Lift Noel Park

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Noel Park Primary School Gladstone Avenue, Wood Green, London N22 6LH

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Outcome

Noel Park Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Tamsin Brown. This school is part of Lift Schools, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Rebecca Boomer-Clark, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Hall.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Noel Park Primary School. They are rightly proud to be part of the welcoming and diverse school community. Pupils are safe here and know their ‘trusted adults’ will resolve any worries they may have. They appreciate the support they receive from staff, who ensure that their voices are heard. Pupils behave in an exemplary manner.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have the highest expectations of all pupils. Pupils enjoy their learning and take great pride in the high-quality work they produce. The broad curriculum helps all pupils to achieve well. The impact of this is evident in the school’s published outcomes for pupils at the end of Year 6.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the Nursery onwards, all pupils discover a world of possibilities and opportunities. For example, a termly careers week introduces pupils to the future world of work. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their conversations with an architect, fashion designer and film director. A carefully selected range of local visits and workshops enhance the broad curriculum, including outings to Westminster Abbey and the Natural History Museum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in taking on a broad range of leadership positions, which support others in the school and local community. For example, the school council collect donations for a local food bank and the eco-council pick litter in nearby parks. 4 and 5 February 2025

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

The curriculum is highly ambitious. In many instances, it exceeds what is expected nationally. The school has carefully considered the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each subject. This is sequenced effectively from early years onwards to allow pupils to build their learning over time. In history, for example, children in the Nursery explore the past by discussing what happened yesterday. Over time, pupils build their understanding of chronology by exploring ancient history, including key events during the Stone Age, Roman and Ancient Greek periods. Similarly, in science, children in the Nursery learn what plants need to grow. Pupils go on to build an increasingly complex understanding of plants, such as how plants reproduce and how they evolve to their habitats.

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

Teachers benefit from a range of subject-specific training. They are experts in their subjects and present information clearly. They provide pupils with multiple opportunities to revisit previous learning. Teachers routinely check pupils’ understanding. This allows them to immediately address any misconceptions. Pupils have multiple opportunities to consider and then discuss their ideas. They listen to each other and politely offer points of agreement or challenge. This encourages them to embed their new knowledge and apply it to new contexts.

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

The school prioritise supporting all pupils to read with increasing accuracy and fluency, including those who need extra help. Staff are exceptionally well trained to deliver the phonics programme. As a result, they model sounds with precision and use consistent strategies to help pupils to decode. Books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Leaders select a range of fiction and non-fiction texts to broaden pupils’ literature horizons, including in different languages. From the Nursery onwards, there is a sharp focus on supporting all pupils to build a sophisticated and broad vocabulary.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are exceptionally well supported. Dedicated and well-trained staff swiftly identify any needs. This ensures that appropriately tailored provision is put in place. This includes input from specialists, such as the in-house speech and language therapist. Effective personalised support in lessons allows pupils with SEND to follow the same curriculum as their peers, wherever possible.

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

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and conduct around the school. Strong routines ensure that pupils are calm and polite both in and outside of the classroom. From the early years, pupils show a highly focused attitude to their learning. Leaders intervene swiftly on the rare instances when pupils need support to meet leaders’ high expectations, including around attendance. Pupils and their families know the importance of regular attendance.

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

Pupils’ personal development sits at the heart of the school. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. For example, they discuss how to stay safe online in both personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and in computing lessons. The 4 and 5 February 2025

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school provides a rich and carefully planned set of extra-curricular activities for pupils, including ballet, street dance and Japanese.

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Staff are rightly proud to work here. They know that the school has taken multiple steps to reduce workload and enhance their well-being. Staff at all levels appreciate their individualised training and the opportunities for progression. The trust and those responsible for governance are highly knowledgeable about the school. They match the exceptionally high expectations that leaders have for all pupils. Parents and carers are grateful for the education the school provides for their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 outstanding for overall effectiveness in March 2019.

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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. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Website www.sites.google.com/aetinet.org/noel- park-primary-school Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The current principal took up their post in January 2022.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspectors met with members of the trustees, governing body and a representative from Lift Schools.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons in different subjects, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 carers, and staff through both discussions and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Hannah Glossop, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Stone Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

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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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