Honilands Primary School

Honilands Primary School Inspection report

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101998 Unique Reference Number Enfield Local Authority 307871 Inspection number 20 °21 November 2007 Inspection dates 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 454 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr R Barker Chair Mr R Silverman Headteacher 10 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection Lovell Road School address Enfield EN1 4RE 01992 701012 Telephone number 01992 718396 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 20 °21 November 2007 Inspection dates 307871 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large primary school serves a culturally diverse area of Enfield where many families live in disadvantaged social circumstances. About a half of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups and a number are at the very earliest stages of learning English. Mobility is high with increasing numbers of refugee and asylum seeking families. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is well above that found nationally. The headteacher joined the school at the beginning of the autumn term. The school was previously led by for one year by an interim leadership team of the deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher.

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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: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 November 2007

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Grade: 4

The overall effectiveness of the school is inadequate. In accordance with legislation, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is, therefore, given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to the standards of pupils' work and their achievement. The legacy of low standards and underachievement is a direct result of a period of weak provision together with inadequate systems to track pupils' progress. The interim leadership successfully improved the climate for learning, pupils' behaviour and their attitudes to school. Pupils confirm that behaviour and attitudes to learning were previously a cause of concern but are now very much improved. Recent improvements in teaching means that the progress pupils make in

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Grade: 4

lessons is accelerating and often at a good rate. Even so, overall effectiveness remains inadequate because gaps in pupils' learning mean that too many are underachieving. This is reflected in the national test results for Year 6 pupils, which have been exceptionally low for some years and reflect inadequate achievement. However, school assessments show that those currently in Year 6 are on track to achieve better results than in recent years. The school's leaders are tackling weaknesses with determination. They have recognised the root causes of underachievement and are taking effective measures to address them. The focus has been on raising standards of literacy and numeracy, and good assessment systems are now in place to provide accurate information about pupils' progress. This means that teachers are able to identify quickly those who are underachieving and take action to deal with it. Strong

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Grade: 4

teaching in Years 6 and more robust tracking of pupil's progress has contributed to the rising standards and achievement amongst this group. While the school quite righty concentrates on literacy and numeracy, the senior managers realise that they need to extend their work beyond these subjects, for example to science, where standards, too, are exceptionally low. Pupils say they now enjoy coming to school and want to learn. Attendance is very close to the national average and it is the most improved school in Enfield in this respect. The successful promotion of pupils' personal development is one of the key features of the strategy to improve the school's performance. Pupils' enjoyment of learning was evident in most lessons. Their willingness to learn, coupled with improvements to teaching, account for pupils' improved progress in lessons, but the leadership is not complacent and realise there is still much more

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Grade: 4

to do. Teaching is satisfactory overall but inconsistencies remain in the quality of marking and the expectations of what pupils can achieve. Literacy and numeracy leaders are keeping a close check on teaching and learning. However, systems in other subjects are not sufficiently developed. Although pupils have targets for improvement, they are not always aware of them, and this limits their understanding of what they need to do to improve. Recent improvements show there is good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 3

Children start school with well below average skills, especially in communication, language and literacy and their social and personal development. They make satisfactory progress overall, although fewer reach the goals expected of them by the end of Reception than is typically the case. The school places a strong emphasis on social development because children have few 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 November 2007 opportunities to play alongside each other in a structured way before starting in the Nursery. Children quickly learn to cooperate, take turns and play happily together so they are better prepared for learning. A new thematic approach is successfully linking together the areas of learning but this is yet to have a significant impact on children's progress. Staff work well together as a team and systems to give a clearer view of individual children's progress are being

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Grade: 3

trialled. The lack of a covered outdoor area restricts the range of activities offered for outdoor learning. However, the school has suitable plans to extend and improve this aspect of the provision.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards and accelerate pupils' achievement in English, mathematics and science.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of the teaching by ensuring that expectations are high and pupils are challenged in all lessons. ■ Ensure that marking and target setting provide all pupils with a clear understanding of how they should improve their work. ■ Ensure leaders are effective in monitoring and supporting teaching and learning to secure and sustain pupils' rapid progress.

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Grade: 4

The school adds too little value to the pupils' learning in English, mathematics and science. From low starting points, pupils make inadequate progress and underachieve. Standards by the end of Year 6 are significantly below average overall. The senior management team is addressing the causes of underachievement, including a legacy of inadequate teaching and learning and inconsistencies in the expectations of what pupils can achieve. This is starting to make a difference, with a significant increase in the numbers achieving Level 4 and the higher Level 5 in English this year. Pupils with learning difficulties, and those learning English as an additional language, are now making satisfactory progress in lessons. However, this is a recent development and their achievement over time is inadequate.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good because the school has put considerable efforts into improving behaviour and building a strong and resilient ethos. Pupils have a good knowledge of healthy lifestyles. They enjoy the extra-curricular sports activities and they eagerly participate in the daily 'Take 10' exercise activities. As a result, pupils say they are determined to stay healthy and youthful and are proud to have achieved 'Healthy Schools' status. Pupils now feel much more involved in school decision making and the school council are certain their views are always considered. For example, they have recently designed a new school logo, chosen the material and colour of the school curtains and interviewed candidates for the headship. One pupil said, 'Our new headteacher is making the school look better.' Another added, 'He is helping us all become better pupils'. For example,

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Grade: 2

they now enjoy playtimes and feel safe because any incidents are dealt with quickly. They particularly like the new reward system, known as the 'bead machine'. They say it is definitely helping those who find it difficult to always behave well and is encouraging others to work hard. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their roles as leaders and to take on extra responsibilities by, for example, acting as playground friends by helping those who feel 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 November 2007 lonely or upset. Others help retired citizens and invite them into school to share in the Harvest Festival celebrations. Recent improvements in the progress of Year 6 pupils, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support their learning and the opportunities they have to develop enterprise skills, mean that they are now adequately prepared for the

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Good and imaginative teaching was observed in all year groups, but is not sufficiently widespread to support more rapid progress. Most teachers plan thoroughly so that tasks are well matched to the wide range of pupils' abilities. They have high expectations of all the groups of pupils within the class and provide work that is matched well to pupils' abilities. Teachers also regularly check to see how well pupils are doing and provide harder work for those who find learning easy. However, good practice is not consistent across the school. There are still a few lessons where expectations are not high enough and work is not sufficiently challenging for the different abilities within the class. As a result, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is broad and balanced with an appropriate emphasis on English and mathematics. The school has begun to adapt the curriculum to make it challenging, relevant and exciting by making links between the different areas of learning. However, this is at an early stage of development and has yet to have a marked impact on pupils' achievement. Provision for ICT has improved since the last inspection and is now used effectively to support learning across the curriculum. Improvements to the planning of literacy and numeracy are beginning to raise standards in English and mathematics. However, it does not always stretch those pupils who find learning easy and this limits their progress. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities, such as an annual residential trip and football coaching, which supports pupils' personal development well. The pupils really enjoy these activities and recognise the range of

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care is good and most parents are happy that the school is safe and secure. A few report concerns about behaviour, but inspectors found that pupils behave satisfactorily overall and well during lessons. Learning mentors make a good contribution to building the confidence and self-esteem of those vulnerable pupils who find working with others difficult or are disturbed by challenging and unfamiliar situations. Procedures for ensuring pupils' health and safety are secure. The systems for ensuring that all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those new to learning English, are fulfilling their academic potential have not been effective and progress has been unsatisfactory. However, improved procedures for monitoring academic progress, although relatively new, are already having a positive impact on pupils' progress and achievement. This is particularly effective in English and mathematics.

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Grade: 3

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 November 2007 However, the sharing of targets for improvement with pupils is not consistent across the school, which limits pupils' understanding of how they should improve.

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Grade: 3

The new headteacher is making good progress in building on the work of the interim leadership. The new team have a clear understanding of what needs to improve and how to achieve it. The leadership of literacy and numeracy is helping to accelerate progress in these subjects because the extent of pupils' underachievement is recognised and they know how to put this right. The impact of leadership in other subjects has not been good enough to secure consistently good teaching and learning to eradicate underachievement. Governors share the leaders' determination to raise standards, but need to be more rigorous at holding the school to account for its performance to ensure rapid improvement. All pupils are equally valued. However, far too many are not yet able to fulfil their potential. For example, weaknesses in the management of those pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and English as additional language mean that

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Grade: 3

the underachievement of some of these pupils had previously gone unchecked. These groups are now better supported in lessons but more still needs to be done especially by the inclusion leader in order to ensure their rapid and continued progress. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 November 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: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 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? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

4 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 4 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 3 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?

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: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 December 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Honilands Primary School,Enfield,EN1 4RE Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and your views and opinions have given us a lot of helpful information. We though you might like to know more about what we found out. At the moment, your school is not doing as well as it should and needs to get better quickly. We have given it what is called a Notice to Improve. However, many things have improved recently and your new headteacher is determined that they will continue to get better. Here are a few of the things we most liked most about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You told us that you enjoy school and we could see that you do!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Adults work hard to make sure the school is safe and you are well cared for.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school council represents your views well and help the school run smoothly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have a good knowledge about how to stay safe and to live healthily.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your work is beginning to improve, but there is still a long way to go. However, we are certain that your headteacher and teachers are going to work hard to help you do your very best. We know that you will want to help them too. Here are some of the things we have suggested they should do so that you can improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There are more good lessons now than there used to be and we are asking your teachers to make sure that they get even better. ■ Teachers now keep a close check on your work in literacy and numeracy and we want them to do this in other subjects so they can help you improve your work in those subjects too. ■ You said that you found your targets were useful and they gave you something to aim for. We have asked the teachers to check to make certain that you know exactly what you have to do to improve your own work. You must promise to help as well by reading the comments they write in your books and by listening carefully to their advice. Once again, thank you for your help during the inspection. We know you will work with your teachers to help your school to improve. Yours sincerely John Earish Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Honilands Primary School, 20 °21 November 2007

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