Norbury School

Inspection of a good school: Norbury School Welldon Crescent, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 1QQ

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Outcome

Norbury School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Norbury School is a happy and vibrant learning community. Staff and pupils are committed to an ethos of care, respect and inclusion. Pupils are kind to each other and feel safe and well cared for. Staff and pupils are proud to be ‘Norburians’. New pupils are welcomed into the community and helped to settle in.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high ambitions for every pupil. Pupils are helped to learn and develop from their different starting points. They participate with enthusiasm and are not afraid to take risks. They know this is how they will continue to learn and grow. Staff take care to get to know pupils and their families. As a result, pupils make good progress over time, including those with complex needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high expectations for behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to be the best they can be and are supported to do so. Pupils learn to take responsibility for their actions and behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a voice and enjoy contributing to key decisions about their school. They understand their role as citizens and value diversity. They enjoy celebrating success at their weekly assemblies. Pupils say bullying is very rare and dealt with quickly and effectively.

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

Leaders are committed to ensuring excellent outcomes for every pupil. This drives the quality of education at Norbury. Recently, leaders have made changes to the curriculum so that pupils learn individual subjects in greater depth. Subject leaders and staff have worked together to develop a carefully sequenced curriculum that builds towards clear end points. This begins in the early years, where pupils learn the foundations needed for 21 and 22 March 2023

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later success. For example, in Nursery, children learn the basics of thinking scientifically when learning about plants. In Reception, children begin each day practising their fine motor skills so that they can use equipment such as pipettes.

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Leaders have considered how to make the new curriculum right for their school community. This includes consulting with parents and carers. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, in line with the national curriculum. It is in the early stages of implementation, and leaders continue to review progress. Overall, staff are positive about these changes. However, these changes have meant an increase in workload for some staff. Leaders are aware of this and have started to take steps to help reduce workload.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Leaders prioritise ongoing training and support so that all staff continue to develop their expertise. In lessons, teachers regularly check pupils’ learning. They use targeted questioning to check whether pupils remember their learning over time. Where learning is not secure, they make sure this is revisited. This is a particular strength in mathematics, where pupils achieve very well.

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Teachers ensure that there are clear classroom routines. Pupils know these routines well and follow them with enthusiasm. Behaviour does not interrupt learning. Where pupils lose focus, teachers quickly and skilfully get their attention back. Pupils are eager to learn and have lively interactions in class.

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Reading is prioritised. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and are read to by teachers every day. All staff are trained to deliver the new phonics programme. Clear routines are in place, and pupils enjoy their daily phonics sessions. Teachers make sure that pupils who are falling behind are identified quickly. Where pupils need to catch up, they are given extra support to do so.

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Leaders and staff have effective systems in place to identify and assess the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are rigorous in their efforts to ensure pupils receive appropriate support, including one-to-one support where necessary. Teachers adapt their approach so that pupils with SEND are in class learning with their peers as much as possible.

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Pupils treat each other with kindness and compassion. This is an important part of being a ‘Norburian’. Through the programme for personal, social, health, citizenship and economic education, pupils learn about their rights and the important contributions they can make as citizens. They also learn how to keep themselves safe in the community and online. Pupils value the rich experiences they are exposed to on regular trips and visits. This includes learning new skills such as judo and philosophy. They are proud of their musical talents and performances.

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Everyone at Norbury shares a common language for talking about feelings. This helps them to have empathy for their peers and for children whose lives are different to their own. This is helping pupils to develop confidence and strength of character. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. There have been a number of recent changes to the governing body. Governors will require some further training to help them provide appropriate support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Pupils’ safety and welfare are at the heart of decision making. Leaders carefully consider the needs of pupils and families. They work together with the community and local agencies to help families where possible. Leaders make good use of data to inform their actions and the training given to staff. Staff know the school’s reporting processes and are highly vigilant.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to identify and report abuse. Pupils say they have adults to talk to in the school and feel confident that action will be taken.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have implemented several significant changes to the curriculum over the past year. While staff recognise the benefits of these changes, they have required additional work for some staff to ensure the appropriate systems and practices are in place. Leaders should ensure there is sufficient time to embed the new changes, with time for reflection and review.  The governing body is highly supportive of the school. However, many governors are new. They do not currently have sufficient training and expertise to provide the necessary challenge to leaders in some areas. Those responsible for governance should continue to prioritise training for new governors so they are well informed and can hold leaders to account for their work appropriately.

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255514 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Harleen Kaur Sethi

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 School leaders do not use any alternative provision.  There have been changes to the governing body since the previous inspection.

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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 carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with subject leaders for science and history, discussed their work and visited a sample of lessons. 21 and 22 March 2023

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 In addition to senior leaders, inspectors met with the leader responsible for SEND, pastoral care leaders, the school improvement consultant, members of the governing body and support staff.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors looked closely at safeguarding records, procedures and processes. They talked to leaders, governors, staff and pupils about safeguarding at the school.  Inspectors considered responses made to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Polly Haste, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Martin Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 March 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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