Engayne Primary School

Engayne Primary School Inspection report

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132766 Unique Reference Number Havering Local Authority 316009 Inspection number 21 November 2007 Inspection date Judith Dawson 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 590 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs D E Jenkin Chair Mrs S Ship Headteacher 2 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection Severn Drive School address Cranham Upminster RM14 1SW 01708 223492 Telephone number 01708 225820 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 21 November 2007 Inspection date 316009 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 an Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: achievement and standards, teaching and learning and leadership and management. She gathered evidence from the data on standards and achievement from Ofsted, the school's self-evaluation and other school documents. She observed teaching and learning, looked at samples of pupils' work and held discussions with the chair of governors, teachers and pupils and considered the parents' views of the school. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail but there was no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified. These have been included, where appropriate, in the report.

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Description of the school

This very large primary school caters for pupils from predominantly White British backgrounds. A very small minority of pupils are Traveller learners or looked after children, but none are supported through specific funding. Fewer pupils than average have learning difficulties or disabilities or statements of special educational needs. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is much lower than average. The school is part of the consortium of the National Outstanding Primary Schools, training new teachers. There is a strong focus on information and communication technology (ICT) and Engayne Primary School is a model for the advanced use of ICT to support learning. The school holds the Healthy Schools, School Travel Plan and Basic Skills Awards.

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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: Engayne Primary School, 21 November 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with many outstanding features. The staff are very successful in promoting the school's aim to foster a lifelong enthusiasm and enjoyment for learning and developing the citizens of tomorrow as responsible members of the community. The pupils are eager learners with excellent attitudes to work. The school is a democratic society and pupils make a strong contribution to school improvement through the class and school councils. Older pupils run a web-based magazine and have filmed and produced the screen saver in the school entrance. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary and they show a great deal of respect for adults and each other. They have an excellent understanding of how to keep healthy and safe. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils were writing newspaper reports of the scandal of Rudolph being caught taking drugs. Headlines such as 'Rudi, the Red-Nosed Rascal' demonstrated the depth of pupils'

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Grade: 2

understanding of the dangers of drug abuse as well as their good use of alliteration. Pupils have highly developed skills to prepare them for their future lives. Their skills and use of ICT are well above expectations for their age, a significant improvement from the below average standards at the time of the last inspection. Pupils achieve well throughout the school. Pupils in the infants make good progress from their average attainment on entry to the school, and, by the end of Year 2, their attainment is slightly above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. The school has recognised the need to improve pupils' writing and the curriculum as been effectively adjusted to ensure that pupils learn the skills they need. Pupils' progress accelerates in the juniors and their achievements towards the end of their time in school are outstanding. Standards by the end of Year 6 have been rising steadily since 2005 and are now significantly above average in English

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Grade: 2

and mathematics and high in science. The number of pupils attaining the higher levels is above average for English but much higher than average for mathematics and science. The school is not resting on its laurels and has implemented additional support for English across the school and created more opportunities for pupils to write extensively across the curriculum. This is already showing an improvement in the quality of pupils' writing in the infants and juniors. One pupil said 'I love big writing. You can really get your teeth into it!' The good, and often outstanding, teaching and the outstanding curriculum contribute a great deal to pupils' success. Teachers use the curriculum very creatively, enabling pupils to use their English, mathematics and ICT skills across the curriculum. Teachers and teaching assistants have excellent relationships with the pupils and are much appreciated by the parents. An

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Grade: 2

outstanding feature of the teaching is the support teachers give the pupils when marking their work. They are very careful to praise good and excellent work while ensuring that pupils know what they need to do to make their work even better. It is clear from pupils' books that these comments are acted upon. Older pupils are well challenged and justifiably proud of their achievements. In the past, infant teachers have not been expecting enough of the more able pupils in both the quality and quantity of their writing. However, this has been addressed and is beginning to have the desired effect. The excellent range of additional activities is much appreciated by the pupils. They are delighted with the outstanding provision for ICT. One school councillor said, 'ICT is great. No other school has stuff like ours.' Pupils in Engayne Primary School are cared for, guided and supported extremely well, a judgement backed by all the parents who returned the questionnaires. All pupils have personal

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Grade: 2

targets for improvement and half-termly interviews with their teachers to discuss their progress 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Engayne Primary School, 21 November 2007 towards them. Very good tracking systems enable teachers to identify any pupils who need additional support or who are not making sufficient progress. The excellent inclusion manager ensures these pupils have the support they need. The support for Traveller children and their families is very good. Pupils with special educational needs or learning difficulties or disabilities are supported extremely well. One parent says 'Nothing seems too much trouble. All staff are very helpful and professional.' Procedures for safeguarding children are exemplary. Leadership and management are good overall and the headteacher provides outstanding leadership. The organisation of the school is exemplary and the staff respond with great enthusiasm to the continuing innovation and improvement. The headteacher leads a vibrant

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Grade: 2

and creative community where it is very clear that every child matters. Other leaders, some new to their posts, receive training for their roles. Leadership is very inclusive and all staff are involved in school improvement and monitoring standards, teaching and learning. There is an outstanding understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement, so that any weaknesses are swiftly addressed. Governors are fully involved in school improvement and monitoring. Because of the swift response to any weaknesses and the rapidly developing skills of all leaders and managers, the potential for future improvement is outstanding.

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Grade: 2

Children join the reception classes with average skills for their age. The good induction procedures help them to settle into school quickly. The classrooms and outdoor areas are well organised, enabling children to make good progress across all areas of learning. Almost all children meet or exceed their learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Teaching is good. Adults support and care for the children extremely well. Children have a mix of adult led and free activities during the day. Teachers and teaching assistants question children very effectively to encourage them to think for themselves and experiment. As a result, a group of children feeling a gooey corn flour mixture found some good describing words. Children's understanding of linking sounds to letters was less well developed than other areas of learning last year and teachers now focus more on this aspect of learning, demonstrating the good

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Grade: 2

leadership of the Foundation Stage. Although staff ensure that they set out plenty of materials for children to use, this limits opportunities for children to use their initiative and find their own. When children were making hats, for example, strips of card, tape and scissors were set out on the table, so they all made the same sort of hat. The good range of commercial material inside and out provides plenty of opportunities for cooperative play and learning but again limits the imagination.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Use equipment selectively in the Foundation Stage and ensure children take more responsibility for deciding what they use and how they use it. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Engayne Primary School, 21 November 2007 .

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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: Engayne Primary School, 21 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 1 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?

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 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: Engayne Primary School, 21 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 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: Engayne Primary School, 21 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

3 December 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Engayne Primary School,Upminster,RM14 1SW Thank you all for making my visit to your lovely school such an enjoyable one. It was great to see you all working so hard and enjoying yourselves so much. I was very impressed by your excellent behaviour, the way you care for yourselves and each other and the way you contribute to the life of the school. You told me how proud you are of your school and your teachers. You have every right to be very proud of yourselves as well. Well done. You all help to make your school the good school it is. A special thanks to those of you I spoke to at lunchtime and the school council. I can see you are developing an excellent range of skills to help you be good citizens in future. Your hard work, the good teaching you receive and the excellent range of subjects and activities provided for you are helping you all to achieve well. As you get older, your achievements are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

even greater. You receive excellent guidance and support from your teachers. They give wise advice when they mark your work and I am very pleased to see that you take it. Your parents agree with you that adults in school take extremely good care of you, making sure that you have the help you need as well as ensuring that you know how to keep healthy and safe. Most of you take a lot of responsibility for your learning and finding the things you need for yourselves. I have asked the teachers to give those of you in the Reception classes plenty of opportunities to decide for yourselves what to use when you work, make things and play. I am sure you enjoy making your own toys and games out of different things. Your school is well led and managed and you have a fantastic headteacher who works very hard to make sure you all achieve as much as you can. I know how much you appreciate your opportunities to use the computers and tablets. You're very good at it too! I know that, with

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your help, your school will go from strength to strength. Best wishes Judith Dawson Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Engayne Primary School, 21 November 2007

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