Uphall Primary School

Inspection of Uphall Primary School Uphall Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 2JD

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Uphall Primary School is an exceptionally diverse school where most pupils speak English as an additional language. Staff know pupils and families individually. Positive relationships between staff, pupils, parents and carers ensure everyone is valued and included. Pupils thrive in the family atmosphere of this nurturing school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils have an excellent understanding of their moral and social responsibilities, which helps them meet leaders’ expectations with great success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The music offer is exceptional. For example, every pupil in the school learns to play more than one instrument as they move from simple percussion to ukulele and then to keyboard. A specialist teacher provides weekly instrumental tuition to pupils. Weekly singing and listening assemblies provide an opportunity for pupils to sing together and appreciate music from around the world. Many pupils belong to the choir, which performs each year at the Royal Albert Hall and the O2 Arena.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The ambitious and well-designed curriculum is underpinned by a rich programme of educational outings. For example, pupils enjoyed sharing their experiences of visiting the British Museum, Tower Bridge and the Cutty Sark.

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

The curriculum has undergone significant improvement since the previous inspection. The high-quality provision in English and mathematics is now reflected across the curriculum. The school has identified and sequenced the important knowledge, vocabulary and skills pupils should learn. For example, in music, pupils are taught notation gradually from Year 1. This helps them to read music with increasing fluency and compose music using notation. Similarly, in mathematics, younger pupils learn fractions are part of a whole number. This helps prepare them to understand improper fractions and mixed numbers later on.

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

Pupils typically develop a deep body of knowledge and understanding in different subjects. However, on occasions, teaching does not always deepen pupils’ understanding of subject-specific vocabulary and related concepts as well as it could. For example, some pupils do not secure an understanding of the important vocabulary needed to access the intended curriculum.

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

Reading is a top priority, beginning in the early years. Books are celebrated and enjoyed throughout school. For example, the school invites parents to a ‘culture day’ to read stories in their home languages, fostering a love of reading across the school. Daily phonics lessons led by expert teachers ensure children in early years get off to a secure start in reading. Teachers quickly identify pupils who struggle to read. They provide support, which ensures these pupils keep up with their peers. 25 and 26 February 2025

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In early years, the curriculum supports children to learn and play well together. Children who speak English as an additional language, including those who join part way through the year, settle quickly into school and are made to feel very welcome.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included in all aspects of the school. Teachers expertly adapt their teaching to ensure that all pupils access the same learning as their peers. The school’s internal provision to support pupils with complex needs offers personalised support, including bespoke physical education lessons delivered by specialists.

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Pupils behave exceptionally well, both in lessons and around the school. They learn with determination and enthusiasm. The newly formed attendance team work well with families to ensure pupils attend school regularly and on time. This has led to improvements in attendance.

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The school has carefully thought about the way they develop pupils’ character, emphasising physical and mental health. For example, pupils actively participate in a wide range of activities that broaden their talents and interests, including Bollywood dancing, dodge ball and chess. The curriculum, assemblies and leadership opportunities reinforce the school’s values. Pupils appreciate equality and show respect for others. For example, pupils recognise their right to a safe environment. They collaborated with the local authority to improve the area around the school as part of the ‘Super Zone Project’.

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The school has made significant improvements since the previous inspection. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They have prioritised the most important aspects and checked the impact of their work. This has helped to ensure that the changes they have introduced are well-embedded across the school.

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Staff feel very well supported by leaders to develop professionally. They feel their workload and well-being is a priority. Staff are rightly proud to work at Uphall and describe the school as ‘a family’ working together to serve their diverse community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, teaching does not deepen pupils’ understanding of subject-specific vocabulary and related concepts. In these instances, pupils’ understanding of aspects of the curriculum is less well developed. The school continue its work to ensure teaching consistently secures subject-specific vocabulary and concepts so pupils are thoroughly prepared to tackle the ambitious curriculum. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 November 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-size primary school.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.  The school is in a federation of two primary schools.  The headteacher oversees both schools in the federation.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. They held discussions with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and spoke with representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, music and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The lead inspector also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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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 scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and 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

David Worrall Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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