Cleveland Road Primary School

Cleveland Junior School Inspection report

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102798 Unique Reference Number Redbridge Local Authority 323696 Inspection number 8–9 June 2009 Inspection dates Ruth McFarlane 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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Junior Type of school Community School category 7–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 518 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Low Chair Mrs Patricia Anne Ward Headteacher 15 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Cleveland Road School address Ilford IG1 1EW 020 8478 3601 Telephone number 020 8478 2882 Fax number

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7–11 Age group 8–9 June 2009 Inspection dates 323696 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: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large school serves a multi-ethnic community and most pupils are of minority ethnic heritage. The largest groups have Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi backgrounds. A far higher proportion of pupils than is found nationally are at an early stage of learning English when they join the school. Movement of the population of pupils in and out of the school at different times is much higher than is usual. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. These difficulties are mainly moderate learning difficulties, behavioural, emotional or social difficulties, or difficulties in the speech, language and communication spectrum. The school has won several awards for its provision, among them the Gold Artsmark and the NACE award for Gifted and Talented provision. The headteacher has recently returned to the substantive headship after a period of executive headship of this

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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: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Cleveland Junior is a good school. Strong and perceptive leadership from the headteacher sets an especially nurturing ethos in which pupils thrive. The exceptionally rich curriculum that places emphasis on developing a harmonious community contributes greatly to pupils' good personal development and well-being and sets the scene for their good academic achievement. Parents value the education the school provides. 'There's an excellent range of experiences, and my child is well supported', is typical of the comments they made. Several praised the school's understanding of the diversity in the local community, and inspectors agree this is a strength. Pupils usually enter Year 3 with standards that are below the national average. Over a third of the pupils join the school later than the rest, and many of them are new to learning English. By the end of Year 6 standards in national curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science

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Grade: 2

are broadly average. Pupils achieve well because they enjoy good teaching and very high standards of care. Their learning is stimulated by a vibrant and innovative curriculum that helps them enjoy their education. Against this backdrop, pupils soon become articulate and confident. Their smiles and enthusiasm are testament to their enjoyment of school. They say they feel happy, and very safe at school, and there is very little bullying. They appreciate the excellent relationships they have with the adults, and say that when problems occur, they feel confident about approaching staff for help. Pupils are very knowledgeable about staying healthy. They are keen to take on responsibility, work very cooperatively and, as a result, their independence grows quickly. Pupils' behaviour is good. Attendance is average. The good progress pupils make in English and mathematics, and in their use of information and communication technology (ICT), prepares them well for

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Grade: 2

their futures. They leave the school as confident learners, well equipped for secondary school. Strong links with outside agencies and partners mean pupils are supported and cared for very well indeed, especially those with learning needs and the many at an early stage of learning English. Staff know their pupils' needs well. Excellent systems are in place to give academic guidance, but these are not having their full impact on progress because the resulting data are not yet used fully and consistently in the classroom, for instance by setting and sharing regular individual targets to help pupils understand what they need to learn next. Despite this, teaching is consistently good and lessons are interesting and enjoyable. Teachers prepare some exciting tasks that capture pupils' imagination and challenge their thinking. Sometimes, however, teachers do not explain clearly enough how pupils can judge their success for themselves.

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Grade: 2

Written marking is sometimes good, but is sometimes cursory and lacks guidance on how pupils can improve. The senior leadership team is emerging from a period of change since the last inspection and some new leaders are in place, under the experienced and effective headteacher. Leadership is shared out well under her very clear direction, and it is this which is the catalyst for improvement in the school. Curriculum coordinators are an effective and enthusiastic group. A good management initiative to introduce a range of strategies to encourage pupils to be responsible for their own learning is underway, but not yet fully in place. Governors provide good challenge and support and have been fully involved in the developments the school has made since the last inspection. Taking this into account, and the strong team now convening, the school has good capacity to make further improvements. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of teaching further by setting regular, individual targets for every pupil and ensuring pupils know how to succeed in their learning. ■ Improve monitoring to make sure teaching strategies are used that encourage pupils to be responsible for their own learning, and that written marking consistently helps pupils to understand their next steps.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and make consistently good progress from their individual starting points. Inspection evidence shows that by the time pupils leave Year 6, standards are broadly average in English, mathematics and science, though there is some fluctuation. An average proportion of pupils achieve the higher levels overall, and the number is higher than average in mathematics. The many pupils for whom English is an additional language make particularly good progress because they are supported skilfully in their personal development and learning. The school constantly adapts and strengthens its excellent curriculum to meet the learning needs of its many ethnic groups and this ignites their progress. Well-planned remedial action deals effectively with relative weaknesses and there is now no significant difference in the relative attainment of any group.

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Grade: 2

The school's emphasis on the pupils' personal and social development enhances the pupils' well-being successfully and, as a result, they have an excellent understanding of healthy living and how to keep themselves safe. Physical activities are very popular and ensure that pupils develop cooperation and fitness. Pupils enjoy school, grow in confidence and develop positive attitudes to learning. Their good progress in English and mathematics, as well as in ICT, prepares them well for the future. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They have a very well developed understanding of right and wrong and learn to appreciate and enjoy the wonders of life around them. This was illustrated when the whole school shared in the live webcam coverage of the day their chicken eggs hatched into fluffy chicks recently. Relationships within the school are excellent. Pupils explore their feelings well through the

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Grade: 2

meditation classes which enhance their capacity for reflection. Pupils with responsibilities, such as the School Council members, work hard for the school and take their roles seriously, which develops their understanding of community issues and how society functions. Pupils do not respond as positively to the school's efforts to improve attendance, which is broadly average.

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Grade: 2

'Teachers make learning fun!' is a typical comment made by pupils, reflecting their enjoyment of lessons and their excellent learning attitudes. Consistently good lessons, very well planned with a variety of methods and tasks, engage and maintain pupils' interest. Challenge is frequent and appropriate. As a result, pupils make good progress whatever their ability, gender or background. Classroom management is excellent and teaching assistants are used effectively 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009 to support learning. Teachers explain lesson aims and check learning, though exactly what pupils need to do to achieve the lesson objective is not always made clear to them. Staff have access to comprehensive individual assessment and target data and use the system to record pupils' progress. However, not all teachers make full use of the information to share targets with pupils. This means that not all pupils know how to improve. Marking is often good, praising

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Grade: 2

the pupils' efforts and providing guidance on how to make further improvements, but in some cases it is too brief to be of use to help learning.

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Grade: 1

The Gold Artsmark and an award for work with the gifted and talented exemplify the high quality of the exceptionally broad and exciting curriculum. It is this which helps to capture pupils' interest and make learning so good. Subject leaders are quick to update and adapt curriculum plans to respond to changes in pupils' needs and capabilities, and to reflect the needs of the school's changing and multi-ethnic community. As a result, pupils achieve well, and not only in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils have many opportunities to enjoy music, sport and art. Teachers are increasingly finding practical ways of linking subjects together imaginatively. For instance, pupils develop a variety of good ICT skills through their work in literacy. Display is used exceptionally well, in classrooms and around the school, to create a stimulating environment that celebrates pupils' work. Visits and visitors,

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Grade: 1

and the extensive range of extra-curricular activities, strongly enrich pupils' experience. For instance, Italian, Arabic, Bollywood dance, games and fitness clubs, and a successful school choir are but a few of the activities that underpin pupils' high levels of spiritual and cultural development.

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Grade: 1

Pastoral care is excellent and the outstanding commitment of all the adults in the school community to care, guidance and support is fully appreciated by the pupils and their parents. The school has a friendly atmosphere, with caring staff who offer valuable support. The arrangements for child protection are very secure and the school is vigilant in meeting requirements relating to safeguarding. Very successful strategies promoting good behaviour ensure that pupils have highly positive attitudes to learning. The outstanding systems in place to monitor the pupils' progress are used successfully by teachers to inform their planning for future learning, though less consistently to set precise targets for individuals. Support for pupils who require additional help with their work is excellent, not least because of the very strong links the school has established with outside agencies. Procedures to help pupils settle in are

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Grade: 1

thorough and those for older pupils to transfer to their secondary schools are also excellent. The school employs less successful but rigorous and comprehensive strategies to improve attendance.

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Grade: 2

The school is very well led by the experienced headteacher, ably supported by the deputy headteacher and a developing team of skilled senior leaders, some of whom are recently appointed. All are focused successfully on developing pupils' academic as well as broader life 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009 skills. Their good leadership and management is the reason pupils achieve well. They are fully supported by an effective and knowledgeable governing body. Progress since the last inspection has been good overall. Data analysis and tracking is used constructively to show where improvement can be made. It is not yet fully utilised to create individual targets to help pupils improve their attainment. Monitoring of provision is detailed and usually evaluative, but it has not always focused on outcomes for pupils, particularly their learning. School monitoring had not picked up inconsistencies in the marking of pupils' work. However, senior and middle leaders

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Grade: 2

use their largely accurate self-evaluation to create detailed action plans which dovetail into the school's overall improvement plan, so that the school has good capacity to improve further. School leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting equality and they have made a useful assessment of their work to promote community cohesion. This work includes improving pupils' understanding of different faiths and ethnicity in the local as well as global communities. Coupled with the thoroughly inclusive curriculum, this enables pupils to learn and develop their personal skills as well as have a better understanding of life, culture and religions different from their own. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 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: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 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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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: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009

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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 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: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

22 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Cleveland Junior School,Ilford,IG1 1EW Thank you for the welcome you gave us when we inspected your school. You were so polite and helpful. We appreciated all your help and also the comments made by your parents in their questionnaires. Please thank them on our behalf. You go to a good school. You learn lots because your activities are so appealing and there is always something interesting to do. We loved the displays you have helped to mount. The ones about different religions in your school are super. They show you really understand the different religions in your community. Your good behaviour helps you to concentrate in your lessons. Do keep that up because it makes the school such a pleasant place to be for everyone. Your teachers care for you very well. No wonder you feel happy and safe! We enjoyed looking at your books. You have made good progress since the beginning of the year and by the time you leave Year 6 most of you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

reach the standards expected for your age. Your headteacher and those teachers who manage the school are good at their jobs, and all the staff and governors are keen to work together. Because of this, they have been successful in improving some things since the last inspection and they know what to do to make the school even better. Your lessons are fun. Your teachers check carefully how you are doing in your work. We would like them to make sure you know how to improve a bit more, and to help you to check your learning. We know you will rise to the challenge and that will help you progress even faster. We've asked those teachers who have management responsibility to make sure this is happening. Well done for all the good things you are doing in school and for helping to make it such a friendly and fun place to learn. Yours faithfully Ruth McFarlane Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Cleveland Junior School, 8–9 June 2009

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