Martin Primary School

Inspection of Martin Primary School Plane Tree Walk, East Finchley, London N2 9JP

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 October 2023

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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 Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since December 2011. 17 and 18 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy attending school. This is because staff create a safe, calm and orderly environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access the ambitious curriculum. Children in the early years receive a very strong start to their learning journey. Outcomes at the end of each key stage are strong. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond Martin Primary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils demonstrate highly positive attitudes in meeting the high expectations set out by school leaders. Relationships at all levels are respectful. This is built on the school’s emphasis on respecting each other’s rights. Pupils articulate confidently that they have the right to learn and play. They are confident they can share with staff any concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In all subjects, pupils learn content that is connected to real-life experiences. For instance, the planned approach to educational visits, particularly within the locality, enables pupils to put learning into relevant and meaningful contexts. Leaders ensure that all pupils benefit from these inspiring learning opportunities. The school plays a crucial role within the local community. The school goes above and beyond in providing extensive support for families in need.

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better?

The school has undertaken an intensive review of the curriculum. Staff have developed an aspirational curriculum in which crucial content is broken down into small steps. Key vocabulary, knowledge and skills build progressively over time, in all subjects. For example, in science, pupils learn to question the world around them through increasingly complex experimental testing of ideas. The mathematics curriculum enables pupils to develop knowledge and concepts based on preparation for everyday life.

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better?

Teachers model and demonstrate key knowledge and skills effectively. Some staff do not routinely check what pupils know and have learned. This leads to some teaching not being appropriately adapted to meet the immediate needs of pupils within the lesson. As a result, some pupils do not secure, strengthen or deepen their understanding before the teacher moves on to new content. The recently developed approach to assessment is helping teachers and subject leaders form a greater awareness of what pupils know and remember. This is in its infancy.

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better?

The school identifies pupils with SEND effectively from the moment they start school. An extensive range of interventions is in place to help pupils catch up in learning the things they need to know. 17 and 18 October 2023

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The school wants all pupils to be confident and fluent readers. Leaders place great importance on developing children’s communication and language in the early years. Keywords feature highly in the environment and through adults’ interactions with children. Pupils are exposed to a wide range of stories and rich texts. In Reception, adults use the story of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ to teach children positional language. Staff regularly introduce new sounds in phonics lessons. Pupils use books that match the sounds they are learning. They make use of the words they sound out by placing them appropriately into sentences. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure and visiting the school and local library.

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The school provides pupils with secure opportunities to succeed by, for example, fostering the development of self-regulation, perseverance and resilience. This begins in the early years, where children learn the fundamentals of being a good friend, showing good manners and respecting others. Pupils respond well to instructions. As such, learning proceeds without hindrance. There is a robust strategy in place for promoting and improving pupils’ attendance.

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Pupils appreciate the many opportunities the school provides to extend and enrich their learning experiences. Leaders are deliberate in organising specific cultural experiences for disadvantaged pupils, including to places such as theatres and exhibitions. Pupils demonstrate a strong sense of helping others. They take immense pride in contributing to events in the community and wider society through, for example, the collection and donation of food parcels. Pupils know that discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. This includes judging or harassing others through words or physical actions.

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Leaders have high expectations for all. They are diligent in their pursuit of excellence. Those responsible for governance bring a wide range of skills to the governing body. They fulfil their statutory duties in maintaining oversight of the strategic direction of the school and the well-being of the school community. They are well informed. Opportunities for staff’s professional development are clearly identified. Staff appreciate the support and consideration leaders provide in support of their workload and work-life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not routinely check what pupils know and understand carefully enough. Consequently, some pupils are not secure in their understanding before teachers move on to new content. Leaders should ensure that all staff check pupils’ understanding and adapt the teaching to meet pupils’ immediate needs 17 and 18 October 2023

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within the context of the lesson so that pupils are fully prepared for future learning.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 17 and 18 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.martinprimary.barnet.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 December 2011

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative providers.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chair and members of the local governing body, a local authority representative, the headteacher, senior leaders, and a range of staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ogugua Okolo-Angus Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 October 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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