Belmont School

102189 Unique Reference Number Harrow LEA LEA 276668 Inspection number 17 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 Inspection dates Roy Blatchford Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Hibbert Road School address Middle deemed primary Type of school Harrow Weald Community School category Harrow HA3 7JT 8 to 12 Age range of pupils 02084270903 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02084274738 Fax number 241 Number on roll Mr Khalid Rafiq Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Heather Harris Headteacher 7 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276668 17 May 2006 - 8 to 12 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors. Discussions were held with pupils, staff, parents, the local authority and a member of the governing body. The inspector observed a number of lessons and the pupils at work and play. The school's very good documentation, including 'Future Footprints', and analysis of pupils' achievements were scrutinised. A large majority of the parents returned questionnaires which also helped shape the overall judgements.

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Description of the school

Belmont Middle School serves a socially and ethnically diverse area of Harrow in North London. Over 70% of the pupils speak English as an additional language, a rich and exciting aspect of the school. The percentages of pupils eligible for free meals and who have special educational needs are well above national averages. The school shares a building with Belmont First School, with which strong and effective links exist.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Belmont Middle School, 17 May 2006 to 17 May 2006

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Grade: 1

Belmont Middle is an outstanding school which champions a habit of excellence. Pupils feel safe and confident in their environment. They enjoy being at school and are excited by their learning. Ably led, the staff are innovative and ready to take risks to enhance the quality of education. Parents and children are rightly proud of their school. This school is making a real difference to the life chances of many children within the local community. First and foremost, the headteacher, staff and governors share a vision about what the school is for. They believe that when pupils come together from very different backgrounds and with a rich variety of languages between them, it is important to make sure there are clear expectations of what everyone can achieve. For the staff this means efficient systems for organising what happens in the school. It means providing exciting and colourful resources for learning and giving lessons which

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Grade: 1

motivate the children, and even surprise them with how much they can really achieve. Consistent attention to detail underpins how the school runs. The staff are also very clear that the atmosphere in all classrooms, and around the corridors and in the playground, needs to help children be in the right mood for learning. The Golden Goals in Belmont Middle are shared by everyone, and any visitor to the school is at once struck by the way in which the children live up to the high expectations which staff have of them. Lessons are consistently good because the teaching is very good, and the children are willing to learn and are keen always to help each other with a written or speaking task. The teachers' thoughtful plans and use of resources, the way in which they assess children's answers, the focused academic and social support given by other adults, all add up to successful learning. Something which the school rightly prides itself upon

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Grade: 1

is how the children assess their own work so that they can improve it. One Year 4 girl had written, clearly and without a spelling mistake, in her science book: 'I was able to find similar characteristics to help group the organisms.' This is excellent work for her age. Meeting with the school council and other pupils it is obvious that they feel the school is organised and run for their benefit and so that they can achieve well in their subjects. They also feel proud of some of the actions they have taken to improve the environment; speaking with real relish, one observed: 'We have the brightest bins in Harrow.' They have also expanded the play equipment available at breaktimes and are looking forward to the planned refurbishment of the toilets. When the school was last inspected, pupils' progress was reported to be satisfactory. It is now outstanding, and recognised locally as being so. Over the past few years, the

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Grade: 1

headteacher and her staff have created a culture of high achievement. Particularly impressive is the fact that the staff are not satisfied with standing still. They recognise that further improvements in how they organise and deliver the curriculum and home-learning will build on current successes. Equally, they are intent on maintaining the very special and inclusive school they have all striven so hard to build. 2 Inspection Report: Belmont Middle School, 17 May 2006 to 17 May 2006

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Grade: 1

From their starting points in Year 4, pupils make outstanding progress over the time they are in the school. Year 6 test results in English, mathematics and science are particularly impressive when set against those achieved nationally. Boys and girls achieve equally well, and those who speak English as a second language make tremendous progress because of the high quality of the support they receive. Information and communication technology makes an outstanding contribution to the children's progress.

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Grade: 1

At the heart of the school are the Golden Goals: Respect yourself, respect others, respect property. Make the right choice in everything you do and say. In the words of one parent: 'I fully support the value systems promoted by the school and often quote the Golden Goals at home'. A striking feature of the school is how all pupils and staff live this set of values every day. Most pupils enjoy good attendance, although a few families, against the school's best advice, take extended holidays in term time.

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Grade: 1

Teaching is consistently good and very good across all classes. The expectations that the teachers have of the children are high. Respect, warmth and humour are to be seen in every classroom. The teachers and pupils use time well, and classroom resources, for example interactive whiteboards, are always put to the best possible use. The marking in the children's books is regular and makes clear what they have done well and how they can improve. Talk partners are used to good effect.

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Grade: 2

The children enjoy learning the basics in English and mathematics, and are particularly proud of their excellent work with computers. All around their classrooms are high quality displays of work they do in many different subjects, from science to art, from circle time to geography and history. Aspects of the school's curriculum have been recognised through a number of national awards. 3 Inspection Report: Belmont Middle School, 17 May 2006 to 17 May 2006

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Grade: 1

The school rightly prides itself on the way in which it cares for the children. The teachers, learning support staff and a range of visiting staff make sure that the needs of all pupils are met, with skill and sensitivity. Children who may be experiencing social or learning difficulties at any point in the day are helped immediately to sort out problems. The pupils' peer mediation work is exemplary. Above all, from the very start of the day the school helps the children to be in the right frame of mind to become successful learners.

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Grade: 1

The high quality of education which the school gives to the pupils is a combination of many successes. In particular, the leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, supported by the staff, is outstanding. They have a very good knowledge of the children and how the school can be organised to make sure they achieve to the best of their abilities. One parent judges the school exactly, in writing on a questionnaire: 'the school serves the diverse range of pupils exceptionally well'. 4 Inspection Report: Belmont Middle School, 17 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. 5 Inspection Report: Belmont Middle School, 17 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 NA 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 2 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 3 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 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 Yes 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

Students What a pleasure and a privilege to visit Belmont Middle recently!You all know that you attend a very good school, of which you and your families are rightly proud. As someone who visits a lot of schools all over the country, I can see you have something special. I was especially struck by:* the way the Golden Goals help everyone get on so well together* the respect that exists between the pupils, and between the pupils and the teachers* how you concentrate carefully in lessons and produce some outstanding displays* your command of computer technology across different subjects* the quality of care and support you receive from the adults working in the school. As I mentioned to you, there are not many schools which have such a well put together agenda for school council meetings, and accompanying minutes. I can see why you get things done and work with staff to keep on improving the school. I should also say that the standards of

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work and the test results you are achieving as you move up through the school are good, and because of the high quality of the teaching you make particularly strong progress in English, mathematics and science. Keep up the excellent work! Yours sincerely, Roy Blatchford Her Majesty's Inspector

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