Montem Primary School

Inspection of Montem Primary School Hornsey Road, Islington N7 7QT

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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 Good 7 and 8 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils and their families feel fully included and part of the school’s community. Pupils thrive here academically and socially. Parents and carers appreciate receiving regular communication about their children’s learning from school leaders. One parent said, ‘We are updated all the time.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. They are safe. Staff and pupils appreciate leaders’ clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour, which enable teachers and pupils to focus on learning. Staff deal with and resolve any bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to think about their future next steps and careers through visits to universities. Leaders introduce pupils to fundamental British values, including through outings to the Royal Courts of Justice. Teachers raise pupils’ awareness of mental well-being, dental hygiene and physical health. For example, staff motivate pupils to run a ‘daily mile’ in the playground and teachers reward them for doing so.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that meets pupils’ needs. Leaders are in the process of further refining this curriculum across some subjects. They have thought carefully about the key content of each subject’s curriculum. Subject leaders’ curriculum thinking is typically strong. They know what they want pupils to learn and when. They have also considered what children learn in early years within their curriculum thinking. Where pupils are in mixed year-group classes, leaders ensure that all pupils complete the planned curriculum in its entirety by the end of Year 6.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Most teaching ensures that pupils learn the curriculum steadily over time. However, sometimes teaching across all age ranges does not effectively check that pupils know and understand what they have learned. This means that opportunities to address pupils’ misunderstandings are missed and pupils do not learn all that they could.

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better?

Leaders have made reading a priority. This is reflected in the increased proportion of pupils passing the phonics screening check in Years 1 and 2. Pupils learn systematically how to read from the beginning of Reception. Leaders also ensure that pupils who require help with reading receive it so that they can catch up quickly with their peers. Teachers provide pupils with a diverse selection of books from the school library that match their current reading level, which they can take home and read. Teachers also support pupils to develop their reading fluency and comprehension. In the early years, leaders ensure that children have regular opportunities for play and story time, and to develop their early language and mathematics skills. For example, children showed that they were expanding their knowledge of animals as they identified sharks among the toy fish that they played 7 and 8 February 2023

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with. They also showed an understanding of different quantities as they created a ‘plate full of green peas’.

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Pupils behave sensibly in class and around the school. They are confident and enjoy learning. In early years, leaders ensure that children, including two-year-old children, get used to clear routines. For example, children have story time at the same time each day. Teaching staff are calm and patient, and they encourage all pupils to be kind to each other. If pupils make unkind remarks to their peers, staff follow up immediately and ensure that any issues are resolved. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the rewards they receive for good behaviour and attendance. Leaders have taken very effective action to improve pupils’ attendance.

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Leaders responsible for supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are experienced and knowledgeable. They work closely with parents and external agencies to provide all the support that they can for pupils. However, sometimes, the teaching and resources are not sufficiently adapted so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their classmates.

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Leaders organise a range of extra-curricular activities for pupils, including football, basketball and ballet club. Pupils can also participate in activities designed to deepen their interests in curriculum subjects, such as cookery and coding. Through personal development classes, pupils are taught about topics including respecting different cultures and environmental sustainability. For example, pupils learn about the local environment in Year 1 and the harmful impact of litter in Year 3. In Year 4, they consider the impact of human activity on biodiversity.

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Leaders prioritise professional development for staff. Staff said how much they appreciate this and that leaders consider their well-being and workload. All this is overseen carefully by those responsible for governance. The governing body challenges and supports leaders. Members of the governing body regularly consult the views of pupils and parents to ensure that leaders’ actions are having the necessary impact.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff feel a collective sense of responsibility for safeguarding. This is because leaders provide regular training for staff and ensure that they have an up-to-date understanding of signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. Staff identify and report to school leaders any concerns that they may have about pupils’ safety. Leaders ensure that pupils receive any help that they may need. This includes close working with external partners such as the local authority. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online and outside of school. 7 and 8 February 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is variability in the delivery of aspects of the curriculum. Sometimes, teaching does not systematically identify and address misconceptions and errors in pupils’ thinking. At other times, teaching is not adapted as effectively as it could be for pupils with SEND. This means that sometimes pupils, including those with SEND, repeat mistakes and, at other times, do not know and remember all the key content that they should. Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils’ understanding to identify and address any gaps or misconceptions and adapt teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Damien Parrott (executive headteacher) Tom O’Donnell (head of school) Website www.montem.islington.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision providers.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.  The school is federated with Drayton Park Primary School. Both schools are part of The Edventure Collaborative Federation and are governed by a single governing body.  The school is currently trialling alternative provision on-site for up to 10 pupils with education, health and care plans. Pupils in the alternative provision follow a blended timetable that includes mainstream classes and separate specialist classes.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 7 and 8 February 2023

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 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 governing body, headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for SEND; personal, social and health education; behaviour; early reading and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, history, early reading and physical education.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum 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 spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding.

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Inspectors looked at documentation related to safeguarding, including the school’s record of pre-employment checks.  Inspectors visited the on-site alternative provision that school leaders are trialling. They spoke to school leaders and representatives from the local authority about their plans for this provision. Inspectors considered its quality as part of their inspection judgements.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Daniel Short His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 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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