Snaresbrook Primary School

Snaresbrook Primary School Inspection report

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102832 Unique Reference Number Redbridge Local Authority 323698 Inspection number 27–28 April 2009 Inspection dates Martin Beale 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 484 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 Nick Andrews Chair Mr John Snow Headteacher 14 December 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Meadow Walk School address South Woodford London E18 2EN 020 8989 9975 Telephone number 020 8518 8781 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 27–28 April 2009 Inspection dates 323698 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: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The number of pupils has been rising in this large school. Free school meal eligibility has risen slightly but is below average. Almost two thirds of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, with the largest groups being pupils of Indian or Pakistani heritages. The proportion of the pupils with a mother tongue other than English is well above average. The proportion of pupils who need additional support with their learning or who have a statement for their special educational need is broadly average. Most of these pupils are identified with moderate learning difficulties. Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is through a part-time Nursery and two Reception classes. The school has gained the Healthy School award and Activemark.

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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: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009

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Grade: 2

Staff and governors are accurate when judging that this is a good school, which serves its community well. It has improved over the last few years under the strong leadership of the new headteacher. Parents are pleased to have chosen the school for their children because as one wrote, 'Snaresbrook is a lovely school. My children have been, and are, very happy'. Improving teaching is a continuing priority for the school, although at times action has not focused sharply enough on how the pupils might learn more effectively. The skilled teaching team, backed up by effective support staff, make learning interesting and enjoyable. Classrooms are purposeful and calm places in which the pupils grow in confidence as they learn. It is because of these factors that the pupils' achievement is good, given that they enter the school with skills above those expected for their age. They make good progress from their starting points

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Grade: 2

so that standards are well above average by the end of Year 6. This gives them a firm foundation for success in secondary school and beyond. The pupils are a great credit to themselves, their families and the school. They are courteous and polite and show consideration for others. Their outstanding personal qualities contribute greatly to their good academic progress. They thoroughly enjoy learning, work hard at all times and immerse themselves in lessons and other activities. Classrooms are exciting places as the pupils undertake a variety of interesting activities that enrich their experiences and support their outstanding personal development. Their behaviour is excellent. Pupils of all ages respond well to the school's expectations of them. The highly effective teamwork when collaborating on tasks or when discussing a problem, stems from the very constructive relationships in all classrooms. Pupils of all ages have a very clear understanding of the factors needed for them

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Grade: 2

to adopt a safe and healthy lifestyle. Parents are clear that their children's welfare is of paramount importance to all staff. As one parent accurately wrote, 'The teachers are so committed to giving the individual child all the encouragement and help they need'. As a result, pupils feel safe and are clear that there is someone to confide in if they have a problem. By tightening systems to check the pupils' progress, the school has become more skilled at meeting individual learning and personal needs and eliminating any barriers to learning. Any potential underachievement is identified quickly and successful additional support provided for individuals or groups to get them back on track. Marking has improved considerably, particularly in writing, and is now very helpful to pupils so they can see how to improve the quality of their work. The role of middle leaders is developing but monitoring focuses on the school's provision rather

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Grade: 2

than its impact on the pupils' learning. Issues identified at the last inspection have been tackled successfully. Other improvements have been made, such as increasing the proportion of pupils working at higher levels throughout the school. Staff and governors understand the school's qualities and where further action is needed. This and the recent record of the school's leadership give the school a firm platform for success in the future.

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Grade: 3

Children start with skills above those normally expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress in the Nursery and Reception classes in all areas of learning. Most reach, and the majority exceed, expected goals by the time they enter Year 1. The children's welfare is given 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009 a high priority; as a result they feel secure and are confident learners. Inspection judgements reflect the remarks of one parent who wrote, 'The staff team are very supportive and caring towards my child'. Children settle quickly into their classes and collaborate well with each other. Their behaviour is often exemplary. They are happy, hard-working and thoroughly enjoy their first experiences of school. The close links forged with home enable parents to be closely involved in their child's settling in and development. Planning by the team provides a good balance of activities led by adults and those chosen by

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Grade: 3

the children. Teaching is satisfactory but does not consistently challenge the learning of the more able children. Furthermore, learning can be too controlled by adults, limiting the opportunity for the children to initiate activities or use resources to support their learning. There is insufficient free flow between inside and out because the outdoor areas for the Nursery and Reception classes are not consistently used to extend learning. The children's progress is tracked carefully but the information gained is not always used to plan the next steps in each child's learning. While the staff team works closely together, leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage has not focused sharply on how the learning of these young children can be promoted more effectively. Monitoring of learning is not robust enough to ensure that children make better than satisfactory progress in all areas.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop leadership roles to focus more sharply on improving pupils' learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Focus all of the staff team in the Nursery and Reception classes more sharply on how to move the learning of every child forward more rapidly.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress during their time in the main school, building well on their secure foundation from the Nursery and Reception classes. Pupils who need additional help with their language and learning receive focused support that enables them to make good progress in line with that of their peers. Year 2 results in reading and mathematics have risen since the last inspection. They were very high in reading in 2008 and well above average in mathematics. Writing results have fallen over the same period, but still remain above average. The subsequent focus on improving writing is leading to rising standards, particularly by the end of Year 2, with more pupils now at higher levels. Test results for Year 6 pupils have been consistently well above average since the last inspection. The school has focused on extending the more able pupils, having identified that they should be reaching higher levels in all subjects by the end

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Grade: 2

of Year 6. This action has been fruitful with more than half of the pupils exceeding national expectations in 2008, and similar numbers are on track to do the same this year.

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Grade: 1

Pupils greatly enjoy learning and school life. This is shown by their improved levels of attendance and excellent attitudes in lessons and around the school. Many factors lead to the pupils' outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They develop constructive relationships, which contribute to their academic progress. They work hard and delight in each other's successes. The development of their cultural awareness is particularly effective, leading to strong racial harmony. Pupils value diversity around them and have a refined understanding of the customs of others. The focus on teaching about nutrition means the pupils understand 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009 how to adopt a healthy approach to diet, as recognised by the Healthy Schools award. They enjoy taking part in sport, enhanced by links with local schools and reflected in the recent

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Grade: 1

award of Activemark. Pupils are very clear about how to keep themselves safe and how to deal with risks they might face in their lives. They act with great consideration towards others at all times. The prefects, young leaders and school council take pride in carrying out their responsibilities very sensibly.

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Grade: 2

Much teaching is lively and interesting from an enthusiastic teaching team who generate a real enjoyment of learning. Pupils are aware of the purpose of the activities they undertake, because their teachers make clear to them the objectives for each lesson. Skilled questioning engages the pupils and generates pace to their learning. By showing how much they value each contribution, teachers give the pupils the confidence to respond and participate. Teaching assistants are deployed well and make a considerable contribution when supporting the learning of individuals and groups. Pupils greatly enjoy and gain much from working in groups or sharing ideas with each other. Pupils also have many opportunities to become more involved in learning through assessing their own work and that of others.

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Grade: 2

The various activities provided within and beyond the school day promote the pupils' academic and personal development well. They are carefully adapted when required to focus on the specific learning or language needs of each pupil, but do not always provide planned challenges for the large number of pupils who have talents in a particular area. Experiences are enriched and an enthusiasm for learning generated by events such as Book Week and Art Week. The school has recognised that it could link learning between subjects more closely and make greater use of new technology as a teaching and learning tool. Plans are already in place to double the number of computers and provide more cross-curricular activities next year. A wide variety of clubs and educational visits add much to the pupils' development. Memorable activities include their participation in the Redbridge Music Festival, singing for the Police 'Peace Breakfast' and

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Grade: 2

The pupils' personal development is a high priority for the school and members of staff respond to their concerns promptly. Procedures to safeguard pupils' welfare meet requirements and are rigorously implemented. The needs of pupils who struggle to access the curriculum and those who are falling behind are identified early. Carefully targeted programmes support their learning and lead to improved progress. More vulnerable pupils are sensitively supported and good links are established with outside agencies for their guidance and support. For example, pupils are accompanied by their teaching assistant when they go for language and speech therapy so that expertise can be brought back into the school. Teachers' marking shows pupils what is good about their work and how they can improve it. This and the use of targets helps 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009 pupils identify the next steps in their learning, although they do not always show the longer-term

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Grade: 2

action pupils can take to move to the next level.

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Grade: 2

The strong leadership of the headteacher has framed a clear direction for the school, based on ensuring that all pupils can achieve their potential, both academically and personally. This is a commitment shared by staff and governors. Everyone is ambitious for the pupils, but this is not always expressed through the goals that are set. Pupils reach and often exceed their targets, giving scope for these to be more challenging and used to raise everyone's expectations higher. Management systems enable staff and governors to have an accurate picture of how well the school is doing and where there is scope for improvement, although monitoring does not always focus on the impact of provision and teaching on the pupils' learning and progress. This is one respect in which not all middle managers play an effective role in the leadership of their areas. Governance has improved since the last inspection. Governors fulfil their role well by providing

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Grade: 2

appropriate challenge to senior staff and supporting the school's development through careful financial management. The school understands clearly the context within which it operates, and fulfils well its obligations to ensure that community cohesion is promoted effectively. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 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: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 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?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/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: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009

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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 1 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? 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 3 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: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Snaresbrook Primary School,London,E18 2EN You will probably remember that inspectors visited your school not too long ago. I am now writing to let you know what we found out. Before I do, I would just like to thank you for making us feel welcome and for being so ready to share your thoughts about your school. We had a chance to talk to many of you, and have told your teachers how you were very helpful and polite. Through our discussions with you, it was great to hear how much you enjoy school. It was also good to hear about how safe you feel and that there is always someone to talk to if you are worried. You, your parents and teachers are right in thinking that your school is good. You make good progress during your time at school. Nearly all of you reach the standards expected by the time you move on to secondary school and many of you do better than this. You attend regularly, work hard and behave sensibly. Your teachers make learning interesting

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and you clearly enjoy extra activities, including clubs and school trips. All members of staff help to make sure you are safe and cared for very well. You take your responsibilities seriously and make a considerable contribution to the life of the school. You have a good understanding of the importance of diet and exercise for a healthy lifestyle. Your headteacher, other staff and governors are trying hard to make the school even better. We think that there are two things they could do. Firstly, we have asked staff in the Nursery and Reception to make sure they help the youngest children to learn better. Secondly, we have suggested the headteacher involves more staff in helping him to improve your learning further. I am sure that you and your teachers will work hard to make these improvements. You can play your part in helping the school to get even better by continuing to show such pride and enthusiasm for learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I wish you well for the future. Yours faithfully Martin Beale Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaresbrook Primary School, 27–28 April 2009

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