Mandeville Primary School

Inspection Report Mandeville Primary School

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100261 Unique Reference Number Hackney Local Authority 285756 Inspection number 24 °25 January 2007 Inspection dates Mary Summers Reporting inspector

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

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Oswald Street School address Primary Type of school Hackney Community School category London E5 0BT 3 °11 Age range of pupils 020 8986 5249 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8985 9505 Fax number 251 Number on roll (school) Mr N Dillon Hatcher Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs B Horton Headteacher 21 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 285756 24 °25 January 2007 3°11 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

This school is situated in the second most deprived local authority in England. Most pupils who attend live in the local community. More than a third are from Black African families and the remainder represent a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. A significant number are refugees or asylum seekers. About a third are in the early stages of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above average. Many pupils leave or join the school at times throughout the academic year. The school was deemed to require special measures in May 2002 and a new headteacher was appointed a year later. It was removed from the category in November 2004. There has been a significant turnover of teachers in recent years and there are great difficulties in recruiting permanent members of staff. Currently, the school has a full complement of permanent staff, although about half

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007

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Grade: 3

This school provides a satisfactory and rapidly improving education for its pupils. There are some strong aspects of provision, notably the outstanding examples of teaching provided by senior staff, the very good support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and the way that each pupil is cared for and nurtured. The staffing situation has stabilised but at present, almost half the staff are newly qualified. As a result, the quality of teaching is satisfactory, as new staff are still developing their confidence and skills. Standards are exceptionally low compared with national expectations but continue to rise because the school is focusing strongly on basic skills. Pupils' achievements are satisfactory, considering their low starting points and the many barriers to learning which they face. Most improvement has been seen in the standards achieved by Year 2 pupils, which have risen significantly over the last two years. Standards in Year 6

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Grade: 3

have risen more gradually although pupils presently in this year group are likely to reflect a much greater rise due to the outstanding teaching they are currently receiving. Children receive a sound start to their education in the Foundation Stage. They do especially well in the Nursery, where the teacher has a very good understanding of the needs of young children. The school has plans in place to extend the provision for outdoor play which is very limited at present and restricts children's physical and social development. Pupils are well behaved and very polite. They are proud of their school and their accomplishments. They cooperate well and respect one another's beliefs and values. These skills stand them in good stead for their future education and beyond. There has been substantial improvement in recent years because of the calm and considered leadership of the headteacher, which has fostered effective teamwork and

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Grade: 3

commitment amongst staff. A new management team comprising senior members of staff, provides a powerful force for improvement. Their work is beginning to have a real impact on pupils' learning throughout the school. More experienced teachers are using the good information generated through ongoing assessment to help them plan appropriate work for pupils in lessons. Those who are less experienced however do not always plan challenging enough activities for the more able pupils and this restricts their progress. Attendance has increased significantly since the last inspection. Most pupils now attend regularly and punctually and this means they do not miss important parts of their education. New pupils are supported well and quickly begin to take an active part in school life. They enjoy the wide range of experiences offered through the curriculum, including the visitors to the school and the visits arranged to make learning

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Grade: 3

more relevant. They know how to keep safe and healthy, and develop a strong sense of citizenship through their work as prefects and members of the school council. They have many good opportunities to practise their literacy skills in different subjects. 2 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007 However, insufficient opportunities are provided for them to practise their numeracy and computer skills to the same extent. The school has begun to forge good links with local businesses and other members of the community, for example the local football club. These are helping to fund initiatives and provide direct support for pupils' learning. Links with parents are beginning to develop but are not yet strong enough to enable them to assume a productive role in their children's education.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that teachers provide suitable levels of challenge for more able pupils so that they achieve high standards in their work. • Improve the quality of provision for children in the Foundation Stage by extending the outdoor play area. • Improve links with parents to help them take an active role in their children's learning. • Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their numeracy and computer skills in other subjects.

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Grade: 3

Standards are exceptionally low although pupils' achievement is satisfactory overall. Standards in national tests have improved steadily in recent years as a result of a strong focus on basic skills throughout the school. In 2004 for example, just over half the Year 2 pupils reached expected levels for their age in reading. This rose to almost three quarters in 2006. A similar rise occurred in mathematics, with the percentage of pupils meeting national expectations reaching 85 per cent, just below nationally expected levels. Pupils' attainment in Year 6 however, is still badly affected by the legacy of under achievement due to disrupted teaching in the past. More of them are reaching expected levels for their age although the rise has been more gradual. In mathematics for example, about a third reached appropriate standards for their age in 2006 compared with less than a quarter in 2005. Targets for 2007 reflect a much higher level of

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Grade: 3

challenge and look likely to be achieved, given the excellent teaching these pupils are currently receiving. Children begin school at levels which are extremely low for their age. Many speak little or no English. They make a good start in the Nursery and steady progress through Reception. By the time they transfer to Year 1 however, standards remain low as many are still developing confidence and fluency in English. Currently, pupils including those from different ethnic groups and those learning English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because of all the intervention strategies which help to fill gaps in their learning. A strong focus on reading is helping pupils in all aspects of their work and is contributing to the continuing rise in standards. The 3 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007

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Grade: 3

most able pupils however, are not making enough progress because teachers' expectations are often too low.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. Pupils write sensitively about their feelings in poems and stories, and the new prayer room provides a peaceful and reflective environment. They enjoy their lessons, responding eagerly to teachers' questions and listening carefully to one another's ideas. Working together in groups and pairs helps them to develop good levels of co-operation and understanding. These skills prepare them appropriately for life beyond school. Although levels of literacy and numeracy remain low, they are improving. However, this hinders their future economic well-being. Pupils are keen to accept responsibility and take their roles as school and class counsellors seriously. They appreciate their school council, noting, for example, the improvements they have been able to accomplish in school meals. They feel safe,

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Grade: 2

confident in the knowledge that problems are dealt with quickly. In developing good healthy lifestyles, most choose healthy options in school and participate twice weekly in sports activities. Attendance has improved and is now broadly average.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Whilst there are some examples of outstanding teaching from experienced staff, many teachers are newly qualified and still settling in. Senior staff are providing excellent support and helping them to rapidly improve aspects of their practice. Throughout the school, teachers manage behaviour well and this contributes to a calm atmosphere which helps pupils concentrate on their work. Teachers provide well for less able pupils and those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Work in class is planned carefully to help these pupils take the next steps in their learning. Lessons in reading and writing for individuals and small groups are often outstanding, helping these pupils to develop confidence and ensuring that they make better progress and catch up with their basic skills. The levels of challenge offered to more able pupils are often too low and hinder their

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Grade: 3

progress. Many teachers are not yet using the results of their good ongoing assessments to provide work which really extends these pupils' learning. 4 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It enables pupils to develop their academic and personal skills through stimulating and relevant learning experiences. A suitable emphasis on literacy and numeracy is reflected in the rising academic standards. Pupils' learning is enhanced by links with the local secondary school. For instance, pupils in Years 3 and 4 learn French and those in Year 6 are able to use the wide range of scientific resources to further develop their investigative skills. Good use is made of local resources, for example Hackney Marshes, for environmental studies and sports activities. Visits and visitors to the school also enrich pupils' learning. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 visited the local police station after successfully winning a borough wide competition about keeping safe. There is also a good emphasis on being healthy. Pupils take part in mini-exercise sessions during the day as well as enjoying two sports

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Grade: 2

lessons a week. Pupils have considerable opportunities to practise their literacy skills in many subjects. They write reports of their investigations in science and read newspaper articles about global pollution. However, they have fewer chances to improve their numeracy and computer skills in other subjects.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Adults know the pupils well and go out of their way to remove barriers to their learning so that they can participate fully in school life. Staff are vigilant in ensuring pupils' safety and this contributes to their security and readiness to learn. The school has improved attendance significantly by giving it a high profile and by working successfully with parents. The learning mentor plays a large part in this and in supporting pupils who have emotional or behaviour problems. Teachers assess pupils' progress in lessons accurately and are beginning to use these assessments to set increasingly challenging targets for improvement. New systems to track pupils' progress help to identify underachievement and enable senior staff to target intervention programmes successfully. As a result, standards are beginning to rise. Good systems are in place to identify pupils with learning difficulties and those

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Grade: 2

who speak English as an additional language. They receive good support in lessons.

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Grade: 2

The school's rapid improvement over recent years is due to very effective leadership and management. The headteacher provides excellent direction to the school's work. She has helped staff in key management positions to develop their skills and expertise so that they are having a direct impact on teachers' work and pupils' achievements. This means that the school has a good capacity to continue to improve in the future. 5 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007 Senior staff have a clear view of school performance, gained through a comprehensive programme of monitoring and evaluation. Consequently, resources are able to be targeted successfully to make improvements. The staffing situation is now relatively stable. Although there is a high number of newly qualified teachers, they are supported extremely well by senior managers and local authority staff. Governors are regular visitors who take a keen interest in all aspects of the school's

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Grade: 2

work. They have also played a key role in supporting school improvement. 6 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We want to say a big thank you to you all for your warm welcome and for sharing with us your views about the school. The other inspectors and I thoroughly enjoyed being with you in lessons and chatting with you in the dining room and around the school. Your school has several strengths. • You are growing up as confident, well-behaved young people who enjoy learning and know how to keep safe and healthy. • Most of you attend regularly and arrive on time so you don't miss important lessons. • Teachers and other adults take good care of you and give you help if you need it. • Adults listen to your ideas so you can help to make school a better place for everybody. • The people in charge of your school know what they need to do to make it even better. We have asked your headteacher and teachers to improve several aspects of your school. • Teachers need to make sure they are giving you the right level of work in lessons so that

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you can all make good progress. • Nursery and reception children need more space for outdoor play. • Your headteacher and teachers need to make sure that your parents know how they can help you with your learning. • You should have more opportunities to develop your numeracy and computer skills in different subjects. It is important that you support your teachers in making things better by giving them your views regularly and working hard in lessons. Yours sincerely Mrs Mary Summers Lead inspector 10 Inspection Report: Mandeville Primary School, 24 °25 January 2007

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