Wembley Primary School

Wembley Primary School Inspection report

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130095 Unique Reference Number Brent Local Authority 315602 Inspection number 19 °20 March 2008 Inspection dates Derek Watts 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 678 School The governing body Appropriate authority Dr Mike Turner Chair Mr Robert Fenton Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection East Lane School address Wembley HA9 7NW 020 8904 3725 Telephone number 020 8904 4650 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 19 °20 March 2008 Inspection dates 315602 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 four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Wembley Primary opened in September 2006 after the amalgamation of Wembley infant and junior schools. It is a much larger than average primary school. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Over two thirds of the pupils speak English as an additional language and a significant number of these are at an early stage of learning English. About a third of pupils have learning difficulties or disabilities and this is well above average. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is also well above average. At the time of the inspection, all the pupils being were taught on the original school sites while the new buildings were being completed for September 2008.

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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: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 March 2008

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Grade: 3

The overall effectiveness of Wembley Primary is satisfactory. Pupils' achieve satisfactorily from their various starting points. Their personal development and well-being is also satisfactory. The headteacher and the senior leadership team have brought the two schools together after a challenging and difficult amalgamation. Initially, not all staff and members of the community were in favour of the two schools coming together, but as one staff member commented, 'We are more like one school now'. The headteacher and senior staff have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. There have been improvements to teaching and learning. However, leaders are not complacent and are aware that there is more to do to ensure that teaching is consistently good or better and enables pupils to achieve well. Some key subject leaders are new to their post. While there roles are developing well, it is too soon

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Grade: 3

to see the impact of their action on pupils' achievement. Leadership and management are satisfactory and the school is demonstrating a satisfactory capacity for further improvement. Teaching and learning are satisfactory with elements of good and even outstanding practice. Lessons have a clear purpose so that pupils know what they are expected to learn. Activities and tasks are usually well matched to pupils' abilities and, when this happens, pupils are challenged well and make good gains in their learning. However, this good practice is not consistent in all classes. In some lessons, the levels of challenge and the pace of the lesson are not high enough and pupils' learning declines. Consequently, overall pupils make satisfactory progress. Standards in the current Year 6 are below average in English and mathematics. The curriculum, care, guidance and support contribute satisfactorily to pupils' academic progress

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Grade: 3

and to their personal development. Most pupils enjoy school and participate well in the activities provided. Racial harmony is a strength of the school and pupils appreciate and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds within the school. Attendance levels are well below average and unauthorised absence is high. Actions taken by the school so far have not been effective enough to raise attendance. Most pupils are well behaved, but there are a few pupils whose challenging behaviour can spoil things for others. Parents are generally pleased with the care and education provided. However, a significant number expressed concerns about behaviour. Behaviour is improving and this is reflected by the reduction in exclusions. Pupils show a sound understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles and know clearly how to keep themselves safe. Systems to assess and track pupils' attainment and progress have been

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Grade: 3

introduced, but these are in there infancy. Pupils have individual targets in English and mathematics. Consequently, most know what they are working on to improve.

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Grade: 3

Children enter the Nursery with knowledge and skills below those expected for their age. A significant number have limited language and numeracy skills when they arrive. They settle quickly and make good gains in their personal and social development. Children enjoy their learning and relate well with adults and their peers. Children make satisfactory progress in other areas of learning, but because of their low starting points, standards are still low in communication language, literacy and numeracy by the end of Reception. Teaching and the curriculum are satisfactory. The school is improving the curriculum and the balance of its provision in the different areas of learning. The balance between adult lead activities and 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 March 2008 allowing children to explore and work independently is not secure. Over-directed work restricts children's opportunities to explore and work independently. The outdoor learning activities are

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Grade: 3

not sufficiently linked to the main theme of study.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement so that pupils attain higher standards, particularly in English and mathematics, by the end of Year 6. ■ Improve the consistency of teaching and learning by ensuing that all lessons are suitably challenging and maintain a brisk pace. ■ Improve the provision in the Foundation Stage so that children in Nursery and Reception get off to a better start and make good progress. ■ Take effective steps to improve attendance so that all pupils benefit from the education provided. A small 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

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 build on what they have learned in the Foundation Stage. They make satisfactory progress and standards are below average by the end of Year 2. Pupils do better in reading than in writing and mathematics because of the school's clear focus on developing reading skills. National test results for Year 6 in 2007 were well below average in English, below average in mathematics and closer to average in science. Improvements to assessment and teaching are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils' achievement, particularly in English. Increased opportunities for drama and writing are contributing to this. Pupils at an early stage of learning English receive appropriate support and make satisfactory progress. Pupils who find learning difficult also make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 3

Pupils show positive attitudes to learning and enjoy school. Cultural development is good within pupils' satisfactory spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils appreciate and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures within the school. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles. They possess a good understanding of the importance of healthy diets. Their participation in exercise is satisfactory. Pupils on the school council take their responsibilities seriously and make valuable contributions to improving lunchtime arrangements. The raising of funds for well-known charities makes a clear contribution to the wider community. The sound progress pupils make in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills, prepare them adequately for the future.

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Grade: 3

Teachers share the purpose of their lessons effectively with the class. Clear explanations, instructions and demonstrations by teachers promote learning well. Pupils are attentive and 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 March 2008 respond well to their teachers. Questioning is used effectively to check pupils' understanding. In a Year 6 English lesson, drama and role-play was used extremely well to explore the feelings of the characters in the text being studied. Activities and tasks are not always well matched to pupils' needs. Some teachers use assessment information effectively to do this, but this is not happening in all classes. Occasionally, lesson introductions are too long. When this happens, pupils are not sufficiently involved in their own learning. Teaching assistants provide appropriate support for pupils who need extra help. There are inconsistencies in the presentation of pupils'

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Grade: 3

work. The marking of work gives praise and encouragement, but helpful comments to guide improvement are less consistent.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum places a clear emphasis on the development of literacy and numeracy skills. Opportunities for pupils to apply and develop these in other areas are improving. In some year groups, teachers are beginning to develop stronger links between subjects in order to increase enjoyment, meaning and relevance to learning, but this is at an early stage of development. Provision for pupils who find learning difficult and need extra support is satisfactory. A sound range of additional activities contributes to pupils' enjoyment and interests. These include choir, netball and football. The school has plans to extend clubs and visits. Pupils have good opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument. Healthy lifestyles and personal safety are promoted satisfactorily.

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Grade: 3

Procedures to ensure that pupils are protected, safe and secure at school are satisfactory. Systems to assess and track pupils' attainment and progress have recently been implemented. Senior staff and teachers now have a clear overview of how well pupils are performing. Most pupils have clear individual learning targets in writing and mathematics, so they know what they need to do to improve. These are relatively new and are beginning to have a positive effect on pupils' progress.

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Grade: 3

The impact of leadership and management on educational provision and on outcomes for pupils is satisfactory. The headteacher and senior staff have a firm grasp of the school's performance. Through effective classroom observation, they have a good overview of strengths and weaknesses in teaching. They have correctly identified the use of assessment to inform teaching and the management of behaviour as areas for further improvement. Assessment data is used effectively to set suitably challenging targets. The governors have been actively involved in the amalgamation process and the new building project. They are supportive and are starting to challenge the school about the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement. Some governors are new and are not yet fully effective in their role. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 March 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 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? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 How well learners enjoy their education 4 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 3 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

02 April 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Wembley Primary School,Wembley,HA9 7NW Thank you so much for welcoming us into your school and showing us your work. We enjoyed our visit and would like to tell you what we have found. Wembley Primary is a satisfactory school, which is now coming together as one large school. There have been improvements to teaching and behaviour, which are now both satisfactory. These things are strengths of the school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you enjoy school and participate well in the activities provided

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ pupils from different ethnic backgrounds get on well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ most of you are well behaved in lessons and around the school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ improved teaching and clear target setting are having a positive effect on your learning

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the headteacher and senior staff know what is needed to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The following things would help your school to improve further:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ some of you could make more progress in English and mathematics

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ in some lessons, your teachers could challenge you more and ensure that the learning moves on at a quicker pace ■ activities and learning in the Foundation Stage could be improved so that children in Nursery and Reception get off to a better start ■ attendance is not good enough and too many pupils are absent and 'missing out' on their education. Finally, thank you once again for all your help. We wish you all good luck for the future. With kind regards, Derek Watts, Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Wembley Primary School, 19 °20 March 2008

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