Nightingale Primary School

Nightingale Primary School Inspection report

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100254 Unique Reference Number Hackney Local Authority 276276 Inspection number 8 °9 December 2005 Inspection dates Andrew Howe Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Marla Bishop Chair Mr Jacob Herbst Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Rendlesham Road School address Hackney London E5 8PH

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02089854259 Telephone number 02085336449 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 8 °9 December 2005 Inspection dates 276276 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Nightingale Primary School is of average size and includes a nursery. It serves an area of high deprivation in north east London. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is high. About nine tenths of the pupils come from a range of ethnic minority groups. About half are of Black African or Black Caribbean origin. A much higher than average proportion of pupils enter or leave during the school year. About two fifths of pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is larger than average. The school is supported by the local authority through the Intensifying Support Programme and has been without a permanent headteacher for the past four terms. The acting headteacher was appointed in January 2005 and faced a challenging situation, including many staff changes.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 7 Inspection Report: Nightingale Primary School, 8 °9 December 2005

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What the school should do to improve further

* Raise achievement and standards in English, mathematics and science, by improving the quality of teaching, so that it is consistently good.* Fully develop assessment procedures so that teachers' planning is able to meet the needs of all pupils more effectively* Further develop and embed the systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and pupils' progress* Take further measures to improve attendance.

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Grade:

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Although teaching varies from inadequate to outstanding, it is mostly satisfactory or good. Teaching has improved substantially over the last year, as the school has recruited enthusiastic new staff, provided effective training and monitored their work. In the Foundation Stage teaching is satisfactory. Children make sound progress in learning basic skills such as letter names and sounds because of well paced teaching that involves them well. Teachers manage pupils' behaviour well. Support staff help to ensure lessons are orderly and pupils work hard. Teachers usually teach with good pace and questions are used effectively to make pupils think. Because most teachers make the aims of their lessons clear pupils generally understand what they are doing and why. Teachers are starting to use interactive whiteboards effectively and pupils respond well to the visual presentation of lessons. Marking is beginning

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Grade:

to enable pupils to see how to improve their work. Teachers make good use of year group targets which pupils are eager to achieve. In most lessons these positive qualities mean that pupils' progress is now satisfactory. Where teaching is weaker, poor behaviour is allowed to slow the pace of learning. Occasionally pupils are not clear about the task set. Tasks are generally matched well to the needs of pupils, but in a few lessons where new assessment systems are not fully embedded planning does not meet the needs of all pupils.

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Grade:

The curriculum is satisfactory. There is a range of interesting activities. For instance, Year 5 pupils took part in enacting a lesson as if they were in a Victorian classroom. Teachers are improving planning for literacy and numeracy, but this has yet to make an impact on pupils' progress in these subjects. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory; there is a new computer suite and teachers are beginning to make good use of interactive white boards. Good links between subjects are made clear in teachers' plans. Planning in the Foundation Stage is not good enough to ensure all children make the best progress they could. Pupils enjoy a good range of visits and visitors, which enriches the curriculum. There is 4 of 7 Inspection Report: Nightingale Primary School, 8 °9 December 2005 a scheme of work for personal, social and health education, but it is not taught consistently

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Grade:

throughout the school. As a result drugs education has not been taught recently. There is a good range of well attended clubs which pupils enjoy.

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Grade:

The school evaluates care and guidance as good, but the inspection team judges it to be satisfactory. Pupils are well cared for. Staff are very approachable and caring, and communication with parents is good. The head is so well regarded by parents that he is known as 'Jake the Shake', because of his method of shaking hands with humour and enthusiasm! Satisfactory health and safety and child protection procedures are in place.The school now has systems in place for tracking pupil progress, but they are not yet fully embedded. There are overall class targets which are helping pupils improve basic skills. However, there are no individual or group targets for pupils. Progress made by groups of pupils, such as those who do not speak English at home, is not yet well enough tracked.

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Grade:

5 of 7 Inspection Report: Nightingale Primary School, 8 °9 December 2005 .

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Grade:

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: Nightingale Primary School, 8 °9 December 2005

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for helping us when we visited recently. You told us a lot about your school. We enjoyed our time with you, and now it is time to tell you what we think. Most of you behave in a satisfactory way and want to learn. This is a real improvement over last year. Well done. You get plenty of help with your work from your helpers and teachers. They take good care of you and there is always an adult you can go to if you have a problem.Most lessons are satisfactory and some are good. Teachers try to make what you learn interesting and are well organised. You are starting to make better progress in lessons. Improvements like the new interactive whiteboards and the computer suite are helping you.Your headteacher and the local authority have made a lot of improvements to the school in a short time, to help you. They are certainly making a difference. There are some problems we need to mention to you, though:* Your results in tests and the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

progress you make are not good enough. We think this is because you have had so many different teachers and changes in headteacher in the last year or two;* The standard of teaching is sometimes not good enough;* Too often a few of you are absent from school for unacceptable reasons, such as holidays taken in term time;* Your headteacher and other teachers need to make sure they check up more carefully on how well you are doing and how well you are taught. This will help them plan for your learning and a better school.We think Nightingale Primary is a school that needs to improve. We think it can get better, because your headteacher and teachers know what to do. If you work hard, and behave well, we know you can make your school one to be even more proud of. 7 of 7 Inspection Report: Nightingale Primary School, 8 °9 December 2005

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