Latymer All Saints CofE Primary School

Age group Published Reference no. 3 to 11 years 19 April 2005 273606 Inspection report Latymer All Saints CE Primary School

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Unique Reference Number 102041 LEA Enfield

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Inspection number 273606 Inspection dates 22 and 23 February 2005 Reporting inspector Mr R Hartley HMI

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This inspection was carried out under section 3 of the School Inspections Act 1996 and was deemed a section 10 inspection under the same Act.

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Type of School Primary School address School category Voluntary Aided Diocese of London Age range of pupils 3 to 11 years 41 Hydethorpe Avenue Edmonton London N9 9RS

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Gender of pupils Mixed Telephone number 020 8807 2679 Number on roll 573 full-time 88 part-time Fax number 020 8807 8696

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Appropriate authority The governing body Chair of governors Reverend B Kyriacou Date of previous inspection May 2002 Headteacher Mrs L Reynolds This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Introduction

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When Latymer All Saints CE Primary School was inspected in May 2002, it was judged to require special measures because it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education. Her Majesty’s Inspectors of schools (HMI) subsequently visited the school on seven occasions to monitor its progress, and reinspected the school in February 2005.

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Description of the school

Latymer All Saints CE Primary School is situated in the London Borough of Enfield. The school is larger than average, with 573 full-time pupils, and 88 part-time pupils in the nursery. The number on roll has begun to rise after a period of decline following the May 2002 inspection. Ninety one per cent of the pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Twenty five per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals. A fifth of the pupils have been identified as having special educational needs; nine pupils have Statements of Special Educational Need. The school community has the highest unemployment and lowest income figures in the borough. Overall effectiveness of the school

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Description of the school

In accordance with section 14 of the School Inspections Act 1996, I am of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures, since it is now providing an acceptable standard of education for its pupils.

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Description of the school

Latymer All Saints CE Primary School has experienced staffing difficulties at all levels for a considerable period of time; these, in part, have been responsible for gaps in the pupils’ learning, which have left standards depressed and created a high proportion of underachievement. The appointment of the present headteacher has brought about improvement. She is providing determined leadership, ably supported by the senior management team. She has managed a high turnover of staff effectively, and the school is now providing sound education for its pupils. Standards are below national averages, and below what they could be, but they are rising steadily as a consequence of teaching, almost all of which is satisfactory and some of which is good or very good. The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour have improved significantly and are mostly good. The curriculum meets national requirements and pupils benefit from an extensive range of additional clubs and

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Improvement since the last inspection

The inspection of May 2002 required the school to address key issues concerned with the leadership and management of the school, standards and progress, the quality of teaching, the breadth of the curriculum, the pupils’ personal development, links with parents and attendance. There has been good progress in relation to leadership and management, the pupils’ personal development, parents and attendance, and satisfactory progress elsewhere.

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Capacity to improve

The school is now making good progress in its improvement and has a good capacity for further improvement. The headteacher has set a keen pace for progress and gives a firm sense of direction to the school’s development. The promotion of the school’s partnership with parents, improving the pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to work, and raising attendance levels have been successful. The headteacher is extremely well supported by a dynamic senior management team and receives good quality support from the local education authority (LEA), diocese and governors. Together, all these encouraging elements are providing context for continued improvement, especially in raising standards, and improving the quality of teaching to consistently satisfactory and better levels.

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Capacity to improve

There is a comprehensive programme of monitoring, undertaken by the school and the LEA, based on identifying strengths and areas for development in teaching and tracking the pupils’ progress in literacy and numeracy. The information is used well to assess current performance, to plan the next steps in learning and to set priorities for the work of the senior managers in taking forward whole-school issues. Some subject co-ordinators are taking an increasing role in determining future developments in their subject, particularly in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT), ably supported by the senior leadership team. The LEA has a comprehensive plan to give continued support to the school, which is sufficiently flexible to respond to changing needs.

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What the school should do to improve further

The school’s development plan recognises the areas where improvement is needed. However the key priorities are to:

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What the school should do to improve further

 raise standards in all subjects, especially literacy, numeracy and science;

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What the school should do to improve further

 continue to improve the quality of teaching;

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What the school should do to improve further

 develop a consistent approach to the use of assessment to inform planning and learning;

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What the school should do to improve further

 develop further the role of co-ordinators.

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What the school should do to improve further

The pupils make a sound start in the Foundation Stage. Many of the children enter school with a limited range of skills and experience, although by the end of the reception year a significant number reach the standards expected for five-year-olds; for example, in their communication skills. Although weaknesses in provision have led to gaps in the pupils’ learning and some underachievement, the present headteacher has made a determined effort to bring about improvement. Standards in the 2004 national tests show a varied picture. Generally, the results for the pupils in Year 6 were better than those for Year 2 and to some extent reflect the problems the school has had in retaining staff, particularly in Key Stage 1. The results for Year 2 were well below the national average, when compared to similar schools, in reading, writing and mathematics, although the number of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 was average in reading and mathematics. The results for Year 6 were

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What the school should do to improve further

well-above average in English, average in mathematics and well below in science. Many more pupils achieved the higher Level 5 in English than in mathematics and science. Significantly, those pupils who remained at the school from Year 2 through to Year 6, made above-average progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

Standards were satisfactory in 13 lessons and unsatisfactory in ten, reflecting the improvement made since September 2004. The pupils who have special educational needs are supported well in class.

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What the school should do to improve further

There have been improvements in planning; targeting work to meet the pupils’ learning needs; and promising developments, especially in literacy and increasingly in mathematics and ICT. However, many of these initiatives are insufficiently consolidated. The school is not complacent and knows that standards remain too low, especially in those subjects which have yet to become a focus for development, and that some pupils underachieve. There is a comprehensive range of additional teaching to boost the pupils’ attainment. Personal development

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What the school should do to improve further

The pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to work, which were unsatisfactory overall and often poor, have improved. A range of effective measures has been taken, resulting in attitudes and behaviour which now are satisfactory overall, and often good. Rewards and sanctions are well balanced and exclusions are very low; there have been none since the start of this academic year.

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What the school should do to improve further

Most of the pupils have good work habits and can organise themselves appropriately in lessons, gathering and using materials and equipment sensibly. However, some of the pupils need reminding to sustain their concentration; for example, when one stage of a lesson moves into the next.

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What the school should do to improve further

The pupils work independently and collaborate successfully in lessons, especially when objectives are clearly stated and where the teacher has high expectations. Most of the pupils maintain good relationships with each other; paired activities and group work are approached sensibly, particularly at Key Stage 2.

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What the school should do to improve further

Attendance was 93.8 per cent when the school was made subject to special measures and has risen to 94.8 per cent. Punctuality to school and to lessons is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

The pupils are actively involved in the running of the school. The school council plays a useful role in organising whole-school events, such as fund raising for charity, and in developing the school’s policies on behaviour and bullying. Pupils from each class take their responsibilities as monitors seriously, helping to supervise the library, corridors, the dining hall and the playground.

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What the school should do to improve further

The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The multicultural nature of the school community is fully reflected through the curriculum and extracurricular activities. There is a good range of clubs and after-school activities including a breakfast club. Parents are involved and make a significant contribution to their success. Quality of provision

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What the school should do to improve further

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. It was very good in one lesson; good in seven; satisfactory in 12 and unsatisfactory in three. These figures show an upward trend over time, particularly since the arrival of the present headteacher, with evidence that the staff are taking heed of the training provided by the senior managers, and the LEA, and the analysis of strengths and weaknesses in lesson observations. In the best examples, teaching was dynamic, lively and enthused the pupils. However, there are still pockets of teaching which are not consistently satisfactory.

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What the school should do to improve further

There is a good degree of consistency in planning and learning objectives are shared with the pupils. Overall, the tasks were appropriate for the pupils’ learning needs and the teachers achieved a good balance between direct teaching and practical work. In the majority of lessons, the pupils were attentive and applied themselves well when working individually or in groups. However, there was a small number of lessons where the pupils were restless at times, exacerbated by the teachers’ failure to ensure that they made best use of their time. Although there were examples of the teachers’ good questioning skills, in few lessons was the assessment of learning used to test or extend the pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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What the school should do to improve further

Assessment procedures are a developing strength, and a policy for assessment is now in place. The co-ordinator provides strong leadership and has a good understanding of how to track the pupils’ progress. The information from tests and assessments is carefully analysed and used to set appropriate work, especially in literacy and numeracy, and for those pupils who have special needs or who are high achievers. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to achieve a consistent approach to marking, which is currently lacking.

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What the school should do to improve further

The curriculum is broad and balanced and based on national requirements. The school has given proper emphasis to the pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy, although there is still some way to go in developing the impact of other curricular initiatives on standards; for example, in ICT.

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What the school should do to improve further

The classroom environments have improved significantly since April 2004; they are bright, appealing and conducive to learning. A range of pupils’ work is displayed and resources are generally accessible.

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What the school should do to improve further

Significant improvements have been achieved in the school’s links with parents and the community. Parents play an increasingly active part in the life of the school. They have a great deal of confidence in the way the school is run and many have expressed this view orally and through letters; the school’s number on roll is increasing. Leadership and management

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What the school should do to improve further

The school’s problems have largely been caused by a failure to recruit and retain members of staff at all levels. Since the May 2002 inspection there have been four headteachers, a complete turnover of the senior management team and significant changes in class teachers each term. In September 2004, 16 of the 30 teachers were new to the school. The present headteacher, who came to the school in April 2004, provides good, dynamic leadership and management. She has adopted a rapid pace of change, skilfully identifying those aspects which would achieve a quick return for the school’s efforts and also laying some important foundations for future development, including the partnership with parents; pupils’ behaviour and attitudes; setting up management structures; and raising the quality of teaching.

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What the school should do to improve further

The senior management team is a very effective group and provides good quality management for the rest of the staff, while also taking a full part in fashioning the overall direction of the school; each member has clear responsibilities. Co-ordinators are beginning to make a strong contribution to some of the subjects, especially literacy and, increasingly, numeracy and ICT.

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What the school should do to improve further

The headteacher and senior managers review progress regularly and produce strategic plans which reflect current priorities. The LEA, diocese and governing body have played an important part in the school’s improvement through support for the headteacher’s initiatives, providing professional training and regular checking of progress. Appendix – Information about the inspection

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What the school should do to improve further

Latymer All Saints CE Primary School was inspected under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 by a Registered Inspector and a team of inspectors in May 2002. The inspection was critical of many aspects of the work of the school and, in accordance with that Act, the school was made subject to special measures because it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

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What the school should do to improve further

The school was visited by HMI in December 2002, in March, June and November 2003, and in March, July and December 2004 to assess the progress it was making to implement its action plan and address the key issues in the inspection report of May 2002.

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What the school should do to improve further

In February 2005, three HMI returned to inspect the school for two days. The inspection was carried out under section 3 of the School Inspections Act 1996, which gives Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 10 inspection under the same Act.

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What the school should do to improve further

During the visit 23 parts of lessons and two assemblies were inspected. The pupils’ conduct was observed around the school and at break and lunchtimes, and samples of their work were inspected. Discussions were held with the headteacher, senior managers, representatives from the LEA, diocese and governing body and informally with other staff. Account was taken of the evidence from previous monitoring inspections.

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What the school should do to improve further

The inspection assessed the quality of education provided and the progress the school has made, in particular in relation to the main findings and key issues in the inspection report of May 2002 and the action plan prepared by the governing body to address those key issues. procedures set out in the leaflet 'Complaining about HMI-led Ofsted inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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What the school should do to improve further

part, for non-commercial purposes, provided the source and the date are acknowledged.

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