Nelson Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Nelson Primary School Napier Road, East Ham, London E6 2SE

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Outcome

Nelson Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and do well at this school. Leaders and staff are ambitious for pupils. Pupils value the range of opportunities available to them. The many after-school clubs, such as sport, wind bands and orchestra, help to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils respond well to leaders’ high expectations. Pupils of all ages take on roles of responsibility.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that behaviour is good and that bullying rarely happens. Teachers sort out any problems if pupils fall out with each other. Pupils know the school rules and the consequences of rule-breaking. Pupils treat each other with respect and kindness. Pupils are happy and safe. They celebrate difference and enjoy cultural links with other countries, including Kenya. Pupils are welcomed and included regardless of their background or the different times of the year when they join the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are supportive of the school. One comment typical of many was, ‘the best thing about the school is that they always have the children’s well-being as a priority’.

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

Leaders and governors have made their vision for high-quality education clear. Staff have risen to this challenge. Leaders use their thorough knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement to improve the quality of education for all. Pupils’ well-being is high on everyone’s agenda, alongside the ambition for pupils to become fluent readers. Leaders and staff have designed a coherent and interesting curriculum. It is clearly sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge, skills and vocabulary over time. In a few subjects, this work is still embedding.

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

Teachers quickly intervene if they spot pupils with gaps in their knowledge. With the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff check pupils’ learning frequently. Consequently, pupils who need extra help with their learning, including pupils with special 29 and 30 March 2022

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educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive extra support to catch up. Nevertheless, there are a few areas of the curriculum that are not as well developed. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan and check what pupils know and remember. As a result, pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge expected by leaders in a few subjects.

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Several subject leaders build on starting points for their subject in Reception and even Nursery. Consequently, children have a focused beginning in a range of subjects, including reading. Children begin to learn phonics on entry to the school, regardless of their age or prior experience of English. As a result, even the weakest readers become fluent. Teachers and teaching assistants have a secure knowledge of phonics. The youngest pupils read books that match the phonics they learn. They read and write often. Tricky words are explained clearly to pupils. As a result, pupils quickly pick up early reading skills.

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Leaders have planned the mathematics curriculum to help pupils remember what they have been taught. Children in the early years have regular opportunities to learn about number. Pupils recap learning every day so that knowledge is embedded securely. As a result, pupils can apply this knowledge to new concepts. Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding in mathematics and address any misconceptions quickly.

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In most subjects, leaders have made it clear what pupils, including those with SEND, need to learn. Pupils with SEND are supported to access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff know the pupils and their individual needs well. Leaders ensure that well-trained staff use resources effectively to make appropriate adaptions to the curriculum. For example, in physical education (PE), teachers introduced sensory circuits for some pupils with SEND. Leaders work with a range of external support services effectively. Leaders have rightly prioritised targeted support to help a small number of pupils manage their emotions, behaviour and understanding of bullying.

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Pupils are proud of their work. Leaders’ expectations are high. Pupils respond well to these, and learning takes place without disruption. Pupils’ personal development is supported well through a range of planned activities that develop individual talents and skills. This includes regular musical performances, as well as faith and cultural experiences such as linking classes to schools in Kenya.

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Staff are positive about the school. They believe that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. Teachers, teaching assistants and other staff agree that they enjoy working at the school. Governors and trustees share the vision of leaders to see pupils succeed in all aspects of school life. They bring a deep understanding of the community and its population. This ensures that the next steps for the school are not only well understood but are closely linked to the needs of parents, pupils and the community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 and 30 March 2022

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Leaders complete appropriate recruitment checks before staff begin working at the school. Staff, governors and volunteers receive appropriate safeguarding training and updates. This helps them to understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities well. Staff know how to report concerns about pupils’ welfare.

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Staff are confident that their concerns are taken seriously as leaders inform them of any actions taken. When necessary, leaders make referrals to external agencies in a timely manner.

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Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They talk about their understanding of being safe online, stranger danger, peer pressure, and not being a spectator to bad behaviour.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum does not include sufficient detail about the knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that pupils do not build a secure understanding of the subject and are unable to apply knowledge to more complex concepts. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects includes sufficient detail about what pupils are expected to know.

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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 predecessor school, Nelson Primary School, to be good in December 2014.

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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. 29 and 30 March 2022

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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. 29 and 30 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10213874 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Nelson Primary School converted to become an academy school in March 2018. When its predecessor school, also Nelson Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall. Nelson Primary School is part of the New Vision Trust.  The school does not use 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, the office manager, the special educational needs coordinator and teaching assistants.  The inspectors also met five members of the local governing body and a meeting was held with the chief executive officer of the trust.  Deep dives were carried out in reading, mathematics, PE and science. For each deep dive, the inspector met with leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of 29 and 30 March 2022

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lessons, spoke to teachers and teaching assistants, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors listened to a range of pupils read from different year groups.  The inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to curriculum leaders about other subjects.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits and at breaktime and lunchtime. Inspectors spoke to pupils about their views on behaviour.  The inspectors reviewed the safeguarding documentation, including records of safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. They considered how well the designated safeguarding leaders act on concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare. The inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding practices.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jean Thwaites Her Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 March 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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