Cannon Lane Primary School

Cannon Lane First School Inspection report

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102204 Unique Reference Number Harrow Local Authority 307930 Inspection number 15 September 2008 Inspection date Rob Crompton Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4–8 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 356 School (total) 89 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Karen Gallagher Chair Dr Reena Keeble Headteacher 18 April 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Cannonbury Avenue School address Pinner HA5 1TS 020 8866 3536 Telephone number 020 8429 9970 Fax number

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4–8 Age group 15 September 2008 Inspection date 307930 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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors investigated the following issues in detail: achievement and standards, care, guidance and support, and the Early Years Foundation Stage. Evidence was gathered from the school's self-evaluation, national data and the school's own assessment records, curriculum and planning documents, observation of the school at work, interviews with staff and pupils and parents' questionnaires. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This large school serves a diverse community. Almost two-thirds of pupils are from minority ethnic families, mostly with an Asian heritage. Around half the school population has English as an additional language, with 50 pupils at an early stage of acquiring English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is below average. The majority of these pupils have communication problems. Pupils move on to middle school after Year 3.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008

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Grade: 1

Cannon Lane First is an outstanding school. It is held in the highest regard by parents and the local community. As one parent said, reflecting the views of many, 'We could not hope for a better school'. Pupils regard the school as excellent and are keen to extol its virtues. One remarked, 'Cannon Lane is special because teachers go step by step in learning'. The school is highly successful in providing pupils with an exciting and stimulating education that develops them academically and as well-rounded young people. Achievement is outstanding. Children get off to flying start in Reception. Parents are delighted with how well their children settle in and with their exceptional progress. By the end of Year 2, standards are exceptionally high in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils continue to make rapid progress in Year 3, consistently reaching standards that are well above expectations for their age. Pupils with English as an additional language are among the highest

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Grade: 1

achievers, an indication of the highly effective provision for these pupils. A current school priority is to increase their confidence in using technical terms in mathematics and science in order to enhance their learning further. Because of highly effective support, pupils with learning difficulties make very rapid progress, reaching above average standards for such pupils. Pupils that are more able do very well because of the consistent level of challenge in their work. The rate of progress through the school is due to excellent teaching and pupils' exceptional involvement in their own learning. Teaching strategies are flexible and innovative. Pupils' progress is reviewed every six weeks and this is followed by highly focused support by teachers and learning assistants. Academic guidance is excellent. Pupils receive continuous feedback so they are clear about what they need to do next. They develop extremely mature attitudes to

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Grade: 1

learning. During an assembly, Year 3 pupils explained how their 'learning poster' illustrated the difference between shallow and deep learning. Pupils are remarkably well versed in the '4Rs', and offered pertinent examples of how they use resilience, resourcefulness, reciprocity and reflection during lessons. They described how teachers make learning fun and challenging. One pupil said, 'If it's easy, it will be boring', thus reflecting the school's ethos and the collective drive for continuing improvement. It is not only the opportunity to excel across the range of their school work that prepares pupils extremely well for the future, but also the development of their personal qualities. The school is recognised nationally as an exemplar in involving pupils in contributing to the school community. Pupils were keen to explain how they had contributed to the school's development planning. Explaining the procedure, one said, 'I suppose you're wondering what a strategic

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Grade: 1

intent is?', and eloquently explained the school's current priorities. This illustrates that this is a school in which pupils' views really matter. It is no wonder that pupils enjoy school so much. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Behaviour is excellent, the attendance rate is high and pupils arrive at school punctually. They are well aware how to keep fit, healthy and safe. The welcome pupils receive in the playground is one example of the very high level of care and support provided by staff. Pupils recognise the importance of helping others less fortunate than themselves. They diligently carry out the many responsibilities they have. The school is an extremely harmonious community, where pupils and staff from a wide range of backgrounds exude warmth, friendship and mutual respect. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are exceptional and are securely underpinned by the school's inclusive

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Grade: 1

ethos. One parent accurately summed up one reason for the school's success when she 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008 commented, 'The headteacher and staff are approachable and go out of their way to help the children and make their learning enjoyable.' The curriculum is exceptionally well matched to pupils' needs and is enriched by visits, visitors and a wealth of extra activities. Parents are increasingly involved in their children's learning. Weekly curriculum plans are featured on the school's web site. Staff use homework constructively and provide learning packs for the summer break for each year group. As a member of the group advising the government on curriculum reform, the headteacher is very well informed about curriculum issues and successfully encourages staff to approach planning creatively in order to engage pupils and meet their individual needs. Community cohesion is promoted very successfully. Assemblies raise issues of fairness, prejudice

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Grade: 1

and discrimination. Through contributing to the school's strategic planning and to the performance management objectives of teachers, pupils develop a strong sense of their role in the community. Links with a school in the Ukraine and fund raising for African children enhance pupils' understanding of other communities both in Europe and globally. The headteacher, staff and governors make an outstandingly good team. They are sharply focused on improving provision and there is no complacency whatsoever. The headteacher provides inspirational leadership and is relentless in the pursuit of excellence. She has the confidence of pupils, staff and governors. As one visitor remarked, the headteacher is 'fair, honest, creative, relentless, child focused and learning centred'. The governing body is reflective, supportive and challenging. Self-evaluation is rigorous and the views of all stakeholders are taken seriously. The school has moved on very well since its previous inspection. It has

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Grade: 1

outstanding capacity to maintain and build on its very substantial strengths.

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Grade: 1

The stimulating environment both indoors and outdoors is outstanding and used imaginatively to build firm foundations for children's learning. As a result, in relation to their average starting points, children make exemplary progress and achieve above average standards by the end of Reception. The teaching areas are well defined and resources are thoughtfully organised to aid independence and promote confidence and self-esteem. Children busily and purposefully engage in a wide range of activities, well chosen to match their needs and interests. During the inspection, children had been in school for just over a week and were seen behaving exceptionally well, feeling secure and fast becoming confident learners. They were immensely excited by learning, concentrating well and given time to explore ideas and interests, for example, when making play dough birthday cakes and creating birthday cards. Children's

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Grade: 1

physical, social and emotional needs are extremely well cared for through the well-established routines and procedures that ensure their safety and well-being. Excellent partnerships with parents and external agencies, such as speech therapists, ensure that any specific needs are met effectively. Teaching is consistently outstanding. The staff have secure understanding of how young children learn. They model language very well to extend children's speaking skills. Focused activities actively encourage speaking and listening, especially through role-play. A skilfully taught language programme is successfully improving children's knowledge of letter sounds. There is a good balance of teacher-directed activities and those that children choose for themselves. The provision is led very well. Through regular review, staff gain accurate insights into their most successful strategies and identify areas for further improvement.

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Grade: 1

5 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ There are no significant weaknesses. The school should implement its development plan, including increasing opportunities for pupils with English as an additional language to develop their use of technical language in mathematics and science. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008 .

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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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008

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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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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? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 September 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Cannon Lane First School,Pinner,HA5 1TS Thank you for welcoming my colleague and myself to your school. You were very helpful in answering all our questions and were keen to tell us what makes Cannon Lane First special. You go to an outstanding school where each one of you is cared for and taught extremely well. You rise to the challenges given, make excellent progress and reach very high standards in your work. Those of you who have learned English as additional language achieve particularly well. In order to help you do even better, we agree with teachers that you need help to gain confidence in using the more tricky words in subjects such as mathematics and science. We were highly impressed by the way adults and children get on together. Your behaviour is outstanding. You are polite and helpful and show a great deal of respect for one another and the adults that work with you. In a letter to the inspectors, one of you wrote, 'We all welcome

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

everybody to our school', and we certainly felt very welcome. Your school is a happy place in which to learn and where you are growing up to be confident and responsible young people. Neither of us has ever been to a school where children took such a strong part in planning improvements or where pupils knew so much about their own learning. We were impressed by your understanding of the schools 'strategic intents' and the '4Rs'. You told us how teachers make lessons interesting and fun, and it was good to hear how much you enjoy and learn from educational trips outside the school. Lessons in PSHE, PE and science help you gain a really good understanding of the importance of eating healthily, keeping fit, and knowing how to stay safe. The large number of children taking part in after-school clubs shows how much you take exercise seriously. One of the main reasons your school has continued to improve since it was last inspected is

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

because all the adults work well together with excellent leadership from the headteacher. Although they have worked hard to make it outstanding, they are committed to continuing to make your school even better. As you know, with your help, adults have agreed on six areas for development. We are confident that, with the excellent attitudes you have to your work, you will try your hardest to help bring about these improvements. We wish you all well for the future. Yours sincerely Rob Crompton Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Cannon Lane First School, 15 September 2008

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