West Twyford Primary School

West Twyford Primary School Inspection report

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101875 Unique Reference Number Ealing Local Authority 323543 Inspection number 23 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 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 233 School (total) 58 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 Mr Paul Woodgate Chair Miss Rachel Martin Headteacher 14 September 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Twyford Abbey Road School address London NW10 7DN 020 8965 6858 Telephone number 020 8963 1883 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 23 September 2008 Inspection date 323543 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: West Twyford Primary School, 23 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. Inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: pupils' progress in writing; the provision for Nursery children and how the curriculum engages pupils from a wide range of backgrounds. They gathered evidence by analysing assessment data, scrutinising documentation, observing lessons and having discussions with pupils and staff, and analysing the responses to the parents' questionnaires. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given its self-evaluation form, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

The school is situated in an industrial area between two main thoroughfares in West London. Many pupils join or leave the school at different times through the year. Around 80% of pupils are from minority ethnic families. The largest group has an Asian heritage and there are pupils from a further 24 different cultural backgrounds. A range of languages is spoken at home and half of all pupils have English as an additional language. Many pupils are in the early stages of learning English. Fewer pupils than average have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most of these pupils are falling behind in their work and some have social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision includes a Nursery where children attend on a part-time basis. A privately run club provides before and after school childcare.

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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: West Twyford Primary School, 23 September 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils from a wide range of backgrounds learn and play together harmoniously. They achieve well through the school reaching broadly average standards by the end of Year 6. This is no mean feat, given their low starting points. The school is particularly successful in helping pupils who have little or no English when they start Nursery, or when they join the older classes. The standards reached by Year 2 and Year 6 vary considerably from year to year due to the different characteristics of each group. The school's detailed tracking records indicate that, whatever their starting point, pupils generally do well. Where trends emerge, staff are quick to respond. For example, boys are making better headway in writing because the curriculum was adapted to engage them further. Recent analysis indicated that pupils are not doing as well as they might in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 and, rightly, this a school priority. The school's

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Grade: 2

monitoring of teaching identified a lack of challenge in some numeracy lessons. This is being addressed well. Staff have had further training and senior teachers are providing extra classes to enable pupils to catch up where necessary. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of these strategies. Pupils' personal development is outstanding and parents are extremely positive about the excellent care, guidance and support pupils receive. Staff go the extra mile to help vulnerable pupils, such as cared for children. Reflecting the views of many, one wrote, 'Children's social, emotional and personal development is very important to the school and shines through because children are happy, confident, polite and well behaved'. This, in a nutshell, reflects the inspection findings. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are excellent. They have a great deal of respect and empathy for one another and value the school's cultural diversity.

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Grade: 2

Through art and music, they develop a very good understanding how these have significance and meaning for different communities. Attendance is improving through imaginative methods to encourage punctuality and reduce unauthorised absence. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school. They feel secure and know there is someone to speak to if needed. Pupils have a good understanding of the need for healthy lifestyles including a balanced diet and exercise. They make a positive contribution to the community as members of the school council, house captains and classroom helpers. Pupils are well prepared for their next school and future lives. They have extremely positive attitudes to learning. They work cooperatively and independently, and, although some find some aspects of writing and mathematics difficult, most pupils develop good basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Pupils' good progress through the school is due to consistently good teaching and learning,

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Grade: 2

and an outstanding curriculum. Teachers provide very good feedback for pupils during lessons and in their constructive marking. Pupils are increasingly involved in assessing their own learning and that of their classmates. In Year 6, for example, they made pertinent comments about one another's attempts to tell short stories. Displays in classrooms, such as suggestions for 'powerful verbs' and appropriate connectives, support this process by giving pupils clear success criteria. Teachers, very well supported by teaching assistants, are adept at helping pupils at an early stage of learning English to participate and develop their language skills. They use interactive white boards, computer programs and labelled pictures highly effectively to provide visual support for pupils' learning and vocabulary development. Where appropriate, specialist support staff teach pupils in small groups. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: West Twyford Primary School, 23 September 2008

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Grade: 2

Great care is taken to adapt the curriculum to reflect the school's diverse population. Learning is enriched by visits, visitors and a wealth of extra activities. Pupils talked enthusiastically about themes weeks, such as their study of African art and music. They enjoy cooking from traditional recipes in the well-equipped kitchen. Work is adapted effectively for pupils who are falling behind in their work. Although there is some mismatch in mathematics, teachers routinely set work at various levels, which ensures a good degree of challenge for pupils at different stages and those who are falling behind. Pupils are successfully encouraged to be creative in their approach to learning. This is evident in their imaginative responses to the whole-school 'creative homework' projects, which pupils said helped them to 'think outside the box'. A weekly Latin club provides interest and challenge for those identified as gifted or talented, and they were

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Grade: 2

keen to show how they sang 'Happy Birthday' in Latin during assemblies! Community cohesion is promoted extremely successfully. There are many opportunities for pupils and their families to interact with people of different backgrounds. For example, parents recently arrived from Portugal and Somalia expressed their appreciation of how the school has helped their whole family settle in to their new surroundings. Before and after-school provision, facilitated by the school, is much appreciated by parents. Assemblies encourage pupils to take a stand on issues of fairness, prejudice and discrimination. World maps showing where new arrivals come from enhance pupils' understanding of other communities both in Europe and globally. Leadership and management are good. Recent improvements owe much to the insightful leadership of the headteacher. As one parent commented, 'the headteacher is leading a very caring, committed team of great professionals'. Self-evaluation is rigorous and helps the

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Grade: 2

leadership team move the school forward at a good pace. Inclusion is a high priority. As a result, all pupils make good progress in their work and excellent progress in their personal attributes. The successful initiative, where 'learning clusters' were established for the growing number of pupils at an early stage of acquiring English, is a good example of how leaders respond to emerging issues. Very strong links with outside agencies and extremely good relationships with parents promote pupils' well-being highly effectively. Governors are well informed and play a positive role in school improvement. The school's track record of improving standards demonstrates that it has a good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Many children join with understanding and skills that are well below those typical of their age group and many have little or no English. Adults settle children in successfully and help them to become familiar with day-to-day routines. The curriculum is adapted carefully to meet children's individual needs and places a clear emphasis on developing their social, language and literacy skills. As a result, children rapidly develop their personal and linguistic confidence and make very good progress. Good teaching helps children to develop their confidence and vocabulary. For example, prompted by adults, children exchanged opinions on their models and discussed the thickness of the 'porridge' they had made. Standards have risen steadily over the last few years and, by the end of Reception, are broadly in line with expectations. Children's personal, social and emotional development is particularly strong.

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Grade: 2

Attractive resources stimulate children's imagination, and a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities develops their independence. Parents speak very highly of the provision and are kept well informed. One mother said, 'My daughter was bored with me but she loves coming to school now. I think it is brilliant'. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: West Twyford Primary School, 23 September 2008 The Early Years Foundation Stage is led well. Senior managers set high standards and monitor the provision closely. They are actively seeking ways to improve the Nursery outdoor area. Adults make great efforts to provide a variety of activities within the restricted space available, but lack of space and a weatherproof canopy restrict the extent to which children can learn and play outdoors.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement in mathematics through Years 3 to 6 by ensuring that that pupils are sufficiently challenged. ■ Enhance the outdoor learning environment for children in the Nursery. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: West Twyford Primary School, 23 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: West Twyford Primary School, 23 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? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/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: West Twyford Primary School, 23 September 2008

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learners?

1 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 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 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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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 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: West Twyford Primary School, 23 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

02 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of West Twyford Primary School,London,NW10 7DN Thank you for making my colleague and myself so welcome during our visit. You were very helpful in answering all our questions and were keen to tell us what makes West Twyford special. You go to a good school where each one of you is cared for extremely well. You told us how much you enjoy lessons and we saw for ourselves how the good teaching is helping you progress well through the school. We were pleased to see that teachers point out what you need to do next when marking your work. This is helping everyone to make good progress. You told us how much you enjoy school and we could see that you learn not only in lessons but also from a wide range of visits and clubs. One parent wrote, 'My kids love their school so much that they would go there on Saturdays and Sundays'. We are not sure how much you would all agree with

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the last bit! However, one of you said that the school was like a big family and we were really pleased to see how well children from such varied backgrounds get on so well. We could see that your work in art, music and religious education helps you learn about different cultural traditions. Your enthusiastic African drumming during the inspection certainly helped to illustrate this! Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. They learn a lot from playing outside but they could do with more space. Standards are rising and generally match those that pupils in other schools reach. Those of you who have learned English as additional language achieve particularly well. However, there is room for improvement in mathematics and we think many of you could tackle harder work. You know your tables well and are pretty confident in calculating but you find using these skills to solve problems more difficult. 'Practice

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

makes perfect' of course, so you can help by trying as many different problems as possible. We found that you have a good idea of how to stay safe and avoid problems when an adult is not present. You know the importance of exercise and eating healthily. Through taking turns to be school councillors, house captains and monitors, you help the smooth running of the school and gain useful skills for later life. The school is well run and all the adults work well together as a team with your best interests at heart. You can do your bit by continuing to work hard and support one another. We wish you all the best for the future. Yours sincerely, Rob Crompton Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: West Twyford Primary School, 23 September 2008

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