St Andrew and St Francis CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Andrew and St Francis CofE Primary School Belton Road, Brent, London NW2 5PE

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Outcome

St Andrew and St Francis CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Andrew and St Francis CofE Primary School is at the heart of the local community. Pupils enjoy coming to school every day. They are happy and safe because adults are caring and kind. Adults know pupils well, and pupils are well looked after. They think carefully about pupils’ pastoral care, including any mental health and social and emotional needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The new leadership team has high expectations for every pupil. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders take swift action to address any unkindness when it does occur. Pupils enjoy playing together and taking part in the activities staff provide for them. They generally behave well in class and around the school site.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning and the wider opportunities that are on offer. These include a range of clubs, visitors and outings. Taking on responsibilities is a key part of school life, with roles including reading and eco-leaders. Pupils are well prepared for their future learning. They build up the knowledge and vocabulary they will need for their next stages in education.

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

The new leadership team has constructed an ambitious curriculum in most subjects. Pupils begin their curriculum journey in Nursery, where they get off to a flying start in a language- and number-rich environment. Typically, leaders’ curricular thinking builds pupils’ knowledge and skills well. It identifies the important content that pupils need for future learning. For example, in geography, pupils gain a secure understanding of mapwork, local landmarks and the British Isles. In some subjects, curricular thinking is 13 and 14 June 2023

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not as well developed. This is because leaders do not identify what pupils need to know and remember with precision, including from the early years.

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Teachers present information to pupils with clarity. They help pupils to build strong speaking and mathematical skills. For instance, in early years, staff helped children to count pirates up to ten accurately. Children enjoy painting and joining in with nursery rhymes. Teachers check and address any misconceptions in pupils’ learning. On occasion, teaching does not break down learning for pupils into small steps. This limits pupils’ deeper knowledge and understanding.

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Leaders have prioritised reading. Children begin to learn to read using phonics in the early years. Pupils achieve very well in their phonics. They show confidence and accuracy when transferring their phonic knowledge into their writing. Teachers check pupils’ phonic knowledge regularly. They use this information to identify pupils who need extra help quickly. This enables pupils to read fluently. Leaders have chosen a wide variety of suitable texts to enhance teaching across the curriculum. Pupils comment that they love reading.

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Pupils’ personal and spiritual development is at the core of the school’s work. Staff support pupils to be responsible citizens. Older pupils can become ‘play leaders’ and ‘reading buddies’ to support younger children. Pupils learn about differences and understand and celebrate the fact that they are all unique.

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There is a wide variety of extra-curricular activities available to pupils. These range from chess, film club and yoga. Leaders plan interesting visits to places such as nature parks, historical sites and museums.

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Staff enable pupils with SEND to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. This is due to staff paying attention to the needs of every child. Staff are skilled in knowing the individual needs of pupils. The careful balance of academic and pastoral support ensures that many pupils with SEND achieve highly.

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Lessons are generally calm and purposeful, and staff deal with any low-level disruption effectively. Children in early years learn to follow instructions well.

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Staff are proud to be part of the school community. Trustees know the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. They provide strong challenge and support. Staff’s workload and well-being are carefully considered. They feel valued and are highly motivated.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to identify and report concerns about pupils. Through regular training, all staff understand how to keep pupils safe. Leaders follow up any concerns by making swift 13 and 14 June 2023

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referrals for specialist support. Communication with external agencies is strong, and records are well maintained. This helps to provide appropriate support to families.

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Pupils show an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. They are taught how to keep safe online and know what to do if they feel worried.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, key content, starting from early years, is not identified precisely. As a result, teachers do not break down subject content into smaller chunks, which can overload pupils’ working memory. Leaders should ensure that the knowledge they want pupils to know and remember is clearly identified in all subjects.  Sometimes, the intended curriculum is not implemented in teaching well. This limits pupils’ deeper learning of subject content. Leaders need to ensure that teachers have secure subject-specific knowledge so that pupils gain deep knowledge and skills.

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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 28 and 29 November 2017.

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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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268704 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 and 29 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in January 2023.  The school is part of the LDBS multi-academy trust.  The most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place in June 2018.  The school does not use any 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, deputy headteacher and other school leaders. The inspector held meetings with the CEO of the LDBS Academy Trust and representatives of the local academy governing body, including the chair.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, considered the 13 and 14 June 2023

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documentation related to safeguarding. This includes the record of pre-employment checks.  The inspector met with parents at the start of the school day and considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 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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