Five Elms Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Five Elms Primary School Wood Lane, Five Elms Primary School, Dagenham, Essex RM9 5TB

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Outcome

Five Elms 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. They typically described the teachers as ‘great’ and learning as ‘fun’. Staff know the pupils well, which helps to create a safe environment for pupils to learn and flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for providing pupils with meaningful opportunities to learn. This underpins the decisions and actions that leaders take. Staff have a shared commitment in wanting the best for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders promote a culture that celebrates differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons is excellent. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any concerns. They use the ‘anti-bullying red box’ to share their worries. Staff respond to individuals’ needs and resolve any bullying concerns swiftly. Their work is widely appreciated, including by parents and carers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents have very positive views of the school. They appreciate that staff are always visible, friendly, and approachable. Parents said that the school helped them to support their children at home.

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

Leaders ensure that there is clear progression in what pupils learn. The curriculum is well sequenced. Teachers encourage pupils to learn and use important vocabulary. This begins in the early years. In Year 6, for example, pupils used vocabulary accurately for selecting calculation methods to apply to different contexts. However, pupils’ understanding of subject-specific vocabulary is not as secure in all subjects. Teachers use pupils’ assessment information to identify and reduce gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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

Teachers deliver the school’s phonics programme in a systematic way. Pupils practise and rehearse the phonics sounds they learn. They develop fluency and accuracy when reading. Teachers help pupils who struggle with their reading to self-correct mispronunciations. Pupils show resilience when facing unfamiliar words. Staff match the 5 and 6 October 2022

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books that pupils read to the sounds that they know. Pupils enjoy listening to adults reading to them, including in the early years. This helps to foster pupils’ imagination and interests in a range of books.

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Leaders ensure that pupils learn mathematical concepts methodically. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Pupils seize regular opportunities to reflect on their learning. They show persistence in solving problems. Teachers use appropriate resources in lessons to help pupils’ learning. Children thrive in the early years setting, both inside the classroom and outdoors. For example, children chose leaves, twigs and cones to practise counting forwards and backwards from zero to 10.

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Leaders have high expectations of all pupils in the mainstream classes and in the additional resource provision. They focus on ensuring that all pupils, including those with SEND, are well catered for. Pupils with SEND learn the same subject content as their peers, where possible. Staff adapt learning effectively to help pupils who need to catch up in their learning.

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Pupils are inquisitive and like to share their ideas. Teachers are swift in addressing pupils’ misconceptions. Pupils show respect towards adults and each other. As a result, low-level disruptions in lessons are rare. Pupils respond positively when their successes are celebrated. Pupils enjoy the challenges teachers set them.

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Pupils make a positive contribution to the life of the school, including as councillors and as art and anti-bullying ambassadors. They keep abreast of current affairs through the weekly ‘votes for schools’ programme. Teachers encourage pupils to form opinions and debate issues such as equality and discrimination. This also includes discussions about democracy and tolerance.

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Members of the governing body are effective in carrying out their statutory responsibilities. Leaders newer to their roles are supported well in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. Leaders help to develop staff’s subject knowledge. Staff appreciated the steps leaders have taken in making their workload manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The governing body and leaders promote a strong culture of safeguarding. They make all the necessary employment checks. They ensure staff are well trained so that they can keep children safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders place great emphasis on getting to know their pupils and families. They use this awareness to identify any pupils who may need help or those at risk of harm. Staff are proactive in providing help and support to pupils, as early as possible. They use their knowledge of any potential local risks to ensure pupils know how to stay safe. Pupils are taught to use technology and the internet safely. 5 and 6 October 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not ensure that teachers effectively develop pupils’ vocabulary and understanding in all subjects. In a few subjects, this leads to some pupils not deepening their knowledge and understanding as well as in others. Leaders should ensure that all teachers check and develop pupils’ understanding of subject-specific vocabulary securely in all subjects.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2017.

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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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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. 5 and 6 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212500 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 14 and 15 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs an additional resource for pupils who are deaf and have complex needs.  The school also runs a newly developed internal support provision for pupils with high SEND needs.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this graded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the chair of governors, members of the governing body, the headteacher, senior leaders, a range of staff and a local authority representative. 5 and 6 October 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector considered information provided about safeguarding arrangements. The inspector scrutinised safeguarding records and the single central record. The inspector reviewed procedures and processes by talking to leaders and staff, and through discussions with pupils.  The inspector considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.  The inspector visited the additional resource and internal support provisions.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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