and welcoming. They treat each other with mutual respect. Pupils are happy and safe. They behave consistently well inside and outside the classroom. Behaviour is exceptional.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils learn and achieve well in most subjects. Professional relationships between staff and pupils are positive. They celebrate each other’s differences. Leaders teach pupils about how to challenge racism. Pupils were keen to talk about what they have learned about this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to talk to an adult if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils are taught to understand what bullying is. Bullying is rare. Staff deal with any incidents seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils from Years 3 to 6 have weekly swimming lessons. This makes sure that they are competent swimmers by the time they leave the school. Pupils spoke about their educational visits with enthusiasm. These have included educational outings to Hyde Park and Queen’s Park. Pupils also take part in a range of extra-curricular activities, such as choir, art and yoga club. Pupils said how much they enjoy their annual sports day. Leaders also set up leadership opportunities for pupils to take part in. For example, pupils vote for and elect their peers as school councillors.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading from the start of the Nursery class. They make sure that all staff receive relevant training so that they can help every pupil learn to read well. Phonics is taught daily through to Year 2. All staff follow a consistent and structured approach to developing pupils’ reading. Pupils understand the reading routines. Staff check that pupils read books that match the sounds they have learned. If any pupils fall behind, they receive effective extra support from adults. This helps them to catch up quickly. Pupils who join the school at the early stages of speaking English as an additional language are also supported effectively through the phonics programme. Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding of sounds and letters. They address any gaps in knowledge effectively. As a result, pupils gain the knowledge and skills to become fluent and confident readers. Pupils enjoy reading.

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better?

They talk about their favourite books and authors with enthusiasm.

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better?

Leaders make sure that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. They offer appropriate training for subject leaders. If needed, teachers receive support in delivering the curriculum beyond their areas of subject expertise. Teachers routinely check what pupils have learned and understood from the curriculum. If they spot gaps in pupils’ knowledge, teachers take action to close them. Teaching of the curriculum includes helpful materials to support pupils’ learning of essential ideas. For example, in the early years, children begin to add and subtract successfully using pictures. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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In most subjects, leaders have thought about the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. Leaders have ordered learning so that knowledge and skills are developed and built over time. Teachers make sure that they recap prior learning before they introduce new information and concepts. For instance, in physical education (PE), teachers check that pupils develop and apply control, balance and posture. They then build carefully on what pupils have learned. For example, pupils learn how to evaluate and refine their movement and sequences. However, in some subjects, leaders have not thought as carefully about the important knowledge that pupils need to remember. As a result, teaching does not routinely revisit key learning. This means that occasionally pupils’ grasp and recall of key content is not as secure.

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Behaviour and attitudes in lessons and around the school are of a very high standard. All pupils listen attentively in lessons. They take their learning really seriously. Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. They make sure that pupils with SEND are well supported in class and access the full curriculum.

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Leaders aim for pupils to have a variety of opportunities to develop their understanding of the world beyond school. Pupils spoke confidently about a range of current affairs. They are aware of local issues in the community and understand how these might affect them. The whole-school community enjoys taking part in themed events, such as anti-bullying week and ‘Bike to School’ week.

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Leaders support staff with their well-being. The majority of staff felt that leaders take appropriate actions to consider their workload. Staff are proud of the school. Parents and carers said that communication and engagement from leaders have got much better. Leaders have also taken effective steps to improve attendance across the school. Pupils’ attendance has significantly improved.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They know how to use the school’s systems and report any concerns immediately. Leaders support families to access the help they need. Leaders refer concerns to external agencies when needed.

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Safeguarding

Governors receive regular updates on safeguarding. They check that effective systems are in place to promote pupils’ welfare and that the recruitment of new staff follows safer recruitment guidelines.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know that they can report any concerns to adults in the school. Leaders teach pupils how to keep safe, including online. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. As a result, some pupils do not gain as detailed an understanding of key knowledge over time in these subjects. Leaders must ensure that key knowledge is identified explicitly in curriculum plans and that teaching regularly revisits this knowledge.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents 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. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Excellence in Education Trust. It is one of two schools in the trust.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2019.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 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.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders from the school. They met with the chair of the board of trustees and the chair of the local governing body. They also met with the executive headteacher of the multi-academy trust.  Inspectors met pupils to understand their views on the school. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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 Inspectors did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, design and technology and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the well-being and behaviour of pupils in the school. They observed pupils’ arrival at the school.  Inspectors considered the effectiveness of safeguarding through discussions with leaders, teachers and support staff. They looked at records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks for staff.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils by reviewing the responses to the staff and pupils’ surveys. They also reviewed the free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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 Inspectors reviewed a wide of documentation provided by the school. This included the school improvement plan, school evaluation plan, curriculum documentation and school policies.

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynn Martin Ofsted Inspector 30 November and 1 December 2021

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