Avanti Court Primary School

Inspection of Avanti Court Primary School Carlton Drive, Barkingside, Essex IG6 1LZ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 7–8 June 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly respectful of one another and of all staff. They understand the school values and model them proudly. The school has a calm atmosphere. Pupils say that the daily meditation sessions and weekly yoga help them keep calm.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and feel able to talk with an adult if needed. They understand how to keep safe online, and how to keep their bodies and minds healthy. Everyone is celebrated, including those with other faiths and those in different types of loving families.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils choose to behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school. There is no disruption to lessons. Bullying is extremely rare and is not tolerated.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years enjoy the outdoor activities planned for them each day. They particularly like cultivating their garden.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a ‘pupil ambassador’ programme. Ambassadors are voted for by their peers. Most pupils attend a variety of extra-curricular opportunities. These include a range of sports, dance and music clubs. Staff regularly arrange trips and workshops for every year group. This year’s programme has included faith workshops, author and nutritionist visits as well as a workshop promoting female leaders in science.

p.2

better?

Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum so that it is ambitious and well sequenced. Most subjects are led by experienced staff with secure subject knowledge. In these subjects, teaching is strong, and pupils make good progress. Pupils retain important knowledge and build on it over time.

p.2

better?

In a few subjects, such as history and geography, senior leaders have recently made some necessary changes to areas of the curriculum. They have made sure that units are better sequenced. The curriculum in these subjects is ambitious, but not yet fully embedded. There is also some overlapping of topics between the old and new schemes. Leaders have carefully identified the overlaps and any gaps. Any small gaps are currently taught as ‘blocks’. This is so that older pupils have access to the complete curriculum. The senior leadership team knows that it must refine these subjects, identifying the key knowledge it wants to be taught. The senior leadership team has already identified appropriate professional development for subject leaders with less experience. This includes subject-specific training and leadership coaching.

p.2

better?

Where subjects are led well, staff explain key concepts and present information clearly for all pupils. In mathematics, for example, pupils can explain their reasoning using key concepts and vocabulary. Year 1 pupils use directional language when describing the movement of shapes. In the early years, staff have high expectations 7–8 June 2022

p.2

3

for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are fully prepared for their transition to Year 1.

p.3

3

Where the curriculum is well designed, pupils return to concepts over time and build on what they already know. In science, Reception children make observations and draw pictures of plants. They move onto identifying and describing the basic structure of a flowering plant in Year 1. Older pupils can describe the life process of reproduction in plants.

p.3

3

Staff assess pupils’ understanding throughout the year. They respond to any misconceptions during lessons. Subject leaders have designed more formal assessment tasks at the end of each topic. Pupils demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in response to essay questions. Teachers can identify any gaps in knowledge and plan for them accordingly.

p.3

3

Pupils with SEND have access to the full curriculum. Lessons are adapted so that all pupils can access the learning. Staff in the early years are particularly good at helping pupils with SEND make rapid progress. Leaders engage well with outside agencies. Leaders keep parents well informed of the progress their children are making in school.

p.3

3

Leaders make sure that reading is a priority. They have clear expectations of the delivery of the daily phonics sessions. All staff have up-to-date training. Children access phonics as soon as they join the Nursery. In the early years, staff make sure that children practise their phonics skills throughout the day. Staff identify pupils for interventions and/or one-to-one reading. These pupils quickly catch up. All staff show a secure understanding of the school’s chosen programme. Pupils apply their phonetic knowledge in their writing. Some support staff put too much emphasis on making predictions when they are reading with pupils, rather than focusing on the reading itself. They often correct the pupils without giving them the tools to decode words on their own. Leaders need to clarify expectations for all staff.

p.3

3

Staff are extremely proud to work at the school. They value the care and help they receive from senior leaders. They recognise that steps are taken to make their workload manageable.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that a strong safeguarding culture exists across the school. All staff and trustees receive regular training on safeguarding matters. They are all clear about their responsibilities.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe and have someone to talk to if they are worried. They receive regular updates on how to keep safe online. 7–8 June 2022

p.3

4

Leaders make sure that all safeguarding procedures are rigorous. They engage well with outside agencies and provide families with the support they need. Safer recruitment procedures are followed to ensure that all pre-employment checks are carried out diligently.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned, sequenced and embedded in all subjects. It is clear from leaders’ actions that they know what needs to be done and are in the process of doing it. Leaders need to identify the key knowledge they want to be taught. They must communicate this clearly with all teachers and run subject-specific training. They need to complete this work across all subjects within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  Not all adults focus on embedding the phonics skills when reading with the lowest 20% of readers. As a result, more time is spent on discussing the text rather than pupils honing their reading skills. Adults do not always encourage pupils to use the agreed phonics strategies when coming across an unknown word. This slows pupils’ progress. Leaders must clearly communicate their expectations with all

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

staff with the focus being on reading until pupils are more fluent.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 7–8 June 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10200588 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 12 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school has been part of the Avanti Schools Trust since December 2015.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) 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 trust CEO and a representative of the board of trustees.  Inspectors met pupils to understand their views on the school.  Inspectors did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, geography, computing, and art and design. As part of the deep dives, inspectors met with leaders to discuss curriculum plans, visited lessons with 7–8 June 2022

p.5

6

senior leaders, met with teachers and looked at pupils’ work. They also looked at documents and work in history, design technology and physical education.  Inspectors considered the well-being and behaviour of pupils during lesson visits and around the school. They observed pupils as they arrived at school in the morning.  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.  Inspectors spoke to most of the staff about their workload and well-being. They also looked at the parent surveys and talked to a number of parents at the school gate.  Inspectors reviewed a wide variety of documentation provided by the school. This included the school improvement plan, school evaluation, curriculum documentation and school policies.

p.6

Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Joel Sager Ofsted Inspector 7–8 June 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7