Farnham Green Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 15 Nov 2007

Farnham Green Primary School Inspection report

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102801 Unique Reference Number Redbridge Local Authority 286498 Inspection number 15 November 2007 Inspection date John Earish 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 446 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Hardie Chair Mrs E Quirk Headteacher 4 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection Royal Close School address Seven Kings Ilford IG3 8UY 020 8599 1206 Telephone number 020 8599 9558 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 15 November 2007 Inspection date 286498 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

This large primary school serves a culturally diverse area of Ilford where many families live in social circumstances that are less favourable than average. Almost all of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups and thirty-three are at early stages of learning English. Mobility is high with an increasing number of refugee and asylum seeking families. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above that found nationally, and there are ten children with statements of special educational need. This is also above national figures. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is very much higher than average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Farnham Green Primary School, 15 November 2007

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Grade: 2

Farnham Green Primary School provides its pupils with a good standard of education. Parents say 'all the staff are friendly and helpful'. Good leadership at all levels has enabled it to meet the needs of an increasing number of migrants, refugee and asylum seeker families who have recently moved into the community. Very many of the children have never experienced full time education or have frequently changed school. Many have emotional, behavioural and educational difficulties. The school is adapting its provision well to capture these pupils' enthusiasm for learning and to raise their expectations of what they can achieve. Pupils achieve well to reach broadly average standards and this is reflected in recent national test results. The recent influx into Key Stage 2 of a significant number of pupils with very limited skills in English and very little previous experience of schooling adversely affected standards at age of 11 in

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Grade: 2

2007. Nevertheless, these pupils achieved well from their generally lower starting points because the school is good at supporting them and meeting their needs. Despite this, a number of them did not reach national expectations by the end of Year 6. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at age 7 years are broadly average and show good improvement over the previous year's results, particularly in reading. The school's assessment information from the tracking of pupils' progress confirms these improvements continue. Pupils achieve well because teaching and learning are good. Teachers have a clear overview of pupils' performance throughout the school and use this information well to match work to individual pupil's needs and to set challenging targets for them to achieve. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those with limited skills in English are able to play a full part in lessons and achieve well because

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Grade: 2

teaching assistants and additional teachers provide good quality support. However, on some occasions, teachers miss opportunities for higher attaining pupils to explore their own ideas or do not give them enough time to do so. Pupils' personal development and their care, support and guidance are good because the teachers are effective at tracking and supporting pupils' personal and academic progress so they can achieve well. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe and about the importance of diet and exercise, although some pupils admit that it is difficult to eat healthily always because, 'We don't do the shopping'. Pupils treat each other with respect, behave well, and help each other. They make a good contribution to the community, through participating in local and national events, charity fund-raising, decision-making through the school council, and acting as playground friends. Pupils find their challenging targets helpful and informative.

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Grade: 2

However, some of the older pupils would like more opportunities to assess for themselves how well they are doing at meeting them. They rightly believe this would help them become more confident at working independently and self-critical about their own achievements. The good curriculum provides opportunities for all learners, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, to progress and develop well. The provision for the visual arts, including painting and sculpture, is particularly strong and is a strength of the school. Planning in English, mathematics and science has been adapted well to meet the needs of the many different groups represented within the school community through good programmes of support and intervention. Teaching about the social and emotional aspects of learning promotes pupils' personal development well. The school draws on the

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Grade: 2

expertise of outside agencies well to support this work. Good leadership and management have established a caring environment where equality and diversity are valued and celebrated. The school has successfully reached out to the community and raised parents' expectations of what their children can achieve. Governance is satisfactory. The chair of governors has worked 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Farnham Green Primary School, 15 November 2007 persistently to recruit and train new governors who are now much more involved in strategic management and holding the school to account for its performance. The school improvement plan is based upon effective school evaluation and uses challenging targets well to accelerate the achievement for all groups of pupils. It is this drive for further development through well-targeted actions, on top of its recent record of success, which demonstrates the school's good capacity to continue improving.

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Grade: 2

Provision for the Foundation Stage is good. Children start school with skills and abilities that are very much lower than expected for the age group. They make good progress but many do not reach all of the goals expected for their age group by the start of Year 1. There is a good range of structured opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and skills both indoors and out. Adults ensure a good balance between activities chosen by the children and those planned for them by the teachers. Several parents wrote about the good start their children make in Foundation Stage and commented on the friendly and helpful teachers.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Extend the opportunities for pupils to assess their own work so they have an even better understanding what they need to do to improve. ■ Provide more opportunities for pupils, especially the higher attainers, to learn independently in order to maintain rapid progress. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Farnham Green Primary School, 15 November 2007 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Farnham Green Primary School, 15 November 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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 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 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Farnham Green Primary School, 15 November 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Farnham Green Primary School, 15 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Farnham Green Primary School,Ilford,IG3 8UY Thank you for being so welcoming and helpful when I came to inspect your school. I was very impressed with your friendliness and your sensible and helpful attitudes towards each other. I think that you go to a good school and there are lots of things that I like about it. Some of them are.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your school is friendly and welcoming. You behave well and get on well with each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ I was very impressed with the quality of the paintings, drawings and sculptures you display around the school. ■ The school council represents your views well and you all help the school to run smoothly. I was particularly pleased to see the 'playground friends' organising games and helping those who are feeling lonely. ■ All of the adults in your school make sure that you are well looked after.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

All of the adults in your school want it to be even better. To help them to do this we think that the most important things to do next are.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To ask your teachers to give you even more opportunities to use your own initiative during lessons and to work independently. ■ To ask your teachers to give you more opportunities to assess your own progress so that you have an even better understand what you need to do to improve your work. I am sure that you are ready for this challenge! I know that you will continue to work hard and help your teachers to make your school even better. I hope that you have great success in the future. Yours truly, John Earish Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Farnham Green Primary School, 15 November 2007

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