Warren Primary School

131226 Unique Reference Number THURROCK LA Local Authority 315759 Inspection number 22 April 2008 Inspection date George Falconer HMI 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 494 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr A Pollins Chair Mrs Lynda Pritchard Headteacher 8 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Gilbert Road School address Chafford Hundred Grays RM16 6NB 01375 482288 Telephone number 01375 482299 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 22 April 2008 Inspection date 315759 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors. The inspection evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and the quality of teaching and learning and the curriculum in relation to the school's own judgements and the previous inspection findings. Evidence was gathered from a range of sources including the school's own documentation, data from national sources, discussions with pupils, Staff and governors as well as a scrutiny of local authority documents and parental responses. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspection 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

Warren Primary school is a larger than average school and serves an area of mainly owner occupied housing in the Chafford Hundred area. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. However, the pupil population is gradually changing and now includes a larger percentage of pupils from different cultural backgrounds than was previously the case. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is much less than the national average, as is the percentage of pupils whose first language is not English. There is a higher than average proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic backgrounds. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is just below the national average, although the proportion with a statement of special educational need is high. The school is Thurrock's resource base for the hearing impaired.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Warren Primary School, 22 April 2008

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Grade: 2

This inclusive school is a good school. Some features are outstanding. It is led and managed by an excellent headteacher. Staff work hard to provide a good education for its pupils who very much appreciate the high levels of support given. Warren Primary School has grown over the years and is now clearly a focal point for the Chafford Hundred community it serves. Achievement and standards are good. From when children enter the Foundation Stage, the school provides a very caring environment in which they feel safe and secure and are able to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding well. Many of them begin with attainment lower than expected in some important areas such as, personal, social and emotional development and communication and literacy as well as knowledge and understanding of the world. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage is good with examples of very good practice. For example, teachers model learning through play with the children. By the time

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Grade: 2

pupils reach the end of Key Stage 1, their attainment levels are just above the national average. The pupils have made good progress by this stage. Pupils continue to work well in Years 3 to 6 and by the end of the key stage, they have made good progress and reach levels of attainment well above those seen nationally, particularly in mathematics and science. Although standards are good overall, staff realise there is more work to do to get more pupils up to the higher levels in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Leadership and management is good overall. Much of the success of the school is down to the outstanding leadership and management of the headteacher who is forward looking, analytical and strategic in her planning for school improvement. She is decisive in her actions and leads and manages all staff exceptionally well. The chair of governors and governing body take their roles seriously and work well with the headteacher. The deputy headteacher and the senior

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Grade: 2

management team are very supportive of the headteacher and the staff as a whole. Learning support assistants play a vital role in supporting the needs of all pupils. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall with the school having a balance of new and experienced staff who work well together to provide outstanding levels of support for the pupils. The school generates a lively, meaningful and enthusiastic approach to teaching and learning and provides the pupils with a rich and vibrant curriculum. Many of the sessions observed were good and some had some very good features. As an example, a mathematics lesson, in which pupils were eager to learn, had good pace with several teaching and learning styles woven through to add even more interest for the pupils. The teacher was clear in her instructions and listened well to the responses of the pupils in order to make sure that all were engaged in learning and making good progress. Good use was made of the interactive

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Grade: 2

whiteboard. In some lessons, the pace of learning was slower and responses from some pupils were not as positive. The school realises that there is a need for teaching to be of a consistently good quality across the classes and is aware of the levels of support required to bring about this consistency. The curriculum is outstanding in that it offers a wide range of learning opportunities in both the formal curriculum and in enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Pupils say that they enjoy the variety in their lessons and the enthusiasm of their teachers. They appreciate the after school clubs, which have a good take up. Pupils thoroughly enjoy visits to places of interest and they also look forward to visitors who come to school to enhance and enliven learning. Issues that arose from the previous inspection have been comprehensively dealt with, including 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Warren Primary School, 22 April 2008

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Grade: 2

making opportunities for more creative approaches to the curriculum and the regular integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the various subjects. French is a key feature of the curriculum and pupils enjoy the opportunities to learn another language with the help of resident French students. Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils voice their opinions confidently and they clearly state that this school is a really good place to be. They thoroughly enjoy their lessons and their friendships and behaviour is excellent. Many of them really appreciate the environment both inside and outside the school, where the grounds have been landscaped to make play more enjoyable. The school council appreciate the fact that this is an inclusive school that welcomes all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Spiritual, social, moral and cultural development are good. Pupils' knowledge and understanding of what

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Grade: 2

is needed to folllow healthy lifestyles and stay safe are impressive and pupils state that there are many opportunities to participate in sports and other interesting activities. The trim trails are a great benefit for all pupils who state that they are used regularly. They appreciate all the work done by their teachers and thrive on the many opportunities to support the school community and to develop their understanding of the importance of working to support others. A good example of this is the many fund raising activities they engage in. Good attendance levels are an indicator of the way in which the pupils enjoy school and are also a good measure of the school's success in its aims. Older pupils are well prepared for the next phase of education. The level of care, guidance and support is outstanding and pupils feel very secure and always have adults to talk with if they have any problems. Child protection arrangements are up to

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Grade: 2

date and all staff are fully trained. Pupils are very well guided and well supported in their personal and emotional development as well as in their academic work. Marking is of a good quality and pupils are aware of their targets. They talk very confidently about their progress in learning and have a strong awareness of their targets being changed over time as a result of the progress made. Parental responses demonstrate a high level of confidence in the school. Warren Primary gives good value for money and has a good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

The effectiveness of Foundation Stage is good because the teacher responsible is very clear about her role and how this will develop over time. Teachers have very clear ideas on how to develop children's enthusiasm and enjoyment as well as their skills, knowledge and understanding. The environment is warm and caring and children quickly settle. The progress made by the majority of children is good and sometimes very good and by the time they reach the beginning of Year 1 they reach levels of attainment in line with the national averages. There is a good balance of teacher-led and child-initiated activities. The children benefit from a very good outside area.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve levels of attainment for more able pupils in both key stages

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make sure that teachers, including those new to the school, continue to be supported in order to achieve consistency in pupils' learning in all classes. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Warren Primary School, 22 April 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. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Warren Primary School, 22 April 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? 2 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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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and interests of learners?

1 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Warren Primary School, 22 April 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Warren Primary School, 22 April 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 April 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Warren Primary School Thank you very much for making me so welcome when I visited your school. I found it to be a very enjoyable experience because you were very kind and considerate. I also thought you behaved extremely well and you were very polite. You are certainly fortunate to be able to go to a good school like yours and to be well supported by your teachers and other members of staff. They look after you very well indeed and they make sure that you feel safe and secure. The school council had nothing but praise for the school and actually told me that they were very pleased that it was a school for everyone and that everyone was welcome. They also told me that most of you get on really well. You make good progress in your learning and you reach good levels in your knowledge, skills and understanding when you look back at where you started from. This is because you are keen

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to learn and because the teachers do a good job in helping you to improve. You told me that you really enjoyed all the different areas of learning because the teachers make them interesting and fun. There is also a wide range of enjoyable clubs to attend, including those that keep you fit and healthy. The school environment is particularly interesting and the areas for sport and play outside are really good, including your trim trails. The school is excellent in the facilities it provides for you. Your headteacher is very, very good in leading and managing the school and she expects everyone do the best they can, including the teachers. In order for you to succeed in learning as much as you can, Mrs Pritchard is going to look at how best to provide opportunities for you to reach even higher levels with your targets and she is also is going to provide even more support for all the staff, including your new teachers.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Best wishes George Falconer Her Majesty's Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Warren Primary School, 22 April 2008

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