Roman Road Primary School

Roman Road Primary School Inspection report

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102740 Unique Reference Number Newham Local Authority 308106 Inspection number 27 °28 March 2008 Inspection dates June Woolhouse 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 233 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Trevor Coipel Chair Mrs Veronica Clarke Headteacher 13 October 2003 Date of previous school inspection Roman Road School address London E6 3SQ 020 7476 1602 Telephone number 020 7511 1836 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 27 °28 March 2008 Inspection dates 308106 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average-sized primary school caters for pupils from a rich variety of cultural backgrounds with about 70% from minority ethnic families. More than half of the pupils are learning English as an additional language. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above average. Pupils come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and a high proportion is known to be eligible for free school meals. The school welcomes a significant proportion of children, around 8%, from refugee families. Many pupils attend the breakfast club and a range of after-school clubs.

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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: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school working well in challenging circumstances. The headteacher has established a very strong, inclusive ethos which is reflected in pupils' good attitudes and behaviour and the successes they have in their learning. All staff work well as a team. The high levels of commitment to the pupils' all round development and well-being underpins this success and enables pupils of all backgrounds to make good progress in both their academic and personal development. Children enter the Nursery class with skills that are well below those expected for their age. They make good progress to the end of the Foundation Stage, especially in personal and social development, even though they are still achieving below the expected levels overall. Good progress continues to the end of Key Stage 1, particularly in mathematics, although standards are still not in line with national averages in reading and writing. Good teaching, and some that

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Grade: 2

is outstanding in Key Stage 2, results in average standards by the end of Year 6. Pupils' achievement is good, although those of higher ability are not always making enough progress in English, particularly in writing. Difficulties in recruiting high calibre staff and the high levels of pupils who join and leave the school at different times cause some fluctuations in standards. Despite these challenges, teachers and support staff do very well to help new arrivals settle in school. There has been good progress since the last inspection, especially in adapting teachers' planning to take account of the needs of pupils of different backgrounds and abilities. However, more work is needed to ensure that, in all lessons, teachers prepare tasks that offer the right level of challenge for pupils of higher ability, especially in English lessons. The staff's strong commitment to inclusion is reflected in the good support provided for pupils with learning

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Grade: 2

difficulties and those in the very early stages of learning English. Most pupils enjoy school and they are keen to talk about what makes it a good place for learning and the way teachers help them. Pupils know how to be healthy. They feel safe and work together well in class. Staff deal swiftly with the few instances of bullying. Racial harmony is evident and pupils show good levels of tolerance towards each other. Pupils have good opportunities to use their basic skills, including information and communication technology (ICT), within a rich curriculum, preparing them appropriately for the next stage of their education. Although a few parents expressed concern about pupils' behaviour, inspectors agree with the large majority of parents who believe that behaviour is good. The school is well led and managed. The school's modest assessment of teaching reflects the high expectations of the headteacher and leadership team. Senior staff track the progress and

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Grade: 2

performance of pupils to ensure that they are on course to reach their expected learning targets. However, teachers do not always use assessment information consistently to check that all pupils are making enough progress. In addition, national assessment data are not being used sufficiently to check how well particular groups and individuals are doing, for example, those who join the school later in a key stage. Governors are supportive, although are dependent on the headteacher's good quality reports for information. Limited numbers and a degree of inexperience prevent them from challenging the school more robustly. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Children settle quickly because there is much to stimulate their curiosity in a very well resourced setting, so they can explore and investigate their surroundings both indoors and outside. Adults provide high levels of care and support which promote the safety and well-being of all children effectively. The children make good progress by the end of the Reception year, especially in their personal and social skills, and this means they are always keen to learn. They respond well to teacher-directed activities in the Reception class and extend their concentration in literacy and numeracy sessions. Leadership and management are good. Skilled and knowledgeable practitioners plan activities carefully to embrace all the early learning goals expected of children this age. Thorough assessment means that new activities take account of what children have already achieved,

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Grade: 2

and this leads to further progress. Staff welcome parents and carers into school so they can gain more insight into what their children are doing and how they can support them.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve achievement in English and ensure that pupils of higher ability all reach their targets.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Modify the assessment and tracking of pupils' progress so that all staff are better able to compare the rates of pupil achievement with those expected nationally.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good because pupils of all backgrounds, including those who are in the early stages of learning English, make good progress in relation to their low starting points. Standards are improving well and are average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2, particularly in mathematics. However, last year's national assessments showed that they made slower progress in reading because too few reached or exceeded the level expected by the end of Year 2. Senior staff have improved the teaching of letter sounds, spelling and independent reading and writing, so there are encouraging signs that reading standards are improving well. Pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6 because of good teaching and some that is outstanding. Consequently, the large majority of pupils are on course to reach the levels expected for their age in reading, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6, although the proportion of pupils reaching higher levels is lower in English,

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Grade: 2

particularly in writing. The effective use of special booster classes and focused group work for higher ability pupils is already making inroads into accelerating the achievement of all pupils. Pupils with moderate learning difficulties in reading, writing and mathematics make good progress because of effective assessment, support and guidance.

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Grade: 2

The high expectations of staff and the inclusive atmosphere in the school mean that pupils' personal development and well-being are good. The majority of pupils enjoy school. All staff actively promote pupils' well-being. Pupils play an active part in improving their school and represent the views of others through the school council. A recent survey initiated by them has been designed to improve school dinners further. Older pupils are keen to do jobs at break 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008 and lunchtimes. They contribute enthusiastically to the wider community through charity events and protecting the environment through recycling waste, for example, their old footwear. Behaviour is good and older pupils express clearly that this is important if they are to get their work done. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and pupils benefit from

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Grade: 2

the rich cultural diversity of their peers leading to tolerant attitudes about race, culture and religion. Attendance is broadly satisfactory and improving.

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Grade: 2

There is a positive learning environment in all classes. Teaching assistants are particularly skilled in giving pupils additional support with reading, writing or mathematics. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to practise their skills through investigation, group discussions and talk partners. Pupils did this well in an excellent Year 6 English lesson when they shared ideas and brainstormed key points to include in their newspaper reports. Lessons start with brisk class discussions so pupils are clear about the learning objectives. They also know what they must check at the end of the lesson to confirm their understanding. Occasionally discussions are a bit too laboured which slows the pace of learning. Teachers mark pupils' work diligently and provide targets for improvement, although some assessments do not always lead to tasks that offer the right level of challenge for pupils of higher ability.

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Grade: 2

Special topics or themed weeks promote pupils' personal, social and health education well. There is very good racial harmony and social cohesion and these are enhanced for example, during black history month or the celebrations of different cultures and customs as part of religious education. A good standard of pupils' artwork also reflects improvement to the school's creative curriculum. During residential visits, older pupils benefit from very good team building activities and challenging outdoor pursuits, such as climbing, canoeing and orienteering. However, there are variations in the amount of physical education pupils receive across classes. The recent performance of Oliver Twist inspired the pupils and reflects how well the school is developing music and drama as part of its creative curriculum. Drama and role play are good features of the school's English curriculum and contribute towards raising achievement in

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Grade: 2

language and literacy, although staff recognise that more able pupils could be doing better in reading and writing. Pupils use ICT skills well during their studies. This has been an area of rapid improvement since the last inspection.

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Grade: 2

The school provides strong pastoral support and care, and good guidance. Provision is well managed and the most vulnerable pupils do well in their learning because staff are well deployed to support them. The management of provision for pupils learning English as an additional language is particularly successful for pupils who are new arrivals to this country and those who join the school at different times. Child protection and systematic risk assessments of activities and resources are very thorough. All these procedures contribute effectively to pupils' safety and well-being. Good links with other agencies, including the Education Welfare Officer, 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008 ensure the best support possible is available to enable pupils to attend school and make progress. The school is refining its assessment systems to help predict how well each year group will do

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Grade: 2

and to set individual targets. However, not all teachers use them consistently to ensure pupils of higher ability reach their targets.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has a clear view of the school's educational priorities and has guided good improvements to the school since its last inspection. Provision for ICT is much improved and pupils' rapidly developing skills are evident across the curriculum. The school's core values mean that pupils' well-being and achievement are at the heart of all its work. In spite of difficulties in recruiting high calibre teachers and the turbulence caused by constant pupil mobility, senior leaders enable all staff to work as an effective team by setting high standards for themselves. Self-evaluation is accurate resulting in appropriate training for many staff, especially the teachers who manage core subjects. This has increased capacity to make further improvements, especially in the teaching of English. Recruiting governors continues to be a challenge. Those governors in post have a reasonable understanding of their roles and are

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Grade: 2

diligent about acting on the comprehensive reports from the headteacher. Finance is well managed and the school has good capacity to improve further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 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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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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

08 April 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Roman Road Primary School,London,E6 3SQ Thank you for helping us with our work when we inspected your school. We enjoyed watching your lessons and talking to some of you about what you were doing. We were very impressed with:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the efforts you are making to be in school on time every day

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the way you are looking after the environment by recycling waste, especially your old shoes

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ how well you get on together most of the time so that no-one is left out

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ some of the good work that is displayed around the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We think your school is a good place to learn. You are well taught and Mrs Clarke and all her staff make sure that you make good progress, especially in mathematics and science. Many of you are at the early stages of learning English when you join the school so we have asked Mrs Clarke to concentrate on improving your learning in reading and writing. We have also asked her to make sure all the teachers know how to compare how well you are doing with children in the rest of the country who are doing the same work as you. Of course it is really important that you come to school every day so you won't miss any lessons and that you continue to be very well behaved in all your classes. Best wishes to everyone. Yours sincerely June Woolhouse Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Roman Road Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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