Salisbury Primary School

Salisbury Primary School Inspection report

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102742 Unique Reference Number Newham Local Authority 286478 Inspection number 13 °14 June 2007 Inspection dates Robert Lovett 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 493 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Qaisra Khan Chair Andrea Choppy Headteacher 18 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection Romford Road School address London E12 5AF

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020 8478 6059 Telephone number 020 8553 4249 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 13 °14 June 2007 Inspection dates 286478 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 of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This larger than average primary school is housed in an imposing Victorian building on the busy Romford Road. The school is situated in a part of Newham which is considerably more economically disadvantaged than most. More than twice the average proportion of pupils are entitled to free school meals and other indicators of disadvantage are high. This is an ethnically diverse area and pupils speak about 30 different home languages. Many more pupils than usual join and leave during the school year.

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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: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 June 2007

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Grade: 3

Salisbury Primary is a friendly and welcoming place to learn. It is currently satisfactory but there are clear signs that it is an improving school. Pupils are happy and polite and say they are proud of their school. Because they enjoy learning they have positive attitudes and behaviour is good. As one pupil said, 'I really enjoy school....it's great!' Their personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. The school has taken robust and effective action to improve attendance and punctuality which are now satisfactory. Many children enter the school with levels of skills and understanding which are well below what one would expect for their age. This is particularly true of their language skills and their ability to work well with others. Improvements in the Foundation Stage are beginning to have a positive impact and children now make good progress. Consequently, by the time children

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Grade: 3

leave Reception, they can do most of the things one would expect of them. Pupils in Years 1 - 6 make satisfactory progress but if they are to close the gap with national averages progress will need to accelerate. Although the quality of teaching and learning is improving, and an increasing proportion is good, it is satisfactory overall. If standards are to rise and progress accelerate then more teaching will need to be good or better. While the tracking of how well pupils are doing is frequent and rigorous, this information is not always used well enough to raise expectations and set pupils challenging targets. In particular, the needs of more able pupils are not always being adequately met so that some are not making as much progress as they should. Throughout the school girls are doing much better than boys. The curriculum is satisfactory with some notable strengths such as the development of a 'creative

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Grade: 3

curriculum' and a well planned programme of visits and visitors. While the headteacher and leadership team are providing effective leadership, leadership and management overall are satisfactory. There have been a number of recent initiatives to raise standards and, although it is too soon to see the full impact of these, early indications are positive. There is rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning linked to useful feedback which tells teachers how to improve. This is beginning to raise the quality of teaching and learning and is part of the reason pupils are making more progress. The governing body is satisfactory. It has a clear focus on raising standards but would be better able to do this if the school improvement plan had targets which were more easily measurable, particularly those related to standards and the quality of teaching and learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all teaching is as good as the best so that pupils make better progress and reach higher standards. • Use the tracking of pupil performance more effectively to raise expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly boys and more able pupils. • Ensure the school improvement plan has clear, measurable success criteria so that the school can more effectively monitor and evaluate how well it is doing. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 June 2007

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Grade: 3

When they start in the Nursery, many children have language and social skills which are much lower than those found in most schools. Because of good teaching in Reception, pupils make good progress and now achieve a level of development that is much higher than in the recent past. More children are now reaching goals set for the end of the Reception Year. In the past standards in Years 1 - 2 have been too low. This is in part because some pupils joined the school during Years 1 and 2 with below average standards, but also because sometimes expectations have been too low so that some pupils have not made sufficient progress. Current standards are well below average in Year 2 and average in Year 1 and progress overall is satisfactory. In the 2006 Year 6 national tests, while standards were below average overall, they were an improvement on 2005 and represent a third consecutive year of rising standards. Pupils did

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Grade: 3

best in English. The school's tracking data for pupils currently in Year 6 suggests that standards in 2007 will again be below average. However, because of their very low starting points this represents satisfactory progress. Most groups of pupils make about the same amount of progress but some boys and some more able pupils do not make as much progress as they should. Those pupils who have been in the school longest make the most progress.

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Grade: 2

The pupils thoroughly enjoy school. They are friendly and polite. They are keen to share their ideas and show real enthusiasm for learning. They particularly enjoy the range of physical activities offered. Pupils' attitudes to work and their behaviour are good, enabling them to learn in a positive atmosphere. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and they show consideration and respect for others. Pupils know that they can seek out an adult to give support when they need it and are confident that any problems will be dealt with quickly. Pupils contribute well to the school community through the school council and appreciate the responsibility of becoming 'playground friends.' They like being able to make a difference and know that their views are valued. While links with the wider community are developing well they are currently satisfactory. Pupils have a good understanding of the need to lead a healthy lifestyle and keep themselves

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory but sometimes the expectations teachers have of their pupils lack sufficient ambition so that some do not make as much progress as they should. Part of the reason for this is that not all teachers have a sufficiently secure understanding of National Curriculum levels. Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are good. This is because in Reception there are good strategies for matching work to what children need to learn and because basic skills 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 June 2007 such as phonics are taught well. Teaching in Years 1 - 6 is satisfactory and results in satisfactory progress. In lessons seen teaching was satisfactory overall, and some was good. In most lessons teachers use the recently installed interactive whiteboards well to enliven teaching and learning. In the best lessons learning intentions are shared and discussed at the beginning of lessons to ensure

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Grade: 3

that pupils know what they are to learn and how their progress will be assessed. Where teaching is less successful pupils are not sure about exactly what they are to do so that they lose concentration. In some lessons teachers use questioning well to assess learning while in the best teachers use a range of questions to encourage pupils to reflect on their answers and to consolidate their learning. In some lessons, such as an outstanding Year 2 lesson on 'personal change' pupils worked very well together and showed real maturity and an outstanding ability to organise their own discussions and responses.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and broadly meets the needs of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities and those pupils with English as an additional language. Since the last inspection the school has improved the links between subjects to make learning more relevant and purposeful by introducing a 'creative curriculum'. However, this has not been in place long enough to fully impact on raising standards. The school organises a good range of out-of-class activities such as 'lunch time club', efficiently organised by the learning mentor for pupils needing to improve their social development. A well planned programme of visits and visitors adds extra enjoyment and makes a good contribution to pupils' learning. A residential journey to Fairplay House in Essex, where pupils can take part in outdoor activities, makes a significant contribution to the pupils' social development. The school's provision for

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Grade: 3

Reception children is good and ensures that they start with a secure platform for future learning.

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Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support offered to pupils is satisfactory. The provision of a learning mentor is an effective resource that provides pupils with opportunities to develop their self esteem. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities receive satisfactory support as do those pupils who speak English as an additional language. However, individual education plans are not always readily available to all who support vulnerable pupils, in order to accurately meet their needs. Satisfactory links have been established to ensure a smooth transition to the next stage of pupils' education. The school has appropriate strategies in place to help pupils new to the school to settle and begin to make progress.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has been very effective in overseeing a steady rise in standards. She has been well supported in this by the leadership team. Together they have successfully developed a vision for the school which enjoys wide support. There are effective systems in place which track the progress of pupils each year but these have not been in place long enough to provide 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 June 2007 a strategic view of progress over time or of the progress of some groups of pupils. Not all members of the middle management team are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The school has written an appropriate improvement plan intended to ensure standards continue to rise. It sets out a range of useful actions but is not always sufficiently clear about how or when progress is to be measured. While most parents are very positive about the school some suggest the school could do more

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Grade: 3

to keep them well informed about the life of the school, how well their children are doing and how they can help their children to learn more. The governing body is satisfactory. It knows that standards could be higher and is committed to help bring this about. In order to ensure it succeeds it will need to monitor progress and standards across the school with continuing rigour. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 June 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 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? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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

3 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 3 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 3 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?

3 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: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 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: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 June 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Salisbury Primary School,London,E12 5AF You may remember that recently I visited the school with two colleagues. We visited lessons, looked at work and talked to teachers and some of you, including the school council. I'd like to tell you what we found. We think you attend a satisfactory and improving school. The headteacher and others who help manage the school are working hard to make it better and as a result most of you are doing better. You work hard and behave well. You told us you enjoy learning and are proud of your school. We thought you moved around the school and up and down the many stairs very sensibly. Your teachers and others who work at the school take good care of you and you told us you feel happy and safe. We were particularly pleased to see that more of you are attending school regularly and arriving in good time to begin your lessons. Keep it up!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Here are some of the most important things we found; • Teaching is satisfactory, which means that your teachers are doing the sort of things we would expect to see. However, we all want to see you doing better so we are asking the school to make sure that all teaching is at least good so that standards rise. You can play your part in this by always listening carefully and working hard. • The school is keeping a careful track of how well you are doing but it could use this information better to set you work which is challenging so that it's not too easy. We think this will help some of you who are quick to learn and some boys achieve more. • We have asked the school to be clearer about how well it expects to do so that the governors and everyone else can judge the school's progress. Thank you once again for making us so welcome. I hope you have a good end to the term and an enjoyable summer. Yours faithfully

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Robert LovettHer Majesty's Inspector of Schools 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 13 °14 June 2007

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