Cromer Road Primary School

Cromer Road Primary School Inspection report

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101272 Unique Reference Number Barnet Local Authority 276483 Inspection number 22 °23 November 2005 Inspection dates Alan Frith 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Tony Vorou Chair Ms Helen Schmitz Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Cromer Road School address New Barnet Barnet EN5 5HT

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02084493492 Telephone number 02084400580 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 22 °23 November 2005 Inspection dates 276483 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 three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is larger than average. Nearly a third of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups and this is almost twice the national average. About one pupil in six speaks English as an additional language and this is also nearly twice the national figure. The school has slightly fewer pupils with learning difficulties than is typical and this figure has reduced since 2002. The number of pupils who have moved in and out of the school recently is very similar to the national picture. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals has risen in each of the last five years and is now slightly above average. Pupils' overall attainment on entry is in line with national expectations.

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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: Cromer Road Primary School, 22 °23 November 2005

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What the school should do to improve further

* continue to take steps to ensure that pupils whose attendance is unsatisfactory come to school more regularly* make sure that teachers' marking in all year groups and subject areas gives pupils a clear understanding of how to improve.

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Grade:

Teaching is good overall and some of it is outstanding. Recent strategies to develop teachers' understanding of how children learn and help them focus on planning for individual pupils are improving teaching. Pupils learn better now that tasks are adapted to provide suitable challenge for them all. The school's new unified approach to marking and day-to-day assessment is not applied yet by all teachers. Most marking is effective, guiding improvement and requiring pupils to assess their own effort, but a minority is less helpful, giving too little direction about what pupils need to do to improve.The focused work of support staff and trusting relationships between pupils and staff create a positive climate for learning so that pupils make good progress. The introduction of whiteboards is very popular and affects learning positively. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils responded particularly well to classroom photographs when they were projected

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Grade:

on the board. A few teachers engage pupils' interest and enthusiasm throughout by ensuring that learning activities are exactly matched to their needs. This causes pupils to make great efforts and learn outstandingly well. Senior staff are working effectively to spread this expertise by adopting consistent approaches and deploying an advanced skills teacher to work alongside teachers in lessons. There is good teaching of pupils at an early stage of learning English, and of those with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Grade:

The school correctly judges its curriculum as satisfactory. Provision for personal, social and health education is good and helps pupils gain in self-confidence. Activities in lessons are well matched to pupils' abilities, enabling them to make good progress overall. Provision for pupils at an early stage of learning English, and those with learning difficulties and disabilities, is well-managed and helps these pupils to play a full part in school life. Teachers do not make full use in all subject areas of opportunities for pupils to practise the literacy and numeracy skills they gain in English and mathematics, but there are plans to develop this.Pupils enjoy taking part in a range of extra-curricular activities including dance club and choir. The school pool is well used and enables pupils of all ages to have regular swimming lessons. Pupils say they enjoy using it and many of them have become good swimmers. Visits to places of interest

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Grade:

4 of 7 Inspection Report: Cromer Road Primary School, 22 °23 November 2005 and visitors to the school, for example theatre groups, enrich the curriculum. Links with the local community are satisfactory, but opportunities for enriching pupils' experience, for example of cultural diversity, have been missed. Opportunities for pupils to develop computer skills are good.

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Grade:

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory with some very good features. This is a caring and supportive school. It is a calm, orderly community, where pupils of all backgrounds feel confident and safe. Bullying or harassment is very rare and dealt with effectively. Teachers carefully check each pupil's progress from year to year, giving additional support where necessary, and this leads to good achievement.There are sound procedures for child protection, although the school recognises the need for further staff training. Staff know that attendance is not as good as it should be. They have introduced new procedures to deal with persistent absence, and there are some early indications of improvement. Teachers carefully assess any risks that might be met on school trips.The school has gained awards for its work in promoting pupils' health. School lunches are nutritious. Pupils are encouraged to drink water during the day, and there

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Grade:

are very good programmes in physical education. They have learned about care for the environment, and some have pursued recycling initiatives in their own homes. Pupils are encouraged to express their views about the school through involvement in the school council. Some improvements have been made as a result of their suggestions and others, like the request for better facilities in the playground, are waiting for funding.

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Grade:

5 of 7 Inspection Report: Cromer Road Primary School, 22 °23 November 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: Cromer Road Primary School, 22 °23 November 2005

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Children Thank you for giving the inspection team such a friendly and polite welcome when we visited your school recently. It was great to talk to you and find out what you thought. We agree with you and your parents that your school is good and that it has improved recently. You told us that you enjoy coming to school and we can easily see why. We agree that your teachers are kind and enable you to learn well. The teaching is good and some of it is outstanding. The school has good plans to bring all the teaching up to the same high standard. We are pleased that you are encouraged to adopt healthy life-styles. You have good opportunities to say what you think so you can feel involved and help with improvement. The school is well led and managed. We asked the school to do two things to make it even better.Firstly, a few of you do not come to school as often as you should. These pupils are missing out on learning and it is very important

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

for them to improve their attendance. The school is doing a lot to help everyone attend regularly, but it needs everyone's support. Secondly, we noticed that most teachers give good guidance when they mark your work, but some do not do so thoroughly enough. We asked the school to make sure that you all get good advice.We send you best wishes for continued success. Yours sincerely, Alan Frith Lead Inspector 7 of 7 Inspection Report: Cromer Road Primary School, 22 °23 November 2005

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