Vaughan Primary School

Vaughan Primary School

Address: The Gardens, Vaughan Road, West Harrow, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 4EL Unique reference number (URN): 102223

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

In national assessments for reading, writing and mathematics, pupils' achievement is above national averages across a range of measures. Their academic outcomes demonstrate that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, achieve consistently well from their starting points. Disadvantaged pupils attain consistently highly, especially in reading and writing.

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Achievement Strong standard

In lessons, and in their written work, pupils consistently demonstrate secure and assured knowledge of previously taught concepts and skills. They can apply their existing learning confidently to new situations and contexts. They become fluent and secure in their reading through their learning of phonics. This supports pupils to understand and master what they study across all other areas of the curriculum.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils develop secure and deep foundational knowledge during their time at the school. Leaders' increased focus on developing writing is having a positive impact on the quality of pupils' work in this area of learning. Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next phase of their education.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders work strategically and with impact to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, have high attendance. Levels of attendance are above national averages. Rates of persistent absence are also low. When pupils are absent, leaders are swift to intervene to ensure that any issues do not build up or become embedded. They make sure that appropriate and precisely targeted support is in place both for pupils and their families, so that high levels of attendance can be maintained.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have established clear expectations for behaviour that are understood and consistently followed by pupils across the school. Pupils have highly positive attitudes to learning, they settle quickly to tasks and engage purposefully in lessons. Relationships between pupils and staff are consistently positive and respectful, contributing to a calm and orderly learning environment. Pupils conduct themselves well throughout the school day. During social times, they interact harmoniously, play cooperatively and demonstrate respect for one another. The way in which pupils move between lessons, playtimes and lunchtime is orderly, with pupils responding promptly to instructions from staff. Pupils feel safe in school and know who to speak to if they have any concerns. Bullying is rare. It is dealt with promptly and effectively by staff if it does occur.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have ensured that there is a carefully delivered approach to inclusion, with pupils' needs reviewed step by step. Pupils are meticulously assessed on entry to the school, with leaders ensuring that needs and any required support are identified early on. Leaders also ensure that any additional needs or barriers are discussed with families so that effective

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Expected standard

strategies for pupils' success are put in place. Planned support for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is reviewed regularly and in collaboration with teachers, pupils, parents and carers. This ensures that the school is highly successful in breaking down any barriers to learning for pupils.

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Expected standard

The needs and experiences of pupils who are disadvantaged are carefully considered in leaders' planning of the curriculum as well as extra-curricular clubs and visits. These activities are designed to intentionally fill gaps in pupils' experiences and knowledge, such as their exposure to culture and the arts, for example. The school uses additional funding effectively to support this work.

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Expected standard

Leaders carefully track the impact of the support that they offer for pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged. This ensures that the impact of any additional help is positive and is adapted at pace if it is not delivering the results that are intended. This is well demonstrated by the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in national assessments, whose attainment is often higher than that of their non-disadvantaged peers nationally.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed and established a broad and ambitious curriculum. Teachers present subject matter clearly and demonstrate secure subject-specific knowledge and teaching skills. Learning is carefully sequenced to generally enable pupils to build on their prior learning over time, including developing essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Often, teaching builds in time for pupils to recall what they have learned in order to strengthen how well they remember subject content. Subject-specific vocabulary is explicitly taught, particularly in mathematics, and pupils are generally encouraged to explain and justify their thinking. Appropriate adaptations to teaching, including, for example, the use of symbols and targeted adult support, enable pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to access the intended curriculum successfully alongside their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Although teaching is effective in many respects and enables pupils to attain highly, there are some inconsistencies in how well embedded effective practice is across classes, including how skilfully teaching checks on pupils’ understanding. Consequently, there are occasions when teaching does not give some pupils sufficient opportunities to articulate their thinking or demonstrate secure understanding before learning is moved on. For a small number of pupils, there are some instances of teaching not deepening learning when these pupils are ready to move on to developing more complex subject knowledge and understanding.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders ensure that children settle quickly into well-established routines and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Relationships between staff and children are warm and supportive. This enables children to feel secure and participate confidently in daily activities. Leaders have established clear priorities for the early years provision, with communication and language, phonics and mathematics all forming the central focus of the curriculum. Assessment is used to understand children's starting points and inform targeted support for children who need it, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged.

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Early years Expected standard

The teaching of phonics and mathematics is secure, with the school's aims consistently implemented across the phase. In these areas, effective practice is more embedded in teaching than in other curriculum areas. Staff demonstrate confidence in ensuring that children develop secure early knowledge and skills in reading and mathematics, including through well-focused teaching and appropriate support. Children with SEND are also generally well supported, benefiting from individual programmes of support and targeted additional help. This enables children to participate in learning alongside their peers.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the priorities for further development. They have rightly identified communication and language as central to improving outcomes for children. At present, leaders recognise that teaching does not consistently maximise opportunities to develop children's communication and language, through for example, purposeful interactions or the modelling of ambitious vocabulary. As a result, children are not supported as well as they could be to extend their thinking or apply previously taught learning as they play and explore across the provision. Leaders have plans to review the curriculum to address this, including ensuring that the curriculum and teaching promote children's learning coherently across all 7 areas of learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive and supportive culture in which staff feel valued and well looked after. They report excellent support for their wellbeing and professional development. Leaders have ensured that the local community is at the heart of the school and all their actions are in the best interests of the pupils. Parents and carers are extremely appreciative of the work that the school undertakes to support their children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including governors, have an appropriate understanding of the school's strengths and the areas requiring further development. They ensure that pupils are kept safe and they uphold all of their statutory duties. They plan sensibly to ensure the future success and development of the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established highly effective systems to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. Leaders have also ensured that there is a structured programme of professional development which is aligned to whole- school priorities and individual staff needs. This includes continuing to build teaching expertise in supporting pupils who are vulnerable and have additional barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders also support to staff to access a range of other training, such as professional learning available through local authority networks, national providers and specialist services. The development of subject leadership is also well supported, including, for instance, through collaborative partnerships with other schools, curriculum- specific training and leaders' planned programme of monitoring activities. All of these arrangements contribute effectively to the ongoing development and improvement of staff

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

knowledge, subject leadership and curriculum implementation.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have prioritised pupils' personal development and emotional wellbeing. Pupils are supported well to develop independence, look after their wellbeing and make positive choices throughout the school day. A range of strategies, such as programmes to help pupils to manage their feelings, social skills groups, daily check-ins and therapeutic support, all help pupils to develop confidence, resilience and positive relationships with their peers. In addition, all pupils have an opportunity to apply for different leadership responsibilities at the school. As part of this, for example, pupils write applications and deliver speeches to their classmates, who then vote to decide who should take on the role. As well as encouraging pupils' personal growth and self-confidence, the school's approach also supports all pupils to understand the democratic process and the importance of public service.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum supports pupils to learn about the wider world and different cultures. They learn how to keep themselves safe both online and in the wider world. They also demonstrate a clear awareness of healthy eating choices as well as positive attitudes towards exercise. Pupils learn about fundamental British values and that people have differences. While pupils know why it is important to be respectful of difference and demonstrate this through their behaviour, some aspects of their knowledge in this area of the PSHE curriculum are not as developed as they could be.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that pupils experience a range of different extra-curricular clubs and educational trips which enhance the curriculum and help to develop pupils' wider cultural awareness. These enrichment opportunities are diverse, ranging, for example, from engineering clubs to visits to the theatre. Leaders work to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged particularly benefit from these opportunities. Leaders are in the process of further developing the school's systems in order to ensure that this aim is continually met.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy coming to school each and every day. They feel happy and safe here. Pupils speak proudly about their school. They say that they cannot imagine how it could be improved further. Pupils have caring and positive relationships with their peers and school staff. They know that bullying and different types of discrimination are not tolerated here. Pupils would report these behaviours immediately if they did happen, and they know that they would be dealt with swiftly by their teachers.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from the school's thoughtful approach to fostering their development as individual young people. For example, through whole-school performances such as 'The Lion King', pupils develop their confidence to speak in front of audiences. They relish getting a chance to shine, be it in a lead role or as a stage manager. Pupils who are disadvantaged are prioritised to ensure that they benefit from these opportunities. Pupils also like taking part in their elected leadership roles, such as ‘bistro buddies’, where they have the opportunity to serve their community. They like that they can influence the strategic direction of their school. Pupils are supported to learn the curriculum well. Leaders have deliberately considered what will support pupils in their next stages of education. They have made sure that pupils develop these knowledge and skills consistently and in a secure manner. All pupils,

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

including those with barriers to learning such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, are fully ready for the next steps in their educational journey.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils have very positive attendance. Leaders support parents and carers and pupils if this is likely to be stop being the case. Pupils are motivated to be in school. In classrooms, they enjoy learning and at break and lunchtimes, pupils happily play together, with staff and playtime leaders supporting this to happen successfully.

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Next steps

From early years to Year 6, leaders should to continue to develop the knowledge and skills of staff to implement and embed highly effective teaching practice across the curriculum, including using assessment to further enhance the teaching of the curriculum across subjects. Leaders should continue to develop and enhance the strategic leadership and implementation of the personal development and wellbeing provision, ensuring that it is having a maximum impact on all pupils. This includes building on work to maintain and, when needed, strengthen specific provision for vulnerable pupils.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Ben Ford.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other leaders and staff and representatives from the local authority and governing body during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection as it has appointed a new chair of governors.

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Team inspectors:

Rekha Bhakoo, Ofsted Inspector Alan McDougall, Ofsted Inspector Catherine Lane, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 14 July 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 50% 46% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 67% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 50% 59% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.5% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 12.4% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 13.4% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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