Odessa Infant School

102735 Unique Reference Number Newham Local Authority 323681 Inspection number 12 December 2008 Inspection date Kath Beck 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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Infant Type of school Community School category 3–7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 289 School (total) 0 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 Khaled Rashid Chair Ms Ann Hurfurt Headteacher 16 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 Wellington Road School address London E7 9BY 020 8534 7967 Telephone number 020 8555 3235 Fax number

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3–7 Age group 12 December 2008 Inspection date 323681 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 9 Inspection Report: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school. The inspectors investigated the following aspects: leadership and management; achievement and standards; teaching and learning; and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The inspectors:

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Introduction

■ reviewed a selection of the school's documentation

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Introduction

The school's arrangements for monitoring teaching and learning, assessment of pupils' progress and self-evaluation were explored in depth. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

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Description of the school

Odessa is a large infant school. The majority of pupils come from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds, especially Black African or Bangladeshi and many speak English as an additional language. The main languages are Bengali, Somali and Urdu. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is higher than usual, while the number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is small. Some staff are on maternity leave and classes are covered by temporary staff. The number of children starting with little or no school experience in Years 1 and 2 is increasing. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for children aged 3 to 5 consists of two Nursery and three Reception classes. Privately run breakfast and after school clubs use the premises each weekday and during the holidays.

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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: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 2008

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Grade: 2

Odessa is a good school. Good leadership and management and teaching mean pupils achieve well whatever their ability, first language or background. Each child and their future economic well-being matters. The responses from the parental questionnaire are very supportive of the school and parents are confident that issues they raise are dealt with successfully. Written comments include, 'Our child is very happy at school, and we really appreciate the staff's commitment to very high standards.' 'My child is happy at school. There is good moral discipline and I can approach the teachers easily.' 'The headteacher is always willing to help.' Inspection evidence supports these views. Pupils enter the Nursery with a wide range of abilities, but many have low levels of spoken English and limited social skills. They receive a good start to their education that creates a firm foundation and positive attitudes for future learning. The strong, successful focus on enabling

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Grade: 2

the pupils to rapidly acquire skills in spoken English, that begins in the Nursery, enables them to communicate effectively and collaborate well in small groups as they move through the school. It also contributes significantly to initiatives that are raising standards in literacy very successfully. Staff provide pupils with captivating activities that motivate them to talk, acquire new vocabulary and use their imagination in writing. The samples of work scrutinised by inspectors showed that pupils know how to express their opinions clearly, make the reader laugh, or reflect on thought-provoking questions. Pupils use their phonic skills confidently to write and spell independently, taking pride in presenting their work well. Consequently standards in writing are above average. A good curriculum and wide range of activities enable children to reach average standards in mathematics and reading. Good teaching motivates pupils to do well, to love being at school and to be clear about what

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Grade: 2

they are learning and why. Teachers plan thoroughly and in detail to ensure that work mostly meets pupils' needs. Frequent assessments are sharply focused on what children have learned in order to identify what they need to learn next. These help to establish pupils' individual targets. Pupils are aware of their targets, and these are broken down into small steps which can be achieved quickly. These targets give pupils a clear sense of achievement and confidence as teachers check that they have been reached. Teaching and support staff use their multi-lingual skills successfully to deepen and extend pupils' learning in English and their home language. These factors contribute to the school's success in enabling pupils to make good progress so that the more able exceed the National Curriculum levels expected at the end of Year 2 and those with learning difficulties do well, especially in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Attendance has improved since the last inspection. This is because the school, in conjunction with the community, has made it unacceptable for children to be absent for long holidays. Pupils are enthusiastic about their school and its harmonious atmosphere where they behave well, play and work happily together. They respect their different faiths, celebrating them in assemblies that sometimes also involve the parents. Pupils say they really enjoy their tasty school lunches that will soon also include a choice of Halal food. Pupils are cared for well and there are robust procedures to keep them safe and secure. Governors, together with the senior leadership team, have strengthened their skills since the last inspection. More rigorous self-evaluation and monitoring of the quality of teaching and the implementation of new initiatives are resulting in rising standards. Parents, children staff and governors are now involved in the school's effective self-evaluation processes. Changes

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Grade: 2

4 of 9 Inspection Report: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 2008 to school meals, due to be implemented in 2009, have stemmed from feedback from parents who have been involved in their development. Leaders know well the strengths of the school and what needs to be done to improve. Informal processes for evaluating effectiveness are particularly successful when senior staff identify areas that can be improved immediately through advice and demonstration. One example of this is ensuring that new staff teach literacy in the same way as their established colleagues. This is particularly important in ensuring consistent approaches across all classes during a period of change. A significant challenge facing the school is the increasing number of pupils who start in Year 1 or Year 2 having little or no experience of education and unable to speak English. These pupils settle quickly and soon make friends, but there is work to do to help them overcome their difficulties in learning

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Grade: 2

more quickly. The school's track record of sustaining and now raising standards in challenging circumstances means it has a good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching enables children in this age group to overcome barriers to their learning and development. Many activities are interesting, fun and imaginative. As a result, children gain much enjoyment as they develop their confidence in their linguistic and social skills. They make good headway in physical and creative learning, and in developing a fuller understanding of the world around them. Good use of the outside areas enriches and extends what children learn in class. Children are eager to participate in all that is provided for them and work hard to do well, although their knowledge, skills and understanding are below those usually found at the end of the Reception Year. Some activities engage children for long periods of time as they become fascinated by what they are learning. They particularly enjoyed, for example, writing their name on the interactive whiteboard in a variety of colours and also seeing it emerge on

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Grade: 2

the smaller nearby computer screen. Consequently, they become much more confident in communication and in the early stages of reading and writing. That said, despite detailed assessments of what children can do, some activities are too easy and lack challenge. This means children do not move ahead as quickly as they could. Effective monitoring by the EYFS leader has identified this feature and steps are being taken in collaboration with senior management to overcome it.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure all activities offer an appropriate level of challenge across the EYFS.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the systems and support for pupils who join the school in Years 1 and 2 with little or no experience of education. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 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: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 2008

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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? 2 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

05 January 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Odessa Infant School,London,E7 9BY Mr Richards and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you during our recent visit to the school, and we want to say thank you for being so helpful and polite. Special thanks go to the members of the school council for telling us what it is like to be a child in your school. You are fortunate to go to a good school. Everyone helps you to speak English and to do well in your work. They take good care that you are safe and looked after. We are glad that many of you are coming to school more often. You behave well and we are pleased to see how happily you work together. We know you are good at writing as we looked at a lot of your work. We especially enjoyed reading your stories. All of them were very different and some of them made us laugh. You are quite good at reading and mathematics too. Many of you learn to speak English when you start in the Nursery, but you have quite a number

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

of friends joining you in the older classes who have never been to school before and do not speak English. We have asked your teachers to find ways to make sure they learn as well as you do. Also, we have asked teachers in the Reception and Nursery classes to make some of the fun activities a bit harder. This is to help all the children to do really well. You can help by always doing your best and continuing to be good friends to everyone. Yours faithfully Kath Beck Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Odessa Infant School, 12 December 2008

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