George Spicer Primary School

Inspection of a good school: George Spicer Primary School Southbury Road, Enfield, Middlesex EN1 1YF

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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Outcome

George Spicer Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Even though this large school is split across two different sites, pupils all feel part of one big community. From the early years through to Year 6, pupils are motivated, work hard and enjoy their time at school. They especially like the times when everyone comes together for special assemblies and events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak highly of their teachers and the other staff who help them. Pupils feel safe in school. They said that staff are kind and friendly. Pupils are confident to report any worries they might have. They behave well. Pupils look after each other at breaktimes and support their classmates in lessons. They learn how to manage their feelings and emotions. Staff sort out any problems well, including bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the ‘time to shine’ assemblies. They are keen to win the trophies for a range of competitions, including singing, spelling and times tables. Pupils really look forward to receiving enough gold stars to attend the afternoon tea party with the headteacher.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and all staff have high expectations of what pupils should achieve. Staff work effectively together, including with parents and carers, to give pupils the help they need to be successful. Pupils achieve well. By the end of Year 6, they are prepared for the move to secondary school.

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

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum. They want pupils to develop a broad and deep understanding in a range of subjects. In addition, leaders have worked hard to ensure that the curriculum reflects the school’s community and pupils’ backgrounds, cultures and home languages.

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

In most subjects, including mathematics and reading, leaders have worked out precisely what pupils need to learn and when. They have sequenced topics so that pupils build up their knowledge securely. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 2 used their 22 and 23 February 2023

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knowledge of numbers to choose the best unit of measurement to record the lengths of different objects. In tennis, pupils in Year 4 used their knowledge of forehand and backhand passes to complete a successful rally. In science, pupils used their knowledge of simple circuits to help them investigate how to control the brightness of bulbs.

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In a few subjects, including history, leaders have not identified the most important subject knowledge which pupils need to learn. Sometimes, there is too much to fit in. This makes it difficult for teachers. It sometimes means that they choose for themselves what to cover. This could lead to gaps in pupils’ learning.

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Teachers check in lessons how well pupils are doing. The use of assessment is well thought out in the early years and in English and mathematics. But in a few subjects, leaders have not worked out how teachers should check what pupils in Years 1 to 6 know and can do over time. Teachers adapt activities to enable pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to follow the same curriculum as everyone else. Leaders make sure that pupils’ needs are identified accurately, including in the early years. Staff are well trained to support pupils with SEND, particularly those with speech and language needs.

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Reading is given top priority. From the start of the early years, pupils build up their phonics knowledge securely. Pupils, especially those who need more help to keep up with their friends, achieve well. They become fluent readers. Pupils look forward to sharing their reading recommendations, for example, on the ‘big up a book’ displays.

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Pupils said that teachers make learning fun and interesting. One place where this is clear to see is in the early years. Children were overcome with excitement when they arrived to discover that a ‘space rocket’ had crash landed in their playground. This inspired children to get messy while making spaceships of all shapes and sizes. Children wrote their own books about aliens and astronauts. They remembered why Mae Jemison is a significant role model.

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Lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Pupils who are new to the school are quickly made to feel welcome. These pupils said that even though they were worried at first, everyone helped them to settle in and make friends.

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Leaders promote pupils’ wider development well. Pupils remembered ‘Pride week’ which took place in school recently. They said that this reminded them about respecting others and valuing everyone for who they are. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs, including Irish dancing, cookery and football. They like applying for roles such as school ambassadors and house captains. Even the youngest children develop their leadership skills. For example, ‘special monitors’ take pride in calling the register each day.

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Staff feel valued and empowered. Those who are new to their careers are well supported. Leaders are mindful of staff workload. They strive to ensure that this is considered carefully when any decisions are made about what happens in school. 22 and 23 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that the required checks are completed before staff are recruited. Staff are vigilant and alert to signs that might indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. The school’s pastoral team, special educational needs team and those responsible for safeguarding meet regularly to discuss all pupils in each class. Leaders quickly identify concerns and take suitable actions. Leaders work diligently with social workers and other professionals to check that the most vulnerable pupils are safe and well cared for.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. For example, they understand the possible risks associated with social media apps and playing games online. Pupils are taught, in an age-appropriate way, about consent and healthy relationships. They are taught about the potential issues associated with joining gangs outside school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the most important content that must be taught. In some topics, there is a lot to fit in. In others, there is confusion about the most important subject content that pupils absolutely need to know. Sometimes, this leads to teachers choosing for themselves what to cover. Leaders need to refine curriculum thinking in these subjects. They need to identify the most important knowledge that pupils must be taught in each topic.  The use of assessment in some subjects is in development. Where this is the case, leaders have not worked out how teachers should check what pupils know and remember over time. This means that it is difficult for leaders to keep a clear picture of what pupils know and can do. This could lead to gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders should strengthen the approaches for checking what pupils know and can do in these subjects, without causing unnecessary work for teachers.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2012. 22 and 23 February 2023

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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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Ann Del Greco (co-chair of governors) Deborah Dykins (co-chair of governors) Headteacher Dominic Spong

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 February 2017 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher joined the school in September 2019.  The school has two sites. The early years and Years 1 and 2 are based at Kimberley Gardens, Enfield EN1 3SN. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are based at Southbury Road, Enfield EN1 1YF.  The school does not make use of 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteachers and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body, including the co- chairs.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum 22 and 23 February 2023

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with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders, looked at pupils’ work and scrutinised curriculum documentation in some other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed the single central record of staff suitability checks. They spoke with staff and pupils about the school’s safeguarding arrangements. The lead inspector met with those responsible for safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke with staff formally in meetings and informally throughout the inspection. Inspectors considered the responses to the online staff survey.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils. They observed pupils at breaktimes and lunchtimes and during assemblies. Inspectors considered the responses to the online pupil survey.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-

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Inspection team

Gary Rawlings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joel Sager Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 February 2023

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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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