Eastlea Community School

Inspection of Eastlea Community School Pretoria Road, Canning Town, London E16 4NP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The principal of this school is Sarah Morgan. This school is part of Newham Community Learning 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), Anthony Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Leslie. 13 and 14 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Eastlea is a safe, kind, and welcoming school. Pupils recognise and appreciate that they are part of a diverse community. Equality, respect, and tolerance are at the heart of the school’s values. Pupils feel safe. They say that bullying can happen, but staff take this seriously when it is reported. As a result, most pupils are happy and attend school regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Staff are determined that all pupils gain the knowledge and skills that they need to thrive in their future lives. Many pupils start school during the school year, and many speak English as an additional language. Although the school’s published outcomes in 2024 were below national averages, pupils’ current work and knowledge show they are progressing well through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Corridors and classrooms are calm and orderly, which enables pupils to learn without distractions. The school does not tolerate poor behaviour. It works constructively with pupils to help them understand how to behave. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests, making sure these experiences are inclusive so that each pupil can take part. There are well-considered educational visits to museums, theatres, and field trips into London. Pupils enjoy taking on leadership positions, such as in the ‘eco-group.’

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

Since the last inspection, the school has continued to improve the curriculum. Subject content is carefully ordered and suitably broad. Trustees and leaders are determined to prepare all pupils well for their next steps in life. As a result, they have strengthened the curriculum, and pupils now benefit from a good quality of education and achieve well.

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

The school’s vision is ambitious for pupils’ education. Leaders have introduced a new shared approach to teaching to support pupils to learn well. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They typically introduce new content clearly and use the whole-school approaches to teaching well. However, sometimes the school does not help pupils enough to understand and remember what they have been taught. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

Some pupils’ access to, and achievement across, the curriculum is hampered by weaknesses in their literacy. The school recognises this and has put a broad, effective reading strategy in place. Pupils who need help to become fluent readers receive well- targeted and effective support. Consequently, their reading is improving well.

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

The needs of pupils with special educational and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly and accurately. The school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND provides pupils with high-quality academic and pastoral support. However, on occasion, the impact of teaching strategies to support pupils with SEND are not reviewed and evaluated by leaders. As a result, sometimes teaching of the curriculum is not well 13 and 14 May 2025

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adapted so that some pupils with SEND can access it successfully. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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Leaders diligently check pupils’ attendance, identifying patterns and barriers that prevent pupils from attending school regularly. However, there is further work to do to raise the attendance of some pupils.

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The school’s approach to managing behaviour has created a calm learning environment. Suspensions have been high in the past, however, due to effective behaviour support they are reducing noticeably. Many pupils join the school at non-typical points, such as mid- phase. Most pupils settle quickly. When pupils find it harder to meet expectations, staff provide swift and effective support to help them succeed.

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The school provides a comprehensive programme of personal development. This includes sessions on knife crime, vaping, and e-safety. There are a wide range of opportunities for pupils to learn about future careers and different pathways to success, including apprenticeships and vocational options. This helps pupils to prepare well for their next steps.

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Leaders know the school’s strengths and where it needs to make further improvements. However, the monitoring and evaluation of some of its work is undertaken less well. This affects the effectiveness of some of the school’s actions. It means that some improvements are not as successful as they need to be. Most staff are proud to work at the school. They value the school’s work to consider workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few curriculum subjects, the school does not check well enough if pupils secure previous knowledge into their long-term memory. This affects how well teaching helps pupils to build their knowledge. As a result, some pupils have gaps in what they know and remember. The school should ensure that staff review pupils’ learning effectively and adapt teaching to enable pupils to remember key knowledge.  Some of the school’s evaluation of its work does not provide sufficient clarity on what aspects to improve and when to do so. This means that some of the school’s actions to refine pupils’ education do not have the impact that they could. The school should ensure that all aspects of its programme of monitoring and review give precise information on what should be improved and when. 13 and 14 May 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). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 and 20 April 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Newham Community Learning Trust.  The school includes a small additional resourced provision for up to 14 pupils. This caters mainly for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties.  Leaders currently use one registered alternative provider.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 and/or sixth form 13 and 14 May 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 trust staff and school governors, including members of the trust board and the CEO of the trust. They also met with the headteacher, deputy headteachers and senior staff, including those with responsibility for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, English, modern foreign languages, computing and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited lessons and reviewed pupils’ work in some other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ school evaluation,

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the school development plan, records for behaviour and attendance, and information about pupils’ personal development.  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 considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Sam Johnson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Olivia Page Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 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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