Uphall Primary School

Inspection of Uphall Primary School Uphall Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 2JD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Across the school, working relationships between teachers and pupils are strong. Pupils are polite and respectful. They understand that good behaviour means teachers can teach without interruptions to learning. Pupils are kept safe. They report little bullying. They say that, if it does occur, it is sorted out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The right of everyone to be respected is central to the school’s ethos and is interwoven throughout school life. Pupils are responsible, confident and articulate when talking about their rights. Ambassadors represent each class to ensure these values are upheld.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ aim is for all pupils to achieve. The curriculum is well planned and well sequenced in reading, mathematics and science. Pupils make good progress in these areas. However, this is not the case in other subjects. Planning for lessons in these areas does not clearly identify the order in which pupils need to build knowledge. This means that learning is fragmented and does not help pupils learn more over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the range of clubs on offer. These are available for all. Trips outside school provide pupils with new experiences. Pupils enjoy these visits, such as a recent trip to a farm for Reception children and a museum trip for Year 3.

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better?

Leaders and governors are clearly committed. They are approachable and engage well with the parent community. An appropriate plan is in place to promote school improvement. Many areas have already been addressed, but work is still needed to improve the wider curriculum.

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better?

The improvement of reading has been prioritised. A new phonics programme has been introduced and learning begins as soon as children start in Reception. Teachers are well- trained and supported to deliver this programme with consistency. Teaching is targeted to each pupil’s starting points. Consequently, they get the help they need. Those at risk of falling behind are identified. Additional daily interventions are put in place to make sure they are catching up. Books are closely matched to the sounds pupils know. These are used to practise reading both at home and at school. Pupils are making progress towards being fluent, independent readers. A love of reading is promoted through the use of key texts and shared reading opportunities. Pupils enjoy daily ‘reading for pleasure’ and timetabled library visits.

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better?

Mathematics and science are also clearly planned through small steps of learning. As a result, teachers are clear what they need to teach in lessons, and pupils show increased understanding. In the early years, recent mathematics training for staff about the new requirements has helped adults to carefully teach the small steps of learning needed to develop children’s understanding of numbers to 10. 7 and 8 June 2022

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Despite these strengths, however, in many subjects, leaders’ curricular thinking is not well developed and still at a very early stage. Too great a focus is given to overarching topics, rather than a well-thought-through progression of specific subject knowledge and skills. Too many lessons do not build on pupils’ previous learning. Insufficient thought has been given to the subject-specific key knowledge pupils need to develop. Leaders do not identify exactly what content they expect pupils to learn and remember at each stage from early years to Year 6. Consequently, it is difficult to assess the progress pupils make in acquiring subject knowledge.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make similar progress to their peers, within the constraints of the wider curriculum. Their needs are identified quickly, and plans put in place so that work is adapted appropriately. Adults are deployed carefully to facilitate this. Pupils with SEND benefit from a caring, nurturing environment where inclusion is promoted and expected.

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A calm, purposeful atmosphere is evident in all lessons and when pupils are moving around the school. They have a positive attitude towards learning. Routines are well established. As a result, pupils know what is expected and they rise to that.

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Pupils’ wider development is prioritised. Leaders make sure all pupils have equal access to additional opportunities and support for their mental well-being. They learn about important topics, such as respect, and equality and diversity. In this regard, pupils are well prepared for their future lives in modern Britain. Recent work to obtain pupils’ views around gender has led to an action plan which includes better access to football for girls. Leaders have an appropriate plan in place to improve persistent absence.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership team. They value the autonomy given and appreciate the support with their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are well trained. This enables them to identify concerns when they occur. Rigorous reporting and tracking procedures ensure that concerns are well managed. Effective partnership work with outside agencies enables pupils and families to get the help they need as quickly as possible. Leaders are not afraid to challenge, to speed this along. An emotional literacy support assistant provides early help to those who need it.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their families well. They are aware of the contextual needs in the community and provide support to address these. Pupils are also made aware of how to say safe, through the curriculum. This prepares them well for the next stages of their learning.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Reading and mathematics are well planned and well sequenced. This is not the case for the wider curriculum. For every subject, leaders must first identify the key knowledge they want pupils to learn and ensure it is well sequenced from the early years up to Year 6. This will enable pupils to know and remember more over time, deepening their subject-specific understanding.  Lack of identified knowledge for each wider curriculum subject makes it hard for teachers to plan lessons that build on what pupils already know. As a result, curriculum implementation is inconsistent. Leaders must ensure that curriculum delivery is consistent across the school and that work in books matches the ambition of the national curriculum in all subjects.

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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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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. 7 and 8 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227326 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 10 – 11 July 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average sized primary school.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school uses no alternative provision  The headteacher was appointed in December 2019.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other senior leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with three governors, including the vice chair of governors. 7 and 8 June 2022

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, art and design, PE and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also spoke with teachers.  The inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to pupils for religious education, history and modern foreign languages.  The inspectors considered early mathematics in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including those related to leaders’ priorities for improvement.  The inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions and through consideration of Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Robinson Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 June 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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