Ivybridge Primary School

Ivybridge Primary School Inspection report

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102512 Unique Reference Number Hounslow Local Authority 323651 Inspection number 13–14 July 2009 Inspection dates Jane Chesterfield 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 226 School (total) 38 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 Jonathan Fulford Chair Ms Caroline McKay Headteacher 28 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Summerwood Road School address Mogden Lane Isleworth TW7 7QB 020 8891 2727 Telephone number 020 8607 9112 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 13–14 July 2009 Inspection dates 323651 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 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is average in size and a very high proportion of its pupils are eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are very high compared with the national picture. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. Their problems are mostly moderate learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils who have statements of special educational needs is below average. The school has gained the Activemark award. Early Years Foundation Stage provision is made in the school's Nursery and Reception classes.

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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: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009

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Grade: 2

Ivybridge Primary is a good school where pupils achieve well and get a good start to their education. Pupils say they are happy at school, because they get the chance to learn new things and feel confident that teachers care about them. Parents are pleased with what the school offers their children. One commented, 'My child is leaving this term and has been happy for all of these years.' Pupils' achievement is good, and they make good progress during their time at the school. From low starting points, they reach standards in English, mathematics and science that are broadly average by the time they leave for secondary school. Pupils perform particularly well in mathematics, especially as they get older, but their standards in writing throughout the school are generally below average. The school has identified that pupils often lack the vocabulary and grammatical skills to reach the higher levels in writing, especially as many have

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Grade: 2

no knowledge of English when they start school. Pupils who are new to learning English are well supported by specialist staff in their language development, and are very happy with the support they get. Fluent speakers cheerfully admit that they could not speak a word of English when they arrived at school. However, changes in the language support services available to the school mean that new arrangements need to be developed as a matter of urgency. Pupils who have learning difficulties receive good support so that they make similar progress to their classmates. Good teaching and a good curriculum are the reasons that pupils learn and achieve well. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils, manage them well and usually meet their needs effectively. They make good use of resources, particularly visual aids, to help pupils understand what is being taught. The curriculum is lively with many good links between the subjects to

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Grade: 2

interest pupils. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used especially well. In a numeracy lesson during the inspection, for example, pupils drew on research from a physical education lesson and knowledge gained in a science lesson to produce graphs on the computer showing changes in their pulse rate during different activities. The school provides its pupils with excellent care, guidance and support, which contributes to their good personal development and well-being. Staff place great emphasis on providing individualised support and linking with all available outside services to meet pupils' personal needs and ensure that they are ready and able to learn. From very low starting points, with limited speaking, listening and social skills, pupils leave the school as confident and independent learners, able to play a full part in their school community. Pupils say they learn, 'how to be a

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Grade: 2

responsible person', and 'how to take care of your own actions'. They behave well in class and around the school, and are respectful of others and their different backgrounds, faiths and cultures. Pupils value the academic guidance they receive and feel that they know how to improve their work as a result. One commented, 'Teachers don't just tell you the good stuff, they tell you what to do or you'd just carry on the same.' The school achieves good outcomes and provision because it is well led and managed. The headteacher and senior staff give the school good, clear direction and are well focused on improvement. There are good systems for tracking pupils' progress, which mean that any pupils who need additional help, whatever their ability, can be accurately targeted. The school has good structures for subject leadership and for developing the leadership skills of less experienced staff. Thanks to the thorough procedures for monitoring the work of the school, achievement

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Grade: 2

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009 and standards are steadily improving. The school is well supported by the governors, who have a good understanding of its strengths and areas for development. It has a good capacity for future improvement.

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Grade: 2

Children begin in the Nursery with skills that are much lower than those normally found, especially in their readiness to learn and in communication skills. Many come to school with limited or no English. The school focuses on the development of personal skills, such as attitudes and willingness to learn, with much success. The result is that nearly all the children reach the nationally expected levels in these aspects by the time they enter Year 1. Children make good progress in all areas of learning, but are still below overall expected levels by the end of Reception, particularly in reading, writing and mathematical development. Adults take great care of the children, so that Nursery and Reception are secure and happy environments. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed by the coordinator for Key Stage 1, who ensures a smooth transition for children into Year 1. At present, Reception children do not

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Grade: 2

have free access to an outside area, but this is set to change in September.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Build on work to improve pupils' achievement and standards in writing throughout the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure a smooth transition between current and new systems for supporting pupils who are learning English as an additional language.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enter Year 1 with a level of skills that is below, and often well below, expectations for their age. In recent years, they have made satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2, moving into Year 3 with standards still below average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, there has been an improvement in standards reached over the last year, particularly in mathematics, because progress is improving. More pupils are reaching the higher levels of attainment. In Years 3 to 6, pupils' progress accelerates, especially towards the top end of the school. They reach standards that are above average in mathematics and average in science. However, their standards in English remain below average, principally because of weaknesses in their writing. The school is working to address these weaknesses in a number of ways. Staff have increased the focus on widening pupils' experiences through visits and visitors, for example, in order to

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Grade: 2

develop their ideas and vocabulary for writing. They have also increased the range of opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills in different areas of the curriculum. These strategies are beginning to have an impact on pupils' confidence in themselves as writers, and are helping to bring about improvement in achievement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Aspects of their spiritual and multicultural understanding are outstanding. Pupils show a good knowledge of the beliefs and values of others. When a group of pupils was asked what they considered to be the most important thing they could learn as they grow up, one replied, 'Respect for other people's 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009 views'. Another said, 'You must learn to make your own decisions and not rely on your parents.' Pupils' enjoyment of school is clear in most lessons, and was particularly evident in an assembly where the school's dance team performed its prize-winning routine. The audience shared their success and enthusiasm. Pupils understand why healthy lifestyles are important, as reflected in the award of the Activemark. They say that they feel very secure in school. Bullying is not an issue, they say,

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Grade: 2

and is well dealt with if it arises. Pupils' behaviour is good, especially when lessons are fun and challenging. The school council is seen by other pupils as doing a good job: 'They arrange all the entertainment so we don't get bored at school,' said one boy. Pupils are well prepared for their future education because of the good progress they make in their personal and basic skills. Their attendance is in line with the national average. Despite the hard work of the school to improve attendance, a significant number of families take their children away on holiday during term time.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching across the school ensures that pupils learn well. All teachers have good relationships with their classes and manage them effectively. Typically, lessons have a good pace and activities are well timed, so that pupils have good opportunities to work independently and reinforce what they have learned. Teachers make good use of modern technology and practical resources, and this is especially helpful for pupils learning English as an additional language. However, lesson planning does not always show that staff have made particular provision for this group. Teachers usually plan well to meet the needs of the different ability groups in class, although occasionally work is too easy or too difficult for some groups. Teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants is good, and all adults offer pupils good support in class.

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Grade: 2

The school has made good progress in developing a more creative curriculum, increasingly matched to pupils' interests and experience. When asked to describe what learning at Ivybridge is like, one pupil responded, 'It's a fun and exciting place to learn.' Good links are forged between subjects, as seen in a Year 4 history lesson, where pupils were planning in detail their own Viking sagas. Their enthusiasm was stimulated by the teacher's introduction, so that they were able to create distinctive openings to their work, such as, 'In an icy cave on a Scandinavian hillside'. Lessons such as these enable pupils to make good use of their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. One of the greatest needs of many pupils when they arrive at the school is to gain a wider experience of learning English. The school provides well for these pupils, but its link with the local authority's language service is about to end. The school is in the process of organising

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Grade: 1

One of the school's greatest successes is the welfare and guidance it gives to pupils. Speaking to pupils about their experiences in learning English illustrates this well. The school makes very 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009 good use of a range of outside agencies to offer specialist support to children and their parents, including helping parents with their children's medical issues. Parents who responded to the questionnaires were unanimous in seeing the school as a safe and caring environment. All requirements for safeguarding pupils are met. The level of care given to pupils extends also to their families, for example through the mother-tongue support scheme and the family learning groups. Academic guidance is good, and is effective in spotting and remedying any underachievement. Pupils have targets which they can quote, and they say that they regularly use these to review and improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and senior staff lead the school well. Their self-evaluation of the school is honest and accurate, thanks to the quality of their systems for monitoring the school's work. The school development plan is an impressive document, well focused on the right priorities to bring about improvement. The school sets itself challenging targets and has confidence it will reach them. Promotion of equal opportunities is good, so that all pupils achieve well. The school makes a good contribution to community cohesion, and has a clear action plan to develop it further. Priorities include widening pupils' awareness of life outside their locality, and ensuring that newly arrived families feel welcomed into the community and able to play a part in it. The role played by the governing body in the leadership of the school has improved markedly since the last inspection. Governors are now far more experienced and have a greater understanding

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Grade: 2

of their responsibilities. As a result, they are successfully fulfilling their duties in questioning the school and holding it to account. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009 .

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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: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009

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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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009

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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 The extent to which 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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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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

03 September 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Ivybridge Primary School,Isleworth,TW7 7QB Thank you for being so helpful and friendly when we visited your school recently. We really enjoyed meeting you and talking to you. Ivybridge Primary is a good school, and we know that you are happy to be there. You are doing well in your lessons because your teachers know you well and give you work that is right for you. We were impressed with your good behaviour in class and around the school, and we saw that you all get on together very well. The staff take excellent care of you, and those of you who need extra help are well supported. The headteacher and her staff run the school well, and want to make it even better in future. We have agreed that they are going to do more to make sure that all of you do as well as you can in your writing. You can help by telling your teachers if you find your work too hard or too

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

easy. We have also agreed that the school is going to set up new systems for supporting those of you who are new to learning English. Well done to you all, and best wishes for the future. Yours faithfully Jane Chesterfield Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ivybridge Primary School, 13–14 July 2009

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