St Aidan's Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of St Aidan’s Voluntary Controlled Primary School Albany Road, Stroud Green, London N4 4RR

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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 March 2015. The school received a monitoring visit under section 8 of the Act in November 2019. 10 and 11 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff at St Aidan’s enjoy warm and respectful relationships within this small and close-knit community. Staff know pupils well and this helps to ensure that they feel safe and are kept safe at school. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and state that their children are happy to attend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ learning. Pupils study a broad range of subjects and achieve very well, including in national assessments. Pupils are highly motivated and learn to study with increasing independence as they move through the school. Pupils enjoy the school visits that underpin the ambitious curriculum, such as those to local museums and an overseas trip to Paris. These visits help deepen their understanding in different subject areas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to learn inside and outside the classroom. They engage positively in learning in lessons, at lunchtimes and after school. There is an active student council, whose members generate ideas such as the ‘Super Bonderful Read’ event, where older pupils brought in their favourite book and read to their younger peers.

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better?

Pupils follow a rich and ambitious curriculum that matches the breadth and depth of what is expected nationally. In each subject, and areas of learning in early years, leaders have identified the important knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and remember. This is logically sequenced so that pupils practise and embed important concepts. For example, in religious education, children in early years secure the vocabulary to describe the Christmas festival. This foundation knowledge supports older pupils to discuss more complex ideas about stories from different religions.

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better?

The curriculum is well implemented. Staff receive high-quality training and have strong subject knowledge. This ensures that new ideas are clearly and precisely explained. Assessment is used effectively in order to check what pupils have learned. This enables any errors or misconceptions to be swiftly identified and addressed. As a result, pupils build a deep body of knowledge across the curriculum. They draw on this when learning more complex ideas and are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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better?

The reading curriculum is highly effective. Staff have been well-trained to implement the school’s phonics programme as soon as children start their Reception year. Staff provide well-targeted catch-up sessions for any pupils who struggle with their reading. This helps pupils to quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils achieve highly in reading and are thoroughly prepared for secondary school.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Staff have been well trained to make appropriate adaptations so that 10 and 11 July 2024

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pupils access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, wherever this is possible. Pupils with SEND are well supported to apply and connect their learning across the curriculum and build a depth of knowledge and understanding.

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Leaders have designed a carefully considered personal, social and health education curriculum to support pupils’ well-being. For example, pupils learn about the importance of recognising and celebrating diversity. Visits from the local police community support officer help pupils to understand potential local risks and how to keep themselves safe. Similarly, pupils are helped to understand what cyber-bullying is and what they need to do if it happens to them. Pupils’ mental health and emotional health are given high priority. For example, all pupils identify five trusted adults they can speak with if they are worried.

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Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school, demonstrating very positive attitudes to their learning. This is because staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour that are consistently applied. Pupils are proud members of the St Aidan’s ‘STAR’ community, where they embody the school’s values of keeping safe, achieving and being respectful. Pupils readily display these values in lessons, around the building and in the playground. Rates of attendance and punctuality are high. Leaders achieve this by being ambitious and having high expectations. There are secure systems in place to monitor and follow up any absences swiftly.

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Staff appreciate the consideration leaders and those responsible for governance give to managing workload and well-being. Parents and carers are highly positive about the work of the school and the education their children receive.

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Governors have a strong understanding of their statutory duties. They provide effective support and challenge to school leaders. Governors recognise the school’s many strengths and constantly strive to build on these, promoting a culture of ongoing improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 10 and 11 July 2024

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with 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). 10 and 11 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.staidansprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school. The school’s last SIAMS inspection was December 2017.  The headteacher joined the school in January 2023.  The school uses no 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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. 10 and 11 July 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and the local authority school improvement officer.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, religious education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. They also spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors 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 gathered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions

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and considering their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Lisa Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Smith His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 July 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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