Osmani Primary School

100934 Unique Reference Number Tower Hamlets Local Authority 285925 Inspection number 12 °13 July 2007 Inspection dates Norma Ball 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 413 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Mike Tyler Chair Mrs Remi Atoyebi Headteacher 4 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection Vallance Road School address London E1 5AD

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020 7247 8909 Telephone number 020 7247 9906 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 12 °13 July 2007 Inspection dates 285925 Inspection number .

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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

Osmani Primary is a larger than average school serving a disadvantaged area of Tower Hamlets. All pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, the majority are Bangladeshi in origin, and almost all pupils are at the very earliest stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. A significant number of pupils join or leave the school at different times. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. Attainment when children start school, whether in Nursery or Reception, is below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. Osmani Primary provides a good quality of education and values its cultural diversity. Parents are very positive in their views of the school. One parent said, 'The school is always striving to make education better for our children.' Strong leadership and management by the new headteacher has successfully harnessed the strengths of the school and, with a committed leadership team, she has formulated a clear vision for improving the school's effectiveness. Areas of underachievement have been accurately identified and there is good evidence of initiatives to bring about improvement having positive effect through the improved standards attained by pupils. Governors know the school well and offer challenge and support in good measure. Standards have improved and are now just above average by the end of Year 6. This represents good progress because when children start in Nursery or Reception attainment is below average.

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Grade: 2

In the Foundation Stage children settle quickly into school life and make good progress because their communication skills develop quickly and they gain confidence. A sustained emphasis on improving language skills permeates the school. From their lessons and from the many rich experiences the school provides, pupils are well equipped to move to the next stage of their education. Pupils are encouraged to be independent in their learning and a positive learning ethos exists in most classrooms. Within this overall positive picture the school recognises that not all groups of pupils achieve as well as they might, particularly some pupils of average ability. Throughout the school, pupils' personal development is good. They are proud of their school, polite and caring to each other and courteous to staff. They behave well, know about healthy living and keeping safe. They feel valued as individuals and are proud of all they do in school

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Grade: 2

and enjoy the many chances they have to contribute to the local community. However, whilst pupils' personal development is good, attendance is only satisfactory because some pupils miss school due to long family holidays in term time. In addition, some move away without telling the school and have to remain on roll until their departure is confirmed. When they are at school all pupils show great enjoyment in lessons because their curriculum is of a good quality and teachers provide interesting work for them. Teaching assistants and nursery nurses are used well to support pupils with learning difficulties and those at the early stages of learning English. Pupils receive good care and guidance. Very strong partnerships with specialist agencies and community groups are very effectively used to extend support and enrich learning. The school is very welcoming to new pupils, often from abroad and with very little English. Their needs

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Grade: 2

are assessed quickly and good support is provided so they settle happily. From their lessons and from the many rich experiences the school provides pupils are well equipped to move to the next stage of their education and beyond. The school is not complacent and evaluates its performance well. It has a clear shared vision and has a good capacity to improve even further.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise expectations and ensure sufficient challenge in lessons for all pupils to achieve their full potential, especially pupils of average ability. ■ Improve attendance 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress during their time in the school and this includes pupils with learning difficulties and those from minority ethnic groups. Inspection evidence confirmed standards are broadly average by the end of Year 2 and above average at the end of Year 6. This is an improvement overall on the standards attained last year. It is the result of the sustained and successful emphasis on improving reading and writing, encouraging speaking and listening and developing pupils' problem solving and investigative skills in mathematics and science. Standards in mathematics and science remain higher than those in English. Pupils who find learning difficult are well supported and achieve as well as their peers. More able pupils are well challenged and their achievement is good, especially in Key Stage 2 where the number of higher level passes has increased. Occasionally, the progress made by some pupils of average ability

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Grade: 2

slows when they are left to work alone for too long. Pupils typically start school with skills and abilities much lower than usual for this age group. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and by the end of Reception most achieve the expected goals for their age in the areas of learning. This is especially true for language development. Most pupils start with low level skills in English and, through the recent emphasis on phonics, they show good improvement by the time they enter Year 1.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. They behave well and they show real enjoyment in lessons. Pupils love their school, feel safe and free from bullying because any poor behaviour is dealt with quickly. They know they can go to an adult if they have any worries and that their views are important. The work of the school council is respected and pupils carry out their duties with pride. The importance of a healthy life style is understood and pupils recognise that what they learn in lessons is important. One pupil said, 'What we learn in school can make us successful in later life.' The school works hard to improve attendance but find it difficult to persuade families not to take very long holidays abroad to visit relatives. Mobility and housing changes also cause problems for attendance statistics. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They learn to understand their feelings and respect others. Interesting experiences are planned, often linking pupils with their

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Grade: 2

community. For example the 'Magic Me' project led to a meeting with elderly residents in a local care home. Pupils gained a real understanding of the needs and feelings of the resident whilst extending their own social skills.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are lively and taken at a good pace so pupils enjoy their lessons and most work hard to achieve good results. Activities are interesting and a good range of resources help capture pupils' interest. There is a consistent and clear focus on extending speaking and listening and good encouragement for pupils to extend their vocabulary. They develop confidence in explaining their ideas and do so enthusiastically. The purpose of the lessons is invariably explained well so pupils are clear what they have to do. Pupils work 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007 well individually and in small groups often assessing their own and their classmates work. Praise is used well to encourage pupils and they are confident that they can ask questions and receive help. On pupils said, 'If you don't understand something teacher helps us'. However, in some

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Grade: 2

classes, whilst pupils who find learning difficult and those of higher ability are well supported, those of average ability were occasionally left for too long without any additional help or guidance. Learning support assistants and nursery nurses work in effective partnership with the teachers ensuring that pupils with learning difficulties and those at the early stages of learning English are well supported.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad, balanced and provides increasingly valuable links between subjects. Enrichment of the curriculum is a real strength and visits and visitors widen pupils' horizons as well as extending their learning. For example, partners from businesses such as Merrill Lynch work with pupils in learning French, playing chess and developing problem solving skills. Pupils participate fully in lessons extending their vocabulary and developing their speaking and listening skills well. Drama is also well used to promote language skills and is much enjoyed. One pupil said, 'I like literacy because you get to do drama...its fun'. In numeracy and science opportunities for pupils to apply their skills to problem solving and investigation tasks are increasingly effective. Pupils' use of information and communication (ICT) has been improved and is now good. The quality and range of activities in the Foundation Stage are good. Outdoor

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Grade: 2

play areas although limited are adequate and enable pupils to explore a range of physical activities. Good encouragement is given to pupils to make choices and be independent.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support for pupils are good. The school provides a welcoming, secure and very supportive environment. Staff have a high level of commitment to pupils as shown by the rigorous procedures for child protection and all aspects of health and safety. Procedures for keeping track of pupils' progress are well developed. There are excellent links to a range of agencies which extend the good support and care provided for pupils. A very effective range of individual programmes of work and interventions are in place for pupils with learning difficulties and those at the early stages of learning English. As a result they feel well supported and achieve as well as their peers. Parents are consulted well and the school diligently encourages their involvement in their children's learning. Pupils are increasingly involved in assessing their own work and they enjoy the sense of independence they have for their own learning. However,

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Grade: 2

as yet, there is some inconsistently in how effectively this is applied across all classes.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides good leadership and has won the support of staff, pupils and parents in a short time. Together with an energetic and committed senior leadership team she has sharpened the schools' focus on ensuring that all pupils achieve as well as they can. For example teaching staff are well supported and tracking information is increasingly well used to identify and address underachievement. Middle managers, many new to their role, are enthusiastic. They have begun to have an impact on subjects through their careful monitoring of pupils' 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007 books and planning but have not yet focused on monitoring the quality of lessons to ensure that teaching and learning are of good quality and there is consistency in pupils' progress. Governors use their expertise to provide good support to the school. There is an efficient committee structure enabling governors to have a thorough knowledge of the school, challenge

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Grade: 2

and steer its development effectively. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 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? 2 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 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 July 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Osmani Primary School,London,E1 5AD Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited your school recently. We know you are very proud of your school and enjoyed talking to us about it and letting us see your work. You did such a lot to make the two days run smoothly. We were very impressed with how friendly and helpful you were when we saw you around the school and in lessons. We think that you are given a good education which prepares you well for the next stage of your learning. We liked your school because it is a happy place. You get on well with each other and behave well. Your teachers work hard to make your lessons interesting and you try to do your best work. You told us that adults are always there to help you when you need advice and we thought that your school was a caring place to be. We particularly liked how much you enjoyed your lessons and we were very impressed with the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

wonderful range of visits you go on and all the visitors who come to your school to work with you on such things as learning French and playing chess. You do a lot to help improve your school community, especially through the work of the school council, and join in lots if interesting things in Tower Hamlets. There are some things that we think would make your school an even better place to be. We have asked your teachers to make sure they plan interesting activities that make all groups in the class work hard so that you all make good progress. We also think it is very important that you try hard not to be away from school in term time. Your school is very well led by your new headteacher and she gets lots of help from the staff. Together they are working hard to make things even better for you. You can all help by continuing to work hard and helping your teachers to make your school even better. Best wishes,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Norma Ball Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Osmani Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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