Childs Hill Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Childs Hill Primary School Dersingham Road, Cricklewood, London NW2 1SL

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Outcome

Childs Hill Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The head of school is Martin Skillett. This school is part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Hugh Greenaway, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tim Coulson. There is also an executive headteacher, Daniel Hawkins, who is responsible for this school and one other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a very inclusive school. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are happy and value their friendships. Their happiness is also displayed in the warmth they show for their teachers. The school sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement and personal development. There are positive steps towards pupils achieving their best in all subjects. This is a priority for the school. Pupils develop their personal skills well through a strong personal, social and health education curriculum. They are responsible young citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in and beyond the classroom is excellent. At breaktimes they play well and have a lot of fun together. Pupils are respectful of their peers and staff. They feel safe and are taught to keep themselves out of danger.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school community is highly valued by pupils, staff and families. The community council is a strong pupil and parent group that works together for the school, the local community and beyond. For example, the pupil ‘eco-councillors’ wrote a letter to a local company for a donation of plants. Following their success, they planted flowers in the local community. Parents and carers appreciate the care and regular communication the school provides.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well through a well-rounded education. The curriculum has been recently reviewed and improved with the intent of raising pupils’ 9 and 10 July 2024

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achievement further. Learning is logically ordered. This gives pupils opportunities to practise and repeat what they have learned. For example, in early years, children learn about numbers, counting and sharing. They develop an understanding of the patterns and links between numbers. Older pupils apply this knowledge when learning about fractions. In a few subjects, the important ideas that pupils need to know and remember are not as clearly identified. In these subjects, pupils do not recall the important knowledge they need to support the next steps in their learning.

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Teachers typically have the subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum well. They plan activities and tasks that enable pupils to learn the intended curriculum successfully. Teachers are clear in their explanations. They use different ways to check pupils’ understanding. Teachers are beginning to adapt the curriculum to address any gaps in learning. Staff expertise in some subjects is less well developed. As a result, pupils do not deepen their understanding consistently over time.

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Reading is a priority across the school. The chosen phonics programme is taught from the start of Reception. The school makes arrangements to check pupils’ learning and assess which pupils need help to catch up. This includes pupils with SEND and late joiners. Interventions are in place to support those pupils. As a result, pupils become fluent, accurate readers. The books pupils use to practise their reading in school and at home match the sounds they are learning. Parent workshops are held to support reading at home. Story time is meaningful to younger pupils. They show their enjoyment in their lively responses to teachers’ questions.

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The provision for pupils with SEND is strong. In addition to the specially resourced unit, the school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. The curriculum is suitably tailored to meet their needs. Where appropriate, pupils work alongside their peers in the school. Pupils with SEND are supported well in class to access the curriculum. Teaching assistants work effectively to provide support and guidance.

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The school’s work to promote positive behaviour is very well developed. As a result, pupils have a clear understanding of how to talk about and manage their feelings. From early years onwards, pupils are positive about their learning. High expectations are set for attendance. Staff work closely with families where concerns arise. As a result, absence rates are falling.

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Pupils are taught in a meaningful and age-appropriate way about important topics such as keeping themselves safe, healthy relationships and equality. Pupils are active and take up a wide range of responsibilities. For example, ‘conversation buddies’ go to speak with Nursery children while they are doing role play and other activities. A wide range of visits, assemblies and clubs enrich and expand pupils’ experiences.

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Staff, including those in the early stages of their career, are proud to work at this school. Leaders recognise and value their work in curriculum development. Staff well-being and workload are important. School leaders appreciate the support from the trust. 9 and 10 July 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the school need to do to improve?

 In a few subjects, the key knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and remember are not sufficiently identified. This means pupils do not build their knowledge deeply, including subject-specific vocabulary. The school should ensure that the important ideas that pupils need to know well are defined so that pupils are supported to remember key knowledge over time.

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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 predecessor school, Childs Hill School, to be good in January 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents 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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Headteacher Daniel Hawkins (executive headteacher) Martin Skillett (head of school) Website www.childshill.barnet.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school became part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust (TEFAT) in February 2020. ◼ The school has an additionally resourced provision for up to 12 pupils with autism. ◼ The school does not use any alternative provision. ◼ The proportion of pupils who join the school at the early stages of speaking English as an additional language is well above average. ◼ The school is informally federated with Claremont Primary School, also a member of TEFAT. Both schools are overseen by the same executive headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 9 and 10 July 2024

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◼ 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also considered other subjects as part of the inspection. ◼ The inspector spoke with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. The inspector also spoke with the CEO, the chair of trustees and other board members and with the trust’s regional director. ◼ 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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. ◼ The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including records of pupils’ behaviour. The inspector also had formal meetings with staff and with pupils. ◼ The inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View online questionnaire and to the staff and pupil surveys. The inspector also spoke with parents on the playground.

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Inspection team

Janice Howkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 July 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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