The Cedars Primary School

Inspection Report The Cedars Primary School

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102558 Unique Reference Number Hounslow LEA LEA 276735 Inspection number 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 Inspection dates Linda McGill HMI Reporting inspector

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

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High Street School address Special Type of school Cranford Community School category Hounslow TW5 9RU 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 02082300015 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02082300016 Fax number 49 Number on roll Father Luke Capel-Irvine Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Lesley Julian Headteacher 5 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276735 18 January 2006 - 4 to 11 18 January 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.

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Description of the school

The Cedars caters for pupils of primary age who have a Statement of Special Educational Need for emotional and behavioural difficulties. Many have additional learning needs. There are 49 pupils on roll of whom six are girls. Most are of white, British origin and the proportion from ethnic minority backgrounds, although higher than the national average, is lower than that of the local authority from which many of the pupils come. Almost half of the pupils are eligible for free school meals. Pupils start at the Cedars throughout the school year and on entry, standards are usually below what is expected. At present, there are no pupils in the Foundation Stage.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Cedars Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006

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Grade: 1

'The Cedars is an impressive school', wrote one parent. The school judges that its overall effectiveness is good, but this inspection finds that it is outstanding. Parents, pupils and staff all spoke very highly of the school and its work.The headteacher's leadership is outstanding. Under her guidance, the school has developed and built on its many strengths and lives up to its aim of providing the best for the pupils. The quality of care, guidance and support for pupils is excellent; they are helped to grow and develop as individuals and learn to manage their behaviour. They also make excellent progress in their learning. The school works effectively with a wide range of agencies.The pupils' behaviour is usually good; the pupils are happy to be in school and want to learn. They feel safe and well cared for. For many pupils, this is the first time they have experienced success.The quality of teaching is good, with some excellent

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Grade: 1

features. It is characterised by warm relationships, effective and sensitive management of the pupils and the good account which is taken of the pupils' learning needs. A minor weakness is that objectives for learning in lessons are not consistently specific enough.Improvement since the last inspection has been good, particularly in enhancing spiritual development. The school knows that there is still work to be done in further improving the curriculum for some of the foundation subjects. The capacity for further improvement is very good. The school gives excellent value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

* continue to work on improving provision for history and geography* make sure that learning intentions in lessons are clear and specific

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Grade: 1

The pupils achieve very well. In last year's national tests for eleven-year olds, six out of nine pupils attained the expected Level 4 in English and science, and four did so in mathematics. This represented excellent progress since the age of seven; the value added by the school was in the top 5% nationally. Many pupils started at the Cedars having missed a considerable amount of schooling, but high quality teaching and support help them make exceptional progress and address the gaps in their learning. Some pupils have additional needs, such as difficulties with language and communication, but the carefully tailored support they receive helps them learn at a good pace. The pupils also do well in information and communication technology (ICT) and art, where some of their work is of very high quality. The pupils have clear targets for their work and their behaviour. All know exactly what they are aiming for and take

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Grade: 1

part in daily reviews of progress and achievement. These appropriately short-term targets help the pupils achieve success and see where they have made progress. 2 Inspection Report: The Cedars Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006

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Grade: 1

The effective promotion of the pupils' personal development and well being is one of the school's significant strengths. The pupils enjoy coming to school, as shown in their good attendance, and when they speak of the many things they enjoy doing. For many pupils, the Cedars is the first place where they have experienced success. No pupil has ever been excluded from the school and this is testament to the strong inclusive ethos and a desire to do the best for the pupils. In lessons, the pupils usually behave well; they are attentive and ready to learn. Their concentration spans can be quite short, but they return to work readily when given a reminder. The school has made significant strides in improving the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There is a strong spiritual element in assemblies, and the school draws upon the different faiths of members of staff and the local community to enhance the teaching of religious

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Grade: 1

education. The effective system of rewards and sanctions is a powerful motivator for the pupils, who value the points they can earn and the public celebrations of their achievements. Several pupils spoke enthusiastically of 'going for gold', aiming to reach all of their targets during the week.The pupils take full advantage of the frequent opportunities for vigorous physical activity and they take part in many sporting events. The school's involvement in the local authority's healthy schools initiative has helped pupils understand the importance of healthy eating. The strong emphasis on teaching basic skills, taking responsibility and earning rewards help prepare pupils very well for the next stage in their education. The pupils also have opportunities to take responsibility both within school and in the wider community, for example, by applying for 'jobs', raising money for charity and visiting local elderly people.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good overall, with some excellent features. There are particular strengths in the way the teachers and assistants create a calm and positive atmosphere in lessons which sets a good climate for learning. The pupils are managed sensitively and effectively; the staff know how best to deal with individuals and take every opportunity to affirm good behaviour and good work. Teachers have a secure grasp of their pupils' levels of attainment, and provide tasks which are well matched to the pupils' differing abilities. Teaching assistants provide support of high quality and complement the teachers' skills well. These factors make sure that the pupils make the progress that they are capable of.The findings of this inspection confirm the school's evaluations that the learning intentions which guide the planning of lessons are not always specific enough. Current lesson planning focuses too much upon what

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Grade: 2

pupils will do rather than what they need to learn. The pupils' attainment and progress are checked frequently. Comprehensive records are kept of progress in their personal development, English, mathematics, science and ICT. These records are used well to plan for the pupils' future learning. 3 Inspection Report: The Cedars Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. Improvements have been made since the last inspection and a programme of review and development is well established. There is a good emphasis on both basic skills and practical activities including sport, art, design and technology and cookery. There is still some work to do to make subjects such as history and geography more engaging for the pupils. The pupils spoke with pleasure of using the school's extensive grounds, the good provision of computers and interesting work in science. The pupils make many educational visits including a residential experience for the older pupils. Visitors to school also help extend the pupils' horizons. Because the pupils travel by coach from different ends of the borough, the provision of after-school clubs is difficult; however, some take place at lunchtimes and on Friday afternoons.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support for the pupils are outstanding. Each child is very well known to the members of staff and the utmost care is taken to make sure that they are safeguarded and their learning, social and personal needs are met. The school works particularly well with a wide range of agencies to support the pupils, and expertise within the school is sometimes sought by others. The school provides a climate in which the pupils grow in responsibility, confidence and self-worth, and move forward academically. Parents share a positive view of the school's work in caring for their children. One wrote of the nurturing environment and others praised the success of the staff in improving their children's behaviour.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher's leadership is outstanding. Its impact can be seen in strong teamwork and the commitment of members of staff, the pupils' excellent progress, the clear focus on their achievements and the high quality of guidance and support which they receive. The headteacher provides a strong steer for the school's work, and has developed a climate which nurtures and develops both the pupils and the staff, but which has a rigorous edge to it. Under her guidance, the school has built effectively on its many strengths and tackled areas of weakness. Systematic evaluation of the school's work gives the headteacher and the senior management team an excellent understanding of areas of strength and weakness, which is used to shape future priorities. The plan for improvement guides the school's work well, and the formation of 'improvement teams' to lead each aspect is a good way of tackling new initiatives.

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Grade: 1

The views of parents and pupils are regularly sought and help to determine priorities, for example, the pupils' views on racism were taken into account when devising a policy to deal with incidents. The governing body supports the school well and is 4 Inspection Report: The Cedars Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 playing an increasing part in providing challenge. The school is in a very strong position to continue to build on its strengths. 5 Inspection Report: The Cedars Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 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: The Cedars Primary School, 18 January 2006 to 18 January 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 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 1 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

Thank you very much for making me so welcome in your school on Wednesday, 18 January. I really enjoyed meeting you, talking to some of you and seeing you at work and play. I would like to tell you some of my thoughts about your school. The Cedars is an excellent school. Your headteacher and all of the staff work very hard to provide the best for you. I could see that they are successful, because you enjoy coming to school, you work hard and make excellent progress. You are usually well behaved, happy and ready to learn. The staff care for you and keep you safe, and give you lots of interesting things to do. I have asked the teachers to keep on working to make subjects like history and geography more interesting for you, and to make sure that when they plan lessons, they know exactly what they want you to learn. I wish you every success in your time at the Cedars.

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