Handsworth Primary School

Inspection Report Handsworth Primary School

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103059 Unique Reference Number Waltham Forest LEA LEA 276825 Inspection number 8 November 2005 to 9 November 2005 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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Handsworth Avenue School address Primary Type of school Highams Park Community School category London E4 9PJ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 02085275991 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02085310522 Fax number 411 Number on roll Mr Gareth Hall Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs L Mumme Headteacher 4 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276825 8 November 2005 - 3 to 11 9 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 additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Handsworth Primary School is a larger than average size primary school, situated in a residential area of east London. The number of pupils has increased by over 100 since the previous inspection. It is popular with parents. Three per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is well below the national average. The majority of pupils come from white British backgrounds, but there is also a wide range of other minority ethnic groups. An average proportion of pupils do not have English as a first language, but few are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is average. The building has seen considerable development recently to accommodate the increase in numbers.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Handsworth Primary School, 8 November 2005 to 9 November 2005

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Grade: 1

The school rates itself as good, but inspection evidence indicates that it is outstanding. Determined and dedicated leadership, excellent teaching and high quality care help to ensure pupils achieve high standards and have very positive attitudes towards learning.Improvement since the last inspection has been good. For instance, weaknesses in the quality of pupils' writing have been successfully addressed. Standards have risen steadily and the school continues to have a good capacity to improve.The quality of teaching is outstanding. The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is high: there is a very good balance of play, basic literacy and numeracy work and a strong focus on personal and social development. The curriculum is interesting and varied so that pupils enjoy their work. The quality of care is very high. Staff know, all pupils very well as individuals and care conscientiously for their welfare. Pupils' behaviour is

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Grade: 1

excellent. They are polite and courteous and interested in their work. However, attendance is below average. The school has not taken a sufficiently determined approach towards parents who take holidays during term time.The school gives good value for money. The budget has been prudently managed in order to achieve major buildings improvements. Parents are generally very appreciative of the high quality of the school. One parent commented 'I consider my children very lucky to attend such a marvellous school.'

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What the school should do to improve further

* Take more determined action to reduce the level of absence.

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Grade: 1

Standards were above average when the school was last inspected. They have risen steadily since then, and pupils' achievements are now very good indeed. While children enter the Foundation Stage with a range of ability, their attainment is on average above that usually found at this age. They progress rapidly in their learning, and the majority reach or exceed the learning goals expected by the end of the reception year. This headway is maintained as they move through the school. Ambitious targets are set for pupils and they work hard to succeed. The rate of learning continues to accelerate in the older classes, and high standards are achieved by the time they leave.Pupils with learning difficulties make very good progress against the targets set for them. The small number of pupils learning English as an additional language are also provided for very well, and rapidly become fluent and confident in English. By

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Grade: 1

the time they leave, their achievements are in line with those of their classmates. The confident bilingualism of these children is an outstanding achievement. 2 Inspection Report: Handsworth Primary School, 8 November 2005 to 9 November 2005

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good. They are friendly, polite and helpful and are proud of their school. Their moral and social development is very good. Pupils willingly take on extra responsibilities, such as membership of the school council, and the oldest pupils provide excellent role models through their mature attitudes and behaviour. The very good range of artistic and musical activity helps pupils' gain good cultural understanding. They develop good insights into the beliefs, values and customs of other cultures, particularly through the input of parents and other visitors. Because healthy lifestyles are promoted successfully, older pupils are well aware of the risks of smoking and drug misuse. Pupils' excellent communication skills, high levels of literacy and numeracy and their confidence in using computers provide a first class foundation for the future.Despite the fact that pupils enjoy all the school has to offer,

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Grade: 2

attendance figures are below average, mainly because some parents arrange holidays in term time. This means that their children miss out on interesting and worthwhile activities.

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Grade: 1

Teaching is outstanding. Teachers are very clear what the characteristics of high quality teaching are. In the nursery, teaching is excellent because very careful planning weaves the development of basic literacy and numeracy skills in with opportunities for active play. Because lessons in other classes are often lively and imaginative, pupils become deeply involved in tasks that meet their needs very well. Teachers expect pupils to work hard and achieve highly and pupils respond with interest and enjoyment. Teachers' very good subject knowledge ensures they present lessons with confidence and at very good pace. This helps pupils maintain concentration. Support assistants are used effectively to provide activities appropriate to pupils with learning difficulties. Assessment is detailed and used to help plan the next stages in pupils' learning. Pupils appreciate the constructive marking which helps them to see how to improve their

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Grade: 1

work. Teachers frequently provide activities that promote speaking and listening, so that pupils learn to listen to one another and exchange ideas as they work.

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Grade: 2

The school provides an interesting and challenging curriculum. Its strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy, without sacrificing breadth, leads to very good levels of achievement for all groups of pupils.There is an enjoyable practical curriculum in the Foundation Stage, and this gives children a very good start for future learning. Lessons throughout the school are supported by visitors, and by trips to places of educational interest that help bring learning to life for the pupils. They also benefit from very good 3 Inspection Report: Handsworth Primary School, 8 November 2005 to 9 November 2005 links with their adjacent secondary school. A surprise visit by theatre arts students, costumed for a performance of ‘The Twits’, generated great excitement, and reminded pupils of the delight to be gained from good books. Secondary pupils’ skills also contribute to the curriculum in reading and sport. There is a good range of

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Grade: 2

extra-curricular activity.There have been problems in providing the expected two hours of physical activity per week, in poor weather, because the school has lacked sufficient indoor space. New accommodation is being provided to meet this need. There have been marked improvements in information and communication technology (ICT) since the last inspection, and teachers are working successfully towards ensuring it makes its full contribution to the broader curriculum.Grade: 2Care, guidance and supportMany parents paid tribute to the excellent way the school cares for their children. There was especial praise for the headteacher’s response to pupils’ individual circumstances. For example, she offered to open the school at the weekend so a rather shy child could get a feel of the place before transferring from another school. This concern for pupils is evident in all aspects of the school’s work. Great care is taken to ensure that children

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Grade: 2

settle in well as they start in the nursery and reception classes. As one parent commented, ‘I feel my child had the best possible start that a parent could hope for’, and another, ‘The school is outstanding in understanding their needs’. Appropriate procedures for safeguarding pupils are in place. Pupils are taught how to avoid risks and to stay safe and healthy.Pupils’ confidence and self-esteem are nurtured throughout the school. They receive very good feedback on their progress, and their academic and other achievements are celebrated. Pupils know that they are valued and constantly endeavour to justify the school's faith in them.

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Grade: 1

Many parents paid tribute to the excellent way the school cares for their children. There was especial praise for the headteacher's response to pupils' individual circumstances. For example, she offered to open the school at the weekend so a rather shy child could get a feel of the place before transferring from another school. This concern for pupils is evident in all aspects of the school's work. Great care is taken to ensure that children settle in well as they start in the nursery and reception classes. As one parent commented, 'I feel my child had the best possible start that a parent could hope for', and another, 'The school is outstanding in understanding their needs'. Appropriate procedures for safeguarding pupils are in place. Pupils are taught how to avoid risks and to stay safe and healthy.Pupils' confidence and self-esteem are nurtured throughout the school. They receive very good feedback on their progress, and their

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Grade: 1

academic and other achievements are celebrated. Pupils know that they are valued and constantly endeavour to justify the school's faith in them.

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Grade: 1

The school judges that leadership and management are good, but inspection evidence indicates that they are outstanding. The headteacher's determined drive to raise 4 Inspection Report: Handsworth Primary School, 8 November 2005 to 9 November 2005 standards has resulted in high achievement. She is passionate about securing the best education for the pupils of Handsworth and she provides the school community with a dedicated example. The staff team has very high expectations of the quality of teaching, care and pupils' achievement.Planning for improvement is detailed and based on thorough and accurate evaluation of the school's strengths and weaknesses. The headteacher and staff team have purposefully implemented their action plans so that the issues identified at the previous inspection have been successfully dealt with, standards have improved, and the expansion of the school has been managed to everyone's benefit. Currently there is no formal longer term plan and governors

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Grade: 1

recognise the need to develop this. The school is open to parents' ideas and most are very appreciative of its work.Careful analysis of pupils' work, results and teachers' planning by senior staff has contributed to improvement. The headteacher's monitoring of the quality of teaching and her very clear feedback to teachers, have clearly had a tremendous impact on pupils' learning. However, this work is not shared by other staff. The recruitment of an assistant headteacher should now help to relieve the load on the headteacher. There is a shared commitment to continuing to develop the quality of provision and there has been considerable improvement since the previous inspection. Thus, the school has a good capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Handsworth Primary School, 8 November 2005 to 9 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: Handsworth Primary School, 8 November 2005 to 9 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 1 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 1 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 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 4 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 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 2 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 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. You told us what a caring school Handsworth is, and how there is always someone you can go to if you have a problem. You were quite right. Teachers and helpers take very good care of you, and do everything they can 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.Right through from the nursery and reception classes to Year 6, children make excellent progress in their learning. Children who find learning hard, or who speak a language other than English at home, also do very well. This means that when you leave, you are all very well equipped for life in the secondary school.Most of the lessons we saw were good or excellent. You clearly

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

enjoyed many of them. You work hard, because teachers ask a lot of you, and lessons are interesting. As a result you learn a lot in a short time. There is one problem we need to mention to you, though. Too often children are absent from school for unacceptable reasons, such as holidays taken in term time. We are asking the staff and governors to try to put this right, because children miss important work, which usually cannot be repeated.Handsworth is a very good school indeed. 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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