Lea Valley Primary School

Inspection Report Lea Valley Primary School

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102125 Unique Reference Number Haringey LEA LEA 276657 Inspection number 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 Inspection dates John Earish AI Reporting inspector

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

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Commonwealth Road School address Primary Type of school Tottenham Community School category London N17 0PT 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 02088016915 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02088803217 Fax number 473 Number on roll Mr Tony Sander Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Andy K Nicholas Headteacher 15 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276657 28 February 2006 - 3 to 11 1 March 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

Lee Valley is much larger than most primary schools. It is situated in an area of Haringey with significant social and economic deprivation. The number of pupils having free school meals is well above average. Mobility is high and increasing due to the use of properties in the locality for short term lets. Attainment on starting school is very low, and many children have very limited language development and under-developed personal and social skills. The proportion of the school with learning difficulties and disabilities is well above average. The vast majority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups and well over half speak English as an additional language. Just under a fifth of the pupils are at an early stage of learning English.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lea Valley Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school in the view of inspectors and of the school itself. It values all its pupils equally and provides good value for money. All groups of pupils achieve well because they are consistently well taught. Teachers know the pupils' needs well and are extremely good at using what they know to plan the next stages of their learning and to identify those who need extra support.Pupils make a good start in the Foundation Stage. They are taught well and are helped successfully to settle into school life because of the welcoming family feel of the whole school. Throughout the school pupils' personal development is outstanding because they are exceptionally well cared for and, as a result, feel secure and happy. Their behaviour is excellent.The inspirational leadership of the headteacher promotes a purposeful climate of openness, warmth and mutual respect which permeates the school. All adults are totally committed

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Grade: 2

to raising standards and improving the achievement of all pupils. They are exceptionally good at monitoring progress to ensure the school meets it challenging targets. Teachers have made a good start at developing links between subjects but there are missed opportunities for pupils to use their skills in new and imaginative ways. Pupils' work is regularly marked but does not always clearly explain what they must do to improve. In addition, there are inconsistencies in teachers' expectations of the quality of presentation in pupils' work.The school knows itself very well. The capacity to improve is very good and has been demonstrated in its good improvement since the last inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Ensure consistency in the presentation of pupils' work across the school.* Improve marking of work to the level of the best found in the school so that pupils always know what they must do to improve their performance.* Develop links between subjects so that pupils have more opportunities to use their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills in different and imaginative contexts.

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Grade: 2

All groups of pupils achieve well during their time at school. The best progress is made between Year 2 and 6, which is significantly better than average, and has been for several years. This is due to the consistently good teaching and the meticulous tracking of pupils' progress towards their challenging targets so that no groups underachieve.Pupils' attainment when they first join the nursery is very low. The children settle quickly to school routines and make good progress. Almost all are on track to meet the goals expected of them in physical, personal and social development by the time they start in Year 1. This is a good preparation for their future learning. However, they are unlikely to reach their learning goals in number, language and literacy.Pupils continue to make good progress in Year 1 and 2 because of good teaching although standards are significantly below average in reading, writing and

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Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Lea Valley Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 mathematics. The impact of recent initiatives to build pupils' confidence in basic skills show that pupils are now making even better progress and are attaining higher standards.In 2005, the standards attained by pupils aged 11 years were broadly average. The school was alert to the fact that fewer of the more able pupils were achieving the higher levels in mathematics and effective action has been taken to raise the attainment of these higher attaining pupils.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The school is an orderly community where each individual is highly valued and achievement is widely celebrated. As a result, pupils are very proud of their school, enjoy learning and believe the adults 'are determined for them to succeed'. Their behaviour is outstanding and they report that bullying is rare.A caring ethos pervades all aspects of school life and pupils of all ages, ethnicity, gender and ability work and play happily together. Pupils understand how to stay safe and have an excellent knowledge of healthy lifestyles. They choose healthy eating options and take full advantage of the games and physical activities at lunchtime. Pupils willingly take responsibility for duties that support the smooth running of the school, and eagerly participate in the school council by representing the views of their classmates.

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Grade: 1

Older pupils are very good at supporting the younger ones as their 'buddy readers' and 'official helpers'.Pupils make a good contribution to the community and are fully involved in raising funds for different charities. They develop appropriate skills in basic literacy, numeracy and ICT which prepares them well for the world beyond school.Attendance is improving year on year. However, poor attendance of some younger pupils due to long term illnesses brings the school's annual attendance rate below the national average.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good and sometimes of very high quality. As a result pupils of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well. Teachers have excellent relationships with their pupils and high expectations of their application and behaviour. As a result, pupils' behaviour is exemplary and they always apply themselves diligently. Teachers plan and prepare well for the needs of all pupils. They enjoy a good partnership with teaching assistants who make an important contribution to pupils' learning, particularly those pupils with learning difficulties or at the early stages of learning English. This is particularly evident in the school's new approach to the teaching of reading. Teachers regularly ask pupils to discuss their ideas with partners. This helps them to clarify their thinking and deepens their understanding. Teachers in the foundation classes create a stimulating and welcoming environment where

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Grade: 2

children rapidly gain in confidence.Teachers' use of assessment is outstanding. They 3 Inspection Report: Lea Valley Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 plan very effectively for the next stages of learning and to identify where pupils need extra support. This information is regularly reviewed and updated. Teachers mark pupils' work regularly and often provide feedback which helps them to improve. The school is aware that this is not always the case and is developing a new marking policy to address the issue. Similarly, teachers' expectations of the quality of presentation in pupils' work is inconsistent.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and successfully meets the needs of the school's diverse community. There is an effective emphasis on the development of basic skills and an outstanding range of strategies to support vulnerable pupils and those in danger of falling behind. For example, the school has recently introduced a new approach to the teaching of reading which is leading to even better progress for all groups of pupils. The school also caters well for the needs of gifted and talented pupils through additional levels of challenge and targeted activities such as the art, dance and mathematics clubs. There are developing links between different subjects which allow pupils to use their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in different and meaningful contexts. However, some opportunities are missed and the school is aware of the need to establish further links to allow pupils to see the relevance of their learning. The school uses

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Grade: 2

staff expertise effectively and provision in music, for example, is of high quality because of the use of a specialist teacher. The curriculum is enhanced by a range of visitors, visits and additional activities.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. The school is very welcoming and has a harmonious atmosphere. The vast majority of parents praise the school's work and feel their children are safe and well cared for. One parent commented that 'the headteacher and staff bring out the best in their children.' Pupils express confidence in knowing that they have an adult to talk with should they feel the need to discuss personal matters. Their academic and personal development is carefully monitored and, as a result, their needs are met very effectively.Child protection procedures are robust and widely understood. As a result pupils feel safe and secure. The school liaises closely with a range of service providers to ensure excellent care and support for all pupils. Health and safety routines and risk assessment procedures are very effective. The school has a clear system for rewarding good attendance and

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Grade: 1

pupils appreciate the system for celebrating their success.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher provides inspirational leadership that focuses strongly on raising standards and improving the achievement 4 Inspection Report: Lea Valley Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 of all pupils. He is very ably supported by his deputy and strategic management team. They are exceptionally good at monitoring performance to ensure that the school meets it challenging targets. Their thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, particularly in terms of teaching and learning, has enabled them to plan its development effectively. There is a clear sense of shared responsibility among all staff and governors to ensure that pupils do well.The headteacher has built a very good staff team, who have a good understanding of the part they each play in raising standards. There are good opportunities for training, closely linked to staff

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Grade: 1

responsibilities and the school's needs. Good use is made of the building and the grounds provide a stimulating oasis of learning.The governing body is good at supporting and challenging the school and in meeting its statutory responsibilities. It has good systems to support and challenge the school and hold it to account.The school's accurate evaluation of its effectiveness reflects the emphasis placed on high expectations and challenging work for all pupils. This has contributed to an ethos where improvement is actively sought by all who value the school. There is very good capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Lea Valley Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 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: Lea Valley Primary School, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 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 2 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 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 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 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 1 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 2 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

Following our visit to inspect your school we would like to tell you what we think about how well you are getting on and how well your school is helping you to learn. We enjoyed seeing you at work and at playtimes, and liked talking to you. We would also like to thank those members of the School Council who told us about the school. There are lots of things that we like about your school. Some of them are:* You are able to learn in a very friendly and caring school. Your behaviour is excellent and you get on very well with each other.* Mr Nicholas and the teachers are good at helping you to do your best.* You listen carefully to what your teachers have to say and try very hard in your lessons.* You are very friendly and you look after each other. The oldest pupils very willingly help the youngest children to enjoy school when ever they can.* Your teachers spend a lot of time looking at what you have done in class and working out how to help you to make your work even better.*

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The school council represents your views very well and you all help the school run smoothly.* You like all the clubs and visits the school has organised for you. Your headteacher, and all of the other people who help run your school, are working very hard at making sure that you get the very best education. They are always trying to make improvements. We have asked your headteacher and governors to explore ways to help you always present your work well and to ensure that teachers always make helpful comments when they are marking your work. They are also going to make more links between the different subjects so you have even more opportunities to work in interesting ways.We enjoyed being in your school. We hope that in the future it is even more successful in helping you to do as well as you possibly can.

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