Coleridge Primary School

Inspection Report Coleridge Primary School

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102121 Unique Reference Number Haringey LEA LEA 276655 Inspection number 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 Inspection dates Tusha Chakraborti AI Reporting inspector

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

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Crouch End Hill School address Primary Type of school Hornsey Community School category London N8 8DN 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 02083403173 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02083487775 Fax number 477 Number on roll Mrs Jill Russell Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Shirley Boffey Headteacher 6 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276655 16 May 2006 - 3 to 11 17 May 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

Larger than average, Coleridge primary draws its pupils from a mix of social and economic backgrounds ranging from high level of prosperity to economic deprivation. Pupils come from many ethnic backgrounds. Thirteen pupils are at an early stage of learning English; lower than average. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties is average and the percentage eligible for free school meals is below average. Attainment on admission is average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Coleridge Primary School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006

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Grade: 1

Coleridge Primary is an outstanding school and provides excellent value for money. The inspectors agree with the school's own judgements. The excellent leadership given by the headteacher and senior managers has ensured a long tradition of high academic standards and high quality education for its pupils. The school knows its strengths and areas for development very well and has continued to improve from its strong position at the time of the last inspection. The quality of teaching is outstanding. This has led to very high achievement and significantly above average standards by the end of the Year 6 over the past five years. Assessment is used very effectively to this effect. Nevertheless, as the school recognises, marking in Years 1 and 2 is not consistent and does not always guide pupils effectively enough to understand how they can improve. The majority of parents value the school's work highly. However, a small minority of parents are concerned about

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Grade: 1

the consultation process for the proposed expansion of the school. The school held several consultation meetings in the past and plans to hold monthly meetings to continue to inform parents about this. Children make very good progress in the Foundation Stage and are well placed to continue to do so in Year 1. The school has successfully addressed all issues raised in the last inspection. It is very well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Ensure that marking in Years 1 and 2 is developed in line with the existing practice in the rest of the school. * Continue to consult parents regarding the future development of the school.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' achievement by the end of Year 6 is outstanding due to very effective organisation and excellent teaching. Standards on admission are broadly average. Children make a very good start to their education in the Foundation Stage, and by the end of the Reception, many exceed the nationally expected levels. Standards at the end of Year 2 are significantly above average overall, although the proportion of pupils achieving higher levels in writing is below that in reading. Progress in Years 3 to 6 is particularly strong, especially in Year 6. As a consequence, standards by the end of Year 6 are significantly above average in English, mathematics and science. High standards are also seen in information and communication technology. The school sets demanding academic targets and pupils rise to the challenge, many exceeding them. Boys did not achieve as well as the girls in writing last year. The school

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Grade: 1

has taken robust actions to address this. As a result, there has been good improvement in boys' writing. The very effective support for pupils with learning difficulties and 2 Inspection Report: Coleridge Primary School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 those at the early stages of learning English ensures that they achieve as well as others. No groups underachieve.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are outstanding. Pupils are polite, articulate and have very positive attitudes to learning. Their excellent behaviour and high attendance rate reflect their enjoyment of learning, as does their willingness to contribute to all areas of school life. By Year 6, pupils are mature, thoughtful, confident and motivated as a result of the school's very effective nurturing of social and personal skills. They regard the school very highly. One pupil commented, 'It has a nice feeling, we are included - you feel you are part of a family, everyone is here for each other.' They especially appreciate the 'bus stop buddy' system which supports those in need very effectively. Pupils are proud that their school has achieved 'Healthy Schools' status. They adopt healthy lifestyles and are supported in this by the nutritious diet at lunch and the wide

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Grade: 1

range of sports and physical activities. Pupils develop very high levels of basic skills by the end of Year 6 and this, with their outstanding personal development prepares them very well for later life.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is excellent. Teachers have very high expectations of their pupils and motivate them to learn in many different ways. This is reflected in pupils' enjoyment and determination to achieve as highly as they can. They appreciate their teachers' work; one pupil observed 'our teachers are the best teachers we can have. They are creative and enthusiastic teachers.' Teaching assistants are highly trained and play an integral part in contributing to pupils' learning, especially for those with learning difficulties and those at an early stage of learning English. Pupils value their support and the way they 'listen to them.' Teachers use computers and interactive whiteboards very effectively to enhance pupils' learning in all areas. They prepare pupils very well for secondary education by providing creative and innovative activities, such as different projects for Year 6 pupils at the end of the summer term. This also

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Grade: 1

enhances their independent learning skills significantly. Assessment procedures are used very effectively, especially in English, mathematics and science to promote excellent learning. Nevertheless, pupils' work in Years I and 2 are not consistently marked and they are not guided effectively enough to improve their work. 3 Inspection Report: Coleridge Primary School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006

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Grade: 1

The school judges the curriculum provision to be good. However, inspectors found the quality and the range of provision to be outstanding. The creative way that the main curriculum is organised and the exceptional variety of extra-curricular activities on offer are outstanding features. Effective planning and creativity is promoted by the excellent links made across subjects. Particular strengths of the school are the use of ICT supported by a high level of imaginative resources and the outstanding provision for art and performing arts. All of these motivate and enthuse pupils. The teaching of Italian and French successfully broadens their language skills. Lessons in citizenship and personal, social and health education are successfully developing pupils' awareness of safety and healthy living. A large number of pupils benefit from a wide range of extra curricular opportunities. These include trips, musical activities, Spanish club,

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Grade: 1

instrumental tuition, many sports activities, organic gardening and a philosophy club to name but a few. As a result, pupils' skills are extended well and those with special gifts or talents have many opportunities to develop these outside the formal curriculum.

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Grade: 1

The school gives its pupils outstanding care, guidance and support. Pupils feel safe and secure and speak confidently about the many trusted adults they can turn to for help and support. Bullying is not a concern for these pupils and they are happy that any incidents will be dealt with quickly and effectively. This includes the services of a trained counsellor who offers advice and support to parents, carers and children. The school works effectively in partnership with a range of external agencies to ensure excellent support for all its pupils, including those most at risk. All health and safety issues are addressed and the arrangements for risk assessment and child protection procedures are well established. The tracking of pupil's academic and personal development is very good. As a result, pupils achieve their very best.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The accuracy of the school's assessment of its effectiveness is fully supported by the judgements of inspectors. The headteacher and senior managers provide purposeful leadership that focuses strongly on sustaining the high standards and achievement of all pupils. They know the school well, and make very good use of information gathered through rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning to plan its development effectively. There is a clear sense of shared responsibility amongst staff, governors and parents to ensure that pupils continue to achieve highly. A minority of parents wrote to the inspectors over their concerns about the proposed expansion of the school by the local authority and the way the consultation process 4 Inspection Report: Coleridge Primary School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 was handled. An examination of governors' minutes and the Schools Adjudicator's

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Grade: 1

report and discussion with some parents reveal that several consultation meetings were held by the school. In addition, the school is starting monthly meetings with parents to fully inform and involve them in planning for the expansion. The governing body is very effective in both supporting and challenging the school and in meeting its statutory responsibilities. A particularly noteworthy feature is how each governor is linked with one class and visits the classroom to see the impact of the current priorities on the school development plan or aspects of policies being currently reviewed. Issues relating to the last inspection have been tackled successfully and the school demonstrates very good capacity to continue to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Coleridge Primary School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 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: Coleridge Primary School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 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 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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

Pupils My colleagues and I would like to thank you for the wonderful welcome you gave us when we visited your school. It was a great pleasure to hear from you that you really enjoy coming to school and regard the school very highly. We are pleased to tell you that you are right to do so because we think that Coleridge Primary is an outstanding school and provides you with high quality education. You have excellent opportunities to develop your skills in all subjects as you have such a creative and innovative curriculum. You receive exemplary teaching and support and guidance from your teachers and other staff. We were very impressed to see that you rise to the challenging work set by your teachers with great interest and enthusiasm. Consequently, you achieve high standards. We know that your headteacher and all other staff really do an excellent job in organising the school's work to help you to achieve so well. We were also very impressed by your attitudes to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the school, your excellent behaviour and your willingness to concentrate on your work and join in. We were pleased to see that you understand the importance of staying safe and healthy very well and take part in the wide range of physical activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It was very heartening to see that your school is always seeking ways for further improvement. The headteacher and staff have now decided to put greater emphasis on explaining to you how you can improve your work further in Years 1 and 2. We agree with this and think this will help you achieve even more. We are confident that you will continue to work hard and will carry on achieving very well in all areas of the curriculum.With every good wish for the future. Yours sincerely, Tusha Chakraborti Lead Inspector

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