Pakeman Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Pakeman Primary School Hornsey Road, Holloway, London N7 6DU

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 January 2022

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Outcome

Pakeman Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pakeman is a happy place where adults make sure all are accepted and welcomed. Pupils are proud of their school. They respect other cultures and are proud of their own. Staff make time to get to know pupils and their families, signposting them to what the school has to offer. Pupils do well here. Staff equip them with the knowledge and attributes to help them fulfil the school’s motto of ‘be the best that you can be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations. They plan an ambitious and broad curriculum. Pupils know what their teacher expects of them and cooperate well with each other. Pupils behave well. They follow staff instructions promptly. Pupils said that bullying does not really happen. When it does, staff help them and act quickly to make sure it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at the school. Staff make sure the school is a safe place and take time to talk to pupils. They join pupils at playtime and pupils know that staff care about their well-being. Pupils said they always have someone to talk to if they are ever worried.

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

Right from the start, staff work with families to get an accurate insight into two-and three-year-old children’s strengths, interests and needs. The promotion of language and vocabulary is a strength of the school. The words the youngest children are taught, and the subject-specific vocabulary introduced to older pupils, are carefully considered. Staff make every word count. They make sure that pupils hear and are introduced to a rich and relevant range of vocabulary. This supports all pupils to do well. It is particularly effective for those who join school with gaps in their knowledge of the English language.

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

Leaders are ambitious for every pupil to develop a love of reading. Teachers read to pupils daily. Phonics teaching begins at the start of early years and happens daily from Reception to Year 2. Those who find phonics difficult receive the support they need to help them catch up. Books are carefully chosen so that pupils practise reading using the sounds they know. 12 and 13 January 2022

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Leaders, staff and governors work well as a team. Together they have drafted an ambitious vision for the school based on the 'Pakeman six key drivers’. Curriculum leaders have plans for all year groups in each subject. They have thought about how the learning in the early years informs what pupils learn in later years. Programmes of work are typically well sequenced, and pupils achieve well across subjects. In some subjects, plans set out exactly what pupils need to learn at each point. In others, plans are less precise. In these subjects, it is not always clear how pupils build their knowledge over time.

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Leaders use questionnaires well to find out from staff what particular subject-specific training they would find helpful. Training supports staff to further refine their teaching practice. Staff frequently check what pupils have learned. They use this information to identify and fill any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life. Leaders make sure detailed and well-considered personalised support plans are in place. Staff are skilled at meeting pupils’ individual academic and pastoral needs. They often provide additional practical and/or visual resources for pupils with SEND. Staff regularly break learning down into smaller steps to help pupils with SEND experience success.

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Across the school, pupils’ attitudes in lessons are positive. They are keen learners. Pupils, including those with learning or behaviour needs, engage well in lessons, and teaching proceeds uninterrupted.

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Leaders plan a range of experiences to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils enjoy the art projects and opportunities to reflect on and celebrate their own and others’ cultural heritage. They like the range of clubs that are on offer, including gardening, football, street dance, choir, song writing, DJing and drawing.

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Governors use their collective skills and expertise well to challenge and support leaders. They recognise and value the important role played by every member of staff. Governors consider leaders’ and staff’s well-being. The school’s approach to assessment and marking has recently been reviewed and steps have been taken to manage staff workload. Staff feel appreciated and valued. They said that leaders support them well and they are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders invest time in getting to know the families and the changing context of the local area. They identify swiftly any pupils or families who would benefit from early help. Leaders provide support through their own child and family support workers or signposting families to other suitable help. Leaders have effective links with external professionals and keep well-organised records. Staff follow the school’s systems carefully. They receive appropriate training to keep pupils safe. 12 and 13 January 2022

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The school plans many suitable learning opportunities to raise awareness of, and support, pupils’ understanding of how to stay safe. This includes online safety and harassment, and where to get help if they need it.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In many subjects, pupils are well supported to practise, build on and secure their knowledge and skills. This prepares them well for the next stage in their learning. However, in some subjects, leaders have not focused sharply on what pupils need to know and remember over time. This means that pupils’ learning is not as deep as it could be. Leaders need to build on the work in other subject areas to ensure that the curriculum is planned effectively across all the foundation subjects.  The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about and are making any necessary amendments in response to the pandemic.

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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 . 12 and 13 January 2022

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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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10200272 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 1 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In December 2021, the deputy headteacher was appointed as headteacher. Prior to this, she led the school as acting headteacher from January 2021.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club on site for pupils of Reception age and above who attend the school.

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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 senior leaders, including the headteacher. Meetings were held with six governors, including the chair of the governing body. A phone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum 12 and 13 January 2022

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plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at curricular plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  In considering the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding arrangements, the inspector scrutinised the single central record. Records relating to the safeguarding of children were also looked at. Discussions were held with a range of pupils, staff and the designated leader with responsibility for safeguarding. Pupils, and their supervision, were observed in the lunch hall and when outside at play. The inspector also considered records of the training staff receive in relation to safeguarding.  The inspector spoke with staff and discussed how well leaders consider their well- being, including steps to help them manage their workload. The inspector considered opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and how

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leaders promote high expectations for pupil behaviour. The inspector reviewed the school’s leavers register and met with the member of staff who oversees attendance.

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Inspection team

Jean Thwaites, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector 12 and 13 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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