Osmani Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Osmani Primary School Vallance Road, Whitechapel, London E1 5AD

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2022

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Outcome

Osmani Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school each day. They appreciate facilities like the gym, the library and the climbing wall. Pupils behave well and enjoy positive, professional relationships with their teachers. They know that teachers have high expectations of what they can achieve. This rubs off on pupils. Many aspire to go to university when they are older. Pupils want to enter professions such as teaching, the police force and medicine.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is zero tolerance of bullying at Osmani. This means that pupils feel safe. They know what to do if they experience bullying. They can report it to a teacher, using the ‘TAG’ (tell, ask, get help) method. If they prefer, pupils can write it on a slip of paper which they hand in. Either way, they are confident that teachers will resolve the problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to develop as leaders. They can be elected as ‘rights respecting’ ambassadors for their class, for example. Pupils can become young leaders who help around the school. Pupils in Year 5 act as ‘reading buddies’ for pupils in Year 1. They learn to respect people from all walks of life. Pupils go on trips to develop their wider knowledge of the world.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. Younger pupils have effective phonics instruction every day. Pupils start learning to read as soon as they are ready. For some this is in Nursery, and for others this is in Reception. Pupils take books home which match the sounds they are learning in class. Older pupils use phonics strategies to help them tackle difficult words. Teachers deliver phonics sessions in small groups, or one-to-one for pupils in need of extra help. This helps them catch up quickly. All staff are phonics experts. They have refresher training every year. Recently, leaders purchased an online phonics resource to support parents and carers and their children at home. They must now work with parents to help them better engage with this.

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

Leaders’ focus on reading continues as pupils progress into Year 3. Here, pupils benefit from daily reading activities. They learn to infer information from different types of text. 11 and 12 January 2022

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The school runs book fairs, invites authors into school and celebrates World Book Day. These opportunities foster pupils’ love of reading.

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The curriculum is well planned and well sequenced. This helps pupils to develop knowledge and skills over time. For example, in mathematics, teachers introduce the concept of number in the early years. They ensure that pupils understand this before they move on. In history, pupils learn about the Great Fire of London. They come back to this again later on when learning about the Blitz.

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Teachers encourage pupils to apply their knowledge, so it sticks. Pupils learn to problem- solve like mathematicians. Teachers use ‘RUCSAC’ (read, understand, choose, solve, answer and check) to help pupils work through problems systematically. Pupils practise this approach. In ‘big maths’ every Friday, pupils solve a problem based on what they have learned that week. Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly. They go back over topics that pupils have found difficult. Similarly, in history, teachers encourage pupils to think like historians. Pupils carry out research and pose questions about sources such as photographs.

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Subject leaders are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They have planned a topic curriculum that links their subject to a theme each half term. Sometimes the links are evident, for example in Year 3 where pupils learn about the River Thames through history and geography. In other units of work the connections are less obvious. Pupils are unsure of how subjects link with key themes. This means that they do not connect, and then recall, their learning as well as they could.

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In reading and mathematics, experienced staff teach pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in small groups. As soon as they are ready, these pupils ‘graduate’ back into class. Teaching assistants and teachers work well together. Their effective planning ensures that all pupils make progress.

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Pupils behave well in and out of class. They do not disrupt each other’s learning. Pupils usually go on an educational trip each half term. These visits are memorable. Pupils have been to local places of worship, such as mosques and churches. They celebrate diversity through religious festivals such as Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas. Leaders provide cultural experiences in school. Pupils benefit from taking part in the ‘artists in residence’ programme, specialist music lessons and singing.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel part of a family. Leaders consider their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know their pupils well. They receive training to recognise the possible signs of harm. Staff report any concerns promptly. They understand the local risks for pupils. Leaders provide regular safeguarding updates. All staff and governors understand and follow the latest government guidance. Leaders work with external agencies in a timely way to 11 and 12 January 2022

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safeguard pupils. They ensure that these pupils receive the support they need. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on new staff or volunteers before they can work with pupils.

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Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They learn how to stay healthy in body and mind.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have invested in an online package of phonics videos to support younger pupils with reading at home. They must now work with parents to increase their engagement with these resources. This will give pupils more opportunity to practise their reading at home, and lead to further improvements in pupils’ reading fluency.  On occasions, links between subjects and topics in the thematic curriculum are not clear. This means that pupils find it more difficult to make connections between subjects, and to recall what they have learned. Subject leaders should work together to strengthen the links between their subjects and the topics in the thematic curriculum.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2016. 11 and 12 January 2022

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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.

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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. 11 and 12 January 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10200369 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 15 and 16 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school has a part-time Nursery provision. Most pupils transfer to Reception at the end of their time in the Nursery.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is similar to the national average. More pupils than average have an education, health and care plan.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and senior leaders. She also spoke to the director of primary education from the Tower Hamlets Education Partnership, the chair of governors and other members of the governing body. 11 and 12 January 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. The inspector looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning and met with subject leaders and teachers.  The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and had discussions about art, design and technology, geography, music and science.  Through discussions with leaders, governors, pupils and staff, the inspector considered the effectiveness of safeguarding. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during breaktimes and in lessons. She listened to pupils read to a known adult. The inspector spoke to staff about their workload in school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. She also considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Lisa Strong, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 January 2022

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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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