The Winns Primary School

The Winns Primary School Inspection report

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103061 Unique Reference Number Waltham Forest Local Authority 323741 Inspection number 15–16 June 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 669 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 Ms Madeleine O'Connor Chair Mr Paul Ryan Headteacher 20 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Fleeming Road School address Walthamstow London E17 5ET 020 8527 1872 Telephone number 020 8503 2292 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 15–16 June 2009 Inspection dates 323741 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: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Pupil mobility is well above average in this large primary school and free school meal eligibility is double the national average. Three quarters of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion learning English as an additional language is high and rising. The proportion of pupils who need additional support with their learning is above average, as is the number with a statement of special educational need. Most of these pupils are identified with moderate learning or speech, language and communication difficulties. Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is through a part-time Nursery and three Reception classes. The school has been awarded the 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: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 2009

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Grade: 3

The school is providing satisfactory education for its pupils. Children enter with skills much lower than those normally expected for their age and many start with limited English. They make satisfactory progress, but standards are still well below average by the end of Year 6. The headteacher and leadership team have secured some key improvements since the last inspection. These give the pupils a firmer platform to be successful as they move up the school. Strong features have emerged in the lower part of the school. The youngest children have a good start to school life and a smooth transition into Year 1, where their good progress continues. Another area of success is the improvement in the pupils' personal skills because of the school's commitment to all aspects of their personal development and well-being. Their behaviour is now good and they make an increased contribution to the life of the school and the community.

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Grade: 3

They are confident that adults will deal with any problems and pupils say they feel safe in school. They generally enjoy lessons and the extra activities available to them. They understand how to adopt healthy lifestyles and learn well how to cope with risks they may experience in their lives. The action taken to improve learning based on rigorous monitoring of teachers is having an impact, but not consistently across the school. Within a profile of satisfactory teaching there are strengths in a considerable number of lessons. These are evident when learning is broken down into small events and pupils have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with others and work independently. The proportion of pupils working above the levels expected for their age at both key stages is lower than seen nationally in all subjects, partly because the more-able pupils are not consistently challenged. Pupils' progress is slower in writing than in other subjects,

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Grade: 3

particularly for boys. It is too early to detect whether the action being taken by the school to improve writing is having an effect. Marking does not always focus on how pupils might achieve the class targets for improving their writing. Assessment data is now used well to identify where support programmes are needed to help pupils catch up if they fall behind the school's increasingly challenging targets. Until recently, pupils new to learning English were not identified separately from those who needed extra support because of learning difficulties. This meant that resources and support were not always directed towards their individual needs and so held back their progress to a satisfactory level. A register of pupils who are at the early stages of fluency in English is now in place, but there is no identification of pupils who are more fluent but still need additional support and insufficient staff have been trained to support these pupils.

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Grade: 3

Much of the driving force for change comes from the senior team. Other teachers are only just starting to take on a more effective leadership role and self-evaluation is over-generous. For these reasons the school's capacity to improve is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

The effectiveness of provision in the Nursery and Reception classes has improved since the last inspection. Children greatly enjoy the wide range of stimulating activities presented both indoors and outdoors, although in spite of their good and improving progress, attainment remains below expected levels by the time they enter Year 1. While they respond well to their teachers and mostly begin to take greater responsibility for their learning, boys do not always 4 of 11 Inspection Report: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 2009 engage with activities to the same extent as girls. Consequently, a gap emerges in their attainment in key areas by the end of Reception. Staff-led activities help children to improve learning, such as when they observed a bowl full of fruit, discussed the shape, size and colour of various fruits and then enjoyed designing their own clay bowls. Nevertheless, opportunities to develop their fluency in speaking English are missed when children are not asked to discuss

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Grade: 2

their work with each other or explain it to adults. Children's welfare is given a high priority. They are safe, secure and become confident learners. They behave well and work and play amicably with others. Relationships with adults are positive and based on mutual respect. New parents are invited in along with their children before they start the school, which helps them to settle quickly. As one parent wrote, 'My child was worried before starting, but has been totally supported and now feels she owns the school.' Adults work well as a team and teaching assistants are effectively deployed to support the children's learning needs. Systems to monitor the children's progress and the rigorous analysis of data have led to improvements since the last inspection. As a result, standards are rising and give a secure foundation for the children's future education.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning by raising the level of challenge in lessons, giving pupils more responsibility for their learning and bringing consistency to marking. ■ Raise standards in writing, particularly for boys.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Focus support and teaching for pupils at an early stage of learning English more sharply on their assessed needs. 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

Younger pupils are starting to build more effectively on their good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage, although the gap between the standards of boys and girls that is evident at the end of Reception remains throughout the school. Year 2 results rose in 2008 but were still well below average in all subjects and below those in schools in similar contexts. School data indicates that current standards in Year 2 are at a comparable level, but are higher and rising in Year 1 where pupils have made continued good progress since leaving Reception. Between Year 3 and Year 6 pupils make satisfactory progress. Having risen in 2007, Year 6 national test results dipped to well below average in 2008. Current data indicate that the school has successfully reversed this fall and the standards reached by Year 6 pupils this year have risen. Pupils make better progress at Key Stage 2 in mathematics than in English largely because

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Grade: 2

The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has improved since the last inspection and is now good because they have more opportunities to reflect on their responses and how they feel about what they learn. Pupils enjoy their time in school and develop strong and harmonious relationships with others from different backgrounds. The clear expectations 5 of 11 Inspection Report: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 2009 about how pupils should behave are adhered to in lessons and by the vast majority around the school, but some do not always have sufficient regard for their surroundings. The school has made use of the full range of strategies and has improved attendance rates this year to just below average. Pupils adapt well to what they learn about healthy lifestyles. They know how to choose healthy meals at school and home. They also involve themselves well in physical activities, as shown through the award of the Activemark. Pupils contribute well to the school

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Grade: 2

community through the many and varied responsibilities they are given, such as 'Carefree Kids' who support others in play. Pupils are prepared adequately in the skills they will need for the next stage of their education and later life.

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Grade: 3

While teaching is improving, not enough is of a consistently good quality to move learning forward rapidly. The most effective lessons involve the pupils fully in their learning. Teachers help them to see the progress they make by explaining clearly what is expected and how this is to be achieved. A brisk pace is generated by well-timed questioning and a regular review of their learning as the lesson progresses. Pupils develop speaking skills well and enjoy discussing their ideas and responses with their 'talk partners', but this technique is not used to best effect in all classrooms. In general, lessons are not consistent in the challenge they provide for the more-able pupils. They often have to complete routine tasks before attempting extension material and teachers do not plan how to challenge their thinking through the questions they use in whole-class and review sessions. The school has been acting to encourage pupils to take

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Grade: 3

greater responsibility for their learning in lessons with varying success. Opportunities for assessing their own work and that of others are limited.

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Grade: 3

Recent changes, such as introducing some Early Years Foundation Stage practice into Year 1, have given greater continuity to the pupils' learning. Topics that link learning in different subjects have been trialled this year with pupils saying how much they enjoy this approach. It is too early yet to judge the impact on the pupils' achievement, but insufficient use is made of information and communication technology resources including classroom whiteboards to enhance the pupils' learning in these topics. The school provides a wide range of activities to enrich the pupils' experiences, including much-enjoyed residential trips for the older pupils where they learn how to live and work in a different setting. Sport makes a considerable contribution to the pupils' personal development and their pride in the school is tangible when teams gain success in competitive matches. Specific activities have also benefited the academic

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Grade: 3

and personal development of gifted and talented artists.

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Grade: 3

Close attention is paid to the pupils' safety and welfare. Child protection procedures are secure and proper checks are made on adults who work in school. Pupils needing additional help with their learning are identified carefully and receive appropriate levels of support. This includes that provided by specialists from outside agencies whose valuable advice and guidance helps 6 of 11 Inspection Report: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 2009 to support specific learning difficulties. Newcomers to the school, often from abroad, are helped to settle quickly and other vulnerable pupils are looked after with careful consideration for their individual circumstances. Improving academic guidance is a current priority. Helpful marking that links well to learning intentions guides younger pupils well. Nevertheless, marking and the use of targets is less consistent and helpful at Key Stage 2, so that pupils are not fully

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Grade: 3

aware of the level they are working at and how they could improve their work.

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Grade: 3

The clear direction of the headteacher and senior team is increasingly being supported by the phase leaders as they develop the skills to participate more in the drive to raise standards further. While the school is committed to reducing barriers to the pupils' achievement, this has not been maximised for the more able and some pupils learning English as an additional language. The rigorous monitoring of planning and lessons has not been matched by consistent improvements in teaching. This is partly because improvement planning does not always focus sharply on key priorities to move the quality of learning to a consistently higher level or use assessment data effectively to check if the steps taken are working. Governors have a satisfactory understanding of how the school is doing and challenge the headteacher to raise standards, but their role in school evaluation and strategic planning has not been robust enough to secure

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Grade: 3

improvements in key areas. The ethnic diversity of the school is viewed as a major strength and is frequently celebrated. Community cohesion is promoted well through many extended school opportunities, including a community art project and the toy library. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 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: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 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? 3 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

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: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 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? 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: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

29 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of The Winns Primary School,London,E17 5ET Thank you all very much for your friendliness and help when we visited your school recently and for sharing your views with us. We found that your school is providing you with a satisfactory education. We were pleased to see how much you enjoy school and we agree with you that your teachers take good care of you. The youngest children are getting a good start to their school life in the Nursery and Reception classes. You behave well and those of you who have special jobs, such as the play leaders and the school council, carry out your duties responsibly. You make satisfactory progress during your time in school, learning the skills you need for the future and how to be mature and responsible people. You understand how to keep fit and healthy and clearly enjoy sporting activities. You are lucky to have some interesting activities

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in addition to your daily lessons. There are some things we have asked your teachers to do to help you all achieve as well as you can. Your written work needs improving, particularly for boys. There are some good features to teaching, but we have asked the school to make lessons more challenging and to give you more help and advice about how to achieve your targets. Those of you who speak a language other than English need to be given better support so that you can learn more quickly. 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 pride in your school, trying hard in lessons and attending regularly. We wish you all the best for the future. Yours faithfully Martin Beale Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: The Winns Primary School, 15–16 June 2009

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