Ashburnham Community School

Inspection Report Ashburnham Community School

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100477 Unique Reference Number Kensington and Chelsea Local Authority 285808 Inspection number 24 °25 January 2007 Inspection dates Abdul-Hayee Murshad HMI 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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17 Blantyre Street School address Primary Type of school London Community School category SW10 0DT 3 °11 Age range of pupils 02073525740 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02073517669 Fax number 220 Number on roll (school) Mr Terence Buxton Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sharon Judge (acting) Headteacher 3 December 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 285808 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Situated in the heart of London, this is an average size primary school. The vast majority of pupils attending the school are from the local neighbourhood estates. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is higher than that usually found. The school has a rich diversity of cultures and languages and the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is much higher than is found nationally. Three quarter of the pupils speak English as an additional language representing 57 nationalities and speaking 21 languages between them. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities is a little above the national figure although the proportion with a statement of special educational need is average.

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Key for inspection grades

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

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. The school's effective leaders and managers have high expectations of themselves, the pupils and their parents. Management systems and procedures are geared towards raising standards and have improved the quality of teaching and learning across the school. The school caters well for the development of the whole child by making learning enjoyable and exciting. A pupil encapsulated this by stating 'this school is a safe and happy place, almost free from any bullying'. Good co-operation and teamwork are the bedrock that makes the school what it is. It has an extremely positive and welcoming atmosphere, which contributes greatly to pupils' outstanding personal development. The school works in good partnership with parents. Parents are happy that their children enjoy school and the majority are very content with the quality of education and care. One parent wrote 'I am very satisfied

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Grade: 2

with my child's progress and the teachers are very caring and friendly'. Many children start school in the nursery with skills and knowledge that are exceptionally lower than those expected for their age. Pupils make good progress overall and reach broadly average standards by the end of Year 6. Achievement and standards in English are better than those in science and mathematics, and the school has rightly identified the need to raise standards in mathematics as a priority. The school has good systems for tracking pupils' learning and achievement. Teachers are yet to make effective use of assessment information to set targets that will help pupils take the next steps in their learning. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good and is the main contributor to the good progress which pupils make. Education is enriched further by a wide range of extra-curricular activities that support the good curriculum. These activities reflect

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Grade: 2

the success of the school's strong partnerships with local organisations. Pupils have an exceptionally keen interest in keeping healthy and fit. The quality of education provided in the Foundation Stage is good and children are provided with well tailored support based on their individual needs. Senior leaders work as a dynamic team led by the acting head teacher who has played a key role in continuing to improve the quality of education. She has built on the strengths of the school and is very focused in her approach. Governors support the school well and effectively discharge their responsibilities. The school has good systems for gathering views from parents, pupils, governors and staff to inform its policy developments and to establish priorities. This was articulated by one of the pupils who said 'I like Ashburnham because everyone in the school has got a voice'. The school has experienced a number of changes to its staff and leaders have managed

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Grade: 2

these effectively. The leadership team has a very good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. The teachers are highly reflective and the school has a good capacity to secure further improvement. It makes good use of the available resources. 2 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community School, 24 °25 January 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards in mathematics across the school. • Improve assessment so that teachers can set appropriate targets and help pupils to take the next steps in their learning.

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Grade: 2

Children's skills and knowledge on entry to the school overall are exceptionally low in comparison to what is generally expected for their age. The majority of children begin school without being able to speak much English. Children receive targeted help and are supported well with language acquisition. All children make good progress through the Foundation Stage classes, because of good teaching. At the start of Year 1, standards are still below the national average. Pupils continue to make good progress and by the end of Year 6 standards are broadly average. The standards which pupils reach in English are better than those in science or mathematics. Pupils with English as an additional language make significantly better progress than pupils whose first language is English. Those with learning difficulties or disabilities make the same good progress as the others.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their active engagement and the school's very positive ethos result in outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their sense of belonging and the contributions which they make to the school community are particularly impressive. Older pupils support their younger peers exceptionally well by helping them to resolve minor issues in the playground and presenting themselves as role models. Pupils apply their good level of understanding about how to keep safe and live healthily in the suggestions they make to improve the learning environment and improve school dinners. They make excellent contributions to the wider community by raising funds for good causes and work on projects with the local pensioners. Pupils effectively develop the skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being. Attendance is satisfactory.

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Grade: 1

The school's work to promote social and cultural unison is reflected in the ways in which pupils treat each other with mutual respect and courtesy. Pupils are polite, articulate and have extremely positive attitudes to learning. Their outstanding behaviour and enthusiasm reflect their tremendous enjoyment of learning, and so does their willingness and involvement in contributing to all areas of school life with a sense of joy and pride. Pupils consider the school as a safe haven and benefit from its friendly atmosphere. A pupil emphasised this saying, 'our school has children from many different countries and nationalities but we co-operate really well and we're friends with each other'. 3 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community School, 24 °25 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress as they move through the school because the teaching is consistently good. Some aspects of teaching are outstanding. Teachers and support staff have excellent relationships with the pupils. Because of this they manage behaviour very well, and give good support to pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities or need help with learning English. Classroom organisation is good and the teachers give very clear explanations and keep lessons moving at a good pace. They work hard to prepare lessons that are interesting using the interactive whiteboards and practical activities that are relevant. In one lesson, pupils were so engaged that when the teacher asked if they would like to do one more sum, they begged 'no, give us four more!' Teachers have improved their use of assessment information about individual pupils. The good system for tracking pupils' progress developed by the school is not yet used

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Grade: 2

effectively by all the teachers. Marking is done regularly, but does not always show clearly what the pupils need to do to move to the next stage of learning. Teaching and assessment in the Foundation Stage are good, and can be improved further by providing children with more opportunities for self-chosen activities.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum that meets the needs of all the pupils. There is careful planning for all subjects of the National Curriculum. Physical education, music and art play an important part in the life of the school and this is clearly reflected in the beautiful displays around the school, both inside and out. The school is still working to ensure that there are enough opportunities for developing pupils' literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. The school is exploring ways in which information and communication technology (ICT) can be used effectively to support learning across all subjects. The school has a good scheme of work for personal, social, health and citizenship education which contributes to pupils' outstanding personal development. The curriculum is very well supported by a good variety of clubs and school visits. Some clubs are designed specifically to develop the talents of more able pupils and help

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Grade: 2

them achieve a higher level in their work.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good overall. The school cares for its pupils very well indeed. Pupils are very clear and say that they feel well protected and that they appreciate the high standard of care they receive from the school. The playground is 4 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community School, 24 °25 January 2007 very well organised to ensure that pupils play safely together. The school follows all required regulations in order to ensure that pupils are safeguarded. Academic guidance is satisfactory and improving. The school recognises that pupils do not yet receive specific enough information about the next steps in their learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities receive good support with their identified needs. Good use is made of the learning mentor to work with specific targeted pupils. There is very good liaison with parents and with a large number of external agencies

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Grade: 2

to ensure that pupils are well supported.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good, with some outstanding features and contribute significantly to the improving standards and consistently good teaching and learning. The school's systems for self-evaluation are rigorous and robust and give an accurate picture of its strengths and areas for development. The school is effective in identifying things that hinder pupils learning through self-evaluation and is beginning to tackle them. The acting head teacher provides very strong leadership and is well-supported by the senior leadership team and the middle managers. Senior leaders and managers are very clear about how the school should build on its considerable strengths and raise standards in science and particularly in mathematics. The local authority is providing good support to enable the school to do this. Despite changes in key roles, the school's strong focus on achieving its targets demonstrates that it has good capacity for

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Grade: 2

improvement. Governors have a clear understanding of the issues affecting the school and are actively involved in the development planning. They bring a wide range of experiences and are very consistent in their approach. They are effective in supporting the school ethos and pursuing future projects. There is a shared understanding of improvement priorities. This is achieved through professional development, strategies to share good practice and the way in which key areas for development are prioritised and debated at a range of levels. The views of pupils, parents, staff and governors are used well to guide decision making. The school has very good systems for communicating with parents and carers. It makes effective and efficient use of the resources available to promote pupils' learning. 5 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community 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. 6 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community 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? 2 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

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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. 7 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community 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? 8 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community School, 24 °25 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing to thank you for welcoming us into your school and sharing your work with us. We enjoyed our inspection visit very much and would like to share our findings with you. We found Ashburnham to be a good school and in some areas it is outstanding. We feel that you are right to be proud of the school and your teachers. Below are some of the things that are a credit to your school. • Your teachers and other adults work hard and help you make good progress. • You thoroughly enjoy school and are enthusiastic about your learning. • The school and the playground are very attractive and help you with your learning. • You are polite, friendly, and your behaviour is outstanding. • You get on very well with other pupils and adults. • Your teachers and the governors know your school well and work together to make it even better. • There is a good range of clubs, visits and visitors which you clearly enjoy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Your parents are very pleased with the school and with your learning. We think there are two things that will improve your education even further. • You need to do even better in your maths - your school is working to make sure that your maths is as good as your English. • Your teachers need to tell you exactly where you are in your learning, give you your own targets and help you move to the next level. I am sure you can think of ways in which you can help achieve this. Finally, thank you once again for all your help. I wish you all the best for the future. With kind regards Abdul-Hayee Murshad Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Ashburnham Community School, 24 °25 January 2007

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