Eastbury Farm Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Eastbury Farm Primary School Bishops Avenue, Northwood, Hertfordshire HA6 3DG

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Outcome

Eastbury Farm Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Eastbury Farm Primary School is firmly placed at the heart of the community. Pupils are proud to attend. They demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils actively engage in lessons and present their work to a high quality. They embody the school’s values, displaying kindness and care towards their peers. Pupils enjoy taking on leadership roles, including supporting younger pupils during break times and reading with Reception children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers set high expectations from the start. Pupils strive to meet them. Most pupils leave Year 6 achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics, positioning them well for learning in secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know that staff make sure that they are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils warmly welcome those who arrive at school from other countries. Pupils display a healthy interest in issues beyond their community, such as homelessness and the food crisis.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know it is okay to be different and say that ‘the world would be a boring place if we were all the same.’

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

The school’s curriculum is rich and engaging. The school’s curriculum plans are very clear about what pupils will learn and how this builds on pupils’ previous learning. Teachers ensure that they follow plans precisely and adapt learning where necessary. Pupils can talk confidently about their learning over time. Children start their education off well in Nursery and Reception. Teachers purposefully interact with them, asking questions and showing them important skills like cutting, sorting and writing. By the time they finish Reception, children are confident learners, ready for Key Stage 1. Nevertheless, some 1 and 2 February 2024

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subject leaders do not check what children are learning in the early years. As a result, they lack important information about whether pupils are making as much progress as they could from early years and beyond. Overall, pupils leave Year 6 well equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary for their next stage of education.

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Leaders ensure that reading is a high priority. They have ensured that all staff are experts at teaching phonics. Staff quickly identify those pupils who need more practice. Adults ensure that support is precise so that pupils make accelerated progress. Pupils read and listen to a range of quality texts. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite stories and authors. Pupils can explain how teachers show them a range of skills to help them understand the deeper aspects of a text. Pupils become proficient and keen readers.

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Leaders have established robust systems for tracking the progress of all pupils. The school accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff undergo specific training to address the needs of individual pupils. Teachers, in turn, meticulously adapt learning activities to ensure that every pupil can access the curriculum and progress at their own pace. This ensures that most pupils with SEND make strong progress.

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Teachers ensure that every pupil gets the help they need to help them learn new knowledge. Teachers use resources and activities effectively. In mathematics, for example, pupils benefit from a variety of resources designed to enhance their understanding of mathematical concepts. This ensures that all pupils, regardless of their individual needs, have the support and tools necessary to understand and engage effectively. Teachers promptly identify pupils who require extra support and those who are ready to move on to new learning.

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Pupils behave well, both in and out of class. Children in the early years learn to follow clear routines. Adults interact with children to develop their curiosity and independence. These positive attitudes to learning develop further over pupils’ time in the school. The school ensures that pupils attend well so that they can benefit from everything the school offers.

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The school prioritises pupils’ well-being. The school has organised rich activities and experiences to foster pupils’ social and emotional development alongside their academic progress. Pupils demonstrate a well-informed understanding of fundamental British values, including respect for individuals with diverse family or religious backgrounds. Pupils have a secure understanding of the positive aspects and the potential risks associated with using the internet.

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The school’s plans for improvement are aligned precisely with identified staff training and development needs. Staff value leaders’ commitment to ensuring that they contribute to decision-making processes. Staff share and support leaders’ aims for sustained improvement that will make the school even better for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 1 and 2 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders are not sure precisely what children are learning in the early years. This means that they do not know how well children are achieving or how pupils are building on their learning from the end of early years. The school should ensure that pupils’ learning is building effectively on prior learning from early years to Year 1 in all subjects.

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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 May 2018.

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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.

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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). 1 and 2 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Gillian Leonard and Sarah Rickayzen (co- chairs) Headteacher Elizabeth Ormonde

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2022.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met members of the local governing body and held a telephone meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their 1 and 2 February 2024

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learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  The inspector considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also spoke with several parents on day 2 of the inspection.  The inspector considered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and informal discussions, and through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 February 2024

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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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