Eastfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Eastfield Primary School Eastfield Road, Enfield EN3 5UX

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Outcome

Eastfield Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They described it as a community where everyone looks out for each other. Pupils and staff cherish and strive to live up to the six core values that underpin all aspects of the school’s work. For example, values such as ‘being ambitious’ shape the rich curriculum and leaders’ high expectations for pupils’ learning. ‘Being kind’ and ‘community-spirited’ encourage pupils to be responsible citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the time they join the early years, children learn how to socialise, take turns and share. Throughout the school day, pupils behave sensibly. They are curious and make visitors feel welcome. Staff deal effectively with the odd occasion when bullying occurs. They investigate incidents to get to the bottom of the causes. They try to help pupils understand the impact of their behaviours on others. Pupils, such as some in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision), are aided to express their concerns through different means of communication. Pupils feel safe. They are confident that they will be taken seriously when they share any concerns with an adult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in the range of enrichment activities on offer. These span sporting tournaments, performing arts and special events such as the multi-cultural day.

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

Leaders have created a strong sense of community. They work closely with parents and carers and know pupils’ needs well. They are determined to give all pupils the best possible start in life. This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Leaders make the teaching of reading the top academic priority in the school. All staff have been well trained to teach phonics. For the first hour of the day, every member of the staff teaching team teaches reading to all pupils across the school. From early years onwards, children learn to love books. In all classes, teachers read to pupils twice a day. 18 and 19 May 2022

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Effective use of assessment helps staff to identify those pupils who fall behind. Staff give those pupils extra specialist help so they can catch up without delay. Early years staff run seminars for parents on how to support their children’s reading. Across the subjects, staff make sure that pupils extend their vocabulary. This also helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Pupils expand their vocabulary successfully and learn to read with a deeper understanding.

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Subject leaders and teachers enjoy a range of training and development opportunities. These opportunities are carefully planned and give them the subject expertise to deliver the curriculum well across the subjects. Teachers use assessment well. They pick up gaps in pupils’ knowledge and address misconceptions effectively.

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A few years ago, leaders identified that subjects could be better planned. They started to think about how best to develop each subject so that pupils can meet their potential. They sought out ways to deepen further pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Leaders have done this with careful consideration and methodically. They have completed this work in English, mathematics and science and several other subjects, such as religious education. Teachers build up pupils’ knowledge in a logical way. They build on and deepen pupils’ understanding of what they have already learned. For example, in Reception, teachers read books to children about gardens, plants and worms. Children then build a wormery, hunt in the garden for worms and draw and label plants. This prepares children well for Year 1 science when they are taught more about animals and habitats. That said, this development of the curriculum is not yet complete. It is still a work in progress in

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some subjects such as geography. The pace of rolling out these changes was hampered by the COVID-19 national lockdowns.

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Leaders of the SEND provision, including those who oversee the specially resource provision, work closely with staff, parents and therapists. They identify the needs of pupils with SEND and make effective plans to meet their needs. Leaders train staff and help them make suitable adaptations to resources and teaching. This means that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as successfully as their peers.

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Children in the early years increasingly develop their ability to pay attention. Pupils are keen to learn and try hard in lessons. On the odd instance of some low-level disruption, a glance from the teacher or a quick word are usually all it takes to get the pupil back on track. Pupils’ positive attitudes contribute well to their achievements.

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Provision for pupils’ wider development is strong. Pupils learn about the importance of equality and including everyone, irrespective of their background. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are taught British sign language. This makes an important contribution to developing pupils’ understanding of diversity. Pupils have opportunities to take on leadership roles, such as representing the school at the trust’s parliament. They also plan activities to raise money for charity and enjoy taking part in the many clubs on offer.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. They said that leaders are approachable and care for staff’s well-being. They appreciate the various changes made this year that have helped to reduce their workload. 18 and 19 May 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders ensure all staff have frequent training so that they have the skills to identify any pupils who may be at risk. Staff are vigilant and report any concerns they may have. The safeguarding team and other key personnel meet regularly to review all concerns. They quickly refer to and work with a range of agencies to help provide support for pupils’ safety and welfare.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to understand risk and how to get help. For example, the school organises workshops for parents and pupils on online safety. Leaders also organise for a national safeguarding charity to work with pupils to develop their understanding of personal safety, for instance inappropriate touching.

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Safeguarding

Vetting procedures for the appointment of new staff are suitable.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although the curriculum is broad, it does not enable pupils to deepen their knowledge in some foundation subjects. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions, including their work to develop subject planning and train staff, that they are taking the necessary steps to improve the curriculum and pupils’ learning. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. Leaders need to build on their existing work to develop the curriculum and ensure that in all subjects, pupils gain and remember deep and detailed knowledge.

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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 judgments 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 predecessor school, Eastfield Primary School, to be good in April 2015. 18 and 19 May 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. 18 and 19 May 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Eastfield Primary School converted to become an academy school in June 2018. It is part of the Ivy Learning Trust. When its predecessor school, Eastfield Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school provides 10 places in a specially resourced provision for pupils in Years 1 to 6 with autism spectrum disorder and other additional complex needs.  School leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. He met with the chair of the trust and the chair of the local governing body, as well as the trust’s governance adviser. He also met with the trust’s chief executive officer and improvement adviser. 18 and 19 May 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, science and geography. For each deep dive, he 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. He also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  The inspector checked the school’s policies and records and spoke with the designated safeguarding lead, senior leaders, trustees, pupils, staff and parents to check on the school’s culture of safeguarding.  The inspector had formal meetings with staff and with pupils. He spoke with some parents in the playground. He took account of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, which included some written comments. He also considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

David Radomsky, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 May 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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