Newport School

103048 Unique Reference Number Waltham Forest LEA LEA 276817 Inspection number 15 September 2005 to 16 September 2005 Inspection dates Mr Graham Lee AI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Newport Road School address Primary Type of school London Community School category E10 6PJ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 2085394552 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 2085565392 Fax number 639 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs A Knight Headteacher 6 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276817 15 September 2005 - 3 to 11 16 September 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Newport School is a very large inner city primary serving a culturally diverse area of East London. The school was created in September 2004 when the junior school was absorbed by the infant school on the same site. It has a nursery located on a separate site. The school has a growing population of refugee and asylum seeking families and nearly a third of pupils are entitled to free school meals. Pupils come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and speak 18 home languages. Pakistani pupils are the largest group in the school. Some pupils have special educational needs.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Newport School, 15 September 2005 to 16 September 2005

p.3

Grade: 3

Newport correctly sees itself as a satisfactory and improving school. It has come through a difficult amalgamation successfully and is now well placed to make rapid improvements through the very effective leadership of the headteacher and enthusiastic and committed management team and governing body. Much of the management structure is new this year and has not yet been able to make an impact on raising standards or improving teaching and learning. A major strength of the school is its commitment to the inclusion of all pupils which is evident in all its work, and provides a happy, friendly and secure atmosphere for all.A strong feature of the school is the very good work in the nursery which prepares pupils well for their life in school. From a very low base, pupils achieve well in their time in the nursery and reception. The developing curriculum ensures that pupils make satisfactory progress as they move

p.4

Grade: 3

through the rest of the school. Pupils with special needs and those learning English as an additional language achieve as well as their peers because of the good support they receive. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and most pupils make sound gains in their learning as they move through the school. However, the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged in all lessons. Pupils are very proud of their school, behave well and have good attitudes to learning. They are extremely well looked after and supported by staff in the school.Leaders in the school are well aware of what needs to be done in order to improve and are firmly committed to raising standards and improving learning and teaching. However, other priorities in the first year of the amalgamation meant that systems for checking the progress of the school were not well established. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

* To ensure that all teachers challenge pupils of higher ability to enable them to achieve as well as they could. * Develop the role of school leaders in monitoring school improvement and learning and teaching.

p.4

Grade: 3

Children enter the Foundation Stage with skills and understanding which are well below what is expected for their age. From this low starting point they achieve well because of a rich curriculum and good teaching. In spite of this good progress they remain below average when they enter the infants. Throughout the infants and juniors they make satisfactory progress overall, although standards in all aspects of English, mathematics and science are below average at the ages of seven and eleven. Last year's 11 year olds however, achieved well from a low starting point. This was in part due to the improved procedures for tracking progress which meant that prompt and effective support could be given to those who needed it. The improvements made in tracking pupils' progress allow the school to identify their needs and set them realistic targets for their capabilities. However, this system is not yet fully embedded. The

p.4

Grade: 3

2 Inspection Report: Newport School, 15 September 2005 to 16 September 2005 school has recently set up effective procedures to ensure that pupils who enter after the start of the year also have clearly fully identified targets. The school is careful to consider the needs of all minority ethnic groups and generally succeeds in ensuring that none achieve significantly below other groups. Effective support ensures that pupils with special needs and those who speak English as an additional language achieve as well as their peers. Because their tasks are not always as challenging as they could be, the highest attainers do not make the fullest progress in all lessons.

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupil's personal development is good and is a strong area of the school's work. They respond well to the Golden Rules and are kind and helpful. Most work hard and try their best, look after the school, listen to others and tell the truth. The School Council provides pupils with an opportunity to take part in elections and influence decisions taken by the school. Good use of the school's rich cultural diversity to provide worthwhile and enjoyable multicultural experiences when for example, the religious and cultural festivals of the different faiths are celebrated. Spiritual development is encouraged through opportunities for reflection in assemblies. Also, the environmental garden provides an excellent setting for children to develop a respect for and enjoyment of nature. Pupils are proud of their school and have good attitudes to learning and behave well. They have responsible attitudes and conduct themselves well around a

p.5

Grade: 2

complex site paying due attention to safety. They work willingly in most lessons and, while often boisterous in the playground, they get on well together and are generally considerate to each other and to adults. Pupils are well aware of the need to live healthily; for example they choose healthy meals and take part in a range of sporting activities. Attendance is slightly below average. The school works hard to encourage good attendance by speedily contacting parents when problems arise and seeking ways to help pupils develop pride in good attendance.

p.5

Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall, although some good teaching was observed throughout the school. In the nursery, for example, the adults help new children settle swiftly into the routines within a caring and stimulating environment. As a result, children learn well, becoming independent and receptive to new experiences. Further up the school, where the teaching was challenging and demanding of pupils, they made good gains in their knowledge and understanding. Relationships between teachers and pupils are still being established as it is very early in the academic year. In spite of this, teachers throughout the school know their pupils well and expect them to work hard and behave well. As a result, pupils generally make sound gains in learning in their lessons. For the most part teachers plan effectively to meet the needs of the different pupils in their care. However, in some lessons work is not sufficiently challenging for the most

p.5

Grade: 3

3 Inspection Report: Newport School, 15 September 2005 to 16 September 2005 able pupils. Assessment systems are good but are not yet fully embedded. As a result, not all teachers are able to use this information to challenge the most able pupils in particular. Pupils talk happily about their enthusiasm for their school activities. In all lessons, support staff are effectively deployed and meet the needs of different groups of pupils well, especially pupils with little English language or special educational needs. Parents are well-informed and encouraged to take an active part in their children's learning.

p.5

Grade: 3

Since the amalgamation the school has been developing a new curriculum to meet the needs of the full primary range. This curriculum is broad, fulfils all requirements and is designed to equip them with the life skills they will need later on. The Foundation Stage curriculum is particularly stimulating and effective in meeting the needs of pupils when they first start school. For the most part the curriculum is meeting the needs of pupils in the development of literacy and numeracy skills although this is not yet fully reflected in their achievement. In particular the school's inclusive approach means that those with special needs, emotional and behaviour difficulties or learning English as an additional language are well catered for. Links between subjects and particularly with information and communications technology are underdeveloped. The school is committed to providing its pupils with a wide range of experiences which enrich their

p.6

Grade: 3

learning. For example, they have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of sporting activities, visit places of interest and work with visiting artists. An outstanding part of the curriculum is the school's excellent environmental centre which provides a green and tranquil haven for pupils.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school's care, guidance and support for its pupils are good. Pupils feel confident in asking for help because they know it will be sympathetically given by all staff. Pupils enjoy school activities and this fosters their confidence and self-esteem very well. Very effective child protection procedures pay thorough attention to pupils' safety and well-being. Personal and emotional development is very good, contributing to the very good school ethos. Outside agency links are extremely supportive and there are good links with parents. Induction and transfer arrangements are carefully and systematically developed to maximise their benefit for pupils. There are newly developed systems for the tracking of pupils' academic and personal development, which should ensure that they know how to improve their work. These need to be implemented fully, however, in order to ensure that all pupils have high aspirations and are able to

p.6

Grade: 2

achieve as well as they are able. 4 Inspection Report: Newport School, 15 September 2005 to 16 September 2005

p.6

Grade: 3

The headteacher has successfully led the school through a difficult amalgamation over the past year. She is a strong and sensitive leader who has worked hard to secure a common sense of values and a commitment to improving learning and teaching. The inclusion of all pupils permeates the work of the school and it successfully celebrates its rich diversity of cultures. The headteacher is supported effectively by senior managers, governors and a new and enthusiastic middle management team. This latter team has only been set up this term and has not had the opportunity to make an impact on raising standards.Leaders in the school know its main strengths and weaknesses and are energetic in seeking improvements. For example, the school has identified the need to ensure that gifted and talented pupils are appropriately challenged and has set up a programme to bring this about. Systems for checking the quality of learning and teaching have not been robust in the first year of the life of

p.7

Grade: 3

the school because of the priority of establishing a shared value and ethos. However, the new and innovative management structure is designed to address this weakness and secure the necessary improvements in teaching. Similarly, the school is developing a useful data base which traces pupils' progress and is used to set targets for improvement. This data base has gaps at the moment which limits its use to trace the achievement of all children. This should be remedied in the near future.In view of these weaknesses related to systems for checking effectiveness inspectors support the school's view that leadership and management are currently satisfactory. Nevertheless, the school is well placed to secure rapid improvements as it moves into its second year following amalgamation. 5 Inspection Report: Newport School, 15 September 2005 to 16 September 2005 .

p.7

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Newport School, 15 September 2005 to 16 September 2005

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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 No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

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 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 3 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

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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.

p.9

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 3 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 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing to thank you all for making us so welcome when we came to the school last week. We enjoyed our time at Newport and you all made our job easier by being friendly and helpful. We thought you would like to know what we found out.You are rightly proud of your school because it has a very good atmosphere and you are all very well looked after. Your school goes out of its way to make sure that you all have a good chance to succeed. The nursery gives you a very good start to school life and you build on that as you move through the school. Those of you do not always find learning easy and those who are at the early stages of learning English do well because of the help you get. Teachers are getting to know you at the beginning of the school year and you are settling down well. They plan well so that you can move forward in your reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects. There are a wide range of activities for you in the school, such as sport, visiting

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

artists and the after school club. We particularly like your environmental area, which is a lovely peaceful place to be. A lot has happened in the last year with the two schools joining together. Your headteacher has led the school very well through these changes. She has a lot of help from the leaders in the school who all know what is needed to make the school even better. We found that there are a couple of main points that the school needs to improve. The headteacher already knows about these. The first one is that in some lessons teachers need to set some more difficult work for some of you to make you think a little bit harder. The other thing is to make sure that they check up regularly to make sure you are getting the best help in your lessons. With the way the school is organised now we are sure that this will happen and that the school will get even better in the future.

p.11