William Davies Primary School

Inspection Report William Davies Primary School

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102745 Unique Reference Number Newham LEA LEA 276765 Inspection number 3 July 2006 to 4 July 2006 Inspection dates Andrew Howe 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 London Community School category E7 8NL 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 020 8472 3864 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8472 3864 Fax number 247 Number on roll Ms V Coster Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss G C Gordon Headteacher 11 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276765 3 July 2006 - 3 to 11 4 July 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

William Davies Primary School is of average size and serves a deprived area of east London. About two fifths of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is well above average. Pupils are predominantly of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin and few are from White British backgrounds. Over half the pupils are learning English as an additional language. A broadly average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties or disabilities. The proportion of pupils entering and leaving during the school year is above average. The school has Investors in People status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: William Davies Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 4 July 2006

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Grade: 2

The school rates its overall effectiveness as good and inspection evidence confirms this. Effective teaching and learning are leading to significant improvements in standards. Good relationships, teamwork and a caring ethos also contribute to an education in which parents have confidence. They say the school gives their children 'a good start'. The school provides good value for money. Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage, despite their very limited skills on entry. This is because activities are carefully planned to motivate them and meet their needs. Imaginative use of staff and resources also contribute to good early progress. Teaching is good. Although some staff are inexperienced they have been well-supported and are developing into capable teachers. The curriculum is effective in promoting good standards in English and mathematics. Information and communication technology (ICT) is also used well to support learning in other subjects, particularly in the older

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Grade: 2

classes. A good range of visits and extra-curricular activities contribute to pupils' undoubted enjoyment of school life. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes. They are well cared for and their learning is carefully assessed and tracked so that teachers know how well they are doing and can support or challenge where necessary. The support provided for pupils whose home language is not English is satisfactory overall, but there is limited additional provision for younger pupils at the earliest stages of learning English. This means that a few pupils, particularly some of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, do not make as much progress as other pupils. Although teaching is mostly good, in a few lessons the needs of some pupils are not fully catered for so that they do not make the progress they should. The school has successfully addressed all the issues raised at the previous inspection. There are good plans in place to continue the improvements made and the governing

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Grade: 2

body is increasingly effective, so the school is well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the level of support for pupils in the early stages of learning English in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. • Ensure lessons are consistently planned to meet all pupils' individual needs.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement and standards are good. One parent commented 'I am very pleased with the education my son receives. He loves coming to school and has made a lot of progress.' Children's attainment on entry, particularly their English skills and their personal, social and emotional development, is well below expectations. Although, by the end of the Foundation Stage, their attainment remains below expectations, they make good progress, particularly in mathematical and personal, social and emotional 2 Inspection Report: William Davies Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 4 July 2006 development. Children's communication, language and literacy development remains a weakness. Standards by the end of Year 2 are improving and are broadly average. Most pupils make good progress at this stage, but a few pupils at the earliest stages of learning English, particularly some of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, do less well, because

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Grade: 2

there is insufficient additional support to meet their needs. Pupils continue to make good progress between Years 3 and 6 and by the end of Year 6, standards are above average, having improved markedly in the last year. They have exceeded the challenging targets set by the school due to effective teaching of writing and the organisation of pupils into attainment based groups in mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because they are well taught. Pupils whose home language is not English achieve well in Years 3 to 6, because teaching is effective. Nevertheless, in a few lessons, teachers do not match work sufficiently to individual pupil's needs and this slows the progress of more able pupils and, on occasion, those of lower ability.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils attend regularly, enjoy their learning and say that William Davies is 'a happy, healthy and helpful school'. Older pupils particularly enjoy the good opportunities they have to use computers. Pupils behave well in lessons and develop caring and considerate attitudes towards each other through taking responsibilities around the school, such as being a member of the 'playground squad' or representing their peers on the school council. There are good opportunities to learn about a range of religions, cultures and countries. Pupils say 'we do every religious festival'! This contributes to the low levels of racism in the school. Older pupils take part in tackling any bullying through responding to concerns placed confidentially in the 'worry box'. Pupils make good progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have a good understanding of how to

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Grade: 2

keep safe and healthy. They particularly enjoy the physical activities the school organises, both in lessons, at lunchtimes and after school. Because they are mature and co-operative, and have well-developed basic skills and confidence in ICT, pupils make good progress in developing abilities which will help them in later life.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. In the Foundation Stage, activities engage the children well because of the problem solving approaches used. The intermingling of Nursery and Reception children enables them to work at their own level and staff to support learning effectively. Between Years 1 and 6, teaching continues to be good overall. Teachers use interactive whiteboards imaginatively to promote pupils' learning and 3 Inspection Report: William Davies Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 4 July 2006 this visual approach retains their interest. They create very good relationships with pupils which gives them the confidence to contribute in lessons. Expectations of pupils' behaviour are high and they respond well. Teachers keep careful records of pupils' progress. However, in a few lessons this information is not used well enough to plan work for different levels of ability. ICT is taught well and teachers make good use of

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Grade: 2

it in a range of subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils can use the internet well to find information to support factual writing. Teachers make a point of including speaking and listening activities, such as paired discussions, in many lessons to support pupils whose English is limited.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is planned flexibly, so that increasingly useful links are made between subjects. Literacy and ICT are used particularly well in this way. For example, Year 3 pupils have written letters as if from Ann Boleyn to Henry VIII and Year 6 researched the internet for material about penguins to provide reading resources for younger pupils. Good use is made of visits to enrich learning. Year 3 pupils visited the British Museum to look at masks before making their own. Visitors make a valuable contribution to the personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) curriculum and contribute well to pupils' understanding of safe and healthy living. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities, including a club for more able pupils. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties enables them to make good progress. However, the objectives for their learning are sometimes not precise enough

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Grade: 2

to ensure activities meet their needs. The additional provision for those whose first language is not English is satisfactory overall, although it is better in Years 3 to 6 where a combination of good teaching and additional support helps them make good progress. Accommodation for two classes in temporary rooms has a negative effect on learning, particularly in adverse weather conditions.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support is good. Pupils and their families are known well by staff. Individual pupil's progress is tracked well and those whose progress is above or below expectations are noted and action taken to meet their needs. Pupils are given personal targets, but not all are familiar with these. However, pupils receive useful guidance about how well they are doing and what they should learn next, following termly assessments. Teachers care very well for the day-to-day needs of pupils, including good procedures for first-aid and playground care. Risk assessments and health and safety procedures are satisfactory. There are regular links with the welfare service and outside agencies and effective policies to promote attendance and good behaviour. The learning mentor fulfils a valuable role in supporting families, vulnerable pupils and those who lack social skills and self-esteem. Child protection

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Grade: 2

arrangements are thorough and regular training is provided. 4 Inspection Report: William Davies Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 4 July 2006

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Grade: 2

The school's leadership and management are good. Shared leadership, strong teamwork and a commitment to high quality care and achievement have been effective in raising standards. Good monitoring and assessment procedures ensure that all leaders have a clear view of how well teachers are doing and how well pupils are achieving. Effective initiatives, such as the 'Big Writing' project and good quality training help staff develop their teaching. Inexperienced teachers are well supported and their teaching is often good. Leaders and managers are good at evaluating the school's performance and this helps decide the priorities for improvement. The whole school community has contributed to the school improvement plan, which is a well-constructed document that provides a clear strategic direction. However, its targets for improvement lack clarity and make it difficult for staff and governors to see what impact the planned actions are intended

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Grade: 2

to have. Parents express confidence in the school's work, appreciate its 'open door' policy and value the fact that the school is 'like a family'. The governing body is effective. Governors play an increasingly important role in evaluating the school's work and determining its priorities. They are able to question the school's leadership and show good awareness of its strengths and weaknesses and a real commitment to raising standards. This is particularly evident in the 'Leading Together' project undertaken with local authority support. There has been good improvement since last inspection. Pupils' attainment in reading and writing by the age of 11 has risen and is above average. Teaching is more consistently good. The school improvement plan is more effective. Therefore, the school has a good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: William Davies Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 4 July 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: William Davies Primary School, 3 July 2006 to 4 July 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 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 2 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 2 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 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 2 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

Pupils Thank you for sharing your views of the school with us when we visited a little while ago. We enjoyed our time with you, and we promised to let you know what we decided after our visit. Yours is a good school with some real strengths. These are some of the best things about it:* You make good progress in English and mathematics because lessons are carefully targeted at exactly what you need to learn.* You enjoy school and behave well. * There are some good activities outside class for you to do, such as clubs, visits and special events like book week.* You make good use of computers in your learning.* The school looks after you well. Teachers keep a good check on how well you are learning and ensure you get extra help if you need it.* The headteacher and the other staff work hard together to make the school better. The governors are good: they know exactly what goes on in school and work hard to make sure

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

everyone does their best. There are some things that the school should do to improve further:* Give more support to the younger pupils who do not speak English well.* While teachers plan most of their lessons carefully, they don't always make sure there are the right activities for all the pupils to do and this needs to be checked more carefully.William Davies Primary School is a good school. If you continue to work as hard, and behave as well as you do now, it could become even better. Good wishes for the future, Andrew Howe Lead Inspector

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