Wanstead Church School

Inspection Report Wanstead Church School

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102841 Unique Reference Number Redbridge LEA LEA 276779 Inspection number 11 January 2006 to 12 January 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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Church Path School address Primary Type of school Wanstead Voluntary aided School category London E11 2SS 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 020 8989 6001 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8532 9316 Fax number 244 Number on roll Fr Robert Springett Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Peter Lewis Headteacher 9 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276779 11 January 2006 - 3 to 11 12 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Wanstead Church School is a Voluntary Aided Church of England primary school of average size with a nursery. It is a popular, oversubscribed school that serves an affluent area of the London Borough of Redbridge. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is low. About a quarter of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds but the proportion whose first language is not English is low. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is also well below average. The school has Investor in People status. The headteacher has been in post since March 2005 and the deputy headteacher took up her post in September 2005.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Wanstead Church School, 11 January 2006 to 12 January 2006

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Grade: 2

The school rates its overall effectiveness as good and inspectors agree. It provides good value for money. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school, one saying 'overall we are very pleased with the school and our children are extremely happy'.Pupils attain high standards and achieve well because teaching is good. The distinctive Christian ethos of the school helps to ensure that relationships based on shared beliefs are harmonious and support learning. Pupils are well cared for. Leadership and management are effective. There are good plans to improve the school further, based on an accurate evaluation of its recent performance, and high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Governors have a good understanding of how the school is performing and contribute to its development. In particular, governors and parents have confidence in the school's new leadership team to help the school develop further.

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Grade: 2

The quality of provision and the standards in the Foundation Stage are good. Children achieve well because staff have a good understanding of what constitutes an appropriate curriculum for this age group. Assessment procedures and tracking of pupils' achievement have both improved significantly since the last inspection, and they have revealed some underachievement, for instance in the performance of some boys in writing. There is room for further development in both the frequency and the rigour with which pupils' progress is checked and targets are set, in order to ensure any underachievement is remedied. Although the school provides a balanced physical education programme, not all pupils have sufficient opportunities for healthy physical exercise. The school has made good progress in addressing the issues raised at the previous inspection. It is both well placed and very determined to make further

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What the school should do to improve further

* Make assessment and target setting more rigorous in order to monitor and address underachievement, particularly that of boys and in writing.* Review and extend the amount of time provided for physical exercise.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement and standards are good. Children's attainment when they start in the nursery is above national expectations. Because there is a good blend of play and activities led by adults children make good progress and go on to attain standards well above those expected at the end of the Foundation Stage.This good progress continues through Years 1 to 6, so that by the time pupils are 11 standards are high. Although there was a slight dip in results in 2004, there was some improvement in 2005 and over half of all pupils attained the higher Level 5 in English, mathematics and science. There is some variation in pupils' achievement, notably in writing, where some boys do less well than girls. The school is aware of this pocket of underachievement, through its tracking of pupil performance and analysis of results 2 Inspection Report: Wanstead Church School, 11 January 2006 to 12 January 2006 and is addressing it, for instance through improvements to teachers' marking. Progress

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Grade: 2

in reading is a particular strength. Over half of pupils attain the higher level 3 at age seven and three quarters attain the higher level at 11. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress in achieving the targets in their individual learning plans. There is no significant variation in the achievement of different ethnic groups. The school sets ambitious targets, which it often meets.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Their spiritual development is strongly enhanced by the Christian ethos of the school, which is evident in assemblies and eucharists led by the local Rector, as well as in the high quality of relationships throughout the school. Pupils show a satisfactory awareness of other cultures and the school is developing its curriculum to enhance this. Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are good. They enjoy coming to school. Attendance is well above average. Pupils are aware of how to stay healthy. They understand the importance of a balanced diet. They appreciate the value of exercise and would like to have more of it at school. They feel safe and secure and know how to avoid danger. Pupils appreciate the opportunities for having a say in how the school is developing through the school council. A range of activities stimulate pupils' good awareness of

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Grade: 2

the wider community and the longstanding links with a school in Uganda give them an insight into how others live and learn. Skills for life beyond school are being developed, although pupils say that they would like to hear more about how to use money and the world of work.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers' good subject knowledge enables them to present lessons confidently and at good pace, so that pupils stay interested and respond eagerly. Lessons are well planned. Pupils know what they are going to learn because teachers share lesson objectives with them. Work is generally matched well to pupils' needs. Teachers use interactive whiteboards effectively to demonstrate new ideas and involve pupils fully in lessons. Marking is good and pupils say that teachers explain clearly how well they are doing and how to improve. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good because a balance of educational play and adult led activities that foster basic skills is provided. For instance, children make good progress in developing and applying their understanding of letter sounds through games and practical work.Teachers' use of target setting helps pupils see what they need to learn next and helps them have

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Grade: 2

high expectations of what they can achieve. The school is aware that this procedure is not yet fully developed and plans to extend it further. Where occasionally teaching is satisfactory either management of behaviour or use of time are less effective and this slows learning a little. 3 Inspection Report: Wanstead Church School, 11 January 2006 to 12 January 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and enhances pupils' learning because it is broad and stimulating. Provision for design and technology and information and communication technology (ICT) has improved since the last inspection and ICT is used well to teach skills in other subjects such as mathematics. Music continues to be a positive feature. There is a very good range of opportunities for individual and group tuition and performance, as well as enhanced class lessons provided by the specialist teacher. The time and space available for physical education are limited, and although the programme for PE is balanced, insufficient opportunities are provided to develop pupils' fitness. Sport features strongly in activities outside lessons, along with music-making and clubs ranging from French to computing. Good use is made of visitors to the school and of school visits.

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Grade: 2

Pupils and parents agree that the school is caring. One of the reasons the school is so popular is that parents like its friendly family atmosphere. Pupils feel they can approach adults in the school for help; teaching assistants and class teachers know the pupils well and are responsive to their needs. All pupils are well cared for, with specialist support and effective liaison with outside agencies to support those with particular needs. There are effective procedures for ensuring the health and safety of pupils.Pupils are told how well they are doing in their work and what they need to do to improve. Guidance in this area is being further enhanced through improvements to systems of marking, assessment and target setting, although the school believes, rightly, that more improvements are still possible and necessary.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The new headteacher has made a positive start by identifying accurately the important issues for improvement. He has improved the tracking of pupils' performance and acted effectively to improve standards of teaching. He has won the confidence of parents and governors by improving communication and consultation. The school is well placed to improve. The leadership has a clear vision of a caring, Christian education which aims at excellence. While it isn't excellent yet, there are now good plans to achieve that goal as well as promising recent improvements. School self evaluation is good. The views of parents, staff and pupils have been sought and contribute to determining the priorities for improvement. There are good procedures for monitoring teaching and pupils' performance. The school is aware of the need to strengthen these further in order to check on and eliminate any

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Grade: 2

underachievement. Governors are generally knowledgeable and supportive of the school. They are prepared to challenge the school's management and they have high expectations of what the school can achieve. They participate in setting the targets 4 Inspection Report: Wanstead Church School, 11 January 2006 to 12 January 2006 for improvement and this has helped to drive recent improvement. There are some useful links that enable governors to understand the school's strengths and weaknesses, but these could be usefully strengthened to ensure all governors are more fully involved.There has been good improvement since the previous inspection. For instance, the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 has improved and ICT is now a strength. Assessment has also improved and is being developed further to raise standards in writing. 5 Inspection Report: Wanstead Church School, 11 January 2006 to 12 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: Wanstead Church School, 11 January 2006 to 12 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 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 1 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 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 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

Thank you for sharing your views of the school with us when we visited a little while ago. We enjoyed our time with you, because everyone was very friendly and made it easy for us to do our job. We promised to let you know what we decided after our visit. You told us what a caring place Wanstead Church School is, and how there is always someone you can go to if you have a problem. You were quite right. Teachers and helpers take good care of you, and do a lot to help you learn and stay safe. Your school council means you can have a say in how the school runs, and it has some real improvements to show for its work.Your tests results are well above average. Right through from the nursery and reception classes to Year 6, most children make good progress in their learning. This is because you work hard and teaching is good. Most of the lessons we saw were good. You clearly enjoyed many of them.The school has some real strengths. You behave well. Music is well taught. There are lots of

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

opportunities outside lessons for you to do all sorts of activities, such as sport. The school works well with the church and your parents to help you do your best. There are some things the school could do to improve further. Although you told us that teachers help you see how to improve your work and set you targets, this could be better. Teachers need to check up on your progress more often and make sure everyone knows exactly what they need to learn next. We also think that you do not have enough time for physical exercise. Wanstead Church 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.

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