George Tomlinson Primary School

Inspection of a good school: George Tomlinson Primary School Harrington Road, Leytonstone, London E11 4QN

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Outcome

George Tomlinson Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy coming to this happy, welcoming and inclusive school. Staff have high expectations for everyone to do well. Pupils work hard and show positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils are proud of their achievements. They particularly look forward to the class assemblies where they get to see what each class has been learning about. Children in the early years love looking back through their ‘special books’. They point to the photos and talk about their memorable moments and successes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and when they are out in the playgrounds. This makes the school a calm and purposeful place to learn. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously. For example, they work hard as librarians in the ‘enchanted forest’ library. Older pupils use their knowledge and kindness to help younger children learn to read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well with each other. This is a school where everyone is valued for who they are. Even the youngest children learn the importance of helping others. For example, children in Reception worked together brilliantly to create an ‘aerodynamic jet’ from the large wooden blocks outside. The school’s work to include all pupils in special events is a strength. For example, leaders design residential trips and after-school activities to meet pupils’ specific needs, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Leaders have worked hard to develop an ambitious curriculum that intends for pupils to achieve highly in every subject. Staff, parents and pupils said how much they prefer the new curriculum. They can see the difference it is making to pupils’ learning.

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

Teachers ensure that learning is sequenced to help pupils build on what they already know and can do. For example, in mathematics, teachers encouraged pupils in Year 5 to use their knowledge of place value to work out how to add different decimal numbers. Pupils in Year 2 worked out the mass of different objects by drawing on their 8 and 9 June 2023

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understanding of tens and ones. In Reception, children strengthened their understanding of numbers to 10 by comparing the sizes of different numbers using blocks along a ‘racetrack’.

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In a few subjects, leaders are still refining things. In some units of work, leaders have not worked out the most important subject content that needs to be covered. This sometimes makes it difficult for teachers to know what needs to be taught and when. At times, this means that teaching does not focus sharply on important concepts in a subject.

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Teachers check pupils’ learning in lessons. They step in to sort out any misconceptions. Teachers identify when pupils need a bit more help to understand what has been taught. They adjust learning appropriately. For example, in cricket, teachers changed the distance between the bowler and the wicket to help some pupils to aim at the target. In Year 2, teachers used balls of different sizes to ensure that all pupils experienced success in throwing and catching.

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Teachers and well-trained support staff make sure that pupils with SEND get the right help in lessons. They use a range of strategies to help these pupils to be successful. For example, pupils use ‘sentence stems’ to help them articulate their answers. Some pupils make use of keyrings with phrases that make it easier for them to tell staff what they want or need. Where necessary, leaders ensure that individual pupils get the specific help they need to meet their targets. For example, pupils have well-planned sessions to support their speech and language needs or their emotional well-being.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. All staff are trained to deliver the school’s phonics programme. From the early years up, reading is given high priority. Leaders make sure that pupils are given the help they need to keep up with their peers. Pupils learn to read and spell well using phonics. It is clear to see why pupils love reading so much. In the Nursery, children remember their songs and rhymes word for word. In Reception, children used props and puppets to retell their favourite stories. Pupils enjoyed ‘book week’. They create impressive scrapbooks that capture their responses to class texts.

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Pupils’ learning is enriched by a range of extra activities. For example, pupils take part in farming trips and sports residentials. Pupils make the most of London. For example, Year 4 pupils learned about democracy at the Houses of Parliament, while pupils in Year 6 spent time on the River Thames learning about the docklands.

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Pupils behave well. They are taught how to manage different feelings and emotions in an age-appropriate way. For example, pupils in Year 3 discussed different ways to manage the feeling of worry. Older pupils know why consent is important and the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

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Leaders, including governors, have worked effectively to maintain the good quality of education. They have the full support of parents, staff and pupils, who praise the school highly. Staff feel very well supported in their roles. 8 and 9 June 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff are well trained to spot the signs that a pupil might be at risk of harm. Leaders work together effectively to monitor pupils’ well-being. They take swift and appropriate action to keep pupils safe. Leaders have developed strong and positive relationships with parents and carers. Leaders do all that they can to get families the help they need, including working with local agencies and children’s services.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that safeguarding is on the agenda for all meetings and discussions. They make sure that all the required checks are completed to ensure that staff are suitable to work with pupils. Governors have robust systems in place to assure themselves of the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking lacks precision. In some units of work, leaders have not identified the most important subject content that needs to be taught. This affects how well some aspects of the curriculum are sequenced. It makes it harder for teachers to know exactly what pupils need to know. Where this is the case, leaders should refine their curriculum thinking further. They should ensure that teachers are clear about the important content that needs to be covered in each unit of work.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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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. 8 and 9 June 2023

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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. 8 and 9 June 2023

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School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website https://www.georgetomlinsonprimary.com

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been changes to the staff team, including within the senior leadership team. The headteacher took up her post in September 2021. There have been some changes to the governing body, including the appointment of a new chair of governors.  Leaders do 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and other members of the school’s leadership team. He met with the chair of governors and the vice-chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: physical education, mathematics and reading. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also looked at 8 and 9 June 2023

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the curriculum documentation and pupils’ work in science, geography, and design and technology.  The inspector held meetings with groups of staff. He considered the responses to the online staff survey. The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments that parents submitted.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding leads. He looked at documentation related to keeping children safe and scrutinised the single central record of staff suitability checks.  The inspector met with groups of pupils and spoke to pupils in lessons and at breaktimes.

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Inspection team

Gary Rawlings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 June 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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