Welbourne Primary School

Inspection of Welbourne Primary School Stainby Road, Tottenham, London N15 4EA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 6 and 7 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They understand the school values of community, respect, self-belief and innovation. They appreciate opportunities for celebration and reward, such as when they receive a certificate for modelling the ‘right of the week’ or for positive attendance. They value the weekly celebration assemblies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe and typically feel safe at school. Most pupils behave well in the classroom. This is because expectations are understood. However, behaviour in the playground is less well managed. Important messages about anti-bullying have been shared. This includes the school council designing a logo as part of the bullying intervention group. Despite this, there are incidents of bullying that are not resolved swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In most subjects, the curriculum is ambitious and prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. Pupils welcome the opportunities they have to take on additional responsibilities and develop their leadership. These include roles as prefects, peer mediators, pupil librarians and sports ambassadors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of visits that further enhance the curriculum. These have included outings to a chocolate factory, the Science Museum, an art gallery and Walthamstow Wetlands. A range of additional activities are offered to develop pupils’ interests and talents. These include art, music and gymnastics.

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better?

Pupils study an ambitious curriculum which matches what is expected nationally. In most subjects, the important concepts pupils need to learn have been identified and logically sequenced. This means that pupils develop a depth of understanding in these subjects, because they secure the knowledge they need before moving on to more complex ideas. For example, in geography, younger pupils learn the countries that make up the United Kingdom and begin to identify different locations. This supports older pupils to recognise whether a place is urban or rural and give reasons for their opinion. Similarly, in mathematics, children in early years consolidate their understanding of number by practising counting. This solid foundation helps older pupils to solve increasingly complex problems, applying their mathematical knowledge in different contexts.

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better?

Teachers typically check pupils’ understanding so that any gaps in their learning can be identified and addressed. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. The most important knowledge that pupils need to know from early years onwards is not as clearly emphasised. Because of this, pupils’ understanding in these subject areas is not as well developed.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised pupils’ reading. They have developed a carefully structured curriculum and phonics programme. This begins in early years, where children develop their vocabulary quickly. When pupils begin to learn phonics, they practise 6 and 7 June 2023

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reading with books that are carefully matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to read with increasing fluency and confidence. Pupils who struggle to read are swiftly identified and timely support is provided. Across the school, pupils are motivated to read and listen to a range of diverse literature.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Training has been provided to help staff identify strategies and techniques to support pupils. While many staff make appropriate adaptations for pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers, this is not consistent. In some cases, pupils with SEND struggle to access the curriculum.

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Although most pupils behave well in lessons, teachers do need to remind some pupils about expectations and routines. However, behaviour at lunchtime is less well managed. Some incidents are not dealt with as swiftly or effectively as they should be. Leaders have rightly identified improving pupils’ attendance as a priority. Appropriate systems are in place to ensure that pupils come to school regularly and on time.

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Pupils appreciate the enrichment opportunities that are provided. This includes a broad range of visits and other experiences, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities during STEM Week. The curriculum for personal, social and health education helps pupils develop their understanding of important issues, such as forming healthy relationships.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance fulfil their statutory duties. Although they recognise some of the school’s broad strengths and areas for further development, they have not checked with sufficient precision the impact of their work. This means their understanding of the school’s effectiveness is not entirely accurate. The priorities they have identified are not consistently focused on the areas most in need of improvement. Staff appreciate the consideration given by leaders to their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders understand their responsibilities for safeguarding. They ensure that staff receive appropriate training. Because of this, staff know how to report concerns they might have about pupils’ welfare. Leaders make appropriate use of external agencies.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum is designed to help pupils to stay safe. For example, pupils learn about the risks associated with being online as well as the importance of ‘stranger danger’ when outside of school. Pupils have access to appropriate pastoral support if required; this includes counselling and different therapies. 6 and 7 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders, and those responsible for governance, do not have a sufficiently detailed or accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness. This means they have not identified the most important areas to improve. Leaders and governors must ensure that they maintain closer oversight. This will help to focus priorities for improvement in the right areas.  Behaviour in the playground is not consistently well managed. This means that some pupils do not feel as safe as they should. Leaders must ensure that staff apply the agreed behaviour policy as consistently in the playground as they do in classrooms.  The curriculum in some subjects is at an earlier stage of development. The knowledge that pupils need to learn from early years onwards is not as clearly identified in these subjects. As a result, pupils’ understanding is less secure. Leaders must ensure that the concepts pupils need to learn and remember are

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

identified. This will better support teachers to focus on helping pupils to secure the most important ideas in each subject.  The adaptations made to tasks and activities for pupils with SEND do not consistently help them to access the curriculum successfully. Leaders must ensure that teachers use the information about pupils’ specific needs that is available to them to make appropriate adaptations for pupils. This will better support pupils with SEND to learn and remember more.

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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. 6 and 7 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Robert Lane (interim headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The interim headteacher was appointed in September 2022.  The school does not make any use of alternative provision.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school shares a site with Welbourne Children’s Centre.

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Information about this inspection

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 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.  The inspectors met with the interim headteacher and other senior leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. 6 and 7 June 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography, mathematics, physical education and science. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The curriculum in other subjects was considered as part of the inspection.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  Inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents, carers and staff were gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Sophie Healey-Welch, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Diane Rochford Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 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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