Altmore Infant School

Inspection of Altmore Infant School Altmore Avenue, East Ham, London E6 2BX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 27 and 28 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy and safe here. Pupils respond enthusiastically to the high expectations that staff have for them. Leaders want the best for all pupils. Pupils try hard to live the school values and do their best. Leaders do all they can to make sure pupils attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Behaviour at all times of the day is exemplary. Bullying is rare. Any incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively by school leaders. Pupils trust adults if they need any help. Staff help pupils to enjoy reading. They make sure that pupils benefit from carefully chosen activities that help build their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the range of clubs, outings and visitors to school. Activities such as author visits and sports clubs allow all pupils opportunities to broaden their interests. These experiences develop pupils’ social skills and an understanding of modern Britain. Parents and carers are positive about the work of the school. One parent’s comment was typical of many when they said, ‘It’s a wonderful school and my son is excited to go there.’

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better?

The school has an ambitious curriculum. It is broad and well organised. In most subject areas, specific skills, knowledge and vocabulary have been identified carefully. For example, pupils rapidly gain knowledge and skills in physical education (PE) and practise these regularly to gain confidence and proficiency. Leaders have a strong understanding of their subject areas. This helps them to have clear assessment procedures to identify and check pupils’ understanding.

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better?

Staff enable pupils to be well prepared for their next stage in learning. For instance, in mathematics, the curriculum is designed to feature regular recaps to make learning effective and enjoyable. In some subjects, however, the school’s curricular thinking is not as well developed, including building children’s knowledge from the year onwards sequentially. In the early years, children develop successfully across all areas of learning. Staff help to build children’s confidence and independence.

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better?

Leaders help pupils to read confidently, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In early years, children develop their language and listening skills through songs, rhymes and stories. Leaders have made sure that staff have the expertise to deliver the phonics programme well. This helps pupils to build reading accuracy quickly. Daily phonics sessions are taught consistently well. All pupils keep up with the phonics programme. The books that pupils read are closely matched to the sounds that they know. Pupils learn to read fluently and develop a love of reading.

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better?

Leaders work closely with parents and the on-site children’s centre to find out about pupils’ individual needs. This helps to ensure the right support is put in place. Pupils 27 and 28 June 2023

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with SEND learn successfully, including in early reading, writing and mathematics. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND throughout the school develop well socially and academically. Teachers make adaptations so that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum and enjoy learning.

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The school fosters a calm and orderly environment with clear routines and expectations. This helps pupils get the most out of the curriculum and to concentrate very well during lessons. Staff have excellent working relationships with pupils. As a result, the school has a respectful and purposeful culture where pupils are highly motivated to do well.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. Pupils learn about diversity, tolerance and inclusivity. Leaders enrich the curriculum by inviting a variety of visitors into school. Pupils also visit places of interest, such as the local places of worship and landmarks of London. They travel on public transport to build confidence and knowledge of their community. Pupils have many opportunities to carry out roles and take responsibility, for example as council members and playground ambassadors, which they are very proud of. Pupils are taught how to keep healthy.

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Leaders have rigorous systems in place to follow up on any pupil absence. Leaders and the governing body are well informed about the strengths of the curriculum. Staff appreciate the efforts of senior leaders to reduce their workload and consider their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a rigorous approach to safeguarding. They ensure all pupils are safe. Leaders make sure that all staff are suitably trained to identify and report any concerns about pupils. They work closely with external agencies and the children’s centre, on site, to secure appropriate support for children and families.

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Safeguarding

Referrals are made quickly, leading to pupils being given support in a timely way. Pupils are confident that staff will help them and, as a result, they feel safe at school. Pupils are taught how to stay safe, including online. In personal, social and health education, they learn about healthy friendships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not made sure that the curriculum is well sequenced or coherent. As a result, pupils, including children in the early years, do not remember sufficient essential knowledge. Leaders should ensure that high expectations and curriculum planning are consistent so that pupils can build on prior knowledge and apply it successfully to future learning. 27 and 28 June 2023

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Sarah Rowlands (executive headteacher), Carolyn Marles (head of school) Website www.altmore.newham.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Altmore Infant School is federated with the nearby Lathom Junior School. One governing body and the executive headteacher lead both schools.  The school provides before- and after-school childcare on the school site.  Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 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.  During the inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, geography, science, PE, and design and technology. In these subjects, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 27 and 28 June 2023

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors looked at published performance data about the school and a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the curriculum, training, governance and school improvement planning. They also checked the school’s website.  Inspectors asked pupils, staff, leaders, governors and parents about safeguarding arrangements and safety routines. This included scrutiny of the record of employment checks on school staff.  Inspectors talked informally with pupils, parents and staff to gather information about school life. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff’s and parents’ views. Inspectors spoke with some parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class, at lunchtime, on the playground

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and at other times during the day.  During the inspection, inspectors had meetings with the headteacher, other leaders, school staff, pupils, governors and a representative of the local authority.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lisa Farrow Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 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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