John Perryn Primary School

Inspection Report John Perryn Primary School

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101889 Unique Reference Number Ealing LEA LEA 276609 Inspection number 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 Inspection dates Barry Jones AI Reporting inspector

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

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Long Drive School address Primary Type of school Acton Community School category London W3 7PD 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 02087435648 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02087439071 Fax number 372 Number on roll Mr Paul Hill Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Paul Stallman Headteacher 10 July 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276609 11 July 2006 - 3 to 11 12 July 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 serves a very disadvantaged area. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is higher than in most schools and over half of the pupils have English as an additional language. About 7% of the pupils are from Traveller families. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is just above the national average but the proportion with statements of educational need is much lower than in most schools. Pupils' attainment on entry to the Nursery is much lower than in most schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: John Perryn Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 4

Standards in the school are exceptionally low and many pupils underachieve, particularly in mathematics. There is a caring ethos that is commented on positively by both parents and their children and this partly explains why the school judges itself to be effective. However, insufficient priority has been given to raising standards. There have also been weaknesses in the procedures for assessing pupils' performance, especially the more able, and this has contributed to the school forming an over generous view of its performance. Leadership and management, pupils' achievement, quality of the curriculum and teaching and learning, support and guidance were all wrongly identified as satisfactory. Consequently, in accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons

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Grade: 4

responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. There has been unsatisfactory progress since the previous inspection and value for money is unsatisfactory. The school is facing challenging circumstances, has difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff and had a financial deficit a year ago. However, other schools in similar situations do better. Management processes to ensure consistent quality are not well embedded. Teachers are not adequately encouraged to take responsibility. Most subjects are not led effectively. There is not sufficient time allocated to the management of the support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. The support for pupils for whom English is an additional language is not well deployed. The school was identified by the local authority (LA) as causing concern and has

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Grade: 4

received substantial help for more than a year. The LA has contributed to improvements in the resources and the curriculum in the Foundation Stage; these are now good and the children make sound progress. Pupils' personal development is also satisfactory. The school is a harmonious community in which relationships are good and there is tolerance of other beliefs and cultures. The pupils behave well and enjoy coming to school.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise pupils' achievement, particularly in mathematics. • Improve the assessment of pupils' performance and its effective use by teachers in planning challenging work for more able pupils. • Ensure that staff are able to contribute effectively to the management of the school, including their responsibility for leading subjects. • Ensure there is adequate support for pupils with learning difficulties and for those who do not have English as their home language. 2 Inspection Report: John Perryn Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 4

Standards are exceptionally low and this is reflected in pupils' performances in national assessments at age 7 years and in tests for 11 year-olds. Teachers' assessments in 2006 show that only a quarter of the pupils in Year 2 attained the expected level in writing; in 2005, three quarters of the pupils attained this standard. Standards in mathematics are particularly poor throughout the school; in 2006 only one third of the pupils in Year 6 reached the expected standard and the school missed its target by a considerable margin. The overall trend is downwards and although there were significant improvements in the national assessments in 2005, this was followed by a decline in 2006. The school judges achievement and standards to be satisfactory but has focussed too much on the performances in 2005. Many pupils arrive in the Nursery with poor communication skills. The LA has provided effective support in the Foundation Stage and consequently children are now making

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Grade: 4

satisfactory progress. Pupils then make inadequate progress overall from Years 1 to 6 although there are variations between year groups and subjects due to changes in staff and inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Younger pupils make satisfactory progress in speaking and listening as a result of concerted efforts by the staff. Pupils make the least progress in mathematics as a result of unsatisfactory teaching and a lack of effective coordination of this subject. Where pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities have additional support, they make satisfactory progress. However, not all pupils receive adequate support and this means that they do not make the progress they should. There is some satisfactory support for pupils who are not fluent with English but it is not well deployed and many of these pupils do not make sufficient progress in their work.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development is satisfactory with some good features. Good relationships are a strength of the school. This emanates from the high priority attached to this by the headteacher, supported by all his staff. Pupils are courteous, polite and welcoming to visitors. There is racial harmony and pupils respect and show tolerance for other beliefs and cultures. Pupils are well behaved and feel safe in the school. They are cooperative in lessons, enjoy coming to school and are willing to learn. The pupils also demonstrate their social awareness by making a good contribution to the community. The older pupils support the younger ones well and pupils contribute generously to charities. They have a satisfactory understanding of healthy living issues. There have been limited opportunities for pupils to be involved in decision making but this has improved now that the school council has been reformed. Pupils' spiritual,

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Grade: 3

moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Their attendance is below average but the school is being rigorous in tackling this. The pupils' economic well-being is unsatisfactory because they have limited skills in numeracy and, in particular, in using information and communication technology (ICT). 3 Inspection Report: John Perryn Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 4

The quality of teaching is inadequate and has been affected by the high turnover of staff. One parent, whose child had three different teachers in one year, wrote 'It was not good because the teacher had changed all the methods and my child was very confused.' The systems in the school are not sufficiently rigorous to help new teachers. In particular, assessment of pupils' performance is weak. Teachers do not know what level of difficulty of work to set for different pupils. Consequently, there is often a lack of challenge in the work set for the more able pupils, particularly in mathematics, and the lessons proceed at too slow a pace. Teaching assistants are used satisfactorily but there is insufficient support in some classes with high levels of need. Marking is done conscientiously but too rarely gives pupils constructive feedback on how they might improve further. There are some strengths in the teaching. Teachers provide

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Grade: 4

pupils with good opportunities to speak and explain themselves in lessons. The relationships in most classes are good and pupils are willing to learn; teachers manage their pupils' behaviour well. The occasional instances of misbehaviour were in response to unsatisfactory teaching that did not sustain the pupils' interest. Teaching in the Nursery is sound and in Reception it is good; there is imaginative use of the outside area.

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Grade: 4

The main weakness in the curriculum is that it does not meet the needs of the range of learners. It does not provide adequately for the more able pupils as there are too few challenging activities to extend their learning. Equally, in many classes the work is not adapted for pupils with learning difficulties and there is insufficient additional support. The curriculum reflects well the multicultural community in the school. Some pupils for whom English is an additional language receive satisfactory individual support when withdrawn from lessons. However, this year there has been no additional support available in lessons and for the neediest pupils this means that they do not make progress when they do not understand what they are being asked to do. There is insufficient time for physical education in some classes. The resources for ICT have been enhanced considerably but these are not yet used well by teachers in other

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Grade: 4

subjects. The school makes good provision for personal, social and health education. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is good and there is a good balance between teacher-led activities and those chosen by the children which allow them to learn through playing independently. A typical comment from a parent stated, `My child has flourished in the Nursery'. In the past all pupils have enjoyed a rich range of visits and after-school clubs. These have reduced this year and there are currently few opportunities to participate in extra sporting activities or to play a musical instrument. 4 Inspection Report: John Perryn Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 4

This is a caring school but weaknesses in the management of vulnerable children and the adverse effect of reduced support this year means that it does not meet its own worthy aims. The lack of accurate analysis of individual needs means that some pupils do not receive effective support. The strategy employed by the school to `use the support frugally' is not appropriate as it was based mainly on budgetary considerations. Additional staff are not deployed in classrooms to help pupils who are not fluent in English to participate fully in lessons. The guidance given to all pupils is unsatisfactory because too few are given feedback to help them improve or to know and understand their targets for improvement. Procedures for health and safety are not sufficiently rigorous and issues arising from risk assessments are not followed up with sufficient urgency. However, child protection procedures are sound. Teachers work hard and

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Grade: 4

have the interests of the pupils at heart. This is appreciated by the pupils and most agree with the pupil who said, in explaining how well teachers look after them, `The best thing in this school is the teachers.' The school works well with other agencies and, for instance, this has resulted in much improved attendance by Traveller children this year.

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Grade: 4

Leadership and management are inadequate and have not been successful in raising the achievement of pupils. The school decided to make staffing cuts in 2005 in order to resolve its financial difficulties. The steps taken were too severe and the school ended the year with a substantial financial surplus. However, as a result managers are not allocated sufficient time to carry out their duties and there is insufficient support for pupils with learning needs. There is no effective overview of the progress being made by these pupils because the lead person also has full responsibility for a class, which is inappropriate in a school with a high level of pupils with learning needs. This is a caring school but these weaknesses in management reduce the quality of care. Subject coordinators are not effective and some subjects have gone long periods with no teacher nominated to lead; currently there is no coordinator for music or physical

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Grade: 4

education. English is well-coordinated but the lack of monitoring in mathematics meant that senior managers were unaware that performance in 2006 would be far below the predicted levels for pupils; consequently they did not take the appropriate remedial actions. The tracking of pupils' performance lacks rigour and does not inform decision-making sufficiently. It is not detailed enough to enable teachers to plan work for pupils that is well matched to their abilities. The lack of monitoring by middle managers partly reflects a high turnover in staff and partly the lack of recognition by senior managers that middle managers have a valuable contribution to make. Teachers are not being encouraged sufficiently to lead on developments in the school. The school is still too reliant on the LA for support. For instance, the LA initiated the monitoring of the quality of teaching and which has led to some improvements.

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Grade: 4

5 Inspection Report: John Perryn Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 However, this work has not been carried forward by the school with sufficient rigour and momentum has been lost. The governors have supported the school but have not acted as a critical friend and have been too reluctant to act on recommendations in reports from the LA and from independent consultants. Consequently, the school does not have a good track record for bringing about improvement and the capacity for further improvement is unsatisfactory. 6 Inspection Report: John Perryn Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 .

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Grade: 4

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: John Perryn Primary School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Inspection judgements

16-19 School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

NA 4 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? NA 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA No The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 4 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Personal development and well-being

NA 3 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 3 How well learners enjoy their education NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 4 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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The quality of provision

NA 4 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? NA 4 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? NA 4 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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The quality of provision

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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Leadership and management

NA 4 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? NA 4 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 4 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 4 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 4 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 4 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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Leadership and management

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them The extent to which learners make a positive contribution Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the

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Leadership and management

wider community The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pupils Thank you very much for the help that you gave us when we inspected your school recently. We spoke to the school council members, to another group of pupils and to others in classes and around the school. You told us that you enjoy coming to school, feel safe and that you all get along with one another very well. The things you want improved are the playground and the toilets. You are also disappointed that there are few clubs at lunchtime or after school. In particular, there have been no team matches with other schools since the PE coordinator left in December and you do not have the chance to learn a musical instrument. Many of you start with very little English because it is not the language you use at home. We think that these pupils should be given more help to improve so that they can take part fully in school life and learn effectively in their lessons. The school has had to cut back on its spending

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in the last year and that has meant that some other pupils who need extra support have not received it. Many of you are not doing as well as we think you should. You can play your part in improving this by attending regularly; continuing to behave well in lessons and making sure that you work hard in class. If you do not understand something, then make sure you ask the teacher or a support assistant. The teachers work hard and are very caring. As one of you said to us, `The teachers are the best thing in this school.' They will help you if they know you have a problem. The school has been through a difficult time but has more money available now to make improvements. Everyone has a part to play in making sure you do better in your work. We are asking that the school helps you to learn more in mathematics, that you get good teaching, that the headteacher and his staff check more frequently on how well you are doing and that

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

teachers are encouraged and supported to help with the management of the school. The governing body should make sure that all this is done. For our part, we have said the school requires special measures. This means that the school will receive extra support and other inspectors will visit the school to check on progress. We wish you every success in the future. Barry Jones Lead Inspector

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