Frith Manor Primary School

Frith Manor Primary School Inspection report

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101280 Unique Reference Number Barnet Local Authority 286017 Inspection number 12 June 2007 Inspection date Christopher Parker 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 709 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr M Clingman Chair Mr R Herring Headteacher 31 January 2002 Date of previous school inspection Lullington Garth School address Woodside Park London N12 7BN

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020 8346 2388 Telephone number 0 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 12 June 2007 Inspection date 286017 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is much larger than average. The pupils come from a very wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Over two thirds of pupils speak a language other than English at home. About half of the children in the Nursery and 90 pupils in the rest of the school are at the early stages of learning English. The growth of social housing in the area, accommodating families newly arrived in this country, has led to more children with limited English entering the school during the course of the year and at the start of the Foundation Stage. There has also been a doubling of the proportion of pupils taking free school meals. A smaller than usual proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and disabilities. The school has been rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire in 2002. Following a long period of disruption the new building became fully operational in September 2006.

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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: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 2007

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Grade: 1

'This is a great school. I really enjoy it!' This is how one boy summarised his view of the school and his friends agreed. The school's overall effectiveness is outstanding. The pupils reach very high standards by the end of Year 6 because the staff, under the excellent leadership of the headteacher and senior team, have created an ethos in which they thrive. The progress and development of each pupil and the effectiveness of the teaching is frequently and rigorously monitored. Systems to check the pupils' progress are used very well to identify any potential underachievement. The 'key pupil programme' highlights and tracks those pupils who need additional support. The impact of this support is robustly evaluated to ensure that each pupil's progress is accelerating. Progress is also evaluated to check that the teaching is helping the pupils do as well as they should. Where the quality of teaching falls below the school's high expectations robust measures are

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Grade: 1

taken to rectify any weaknesses. As a result, there is considerable consistency in the quality of teaching and, overall, it is outstanding. The children make an excellent start in the Nursery. The level of their development during the Foundation Stage is very good. Those who are at an early stage of learning English do very well. Pupils who enter the school at other times and do not speak English, are also very well supported to develop both their spoken and written English. The pupils continue to make strong progress and by the end of Year 2 standards are above average. Standards in reading and writing are not quite as high as in mathematics but nevertheless provide a very secure foundation. By the end of Year 6 standards are significantly above average. They have been at this level for several years and in the national tests in 2006 standards were exceptionally high in English and mathematics. Achievement is excellent.

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Grade: 1

The diverse cultural backgrounds of the pupils are enjoyed and celebrated. Colourful and informative displays about people, places, religions and cultures provide a rich backdrop in many classrooms. Pupils speak animatedly about events such as 'Ourselves our cultures' and have clearly developed mature attitudes as a result. The school council makes an excellent contribution to the school community. It has introduced 'Walk on Wednesdays' and 'Fruit on Fridays'. These initiatives have been adopted and add to the pupils' very strong commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The pupils' personal development and well-being are excellent. The very clear direction provided by the headteacher and his deputy is central to the school's success. With the strong support of the governors they have exploited every opportunity, offered by the new building, to create excellent conditions for learning. The programme for the professional development of teachers is carefully tailored to meet their needs. The impact

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Grade: 1

of a recent training event to generate captivating introductions to lessons is now evident in classrooms. Much has been achieved in extending assessment and target setting but marking, although conscientious and encouraging, is inconsistent. Pupils are not always given pointers to help them improve their next piece of work. Nevertheless, the school is very successful in it efforts to continually improve and is very well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure marking consistently helps pupils to improve their work. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 2007

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Grade: 1

Achievement is excellent. The teachers in the Foundation Stage take full advantage of the excellent indoor and outdoor areas to make sure the children develop the personal, social, communication and numeracy skills they need before they move to Year 1. The make up of the intake has changed in the last few years. More children now come to school speaking little or no English. These pupils make rapid strides in their spoken English but there is often a delay in the development of reading and writing. Consequently, results have not been as high in the last two years, at the end of Year 2, as in the past. Nevertheless, the pupils make strong progress because of the very good provision. By the end of Years 6 pupils who speak English as an additional language do as well as those whose first language is English. Very high standards in English and mathematics, at the end of Year 6, have been maintained for the last five years. Results in 2006 were exceptionally high in English and mathematics and

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Grade: 1

this is reflected in the work in pupils' books. Standards in science are well above average. Pupils make extensive use of information and communication technology (ICT). They have developed a wide range of skills that allow them to use text, images, sounds and animation to create presentations, for example, about natural disasters and the forces of nature. The pupils develop a wide range of skills that equip well for the future.

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Grade: 1

The pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They talk animatedly about how much they enjoy lessons and 'learning new things'. They are very keen to attend after school clubs and know the sports clubs give them the opportunity to stay fit and healthy. Attendance is above average. Most pupils behave very well. The pupils say they feel safe on the playground and that anti-bullying week was a great success in eliminating any fears pupils had. They work together very well in lessons, collaborating in their work. Sometimes the older pupils assess each other's work and give ideas for improving it. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The website and displays around the school abound with accounts and photographs of activities that extend the pupils' personal development. Trips to St Albans Cathedral, diwali assembly, collections for charities, adventurous outdoor activities and many cultural events significantly extend and enhance significantly the

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Grade: 1

The teaching is outstanding and results in the excellent start made in the Nursery that is built on systematically as the pupils get older. Whatever the task they are involved in, adults are quick to develop opportunities to improve the youngest children's social skills and extend their vocabulary. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 2007 The teachers make very effective use of the interactive white boards. As one Year 5 pupil eloquently commented, 'they enhance our learning experience'. In one lesson in Year 2 a short video clip provided an excellent opening to a literacy lesson. It immediately captivated and interested the pupils. In another Year 2 lesson the pupils were set challenging tasks to help a shopkeeper by presenting his weekly sales in bar charts. This activity was very skilfully modified for different groups of pupils. In Year 5, the teachers provided very interesting activities to

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Grade: 1

develop the pupils' persuasive writing. Working around a common theme of elephants in captivity they matched the work very well to the needs of each ability set. The teaching, and support for, pupils learning to speak English is very good. The teachers have developed a wide range of resources to help pupils when they first arrive. Support staff subsequently work closely with class teachers to prepare pupils for lessons and themes they will encounter in class so these pupils can participate fully in lessons.

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Grade: 1

The school provides an excellent curriculum. Interesting links are made between subjects and explored through themes of enquiry. These themes provide opportunities for pupils to write for a range of purposes and to extend their ICT skills. The Foundation Stage curriculum is outstanding. The youngest children benefit from the wide range of teacher-led activities and ones they can choose for themselves. The resources are excellent and used very imaginatively. The pupils learn a number of foreign languages. In Year 3 they learn Japanese. There are many opportunities for sport, music and art during and after the school day. The wide range of clubs, visits and visitors significantly enhance the curriculum.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. The school takes appropriate steps to make sure that pupils feel safe and well cared for. The required checks are carried out on all adults who work in the school. A very small number of parents expressed concerns about the way support for pupils with learning difficulties is organised. However, individual education plans are very clear and the available support carefully deployed. Teaching assistants provide accomplished additional support for these pupils so they make progress at the same rate as their peers. The school seeks the pupils' views and responds to them. A small minority of pupils felt there was a problem with bullying. As a result the school took decisive action to ensure any such behaviour is dealt with promptly. The pupils now say there are few problems and would have no hesitation in turning to an adult for help. Support for pupils who speak languages other than English is very strong. English classes help

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Grade: 1

parents to contribute more to the child's education. In many respects the teachers provide very good academic guidance for the pupils. Success criteria and targets are used very well in lessons but marking is not always sharp enough to help the pupils to make further improvements to their work. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 2007

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Grade: 1

The leadership and management are excellent at all levels. The headteacher, deputy, senior team and co-ordinators all play important roles. The senior team, supported by governors, set out an annual plan for improvement based on an evaluation of the school's performance. This outlines a very clear commitment of what they expect to achieve. Clear targets are set for standards, teaching performance and the provision for the pupils and the impact of decisions and activities carefully evaluated. These challenging targets are invariably met. Professional development is used very well to establish whole school approaches. This is evident in the effective way ICT is now being used in a range of subjects. The school has very good links with parents. Their views are surveyed and most feel they are kept well informed. The parents association provides excellent support for the school and raises very large amounts of money to enhance the school's facilities.

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Grade: 1

7 of 11 Inspection Report: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 2007 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 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? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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?

1 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: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 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: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

21 June 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Frith Manor Primary School,London,N12 7BN This letter is to tell you about the findings of the recent inspection and to thank you for taking the time to talk to me about your school. You attend an outstanding school which successfully encourages you to work together and to find out about your own and the cultural backgrounds of others. Most of you behave very well. Some of you told me, while we were eating lunch, how much you enjoy school and that it is 'great!' Others told me that you feel safe at playtimes and are very confident that the adults would help you if ever you had a problem. Some of you also said that the school provides lots of interesting opportunities and I agree. The school council members are very proud of their role and have helped to make some important changes such as the sun shades in the playground. The teachers are helping you to achieve very well. They set out very clear success criteria at

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the start of lessons, set you interesting tasks and mark your work so you know how well you have done. Some, but not all, teachers give you more information about how to improve. I have asked them all to give you more guidance about how you can improve your next piece of work. The teachers introduce new ideas using the interactive whiteboards, which many of you think are 'lively and fun'. The lessons I saw were very well planned so that there was something to interest and challenge every group in the class. The teachers ask you some searching questions to which you give thoughtful answers. The headteacher and teachers are constantly looking at how well the school is doing so that improvements can be made. They have been very successful in making many changes that provide you with an excellent education. I hope that the school continues to help you to reach very high standards and that it continues to be very successful in helping you to do as well as you possibly can.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Yours faithfully Christopher ParkerLead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Frith Manor Primary School, 12 June 2007

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