Tiverton Primary School

Tiverton Primary School Inspection report

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102120 Unique Reference Number Haringey Local Authority 307904 Inspection number 21 °22 November 2007 Inspection dates 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 389 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Margaret Palmer Chair Ms Resham Mirza Headteacher 25 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection Pulford Road School address London N15 6SP 020 8800 3779 Telephone number 020 8880 1197 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 21 °22 November 2007 Inspection dates 307904 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

Tiverton is situated in an area where the levels of social and economic disadvantage are high although a significant number of pupils travel from further afield. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and for whom English is an additional language are higher than in most schools. There are 36 different home languages spoken. The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school at unusual times is higher than average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is a little above average but there are fewer with statements of special educational need. The school has more boys than girls. There have been several changes in leadership in recent years and the school has only had a full complement of senior leaders since July 2006. The school offers extended care in the form of a breakfast club for 5-11 year olds and after-school extended provision for 3-8 year olds.

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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: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 November 2007

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Grade: 3

Tiverton is an improving, satisfactory school with many good features. It has been through a difficult time accentuated by the various changes in its leadership. It now has a very good headteacher, ably supported by her deputy. She has steadied the ship and her calm assurance, determination and personal skills have been instrumental in inspiring the school to raise its expectations of what can be achieved. This has led to improvements in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and is beginning to have an impact in Key Stage 2. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They are particularly appreciative of the caring ethos that results in pupils feeling safe and enjoying their time at school. As one parent said, `The school is a happy learning environment where my children certainly thrive'. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage as a result of the good provision. They receive good teaching in Key Stage 1 and the gap with national averages narrows. Although

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Grade: 3

results are still below average they have risen significantly in the last two years because of the increased stability in staffing and improved teaching. Results at Key Stage 2 have improved slightly but not rapidly enough. The school identifies weaknesses in the teaching as the principal reason why progress in Key Stage 2 has been unsatisfactory in recent years. It has taken robust action and teaching has improved. Senior managers have been vigorous in tackling unsatisfactory teaching. However, monitoring does not focus sufficiently on pupils' learning and so opportunities are missed to investigate reasons for slower progress by pupils in Key Stage 2. Teaching is satisfactory and sometimes good but there is insufficient good teaching for pupils to make up for lost ground. Teachers have established good relationships which means that pupils come to school ready to learn. As a result, provisional results for 2007 show that standards

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Grade: 3

in the national tests have improved from being exceptionally low but remain significantly below average. Given the pupils' low starting points this means that overall achievement is now satisfactory but more remains to be done. A strength of the school is its excellent pastoral care and support. A typical comment from a parent was, `The headteacher and staff always have time for parents with any concerns'. The school works well with other agencies to provide very well for vulnerable pupils. Pupils feel safe and cared for and speak highly of the school's support. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities receive good support and so make good progress. There are very good procedures for ensuring that pupils who join the school at unusual times are helped to settle quickly into the school. This typifies the positive relationships that permeate this harmonious community. Academic guidance is satisfactory and improving. The tracking of pupils' attainment has improved

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Grade: 3

but is not sufficiently rigorous to ensure that underperformance is always identified. The school does not analyse data well enough to pick up trends and to inform planning by senior leaders. Pupils enjoy school very much. This is shown by their good attendance and also reflects the good curriculum. The school has acted very positively since the previous inspection to reduce the number of occasions when absences are authorised by parents. Pupils behave well because whole-school policies are consistently implemented. Senior managers have maintained good quality of care and pupils' achievement, behaviour and attendance have all improved. Additionally, the staff work well as a team. Given the track record in the last two years capacity to improve is good. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 November 2007

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Grade: 2

There is some variation between years but children usually enter Nursery with skills that are well below those expected for their age. They are still below expected levels at the end of Reception in most years. In 2007, provision improved significantly and the children attained above average standards in some respects as a result of the good teaching and the rich curriculum. There is a good balance between adult-led and activities that children choose for themselves. Effective planning, preparation and assessment procedures ensure that activities meet the needs of the children successfully. Provision in the outdoor learning area has improved greatly since the previous inspection. These positive features reflect that this area is managed well.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the rigour of the monitoring of teaching and learning and ensure that it is consistently good. ■ Raise achievement at Key Stage 2.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Extend the analyses of data to identify trends and patterns of performance for groups of pupils to inform school planning and to raise achievement. A 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.

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Grade: 3

Results in the national tests at the end of Year 2 have improved significantly in the last two years. In 2007, the provisional results show that the proportions attaining the expected level for their age were below average for writing and mathematics but average for reading. This reflects effective strategies to promote reading particularly. Although there have been some improvements at Key Stage 2 they are less pronounced. Progress in this key stage has been well below average for the last three years. The school's own monitoring shows that there is still too much variation between subjects and year groups. It also shows that, supported by lesson observations in this inspection, that progress is satisfactory overall. The high proportion of pupils who join the school during the course of Key Stage 2, a few with little spoken English, partly explains the lower attainment but not the below average progress for all pupils. In 2007,

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Grade: 3

the school missed its targets for level 4 but met those for level 5. Targets for 2008 are challenging but will require an acceleration of progress to that currently being achieved.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This stems from the lead given by adults in the school and the many opportunities to develop this awareness, for example, through the curriculum, assemblies and circle time. Pupils speak well of the way the school deals effectively with the rare instances of bullying. They subscribe fully to the school steer, `Say no to bullying, say yes to friendship'. They take on responsibilities, for instance, as `peer mediators' and this works well. The school council feels that its views are valued. Given their satisfactory basic skills, pupils' economic well-being is satisfactory. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 November 2007

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Grade: 3

Teachers manage their classes well and pupils say that they make lessons fun and interesting. In most lessons teachers use resources well and interactive whiteboards provide an extra stimulus. Teachers have good questioning techniques and pupils are given opportunities to develop their thinking and arguments. Good use is made of `talk partners'. Teaching is more consistently good for the younger pupils but there is some good teaching in all years. Teachers vary in their effectiveness to use assessment data to plan work to meet the needs of all pupils. In a few of the lessons seen there was incorrect use of mathematical terms. In the good lessons teachers check how well pupils have understood before moving on. Marking is conscientiously done but does not always indicate how pupils might improve further.

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Grade: 2

There is good provision for personal, social and health education. This contributes significantly to pupils' good personal development and means they have a good understanding of healthy-living issues. The school values highly the many different cultures represented in the school and this is reflected well in the curriculum. There is a good range of visits, visitors and after-school clubs. These contribute very much to pupils' enjoyment of school. Special events such as science week and `themed days' make learning exciting and meaningful for the pupils. The school is increasingly planning for links between subjects. For instance, the use of information and communication technology is used in most subjects but more use is planned.

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Grade: 2

Systems for supporting pupils who have learning difficulties and those who are at the early stages of learning English are good. They are helped to play a full part in school life and make good progress against their individual targets. However, not all other pupils have individual targets and so some are not clear about how they might improve further. There is very good before- and after-school provision. There are effective partnerships with other local schools to ensure smooth transition of pupils both in and out of school. Visits to the home setting are arranged for children entering the Nursery and the partnership is strongly cemented once they have arrived.

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Grade: 3

Strategies to improve behaviour and attendance have been effective and contribute significantly to pupils' good personal development. The headteacher has moulded a unified team and no-one is missed out. For instance, there is a stimulating and welcoming environment as a result of the maintenance and administration staff's good work. Some initiatives are relatively new, however, and have yet to be fully effective. For instance, the school is using computer software to record assessments for pupils' attainment at regular periods. It is used well for many pupils to trigger support. It is not used to maximum potential to identify trends or patterns of 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 November 2007 performance for different groups of pupils. The school acts on externally produced data and, for instance, are implementing strategies to raise standards in writing and the attainment of

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Grade: 3

boys. It has not analysed data collected by itself sufficiently rigorously to investigate reasons for the slower progress in Key Stage 2. The school does not have a complete picture of the progress made by pupils who arrive at unusual times. However, the school has used data well as part of its drive to improve attendance. There has been difficulty in recruiting and retaining governors but this situation has improved. Governors are supportive of the school and are now developing their role as a 'critical friend'. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 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: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 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

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 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 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 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? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

4 December 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Tiverton Primary School,London,N15 6SP Thank you very much for your help and cooperation when we inspected your school. You told us that you very much enjoy coming to school. You told us you feel safe and how peer mediators and the `challenge' group contribute to the calm atmosphere in the school. You told us that Tiverton is a good school. You are proud of your school. As one of you said, `we have a great headteacher and great teachers', and in most ways we agree. We think it is satisfactory with several good features. The things we liked are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You respect the many different cultures and beliefs in the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The teachers look after you very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You support those who come from abroad, sometimes with little English, very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school provides some interesting activities for you to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is led well by your headteacher.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children make a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The school is working hard to make things even better for you. There are three things we have asked the school to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Check to make sure that you always get good teaching.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help the older pupils to do better in their Year 6 SATs.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Use the information it collects on how well you do to make things even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you again. We wish you continuing success. Yours faithfully, Barry Jones Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Tiverton Primary School, 21 °22 November 2007

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