Edwards Hall Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Edwards Hall Primary School Macmurdo Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 5AQ

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Outcome

Edwards Hall Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Debora Donoghue. This school is part of the Learning in Harmony multi-academy 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), Gary Wilkie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ben Spinks.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love being part of Edwards Hall Primary School. They proudly follow the school values of honesty, responsibility and community. Pupils enjoy coming to school to learn and be with their friends. Attendance is high. Pupils embrace the teachers’ high expectations for their personal development and learning. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look after each other, including children in the early years. Staff take the rare instances of misbehaviour seriously, dealing with any issues effectively so they do not reoccur. Consequently, pupils feel happy and safe. Pupils get along really well together, and they respect each other’s opinions. They are open-minded, respectful and hard- working.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Learning in class is rarely disrupted and pupils focus sensibly on their work. Pupils listen carefully to the teachers and keenly answer their questions. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school and how well staff look after their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A number of experiences complement the school’s vibrant curriculum. Trips to a television station, for example, allow pupils to experience life as a reporter. Pupils talk excitedly about places they have been, including the seaside for a coastal study or a theatre to learn about Shakespeare. Pupils are knowledgeable and well prepared for their future lives. 25 and 26 March 2025

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

The curriculum is ambitious, engaging and well sequenced. This ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well prepared for the next steps in their education. The school is pursuing continual improvement by fine-tuning some curriculum documentation. Throughout the curriculum, pupils build their subject-specific knowledge and skills securely. Pupils generally take pride in their work. However, teachers do not always give pupils enough guidance on how to apply their writing skills in a range of subjects. Consequently, there are inconsistencies in some pupils’ punctuation and handwriting.

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

Teachers have considerable subject expertise. They bring the curriculum alive for pupils, who relish every learning opportunity. Teachers check learning regularly, so they understand exactly what pupils know. If pupils demonstrate misconceptions, teachers address these effectively, so pupils are ready to move on. Pupils with SEND benefit from carefully adapted approaches. The ‘SEND Hub’ offers a safe, calm space for pupils needing additional help, including a bespoke and tailored curriculum. Specialist staff provide this support. Consequently, pupils with SEND receive the high-quality support they need to achieve well from their various starting points.

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

Reading is prioritised. The entire reading curriculum is meticulously organised. It is taught extremely well. Beginning in the Reception Year, children are immersed in high-quality books and stories. The school’s phonics programme makes clear the sounds pupils should know. The school provides extra support quickly when needed. This helps pupils to keep up. Pupils study a broad range of texts and genres. This, along with a wide range of strategies to promote a love of books, results in pupils developing not only fluency, but extremely positive attitudes to reading.

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

In mathematics, teachers from the Reception Year onwards expertly model how to use ambitious vocabulary. Pupils use these words to explain their ideas. A carefully structured approach to teaching mathematics, starting in the Reception Year, lays strong foundations for more difficult concepts and ideas that follow.

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

High expectations of pupils’ behaviour are shown through their positive actions in the classroom and around the school. Children in the Reception Year get off to a great start. They learn the school routines quickly and build the skills to listen carefully and follow instructions closely. Children develop secure social and emotional skills through the thoughtfully constructed curriculum. Older pupils build well on this positive start. Pupils behave exceptionally well and demonstrate excellent attitudes. Pupils enjoy their learning, working closely with adults if they need help. If pupils find school life challenging, there is a range of people who can help. Pupils are well looked after here.

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

Provision for pupils’ personal development is strong. This is underpinned by a well- designed programme for personal, social, health and economic education. Pupils learn about and confidently discuss their knowledge of a broad range of people, places and cultures. Pupils have a clear understanding of fundamental British values and a strong 25 and 26 March 2025

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knowledge of difference, diversity and equality. Pupils engage in several worthwhile projects in the local community. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders, governors, trustees and staff work as an integrated team. Pupils are at the centre of the school’s work. Leaders regularly check on the workload and well-being of staff. As a result, staff feel appreciated and well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in how well pupils apply their knowledge of punctuation and handwriting skills into their written work across the wider curriculum. This means that the quality of some pupils’ written work, in subjects other than English and mathematics, is not as strong as it should be. The school should support pupils to produce written work of consistently high quality across the curriculum.

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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 good 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Edwards Hall Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2014. 25 and 26 March 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 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Edwards Hall Primary School is part of the Learning in Harmony multi-academy trust.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and the deputy headteacher were both appointed in September 2023.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum with leaders.  The inspector met with leaders, including the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the two assistant headteachers and the SENCo.  The inspector met with a range of staff, representatives of the governing body, including the chair, representatives of the trust, including the CEO, and the chair of trustees.  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 took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and minutes of the governing body meetings and

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local authority visit reports.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around the school.  The inspector considered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey. He also considered the views of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also gathered the views of pupils and staff throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nick Rudman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 March 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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