The Annunciation Catholic Infant School

Inspection of The Annunciation Catholic Infant School Thirleby Road, Edgware HA8 0HQ

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 18 and 19 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy here. They embrace and celebrate diversity within the school. Pupils know how leaders and staff expect them to behave. They are highly respectful of each other and of adults. They follow the school’s rules well. Staff are strong role models for pupils. All this makes the school a calm and orderly place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe at the school. If bullying occurs, staff are quick to resolve any issues. Pupils trust adults to ask for their help should they have a concern. Parents and carers appreciated the care that staff give to pupils. Staff have high expectations of pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents rated the school highly and felt lucky to have it in their local community. They shared that the school was a friendly place and that teachers were supportive. Leaders provide a range of clubs and activities to enrich the school’s curriculum. Uptake from pupils is high, which makes a strong contribution to promoting their personal development.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils develop a strong understanding of most subjects that they study. Generally, they have identified the key knowledge they want pupils to gain in most subjects. The curriculum design supports pupils to build on their prior knowledge. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to recall what they have already learned. Teachers use assessment information to identify any knowledge gaps or misconceptions. However, inconsistencies in leaders’ curricular thinking remain. In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the important subject content that pupils should learn. This limits the development of pupils’ deeper knowledge in these subjects.

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better?

Leaders have made recent changes to the teaching of early reading, which have been positive. Staff introduce new sounds to pupils in a logical order. Pupils at the early stages of reading, read books that match the sounds that they know. Pupils who fall behind in their reading are generally well supported to help them to catch up. Occasionally, the phonics programme is not followed as closely to ensure that all pupils benefit consistently from the school’s new approach.

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better?

Children in the early years quickly settle into the school routines. They listen carefully to adults and follow instructions closely. Older pupils build well on this positive start. They are attentive in lessons and do not disrupt each other’s learning.

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better?

Leaders support teachers to identify accurately the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt learning for pupils with SEND to help them to access the same curriculum as their peers. Parents of pupils 18 and 19 October 2022

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with SEND value the regular updates that they receive about their children’s learn- ing.

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Leaders ensure that pupils are taught about diversity among people and families. Pupils are encouraged to be respectful of other faiths and cultures and to understand what is right and wrong. Pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education. In the early years, teachers encourage children to develop secure social and emotional skills.

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Pupils have a variety of opportunities to get to know their local area and beyond. Visits and visitors are interwoven throughout the year. For example, all year groups studied an artist and painted in the style of their artist. Pupils are proud of their many achievements, including being part of their own ‘pupil parliament’.

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Leaders provide training and guidance to strengthen the expertise of new staff members. Staff, including those at the early stages of their career, felt extremely well supported in their roles. All staff appreciated the support and challenge they received from leaders across the federation.

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Governors are knowledgeable, committed and determined. They have a thorough and accurate knowledge of the school and are determined for it to be the best school it can be. Members of the governing body support and challenge leaders to ensure that the school’s development is well focused.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their school community extremely well. Staff are well trained to keep pupils safe. They know how to identify any pupils who may be vulnerable. Staff follow up on any concerns diligently. Leaders work tenaciously with external agencies to help keep pupils safe. Leaders ensure that pupils and their families get the timely support that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. They are strongly encouraged to speak out if they are made to feel uncomfortable by other pupils or adults.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders do not identify the key content that pupils need to learn. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not build secure subject-specific knowledge and understanding. Leaders should continue to ensure that in all subjects, curricular thinking identifies the most important knowledge that pupils should learn sequentially over time. 18 and 19 October 2022

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 Occasionally, teaching does not follow leaders’ agreed approach to teaching phonics and early reading. This means that occasionally pupils do not benefit from a consistent approach to developing their early reading confidence and fluency. Leaders should continue to ensure that all staff follow the school’s early reading approach consistently.

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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.

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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242352 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Head of Schools

Website www.theannunciationschools.co.uk

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Head of Schools

Date of previous inspection 24 March 2009, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school federated with its feeder junior school in February 2022. The executive headteacher oversees both schools in the federation.  The school is a Catholic voluntary-aided school within the Diocese of Westminster. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2018. The next inspection is due to take place in the school year 2023- 2024.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision. 18 and 19 October 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of schools, deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the office manager, members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and curriculum leaders. Inspectors also met with teachers and support staff and representatives from the local authority and Diocese.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art and geography. They discussed these subjects with pupils, teachers and leaders. Inspectors also visited lessons and considered pupils’ work.  To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector met with the leader with responsibility for safeguarding. Inspectors also spoke with pupils and staff and considered a

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Information about this inspection

wide range of safeguarding documents and records, including the school’s record of recruitment checks.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents during the inspection, including school development plans and behaviour and attendance records.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils through meetings and conversations with them, including during breaktimes. Inspectors also took account of pupils’ responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and staff, including through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Michelle Thomas, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Bryant Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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