Glebe Primary School

102380 Unique Reference Number Hillingdon Local Authority 286354 Inspection number 23 May 2007 Inspection date Barry Jones 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 304 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Buckingham Chair Mr Nick Alford Headteacher 27 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection Sussex Road School address Ickenham Uxbridge UB10 8PH

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01895 671951 Telephone number 01895 674143 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 23 May 2007 Inspection date 286354 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Glebe is a little larger than the average primary school but is currently undersubscribed. The school has capacity for 60 pupils a year but actual numbers vary from 30 in Year 2 to 58 in Year 4. It serves an area that is more socially and economically advantaged than most. There is a higher proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds but the proportion with English as an additional language is average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above average and increasing. In addition, there is a specialised resource provision (SRP) where there are seven hearing impaired learners with statements. More pupils join or leave this school at unusual times than is normally found. The local authority is at an early stage in considering the possible relocation of the school.

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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: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Glebe is a good school in which pupils thrive academically and socially because strong emphasis is successfully given to valuing the whole child. The pupils have devised a new school motto which encapsulates the ethos - `We can and we will'. The great majority of parents and carers agree that it is good school and one summed this up by writing, `Great school and cannot fault it on anything'. Children enter the Nursery with average attainment. They get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage because of the good teaching and curriculum. There has been a focus on phonics and this has led to a quickening in the rate that children acquire literacy skills. By the time that pupils leave Year 6, standards are consistently above average in English and science and usually in mathematics. As a result pupils are well prepared for moving on to secondary schools. The quality of teaching is good so that progress is consistently rapid as pupils move

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Grade: 2

through the school. Standards are also above average in Key Stage 1. The good teamwork and effective oversight by senior managers contribute significantly to the consistently good achievement. The school is quick to respond to any dips in performance. This has led to a significant improvement in science since the previous inspection because of well thought-out actions. Following a dip in the 2006 Year 6 national tests, mathematics has been a priority for development; the school has revised planning and there has been additional training for staff. The indications are that current Year 6 pupils are on track to do better in the 2007 tests but the school's assessment are not detailed enough to give a clear picture of overall attainment. There is a calm, caring and welcoming atmosphere in the school. This reflects the good care and support and the resulting excellent personal development and well-being of the pupils.

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Grade: 2

Behaviour is exemplary and pupils are courteous and polite and show mutual respect for one another. Pupils with a hearing impairment are integrated well into the main school, mix well with their peers and make very good progress. Pupils who join the school at unusual times are also helped to settle well and also make good progress. The school has recently improved its tracking systems for individual pupils' progress and this information is used effectively to provide additional support when needed. The school is at an early stage in analysing its own data to establish the progress of particular groups to inform decisions taken by senior managers. This is partly because some minority groups are very small but there is not a full picture either for the impact on standards of the significant numbers who join the school after the Foundation Stage. Leadership and management are good and have successfully maintained good standards of

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Grade: 2

attainment and care over a sustained period. The school responded very positively to issues raised in the previous report. Consequently, standards have risen at Key Stage 1 and in science at Key Stage 2. The school's capacity to improve is good provided that uncertainties about the location of the school are resolved quickly.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all pupils are making good progress in mathematics in Key Stage 2. • Extend the analyses of the school's data to measure the progress of different groups within the school and to better inform decisions taken by senior managers. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Standards at the end of the Foundation Stage are above those expected for children of this age in reading, writing, calculating and creative development. The weakest area has been in speaking but the strategies recently used have led to better progress. These successful approaches are currently being extended into Key Stage 1. This is indicative of a reflective and analytical school that is constantly striving to improve further and explains why the weaknesses at the time of the previous inspection have been effectively tackled. Actions taken include increased focus on guided reading, increased involvement of parents, the use of challenging targets and the strengthening of the management. The school has identified that there is a greater difference in performance than might be expected at Key Stage 1 between boys and girls and is considering how to remedy this. There is no similar difference by the end of Year 6

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Grade: 2

and boys do as well as girls by the time they leave school. The improvements in science at Key Stage 2 have resulted partly from an investment in resources. Additionally, increased monitoring and constructive feedback to staff linked to targeted training have led to improvements in the teaching. As a result, results improved significantly in the two years following the previous inspection although they slipped back a little in 2006. The school's coordinator for mathematics is working alongside an adviser and they have helped to develop staff's teaching skills further. A new approach to assessing pupils' mathematical competence is being trialled in Year 4 as part of the strategy but it is too early to judge its effectiveness. There are no underachieving groups. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make the same progress as their classmates.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. In an excellent assembly, pupils contributed well to a theme based on being responsible for one's own actions and they offered some perceptive thoughts. Also a group of girls took great delight in demonstrating their skills in Thai dancing. There is racial harmony and pupils demonstrate respect for different cultures and beliefs. This means that pupils enjoy school very much and their positive attitudes are shown by their good attendance. Pupils readily take on responsibilities. For instance, they are closely involved in fund raising for charities and have forged links with local elderly people. Year 6 pupils organise a drinks and biscuits event to which parents and carers are invited in order to raise money for their school journey. The school council say that their views are valued. Their suggestions led to the introduction of new equipment for the playground and for

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Grade: 1

`friendship stops' so that no pupil may feel alone.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good with some that is outstanding teaching and none inadequate. Teachers plan well with clear objectives so that pupils know what they are expected to learn. There is an established staff that knows its pupils well. Staff use their experience to good advantage to create good relationships and atmospheres inside classrooms that are conducive to effective learning. All classes have interactive whiteboards and these are used well to improve 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 2007 explanations by teachers and add to pupils' interest. Teachers plan to meet the individual needs of pupils but vary in their effectiveness to do so. Teaching assistants make a valued contribution to the good progress made by pupils. The school identifies increased `personalised learning' as the next step in its development. Marking is very thorough and offers constructive feedback

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Grade: 2

and encouragement to pupils to help them improve further.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. In the Foundation Stage there is a good range of activities including very good teacher-led learning but opportunities for children to learn though well planned play are sometimes missed. The school is intending to develop the outside facilities further. In the main school there is good provision for personal, social and health education. For instance, pupils have two lessons of physical education each week. Consequently, they lead healthy lives and have a good understanding of healthy eating issues. This is also reflected in the `Active Mark' award. Provision for literacy and numeracy are good and the school is continually seeking to improve further through imaginative strategies. The school has responded effectively to the recommendation in the previous report to broaden the curriculum. For example, it has developed `themed weeks' for science and extended studies about Africa. The emphasis in these weeks has appropriately been on practical experience and

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Grade: 2

on encouraging pupils' creativity. There is an attractive display of pupils' work that is testimony to the excellent attention to cultural development in the curriculum. There is good use of information and communication technology (ICT) including advanced video-conferencing to create links with other schools. The school is currently planning to extend the use of ICT to aid learning in other subjects too. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities which are well attended by the pupils and contribute significantly to their positive attitudes towards school.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good and are a testament to the professionalism and dedication of the staff. There are very good links with a wide range of partners that mean that vulnerable pupils are supported well. Induction procedures in the Nursery are good and enable the children to feel safe and secure. There is good provision in the hearing impaired unit and these pupils progress well not only in their work but also socially and emotionally. As one governor said, `They are wonderful for the school. The consideration shown by pupils for their disability carries though to other aspects.' Pupils play their part too. New arrivals are quick to settle because the `buddying' system works well and this is commented on very positively by parents. There are good behaviour management procedures which are understood well by parents and pupils. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are secure. Consequently, pupils say they feel very safe

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Grade: 2

in school. Academic guidance has some strengths. For example, pupils with English as an additional language are tracked. All staff have an inclusion folder which contains the records of these pupils and also for those with learning difficulties and disabilities. This helps to make the working between teachers and support staff to be effective. More generally, there are targets for groups of pupils but not at individual pupil level. This means that not all pupils have a challenging target. This is recognised and the intention is to address it through initiatives for gifted and talented pupils. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Grade: 2

The school is well led by the headteacher and he is supported by an able senior management team. Monitoring and evaluation are good and underpin the consistently good teaching and implementation of agreed school policies. A significant factor in the school's success is the way in which the staff work as a team and means that pupils make good progress throughout the school. Middle managers make an effective contribution. They have been instrumental in bringing about improvements in English, mathematics, science and ICT. The school has responded well to the changes in its pupil population. The provision for the increasing numbers of pupils with learning difficulties is good. The relative weakness is the use of data gathered in the school to inform decisions taken by senior managers. This means that the identification of pupils whose performance dips is too dependant on the class teacher. The fluctuation in the roll has caused logistical problems for the school. Good management of

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Grade: 2

staffing resources has ensured that disruptions to pupils' learning have been minimised. Prudent use of finances has meant that the school has sometimes had small class sizes in some years but still spends within its means. There are inevitably some repercussions resulting from the uncertain future of the school on its present site. It does not help the governors in their campaign to stabilise the numbers of pupils joining the school. Also, some pupils are being taught in temporary accommodation because agreed building plans are on hold. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 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: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 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 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 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: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

4 June 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Glebe Primary School,Uxbridge,UB10 8PH I write to thank you for your help and cooperation when I inspected your school. You told me that you very much enjoy coming to school and that you feel very safe there. You also told me about the wide range of activities and clubs that you can join. I enjoyed the Thai dancing in the assembly! Congratulations to those involved. Of course, I could not speak to most of the Year 6 pupils as they were away on the school journey to the Isle of Wight. Your school council representatives are confident that their views are valued. They have been able to influence decisions about playground equipment and `friendship stops'. You told me that Glebe is a good school and I agree. The things I like are that: • you get along and the way you respect one another is excellent • you behave very well • you have good teachers • the school is led well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• you do well in SATs and other tests. There are two things that I have asked the school to do in order to make things even better: • make sure older pupils do as well in mathematics as in English and science • make better use of the data that the school collects on what you can do. For your part, treasure the friendliness of your school. If you do not understand, please make sure you ask the teachers. They will be pleased to help. I wish you continuing success in the future. Barry Jones Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebe Primary School, 23 May 2007

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