Vicarage Primary School

Inspection of Vicarage Primary School Vicarage Lane, East Ham, London E6 6AD

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 20 and 21 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils excel at this ambitious school where everyone works to deliver the school’s guiding principle ‘Be the best you can be’. Teachers and leaders help pupils to become knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what they learn across the curriculum. Pupils enjoy a range of special opportunities that leaders organise. For example, pupils attended a four-day poetry retreat to in the New Forest where they work with a poet to write their own poems.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have the highest expectations of pupils’ outcomes and behaviour, from the early years upwards. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exceptional. Pupils strive for excellence in their work, are extremely respectful in the way they treat adults and each other and show resilience in finding ways to resolve any issues. From the early years, children are encouraged to try their very best to succeed in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ interests are developed by a wide range of extracurricular clubs on offer, including first aid, gardening, drama and rounders. Pupils relish the opportunity to take on responsibility. The school council hold an important place in the school. Members are well respected by their peers and take their responsibilities seriously, including coordinating donations to a local food bank and leading assemblies about mental health and anti-bullying.

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better?

Leaders provide an exceptional education which often takes pupils beyond the national curriculum requirements. For example, science investigations enhance pupils’ knowledge of living things when they dissect a plant in Year 3 and a sheep’s heart in Year 6. Progression of knowledge and skills is meticulously planned, including ambitious concepts and key vocabulary. This begins in the early years, where the curriculum captures children’s interests and broadens their knowledge. Leaders help pupils remember key concepts and understand their meanings in different contexts. For instance, children in Reception learn about hierarchy in their own families. Later, pupils study how power is organised into hierarchies in different civilizations throughout history.

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better?

Teachers have expert subject knowledge and a detailed understanding of the curriculum. This enables them to focus sharply on the precise knowledge pupils must acquire to understand more complex concepts later. They regularly revisit essential knowledge to ensure that it is not forgotten. Consequently, pupils recall important ideas with ease across the curriculum and readily make sense of new learning.

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better?

Leaders instil a strong reading culture across the school. From the early years onwards, pupils delight in reading a range of high-quality novels, non-fiction texts and poems. In early years, children talked about their favourite stories, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, which inspire them to create their own stories. 20 and 21 June 2023

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In the early years, and for all pupils at the early stages of reading, staff have a strong focus on building children’s phonic knowledge and extending their speech and language. This provides a sure foundation for pupils to gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers quickly.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and provide appropriate support. Staff make adaptations to help pupils with SEND to settle well and learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND grow in confidence and independence through taking part in carefully designed activities such as horse-riding, swimming, music therapy and projects in the local community.

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Pupils’ conduct is exemplary. Leaders foster a culture of mutual respect across the school. Children in the early years develop high levels of self-control and learn quickly how to engage with others, such as by asking for and offering help. Pupils follow routines readily. They support each other actively. For example, ‘class partners’ help each other during lessons. Pupils said this makes a big difference to how well they learn the curriculum. Pupils’ high levels of concentration during lessons help pupils to think deeply about their learning without interruption.

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Pupils are taught very regularly and in detail about healthy relationships, how to stay well and the world around them. They frequently study different cultures, faiths and people. For example, every pupil visits a place of worship each year, and they are taught about different races and different types of families through the texts they read. Pupils said that they are proud that difference is more than tolerated here, and is accepted.

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Leaders encourage staff to work together within the school and across the trust. Staff work closely with their colleagues. They appreciate leaders’ efforts to reduce their workload. They described the school as being like a family and are proud of their place in it.

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Members of the governing body support leaders effectively. They have an accurate view of what is working well and offer challenge to leaders to help them continually to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide ample training to staff about safeguarding. This supports their knowledge and confidence to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Staff report all their concerns. Leaders act on these without delay and are tenacious in securing all the help that pupils and their families may need, referring to safeguarding partners and other agencies as appropriate.

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Safeguarding

Adults build strong and trusting bonds with pupils, which gives them the confidence 20 and 21 June 2023

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to report any concerns. Through the curriculum, leaders raise awareness among pupils of safeguarding risks, including online.

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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. 20 and 21 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 and 23 March 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the New Vision Trust. The school joined the trust in March 2018.  The school uses one registered alternative provision: Phoenix at New Directions (URN 134919) which was last inspected by Ofsted on 6 October 2022 and was judged to be good.  The school organises and manages its own before- and after-school clubs.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, music and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 20 and 21 June 2023

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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.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding and supporting pupils’ health and safety, as well as their welfare and well-being. This included looking at case studies and reviewing the school’s record of pre- employment checks.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, early years, behaviour, attendance and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with members of the local governing body and trust representatives.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils and spoke to some parents at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Christian Hicks His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 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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