Ruislip Gardens Primary School

Inspection Report Ruislip Gardens Primary School

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102416 Unique Reference Number Hillingdon LEA LEA 276714 Inspection number 3 November 2005 to 4 November 2005 Inspection dates Nicola Davies AI Reporting inspector

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

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Stafford Road School address Primary Type of school Ruislip Community School category HA4 6PD 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01895632895 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01895676022 Fax number 355 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss L Thomas Headteacher 11 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276714 3 November 2005 - 3 to 11 4 November 2005 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 inspectors.

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Description of the school

Ruislip Gardens Primary School is a large primary school in a residential area, close to Royal Air Force (RAF) Northolt in Ruislip. Pupils come from a range of ethnic backgrounds but the majority are of White British heritage. Many pupils join or leave the school at different times of the year, particularly those whose families are based at RAF Northolt. There are a growing number of pupils who are learning English as an additional language, a few of whom are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. The proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals has grown since the last inspection and is now above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Ruislip Gardens Primary School, 3 November 2005 to 4 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is an effective school which provides good value for money. This confirms the school's own view and that of parents who value the well rounded education it provides. The school is well resourced and provides a stimulating, caring and safe environment in which pupils thrive. Teaching and learning is good in the Foundation Stage which means that pupils get a good start to their education. Good teaching throughout the school and a broad curriculum which includes an outstanding range of additional activities and experiences add to pupils' learning and enjoyment. As a result, pupils with differing needs, backgrounds, and talents make good progress and reach or exceed expected standards by the end of their time at school. More opportunities to work independently and marking which showed pupils how to improve would help them to do even better. Leadership and management are good because the headteacher

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Grade: 2

provides the school with very clear direction which is focussed on continuing to improve standards. This means that she and the staff are always striving for more. Although the backgrounds of pupils have changed considerably over the years, the school has maintained its good standards of achievement and behaviour. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well. This means it has made many improvements since the last inspection and is well placed to improve in the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

* provide consistent opportunities for pupils to take initiative and work independently* use marking to provide pupils with more information on how they can improve

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. When children enter the Foundation Stage, many do not have well developed skills in a number of areas of learning. Staff carefully observe their growing skills and use this information to provide them with good opportunities to learn. This means that many reach the goals set for them nationally at the age of five. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Results in national tests are broadly average and the most recent results reflect above average standards, especially in reading and maths. This is because the school has focussed successfully on areas where pupils could do better. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 3 to 6. The school sets challenging targets for them to reach and these are usually met or exceeded. Standards overall are above average. In 2005, fewer pupils reached the higher levels in national tests but made good progress relative to their starting points. All pupils

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Grade: 2

make good progress, including those with learning difficulties and those learning English as an additional language. This is because teachers and support staff provide good support for individual needs whilst at the same time making sure that no groups of pupils are disadvantaged. 2 Inspection Report: Ruislip Gardens Primary School, 3 November 2005 to 4 November 2005

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good which confirms the views of the school. Pupils enjoy school and readily join in school activities and events in the wider community. They understand the value of rules and observe these even when not being directly supervised. This means they behave very well in classes and around the school and its attractive grounds. This contributes to the 'excellent learning environment' that parents comment on and value. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments are good. They acquire a good understanding of different faiths, cultures and lifestyles and insist there is no racism or bullying in school. They learn that it is important to keep safe and healthy. They learn to co-operate and work as a team particularly through the extensive programme of activities, clubs, events and community initiatives which the school supports. As a result they leave the school as

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Grade: 2

mature and sensible pupils, well adjusted for their next stage of learning.Attendance is satisfactory and improving. Unauthorised absence is now around the national average and has halved over the past year.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good for pupils of all ages from the Nursery onwards and sometimes outstanding. This confirms the school's own evaluation. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' work and behaviour and this encourages them to succeed. They use resources and questions well to capture pupils' interest. For example, digital photographs of fireworks stimulated Year 2 pupils to come up with words like 'vibrant', 'hot' and 'prickly' and use these in their poems. Teachers know their subjects well which means they teach confidently and pupils work productively. Teachers regularly assess pupils' progress which helps them to identify each pupil's next steps. Pupils understand these targets and work hard to meet them. Although teachers mark work regularly, their comments do not consistently help pupils to identity how they can improve their work. What is stopping teaching from being outstanding is that teachers

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Grade: 2

do not always challenge pupils to take the initiative and work independently. When they do, pupils respond maturely and enthusiastically and make very good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy the broad and interesting curriculum which is well planned to meet their needs across different subject areas. This supports them to make good progress by building links between subjects. For example, pupils learn about healthy living through many different subjects including science and PE. The school organises an outstanding range of activities and experiences which pupils enjoy and parents value. Many parents comment on these additional activities and experiences and how they contribute to 3 Inspection Report: Ruislip Gardens Primary School, 3 November 2005 to 4 November 2005 the 'well rounded' education the school provides. These include many sports and arts activities, lunchtime and after school clubs, and educational visits. School plays and concerts help pupils to develop confidence and skills. Termly educational visits stimulate them to produce very good work. Pupils respond very well to events such as Science

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Grade: 2

Week and Art Week and produce work of high quality which joins the wealth of attractive and interactive displays throughout the school. These displays not only create an attractive environment but also show pupils the high standards they can achieve.

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Grade: 2

The school takes good care of all its pupils through its thorough health, safety, welfare procedures. Recently revised child protection arrangements are good and all adults are aware of these. The school has been successful in improving attendance through the introduction of 'first-day' calling and 'attendance panels' for the parents of pupils with poor attendance. The school also guides and supports pupils well. For example, children with statements of special needs are encouraged to comment formally about their education and support. The school uses information well to identify pupils who may need extra support and to make sure that they get it. For example, some pupils learning English as an additional language are provided with extra help in their own language. Similarly, the school pays particular attention to the needs of children from RAF families and makes very good arrangements for introducing them to the school.

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Grade: 2

This extra support often comes from the skilled support assistants who work in the school but the school also draws on other sources of help and expertise. The provision of care, guidance and support is good and helps pupils with a range of different needs to feel included in the school and make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides the school with exceptionally clear direction which is firmly focussed on continuing to improve standards. As the governors noted, she has 'never let the school rest' which means that she and the staff are always striving to make the school even better. The deputy headteacher analyses the pupils' academic performance in considerable detail and the school uses this information to make further improvements. For example, a basic skills programme involving teachers, parents and pupils has helped identified pupils make very good progress. The headteacher, deputy and team leaders work together well to make sure that improvements are shared across the whole school. Subject co-ordinators contribute well by monitoring teaching and standards in their subjects and listening to pupils' views. This helps them decide how they can improve

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Grade: 2

teaching and learning and the standards that pupils reach as a result.The school has made many improvements since the last inspection. For example, new equipment along with better planning and teaching means that pupils are making better progress in ICT. They are also using ICT to support their learning in other subjects, such as using 4 Inspection Report: Ruislip Gardens Primary School, 3 November 2005 to 4 November 2005 ICT to record and analyse information in maths.The governors ask challenging questions and take great pride in the school's achievements so far. The school evaluates itself fairly and thoroughly which creates a clear picture of its strengths and weaknesses. Staff and governors are included in this process and the views of pupils and parents influence the school's evaluation. This helps create a shared view of the school's future priorities. Good leadership and management and clear self evaluation means the school

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Grade: 2

is well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Ruislip Gardens Primary School, 3 November 2005 to 4 November 2005 .

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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: Ruislip Gardens Primary School, 3 November 2005 to 4 November 2005

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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 2 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 1 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 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 1 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 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

You may remember our visit to your school just after half term. Thank you for talking to us about your work and helping us find out about your school.Like your teachers and your parents, we think Ruislip Gardens Primary is a good school. We can see why you enjoy coming to school and work hard. Some of the good things about your school are that: * Your teachers value each and every one of you and work hard to make sure you all do as well as you can * You behave very well and work hard which makes your teachers and your parents proud* Your teachers are good and think of lots of different ways to keep you interested and learning about new things * Your school takes care of you very well* Your school is a great place to learn, with lots of space to work and play and interesting things to look at and find out about* You have lots of opportunities to join activities and clubs and go on visits to interesting places* Your headteacher and all the other teachers and adults involved in the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school spend a lot of time thinking about how to help you to do even better There are only a few things that we felt could make the school better. We have suggested that your teachers ask you to work independently more often to see just how well you can do and to make sure that they tell you how you could do better when they mark your work. You will need to read what they say and remember it for the next time. We are sure you will. Best Wishes Nicola Davies, Lead Inspector

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