Coppice Primary School

Coppice Primary School Inspection report

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102837 Unique Reference Number Redbridge Local Authority 323699 Inspection number 29–30 April 2009 Inspection dates Linda Pickles 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 468 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 Colin Drain Chair Mrs Joanne Coton (Acting) Headteacher 22 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Manford Way School address Chigwell IG7 4AL 020 8708 0740 Telephone number 020 8708 0749 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 29–30 April 2009 Inspection dates 323699 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: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Coppice Primary School is a larger than average school in the borough of Redbridge. Due to the absence of the substantive headteacher, the deputy is currently the acting headteacher. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups, predominantly from Asian backgrounds, is well above the national average, as is the proportion of pupils whose first language is not English. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who have statements of special education need is above average, predominantly for behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Levels of pupil mobility are well above the national average.

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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: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009

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Grade: 3

Coppice Primary School provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. The acting headteacher has successfully led the school through a period of instability and has created a common sense of purpose among staff. Pupils enjoy school and this is demonstrated by their good behaviour and positive attitudes to their learning. Parents and carers are supportive of the school. Of the few who returned questionnaires, a very large majority were wholly positive. As one parent stated, 'It is a very close-knit school and community. I am very happy my child goes to Coppice Primary School.' Pupils enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and understanding that are broadly in line with expectations for their age. The progress made by pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory, with the majority reaching nationally expected goals by the time they join Year 1. Pupils make satisfactory progress across all key stages and standards have risen since

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Grade: 3

the last inspection to be in line with the national average. However, because of the lower than average starting point for the particular cohort, standards fell to below the national average at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2008. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. In the most effective lessons, pupils are challenged through interesting activities and assessment is used to ensure learning is matched to the needs of all pupils. However, in some lessons, assessment of pupils' understanding is less effective and pupils have too few opportunities to be actively involved in their learning. The deployment of additional adults to support the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is satisfactory. The pastoral care given to pupils is good. However, academic guidance and support are satisfactory, because pupils are provided with limited information as to how they can improve

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Grade: 3

their work. The difficulty of the increasing number of pupils who join the school during the year is managed well. Pupils who join Coppice part-way through their education make similar progress to those who have spent all their time at the school. All procedures for safeguarding are in place. Pupils are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum that is satisfactory. Links between different subject areas to enhance pupils' understanding, however, are underdeveloped. The school has accurately identified this as an area for improvement. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities which are enjoyed by pupils and which provide breadth to their learning. Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The school accurately identifies areas for improvement. However, the procedures used to measure the impact of initiatives are not sufficiently robust. The senior leadership team has recently been restructured and this

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Grade: 3

supports the school's satisfactory capacity to improve.

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Grade: 3

Children make satisfactory progress during the Early Years Foundation Stage. The majority of children enter the school with skills and understanding appropriate for their age. Because of satisfactory teaching, they move into Year 1 with standards broadly in line with expectations for their age. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and children with a first language other than English, make progress in line with their peers. All children willingly 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009 participate in activities, engage with their learning and sustain good levels of concentration. Children work well independently, although the range of activities available for them to choose from is limited. Children's personal development is good. They work and play cooperatively, taking turns and sharing equipment well. Children demonstrate good standards of behaviour.

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Grade: 3

Adults working in the Early Years Foundation Stage have good relationships with the children. However, daily observation of children's learning is not consistently used by staff to inform planning. This can sometimes lead to insufficient challenge for groups and for individual children. Arrangements for safeguarding are well established and understood by staff. Parents and carers are kept informed of their child's learning and welfare. The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The use of assessment information to inform planning and identify key priorities is inconsistent and the implementation of key workers is not yet in place.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is consistently good by matching activities to the needs of all pupils and providing more opportunities for pupils to participate actively in their learning. ■ Ensure subject leaders monitor and evaluate the impact of actions in their subject areas against clearly identified outcomes. ■ Improve the rigour and consistency of assessment procedures to inform planning for children's progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

In 2008, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 were in line with national average, with higher attainment in writing and mathematics than in reading. Attainment on entry to Key Stage 1 from the end of the Foundation Stage for the 2008 cohort was in line with expectations, which means that the pupils made satisfactory progress overall. Assessment data for the current Year 2 cohort indicate that standards in 2009 will continue to be in line with the national average. The school has taken action to improve standards in reading in Key Stage 1 through the Reading Recovery Programme and this is having a direct impact on reading standards in Key Stage 1. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and from different ethnic groups make progress in line with their peers. Standards in 2008 were below the national average at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils made satisfactory progress overall across Key Stage 2 because the cohort's

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Grade: 3

attainment on entry at Key Stage 1 was below expectations for their age. Pupils from an African background made better progress than the national average. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and pupils with a first language other than English made progress in line with their peers. The school's current tracking indicates that standards will rise in 2009 and will be in line with the national average.

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Grade: 2

Pupils demonstrate good levels of confidence and self-esteem and are considerate and respectful towards each other and staff. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of pupils' personal development are good. Good behaviour in the classroom and around school helps to create a 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009 calm learning environment and contributes to pupils' enjoyment of school. As one pupil said, 'I wouldn't change my school, I love it.' The attendance of pupils is satisfactory and improving. Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of the importance of a healthy diet and the value of exercise. They participate enthusiastically in a variety of clubs and sporting activities provided by the school and external providers. Although pupils make a good contribution to the school through the school council and as prefects, they are keen to have the opportunity for additional

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Grade: 2

responsibilities around school. Pupils make a positive contribution to their local community, an example being the choir's visit to the local residential home. Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of the diverse cultures within their own school and the wider community and speak enthusiastically about the weekly Language Club. Many pupils demonstrate high aspirations for their future careers. The progress that pupils make in developing skills for economic well-being prepares them satisfactorily for the future.

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Grade: 3

The inspectors agree with the school's judgement that the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff develop good relationships with pupils and demonstrate effective classroom management strategies which promote good behaviour. In lessons where teaching is good, expectations of what pupils can achieve are high and a range of strategies, such as open-ended questioning, are used to assess pupils' understanding. A wide variety of approaches, for example the use of interactive whiteboards and practical tasks, enable all pupils to participate actively in their learning. Satisfactory teaching is characterised by activities that do not sufficiently match the ability range of all pupils and an over-reliance on teacher direction, which limits pupils' independent learning. The identification of and provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or difficulties are satisfactory. Additional adults are deployed to support

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Grade: 3

identified groups and individuals; however, the timing of some interventions disrupts the flow of lessons for some pupils. Pupils' work is regularly marked but marking does not always provide sufficient guidance for pupils on how they can improve their work.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is broad and balanced and provides pupils with a satisfactory grounding in basic skills. The school is establishing links across different subjects; however, this is at an early stage of development. Pupils are provided with opportunities to apply their information and communication technology (ICT) skills across different subjects, although their access to computers outside the ICT suite is limited. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have full access to the curriculum owing to the support provided by additional adults. The curriculum is enhanced by a range of enrichment activities, such as specialist sports clubs and language and art clubs. These have a positive impact on pupils' personal development and well-being and contribute to their enjoyment of learning. As one parent stated, 'The range of clubs and activities is superb and offers something for every child.' The school has identified

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Grade: 3

the improvement of the quality of the curriculum as an area for development in the drive to raise standards. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care and guidance are good. This safeguards pupils' welfare and promotes their personal development and well-being. All statutory requirements for safeguarding are in place and understood by staff. The school's actions to improve attendance and reduce the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent are proving effective. Attendance during the past two months is above average, although overall attendance levels are satisfactory. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those in local authority care and those with a first language other than English are promptly identified and appropriate provision enables them to make satisfactory progress. The academic guidance provided for pupils is satisfactory. Pupils are well informed about their targets for improvement but are not always enabled to transfer this knowledge to their learning in the lesson. Marking is often encouraging, particularly in literacy

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Grade: 3

and numeracy but it does not consistently inform pupils how to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

The school's self-evaluation is satisfactory. The acting headteacher provides very committed leadership with a clear focus on raising standards. She has a well-developed understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses and has set a clear direction for improvement. Areas for development have been accurately prioritised and the acting headteacher has used support from the local authority to enhance the school's satisfactory capacity to improve. Managers have a sound understanding of the school's performance and regularly monitor the quality of provision for their areas of responsibility. However, the extent to which managers measure the impact of their role and their contribution to whole-school improvement is underdeveloped. Monitoring of the impact of planned initiatives against clearly measurable success criteria is not sufficiently robust. The school's use of challenging targets to raise standards is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

The school effectively promotes the equality of opportunity for all pupils and eliminates discrimination; all statutory equality plans are in place. The school's contribution to community cohesion is good; a plan and clear actions are in place for promoting pupils' understanding from a local, national and global perspective. Governors are supportive, well informed and provide satisfactory challenge and monitoring of the school's performance. All procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 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? 3 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? 3 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

3 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 3 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: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 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 3 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? 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Coppice Primary School,Chigwell,IG7 4AL Thank you so much for making me and the other inspectors so welcome when we visited your school. We were able to meet with some of your representatives as well as talking to others of you in the playground and the dining hall. The things you told us were very helpful in reaching our judgement on how well your school is doing. We think that your school is giving you a satisfactory education overall. Here are some of the things we think are good about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You like coming to school and enjoy your learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You get on very well with each other and with adults in school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy playing sport at lunchtime and going to the after-school clubs.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well in lessons and at break- and lunchtimes.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your acting headteacher leads the school well and makes sure that you enjoy your time at school. Here are some of the things we have asked your school to do to improve further.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We have asked your acting headteacher to make sure that every lesson helps you to make good progress. ■ We have asked teachers who have responsibilities in school to make sure they know how well their actions are helping you. ■ We have asked teachers in the Nursery and Reception classes to improve how they assess children to make sure they make as much progress as they can. You can help by continuing to behave well, working hard and making sure you come to school whenever you are able. Yours faithfully Linda Pickles Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Coppice Primary School, 29–30 April 2009

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