St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE)

Inspection Report St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE)

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102030 Unique Reference Number Enfield Local Authority 286254 Inspection number 1 March 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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297 Chase Road School address Primary Type of school Southgate Voluntary aided School category London N14 6JA 4 °11 Age range of pupils 020 8886 3379 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8886 1231 Fax number 210 Number on roll (school) Mr Chris Binns Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Louise Whitaker Headteacher 22 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 286254 1 March 2007 4 °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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is heavily oversubscribed. It serves a socially and economically diverse community. The children start school with a good range of skills. The school community is culturally rich; the largest ethnic groups being Greek Cypriot and White British. About a quarter of the pupils speak a language other than English at home; none are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is below average. Fewer pupils than usual take free school meals.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 2007

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good education for the pupils. It has a number of strong features which combine to ensure the pupils make good progress. The children make a very bright and lively start to school life. More children than usual reach the goals set for the end of the Reception year because the teaching is particularly effective. Standards in reading and writing are very high by the end of Year 2. In mathematics, although standards are well above average, they are not quite as high. At the end of Year 6 standards are exceptionally high. Over the last three years pupils have made increasingly good progress from Year 2 to Year 6. The schools comprehensive analysis shows that all groups do equally well. The teaching is good. Lessons are purposeful, and discussions with pupils indicate that they enjoy the tasks they are set. They particularly welcome the introduction of interactive whiteboards because they, 'really make lessons fun.' The pupils also value

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Grade: 2

the way the teachers mark their work and have found 'improvement prompts' help to develop their writing skills. Working with a network of local schools the teachers have made considerable strides forward in using assessment to plan and evaluate learning. These developments have played a significant part in helping pupils to make faster progress. Most parents are very pleased with the school but some have concerns about behaviour and a few do not feel their views are considered. The school is concerned about the behaviour of a small number of the pupils, but most behave very well. In response to these concerns a review of behaviour management and additional training has recently taken place. Parents' views are sought through questionnaires and where necessary issues, such as car parking, are discussed by governors. The school is well placed to continue to improve. Governors are increasingly reviewing

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Grade: 2

the school's performance to ensure standards remain high. The leadership team has established a comprehensive cycle of activities to check that the teaching and the curriculum are effective. However, some of the monitoring of the quality of teaching is not focussed sharply enough on the progress made by the pupils. Similarly, in its development plans, the benefits and improvements intended for pupils, although implicit, are not precise enough. The teachers with additional responsibilities feel they are given good opportunities, and the support, to play an active and effective role in helping the school to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure the monitoring of the quality of teaching has a sharper focus on the impact on pupils' progress. • Clearly identify the intended outcomes and benefits for pupils when planning and evaluating improvement activities. • Raise standards in mathematics at the end of Year 2 to the very high levels attained in reading and writing. 2 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 2007

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Grade: 2

The pupils are achieving well and reaching exceptionally high standards by the end of Year 6. The children make an excellent start in the Reception class and a high proportion do exceptionally well. At the end of Year 2 standards in reading and writing have been significantly above average for several years. Over the same period standards in mathematics have not been quite as high. Standards in 2006 were significantly above average although still some way behind the exceptionally high standards in reading and writing. The school is seeking to improve the position in mathematics. By the end of Year 6 standards have been significantly above average in English, mathematics and science for several years. A combination of good teaching, careful tracking of progress and very effective use of assessment to guide pupils' learning has generated faster progress. Consequently, in 2006 standards were exceptionally high.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are very well prepared for the future.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Most of the pupils have very positive attitudes to school. In discussion they say how much they enjoy art and music lessons, and after school sports clubs. They particularly like representing their school in competitive games. They know how important it is to be fit and healthy and some say that the work they did towards the healthy schools award changed their eating habits. Pupils say they feel safe in the playground. Those who are given extra responsibilities make a good contribution to the school community. The school council is currently planning a 'Red Nose Heroes' event for the pupils to recognise those children who lead by example. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Grade: 2

The teaching and learning are good. The teachers help to develop the pupils' thinking and understanding by questioning them skilfully. This is a particularly strong feature of the teaching of the youngest children, where it extends their vocabulary and confidence. Lessons are well planned and teachers make it clear in almost all lessons what the pupils are expected to learn. Tasks are interesting, lively and well paced. Interactive whiteboards are used well to give lessons an added dimension. Occasionally, visual aids used for whole class lessons, for example when working with sequences of numbers, are too small for all the pupils to see clearly. 3 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 2007 Developments in assessing and evaluating learning are helping to accelerate progress and further raise the standards the pupils attain. Teachers' marking is being used very well to give pupils a clear indication of how they can improve their next piece of work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It provides the pupils with a range of activities that ensure they achieve well. There is a strong emphasis on English and mathematics. The satisfactory range of after-school clubs help extend the curriculum and provide considerable enjoyment for many of the older pupils. They talk excitably about the football and netball clubs. Discussions with pupils reveal a broad curriculum, supported by interesting activities and termly visits to places of interest. The high quality art work on display around the school reflects the emphasis being placed on creative aspects of the curriculum. The forthcoming residential visit to Isle of Wight is eagerly anticipated by the pupils in Year 6. The Foundation Stage curriculum gives the youngest children an excellent range of opportunities to develop their skills in the classroom and in the well resourced outdoor area.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support for pupils are good. Appropriate checks are carried out on adults who work and support in school in line with current requirements. The school has identified some inconsistencies in the way behaviour is managed and taken steps to establish approaches that are used and understood by all staff. Pupils are well supported in lessons, particularly those with learning difficulties. Teaching assistants provide good additional explanations, and small group teaching. The teachers provide increasingly effective guidance for the pupils based on assessments of their work and progress.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The leadership team has established a comprehensive cycle of activities to check that the teaching and the curriculum are effective. The tracking of the pupils' progress is thorough and detailed. The quality of teaching is frequently assessed through lesson observations, but in some instances not enough consideration is given to the impact on the progress made by the pupils. The school development plan is very comprehensive. It sets out the actions to be taken to maintain and extend the school's provision. Where priorities for improvement are identified, the intended benefits for pupils are not precise or clear enough. This makes 4 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 2007 it difficult for the leadership team or governors to evaluate the impact of initiatives on the standards the pupils reach or the progress they make. Governors are increasingly reviewing and evaluating the school's performance and

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Grade: 2

holding it to account. They visit the school and meet with subject leaders to find out for themselves how well the school is doing. The teachers with additional responsibilities are enabled and supported to play an effective role in helping the school to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 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: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 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 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? 1 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 2 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. 7 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 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: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

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. You go to a good school and are able to learn in a friendly atmosphere where the adults take good care of you. You are doing well in lessons and reaching very high standards in reading and writing. Standards are not quite as high in mathematics so I have asked the teachers to help you do even better by the end of Year 2. This will allow you to get even higher results at the end of Year 6. You concentrate on your work and make good progress because the teachers make lessons interesting and lively. Some of you told me how much you welcome the interactive whiteboards because they allow your teachers to involve you more actively in lessons. The teachers assess and mark your work in a way that is helping you improve and make faster progress. The leadership team and the governors are always checking how the school is doing and looking

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

at how they can improve it. I have asked them to look at how the things they plan and do will help you to do even better. I enjoyed being in your school. I hope that in the future it is even more successful in helping you to do as well as you possibly can. Yours sincerely Christopher Parker Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE), 1 March 2007

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