Buxton School

Inspection Report Cann Hall Primary School

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103080 Unique Reference Number Waltham Forest LEA LEA 276835 Inspection number 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 Inspection dates Malcolm Johnstone AI Reporting inspector

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

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Cann Hall Road School address Primary Type of school London Community School category E11 3NN 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 02085343563 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02085342641 Fax number 660 Number on roll Mr Roy Bennett Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr R D Chalcraft Headteacher 31 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276835 5 October 2005 - 3 to 11 6 October 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 four inspectors.

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Description of the school

Cann Hall Primary School is a very large, popular and over subscribed school in a very deprived part of east London. There are more boys than girls in the school. Many of the families are in temporary housing, either because they are refugees, asylum seekers or people who have lost their homes. A large number of pupils join or leave the school at different times of the year. The school is very culturally diverse; the largest minority ethnic groups are Black or Black British, African and Caribbean, and Asian. Over half the pupils speak English as an additional language. Other than English, the main languages spoken are Urdu, Bengali and Somali. Many of the younger pupils are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and Statements of Special Educational Needs is high. Attainment on entry to the Nursery is well below that expected. A high proportion of the pupils are

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Description of the school

eligible for free school meals. The school has a unit working with hearing impaired pupils both in the school and providing support elsewhere.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Cann Hall Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The senior management of this school see it as a good school; inspectors judge it to be good with some outstanding features. These include provision in the Foundation Stage, the care, guidance and support for pupils, the provision for pupils with learning difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language. In this school every pupil is valued and encouraged. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection and demonstrates a strong capacity to improve further. It provides good value for money.Teaching and learning are good. Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds make good progress. Progress is particularly rapid in the Foundation Stage and Year 6 where the teaching is very good. Due in most part to the very low starting point, standards are below average at the end of the Reception year and satisfactory at the end of Years 2 and 6. Standards in writing are not high enough.

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Grade: 2

Parents are very happy with the school and are delighted with the progress their children are making. The curriculum is good and there is a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Provision for pupils' personal development and well being is good, although pupils are not sufficiently involved in planning their own learning and contributing to the setting of their personal targets. Pupils are polite and well behaved.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Provide more opportunities for pupils to write at length in all subjects.* Involve pupils more in their own learning and encourage them to participate more in setting and evaluating their own targets.

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Grade: 2

Children receive a flying start to their education in the Foundation Stage. This cannot, however, fully compensate for the very low attainment on entry so that standards are low by the end of the Reception Year. In Years 1 to 6 pupils continue to do well in reading, mathematics and science and standards are satisfactory. Pupils generally meet the targets that are set for them but have few opportunities to become involved in setting and evaluating these. The school's good tracking of pupils' progress shows that they make greater than average gains and all achieve well, especially in these subjects. Tracking data also shows that pupils who are new to the school make good progress. Standards in writing are low.Pupils from all the minority ethnic groups are well represented in the upper ability sets for English and mathematics. The school has successfully introduced several initiatives to motivate boys and they achieve as well

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Grade: 2

as girls. While the school develops reading and speaking skills well, there are too few opportunities for pupils to apply their writing skills to extended writing tasks in all subjects. Pupils say that they enjoy their learning and are pleased with what they achieve.The good teaching and very effective additional support for pupils at the early stages of learning English enables them to make the most of their time in school and they achieve well. Pupils with learning difficulties have well targeted support and make 2 Inspection Report: Cann Hall Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 very rapid progress. Pupils in the hearing impaired unit are integrated very effectively into general classroom work and they achieve well, both socially and academically.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good. Pupils say that they are free from harassment, racism and bullying and speak highly of relationships within the school. They understand and follow the agreed rules and support each other well. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and is encouraged by reflection in assemblies, work in religious education and topics relevant to their own lives. For example, a topic based on Black History fascinated and inspired the pupils.Behaviour is good with examples of excellence, particularly in assemblies. Parents confirm that their children enjoy coming to school and are looked after well. Attendance is satisfactory and the school has worked hard to reduce absence. Pupils know how important it is to be healthy and eat sensibly. They have good awareness of the dangers of substance abuse. Pupils participate enthusiastically in the school council and are

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Grade: 2

increasingly involved in decisions related to school development. They are proud of their influence in improving the school's playground project. These useful skills contribute positively towards their future economic wellbeing.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and contributes well to pupils' standards and progress. Teaching in the Foundation Stage and Year 6 is very good.Teaching in the Foundation Stage is founded on very high expectations, effective planning and excellent relationships. Across the school, teachers vary their approach, have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and encourage creativity. In an English lesson in Year 6, for example, pupils worked very co-operatively in pairs to construct and develop drama scripts which they performed successfully to the class. Lesson planning is good and ensures that in the most effective lessons, work is matched well to pupils needs. Computers are used well in all subjects and help to consolidate and extend learning. In all year groups, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to write at length in all subjects.Teachers and support staff work very effectively with pupils

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Grade: 2

with learning difficulties; for example, in an outstanding Year 3 English lesson pupils used stick puppets to help them empathise with the characters in a traditional story. This motivated the pupils and helped develop speaking and listening skills very well.Assessment systems and record keeping are good and these help teachers to track pupils' progress well and provide work that builds on what they already know. Teachers mark pupils' work conscientiously and perceptive comments guide pupils on how to improve. Pupils were seen to be reading these comments and reacting positively to them. 3 Inspection Report: Cann Hall Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 2

There is a very good curriculum for the Foundation Stage that is very well matched to developing children's personal, social and academic skills. High quality teaching and support staff enable it to be adapted to meet the needs of individual children so they feel secure and happy to learn. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 is good. Meaningful links are made between subjects and this gives learning greater relevance. Across the curriculum there are not enough opportunities for pupils to plan their own learning or to develop their own interests.The provision for pupils with learning difficulties is very good. There is very effective support for pupils at the early stages of learning English. Good planning ensures that the many different religions and cultures represented in the school are celebrated. There is a good range of extra curricular activities, including a club for gifted and talented pupils, sports, computers and the

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Grade: 2

arts. These extend and enhance learning for the pupils involved.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support provided for pupils are outstanding. Staff are well trained and vigilant in matters of health and safety. Risk assessment is carefully attended to and procedures for child protection are exemplary.All staff demonstrate considerable care in addressing the diverse needs of individual pupils. Mobility is very high and the school has developed a very good programme to ensure the learning and support needs of these new pupils are quickly identified and met. The school works very effectively with parents and outside agencies to ensure all pupils make good progress. Pupils say that they feel all staff are approachable and supportive if they need to ask for help or share any concerns.

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Grade: 2

The school judges leadership and management to be good and inspectors agree with this although, there are some aspects of leadership that are outstanding. The headteacher, deputy, senior and middle managers are excellent role models and together with the governors work extremely well as a team. They share a common vision, sense of direction and clear purpose to provide a quality education for all pupils across a broad and relevant curriculum. They have together ensured that all pupils achieve well. Parents are unanimous in their support for the leadership and management of the school.The senior managers and subject co-ordinators regularly monitor teaching and learning and this has resulted in good improvement in subjects such as mathematics and science. Self evaluation is strong and has resulted in a good school improvement plan relevant to the current needs of the pupils. The progress of individual pupils is

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Grade: 2

tracked very effectively and analysis of performance in national tests is effective in informing further improvement.The role of the governors has improved since the last inspection and they are now closely involved in school improvement and in holding 4 Inspection Report: Cann Hall Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 the school accountable for its performance. Financial management is good and resources are used well to the benefit of all pupils. The school functions very well on a day-to-day basis. 5 Inspection Report: Cann Hall Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 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: Cann Hall Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 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 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 3 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 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 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 3 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 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

I am writing to thank you for the warm welcome we received when we visited your lovely school. All the inspectors told me how much they had enjoyed being with you. We found lots of really good things happening in your school. You are well behaved and polite and you told us that you feel safe and happy. It was really great to see how well you all get on together and help each other in lessons and at playtimes. You work hard and do well in your lessons. I know that you like Mr Chalcraft and all the teachers and other grown-ups who work in the school and we know how much they care about you and want you to do well. It was good to see that you are being very grown-up about eating healthily and making sure that you eat fruit rather than sweets and biscuits at playtimes. We know that you will want to help your school become even better. We have asked your teachers to help you to improve your writing more by asking you to write more about things

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you learn in history, geography and religious education. We have also asked Mr. Chalcraft and all your teachers to let you help them to decide some of the things you will learn and to tell them how well you think you have done.

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