Stanhope Primary School

Inspection Report Stanhope Primary School

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101907 Unique Reference Number Ealing LEA LEA 276615 Inspection number 23 February 2006 to 24 February 2006 Inspection dates Sue Vale AI Reporting inspector

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

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Mansell Road School address Primary Type of school Greenford Community School category UB6 9EG 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 02085759989 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02088132606 Fax number 499 Number on roll Mr R Price Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr A P Starkey Headteacher 4 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276615 23 February 2006 - 3 to 11 24 February 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

Stanhope primary school is in an area where a high percentage of households are overcrowded and many of the children live in extended family groups. Pupils' attainment on entry is low, particularly in speech and language. The majority of pupils have English as an additional language, and there are 61 pupils at an early stage of learning English. The main languages spoken, apart from English, are Punjabi, Urdu and Somali. An increasing number of pupils are moving in and from the school other than at the usual time. The social and economic backgrounds of the children vary a great deal. Around a third of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The school is currently reducing in size from three forms in Years 3 to 6 to two forms throughout the school. By September 2006 the school will have reduced down to only two forms in each year group.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Stanhope Primary School, 23 February 2006 to 24 February 2006

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Grade: 2

The inspection team agrees with the Stanhope Primary School's own view that it provides a good education for its pupils. It is effective and gives good value for money. Pupils enter the school with standards that are well below those found in most schools nationally. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and in the main school. By Year 6 pupils are achieving broadly in line with the national average, although standards in English, particularly in speaking, are not as high as in other subjects. The school successfully encourages pupils' independent learning and this is having a positive effect so that, in consequence, pupils' personal development is good. The quality of teaching in the school is good. There is a broad curriculum and strong ethos of care and support for the pupils. The school is effective at supporting new members of staff. Provision is good for pupils in the Foundation Stage, those with learning difficulties

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Grade: 2

and disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. The school successfully evaluates its areas for development and has good capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Raise standards in English particularly through developing pupils' speaking skills.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. They make good progress during their time in the Foundation Stage. However, many do not reach the nationally expected levels by the time they leave Reception, because of their low starting points. The good progress continues through the rest of the school. Over the past few years, standards in Year 2 and Year 6 have fluctuated, largely because of differences in the abilities of the pupils. In general, standards have been slightly below average in Year 2, and average in Year 6. Pupils are set challenging targets and generally meet them. In Years 3 to 6 pupils' achievements in English, while satisfactory, lag behind their achievements in mathematics and science. Pupils' standards in speaking are not as good as those in listening, because they do not have enough structured chances to practise them. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make similarly good progress to their classmates.

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Grade: 2

Bilingual pupils make very good progress with their fluency in English during the Foundation Stage, because of the effective extra help they receive. This enables them to continue to do well as they progress through the school. High attainers and pupils, who require additional learning support, achieve well because teachers match work effectively to their needs. 2 Inspection Report: Stanhope Primary School, 23 February 2006 to 24 February 2006

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Grade: 2

Personal development is good throughout the school. By the time pupils leave, they are confident, friendly and happy young people, well prepared for their time in secondary school. Their positive attitudes to learning stand them in good stead for their future lives. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils respect and appreciate the beliefs and values of many different cultures. They have very good relationships with each other and with staff. Boys and girls, and the wide range of ethnic groups in the school, work and play together happily. Behaviour is good, and younger pupils are confident that any minor problems arising are quickly dealt with by staff. Pupils in Year 6 were similarly confident, but said that most issues could be resolved through discussion by pupils themselves. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy learning because they do andquot;fun thingsandquot; and that

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Grade: 2

andquot;teachers make it easy to learnandquot;. They know about how to keep themselves safe, the importance of exercise and healthy eating. The school council is currently working with staff and the caterers to make school dinners healthier. Older pupils are very enthusiastic about their physical education lessons and the wide range of sports clubs on offer. Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils contribute well to the school community, particularly through the school council. School council members talk enthusiastically of the way they influence the school's development, for example in the improvements made to the toilets. Older pupils take a pride in how they help around the school, particularly in helping younger children, at sports days, for example.

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Grade: 2

Overall, teaching and learning are good. Teachers plan thoroughly so that clear links are made between subjects and work is well matched to the range of ability. Warm and supportive relationships within classes create an environment that is encouraging and where all pupils are valued. As a result, pupils generally behave well, concentrate on tasks set and willingly participate in discussion. A considerable emphasis has been placed within the school on developing independent learning. This features in many areas, using very good information and communication technology (ICT) resources and an excellent library for research. Pupils are encouraged to share ideas and work together in small groups although there is insufficient emphasis on developing speaking skills. Electronic white boards are used extensively in every curriculum area and these are used effectively by teachers to enhance pupils' understanding and enjoyment.

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Grade: 2

Personal, social and health education is effectively taught. Good support is provided for those with learning difficulties. There is also good support for those who are learning English as an additional language. Assessment is effective throughout the school. Teachers set clear targets for pupils and monitor their achievements well. 3 Inspection Report: Stanhope Primary School, 23 February 2006 to 24 February 2006

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Grade: 2

Overall, the curriculum is good and statutory requirements are met. Good provision is made to develop literacy and numeracy although opportunities to develop pupils' speaking skills needs to be more explicit in the teachers' planning. Programmes of study ensure good progression from the early years through to the end of Year 6. ICT has been embedded in many schemes of work and the school benefits from having designated computer suites and specialist rooms for science and art. An excellent library is used extensively to enhance the opportunity for pupils to develop independent learning skills. Good support is given by teaching assistants during lessons, before school and at lunchtime. The school places considerable emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle. A good range of extra curricular opportunities is provided. Clubs such as gardening, chess and dance, are popular and several sports teams participate in

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Grade: 2

local competitions. Many pupils learn musical instruments but there is currently little opportunity for choir or bands. Visitors coming into school enrich the curriculum, for example in history to illustrate the Roman way of life, and trips are arranged to outdoor activity centres and to France.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care provided for all pupils is good. There is a strong commitment by staff in promoting the health and safety of the pupils and regular risk assessments are carried out. Since the last inspection there have been a number of improvements made to the safety of the school site. All staff have been trained in child protection procedures. There are effective systems in place to track individual pupils' progress. and tutorial time is fully utilised to help pupils to move forward in their learning. Individual education plans are relevant and used well to enable pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities to make good progress. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive effective support and make good progress. The school makes good use of its strong links with other agencies to support pupils.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The head teacher has a clear vision for the school which is focused on improving pupils' achievements through the teaching of basic skills and by encouraging independent learning. There is a strong commitment towards the inclusion of all learners which is effectively implemented.There is effective self-evaluation, and the school is clearly aware of its strengths and weaknesses. Pupils' views are sought through the school council, and the school takes due account of parents' views. It uses this information well to delegate resources successfully to areas that staff have identified for development. Value for money is good. The school has introduced effective systems for monitoring and evaluating its performance including the monitoring of teaching, checking teachers' plans and discussing them directly with 4 Inspection Report: Stanhope Primary School, 23 February 2006 to 24 February 2006

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Grade: 2

teachers. The governors are supportive and act as critical friends in questioning how well the school is performing. There have been difficulties in recruiting a full governing body, and it is still not at full complement. The school has good capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Stanhope Primary School, 23 February 2006 to 24 February 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Stanhope Primary School, 23 February 2006 to 24 February 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

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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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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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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

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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

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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 wider community

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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

Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to inspect your school. It was lovely to have the opportunity to meet some of you and to find out what you think about your school. This is what we found out:* you behave very well and show that you are keen to learn;* you achieve well in your learning, and are becoming independent in the way you learn;* your head teacher and staff work well together as a team and provide you with a good education;* they look after you and care for you well; and* the teachers are good at explaining things to you and many of them challenge you in your learning to try and help you to achieve more. For your school to get even better, you need to work at getting better in English, particularly through developing your speaking skills. You may want to think of ways or activities you could help do this through your school council meetings.

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