City of London Primary Academy, Islington

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: City of London Primary Academy, Islington 15 Baltic Street West, London EC1Y 0AE

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Outcome

City of London Primary Academy, Islington has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Kim Clapham. This school is part of the City of London 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, Mark Emmerson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Catherine McGuinness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The personal and academic development of pupils is at the heart of this school. Pupils thrive in this calm and purposeful environment. They are happy and feel safe. Pupils know staff who they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils attend exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly ambitious for all pupils. It prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Pupils are keen to learn and achieve well. There are equally high expectations for behaviour. Pupils and staff follow the school’s approach which reflects their core values of REACT ‘respect, excellence, aspiration, creativity and teamwork.’ Pupils are courteous and polite and behave well in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a wide range of interesting visits to local places of interest in the adjacent City of London and beyond. There are plentiful opportunities to develop pupils’ leadership skills by serving on the school council, being kindness ambassadors and play leaders. Pupils with these responsibilities support each other and the wider community. They talk with knowledge and pride about being eco-champions and how they help to feed and look after Wanda the school hamster. 18 and 19 March 2025

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

The school’s impressive curriculum is ambitious, carefully sequenced and engaging. The curriculum identifies what pupils need to know, and the order in which they should learn it. There are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit and recall prior learning. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to present new learning clearly. They carefully check what pupils have learned and can remember and swiftly address any misconceptions. Pupils use feedback from staff to improve their work. Staff deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of subject content.

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

Reading is a key priority for the school. Children in Reception and Year 1 get off to a great start and gain strong foundations for their future learning. They receive high-quality, consistent phonics teaching. All staff benefit from regular effective training and support in teaching reading from leaders. Pupils who need extra support in learning phonics receive this through carefully planned and targeted interventions. All pupils can take books home from the well-stocked library, which has a diverse range of texts. Older pupils enjoy reading books from different authors. This inspires them to develop a love of reading.

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

Well-planned learning starts from the early years. Children learn routines and to play and share toys with each other in the new outdoor provision. They enjoy counting numbers to ten and singing traditional rhymes. Once essential mathematical skills and knowledge have been mastered, all pupils have opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving ability. As they move through school, they develop an understanding of and can explain what makes a correct answer. Some pupils at the early stages of writing do not write as well as they should. This limits some pupils’ accuracy, clarity and fluency in their writing skills.

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

The school carefully identifies pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are well trained to support pupils’ individual needs. They adapt how they teach with skill to meet these needs. Pupils progress and achieve very well through the curriculum and can fully access the same learning opportunities as their peers.

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

Pupils love coming to school and attendance is rising every year as a result of the school’s relentless focus. Pupils are really well prepared for life in modern Britain. Their knowledge of online safety is well developed and age appropriate. Pupils learn how to contribute as global citizens to the wider community. For instance, they have a deep understanding of sustainability and the dangers of plastic pollution in their role as eco-ambassadors. Pupils learn about tolerance and diversity when they visit different faiths’ places of worship. They are introduced to the world of work when they meet adults from a range of careers. Pupils take part in a wide offer of clubs, including ballet, fencing, choir and yoga.

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

School governors and trustees make decisions in the best interests of pupils. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths of their school. They make regular checks to assure themselves that their actions have the impact they intend. Staff value the professional development opportunities in the school and appreciate efforts to reduce their workload and consider their well-being. The staff team work closely together well and are proud to work here. 18 and 19 March 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school’s expectations to develop pupils’ written work are not high. This limits some pupils’ accuracy, clarity and fluency in their writing skills. The school should ensure that pupils produce written work of a 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 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 November 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. 18 and 19 March 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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has been part of the City of London Academies Trust since September 2017.  The school does not currently 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 the evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior and curriculum leaders and groups of staff and pupils. 18 and 19 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 held discussions with the chief executive officer of the trust and with representatives of the local governing board, including the chair.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses and the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  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 reviewed school documents, including those relating to governance, behaviour and attendance. The inspector scrutinised leaders’ plans for improvement and their assessment of the school’s effectiveness.

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 The inspector spoke informally to pupils at breaktimes, in the dining hall and on the playground.

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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