Colindale Primary School

Colindale Primary School Inspection report

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101269 Unique Reference Number Barnet Local Authority 276482 Inspection number 7 °8 June 2006 Inspection dates Malcolm Johnstone 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 Mr Christopher J Mortimore Chair Mrs Sally Lajalati Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection 30 Poolsford Road School address Colindale London NW9 6HP

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02082058706 Telephone number 02082009859 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 7 °8 June 2006 Inspection dates 276482 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is a large primary school in an area with some features of social and economic disadvantage. The pupils represent a very wide ethnic and cultural mix with very high numbers of pupils who have English as an additional language. The number of pupils who join and leave the school, at other than the expected times, is high. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is well above average. The school is accessible and resourced for physically disabled pupils. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average. Many children entering the nursery have low levels of social skills, language development and early mathematics skills, according to the school's data.

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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: Colindale Primary School, 7 °8 June 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

* Raise standards in writing, particularly for boys in Key Stage 1. Provide more experiences for all pupils to write at length in subjects other than English. * Strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage to ensure that children make consistently good progress.

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Grade:

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. As one pupil commented, 'I like the determination of teachers and pupils and that is what makes the school so good'. Teaching in Years 5 and 6 is particularly effective and leads to consistently good achievement. Some outstanding teaching was seen in Years 4, 5 and 6. The pace of learning is purposeful and rapid. A good variety of teaching methods, including drama, are used to develop understanding and enjoyment. Teachers' expertise is used very well in subjects such as physical education. In most lessons assessment information is used well to plan the next stage of learning and results in a good level of challenge in most activities. A scrutiny of pupils' past work shows good examples of extended writing in English, although there are few examples in other subjects. Resources, including computers are used successfully and support learning effectively. Excellent

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Grade:

relationships are seen throughout the school and these assist pupils to develop very good attitudes to their work. Classroom assistants, including those with responsibility for pupils with learning and physical difficulties, support pupils well and make a significant contribution to their good progress. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. On some occasions opportunities to maximise the learning potential in activities so that children do not make as much progress as they might. For example, links between activities in one area of learning are not always linked to others.

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Grade:

The curriculum is good and celebrates the wide cultural diversity of the local community. There are good opportunities for pupils to participate in special events that are interwoven into the life of the school, for example Indian dancing and Black History month. Good use of the locality enhances learning successfully. The curriculum is adapted well to meet the needs of different groups of pupils and those with physical disabilities are fully included. While pupils enjoy learning through well planned practical activities, there are insufficient opportunities for them to develop their writing skills across 4 of 7 Inspection Report: Colindale Primary School, 7 °8 June 2006 subjects. There is a good range of well attended activities beyond the school day, for example, sports and ICT skill development. Provision for ICT has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now good. The curriculum promotes pupils' personal, social and emotional

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Grade:

development well and successfully supports healthy living and staying safe. There are good opportunities for pupils to work in teams.

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Grade:

Pupils are cared for very well and say that adults in the school will help them if they have any concerns or problems. This is supported by the views of the large majority of parents. Systems for supporting those pupils who have physical disabilities are outstanding. Support for pupils with learning difficulties is good and ensures that they have access to a wide range of activities. There are very good systems for tracking pupils' progress and setting challenging targets. The many pupils arriving from other places are made to feel very welcome and soon make new friends. There are good child protection procedures. The school meets all requirements for health and safety, with regular risk assessments effectively and conscientiously observed. The school works very well with other agencies to support vulnerable pupils. There are effective partnerships with other local schools to ensure smooth transition of pupils both in and out of

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Grade:

5 of 7 Inspection Report: Colindale Primary School, 7 °8 June 2006 .

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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: Colindale Primary School, 7 °8 June 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pupils All the inspectors would like to thank you for your warm welcome and for talking to us about all the things you do at school. You are clearly proud of your school and think that it is good. We agree with you, although as in many schools, there are always a few things that can be even better. We were pleased to see how much you enjoy your lessons and how sensibly and hard you work. You behave very well and are polite to visitors. It was very pleasing to see how you all get on together and how much all the teachers and helpers care about you and want you to do your best. You are doing well in all your lessons, although we think the boys in the infants could be doing even better with their writing and have asked the teachers to help you more with this. You all do some lovely writing in your English books and we have asked the teachers to help you do even more of this writing in other subjects. All the teachers and classroom helpers work hard to help you make the best possible progress

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

with your work and we have asked your headteacher to make sure that this happens in all the lessons. If you are to make the best of all the important things happening at school you need to make sure that you come to school regularly. There are still a few children who take too much time off school and need to improve their attendance.Thank you again for welcoming us to your lovely school. Best Wishes Malcolm Johnstone Lead inspector 7 of 7 Inspection Report: Colindale Primary School, 7 °8 June 2006

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