Coppermill Primary School

Coppermill Primary School Inspection report

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103078 Unique Reference Number Waltham Forest Local Authority 323749 Inspection number 17 November 2008 Inspection date Nick Butt 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 237 School (total) 67 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 Mark Redhead Chair Mrs Gillian Brady Headteacher 14 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 Edward Road School address Walthamstow London E17 6PB 020 8520 6267 Telephone number 020 8520 9755 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 17 November 2008 Inspection date 323749 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 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. They evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues.

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Introduction

■ The effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

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Introduction

■ What the school is doing to increase the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 in mathematics.

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Introduction

■ How the school is ensuring more of the teaching is good or better.

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Introduction

The inspectors gathered evidence from lesson observations, scrutiny of pupils' work and parents' questionnaires. Discussions with staff, a governor and pupils also contributed to the judgements. 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 this report.

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Description of the school

This average-sized school has a 20 place Nursery as part of its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above average. Over three quarters of pupils come from a variety of minority ethnic backgrounds, the largest group being Pakistani. Almost two thirds of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is very high. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. These include moderate learning difficulties. The school has the Healthy Schools and Activemark awards and is working towards the intermediate level of the International Schools award. The headteacher works part-time for the local authority and shares the running of the school with the co-headteacher.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Coppermill Primary School is a good school with many strengths. Pupils achieve well and reach standards that are above average by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. The teaching is good with outstanding features, and there is a lively and effective curriculum that interests and engages pupils. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding, contributing to a very positive school ethos that is friendly and welcoming. The care of pupils is outstanding, as they are known as individuals and staff ensure that their needs are identified early and met appropriately. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language do particularly well. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership, very ably supported by the co-headteacher. Their vision is shared by the whole school community, so that there is a commitment to continuous improvement and developing the whole child.

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Grade: 2

A parent, speaking for many, commented, 'My child comes home excited about her day at school - she is happy and motivated and eager to learn.' The school offers a stimulating learning environment and activities are chosen that are practical and engage pupils well. Teachers are very clear about what they want pupils to learn, and often involve them in devising criteria to measure their progress during the lesson. This means pupils understand what is expected of them, and rise to the challenge. A pupil said, 'They think of fun methods to help you learn.' In an outstanding Year 6 lesson, pupils watched video clips of lions in the wild and in captivity and discussed their reactions to them, linking this to Ted Hughes' poem 'The Jaguar', which was inspired by a childhood visit to the zoo. Pupils were able to identify how poets use emotive language to create mood and effect and to gain a deep appreciation of the poem. In most

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Grade: 2

classes, there is good use of open-ended questioning to extend pupils' thinking, and a wide range of strategies to interest and motivate them. Pupils enjoy working with the interactive whiteboards and other media to add variety to their learning. However, not all teaching is good, and occasionally the pace slackens because the introduction to the lesson takes up too much time. At times the work is insufficiently challenging for more able pupils so that they do not make the progress they could. Leaders have adopted a coaching system to help increase the proportion of good or better teaching, and this is beginning to have a beneficial impact, enabling excellent practice to be shared amongst colleagues. From starting points in the Nursery below those expected, pupils achieve well to reach standards that are above average by the end of Year 6. In 2008, standards at the end of Year 2 were below average because of high numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and at the early stages of

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Grade: 2

learning English, even though these pupils made good progress. Pupils in the current Year 2 are performing in line with expectations for their age. The school has brought in a new method of teaching writing, which fires pupils' imaginations and leads them to use much more adventurous vocabulary. This has led to standards in writing rising rapidly. In 2008, not so many Year 6 pupils reached the higher levels in mathematics as they did in English, but a focus on calculation and extra support for targeted pupils is reaping dividends this year. A relevant and active curriculum gives pupils a desire to learn, as the school focuses on increasing links across subjects. A pilot project in Year 4 exploring aspects of Ancient Egypt is proving very popular with pupils and this approach is being adopted by other classes. A whole school topic on 'Who do we think we are?' gave pupils opportunities to celebrate their cultural diversity and united

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Grade: 2

the school community. Enrichment is particularly strong, with pupils making films in collaboration with an arts organisation that contributed to a Film Festival for parents and the community. They go on many visits to places of interest such as the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 2008 and the Ragged School Museum. As well as a good range of after-school clubs, pupils can participate in clubs one afternoon per week in school time including cooking, dance, drama, art and netball. This makes a valuable contribution to their personal development, particularly for pupils who are unable to attend activities after school. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are outstanding and their behaviour is excellent. They have a strong sense of right and wrong and are very caring towards one another. Year 6 pupils act as peer mentors to younger children. There are also reading buddies and play

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Grade: 2

leaders. The school council is influential in the school community, and has also hosted a forum for school councils from other schools. Pupils were involved in the bidding process for a new local authority provider. Pupils know all about making healthy choices and take plenty of exercise. They feel safe at school and understand what bullying is and how to deal with it. Pupils could role-play some scenarios in assembly to illustrate this point. They thoroughly enjoy school and have very positive attitudes to learning, being keen to take part in lessons and working extremely hard. The majority of pupils attend well, and the school takes a robust line in promoting attendance. Pupils are fully involved in their local community as well as the school community, delivering harvest parcels, and taking part in sporting and musical events. They have established links with a nursery in Romania, giving them an understanding of the different

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Grade: 2

way of life in other countries. They leave the school with a good set of basic skills as confident individuals well-prepared for the next stage of their education. The impact of leadership and management in promoting pupils' welfare is outstanding, with very clear systems for identifying and supporting vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties such as moderate learning difficulties. Well-written individual education plans set clear targets for pupils to work towards, ably supported by the school's experienced and well-trained teaching assistants. The learning mentor makes a valuable contribution to the welfare of pupils. Academic guidance is good, with some very productive marking that engages pupils in dialogue with their teachers, and makes clear what they need to do to improve. Pupils know their targets and generally meet or exceed them. All safeguarding arrangements are met. Senior leaders have a positive impact on raising standards and achievement, and know the

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Grade: 2

school well, leading to strategic plans that are well placed to move the school forward. Middle managers are committed to their roles, and do some useful work looking at books and speaking to pupils. They have not had opportunities, however, to observe lessons in their subject areas and see first-hand the impact of teaching upon pupils' learning. Governors fulfil their responsibilities well, providing a healthy mixture of support and challenge. They recognise the need to take a longer-term strategic view as well as attending to pressing priorities. The school's capacity to improve is good, with a dedicated team that has a proven track record in raising standards and achievement.

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Grade: 2

Children enthusiastically undertake a wide range of enjoyable and stimulating activities in the Nursery and Reception classes. They benefit from very spacious accommodation, with direct access to a large outdoor area. There is a good range of resources for children to enjoy outside, although they could do with more large equipment to develop their climbing and balancing skills. They settle well into the EYFS because of the excellent care they receive and extremely effective induction arrangements that are welcomed by parents. Routines are quickly established, and pupils' behaviour is outstanding, as they clearly enjoy one another's company. Children enter the Nursery with a wide range of skills and abilities that are generally below those 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 2008 expected, especially in language and communication. They make good progress in the EYFS because the teaching is effective and the curriculum caters for their needs well. Many of the

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Grade: 2

children reach the expected early learning goals by the time they leave Reception. Children have plenty of opportunities to develop their early literacy skills through structured and informal activities. A focus on calculating emphasising mathematical vocabulary has led to improvements in children's attainment. The EYFS is led and managed well; the staff are a committed team who know their children inside out and use effective methods to assess their development.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the school's use of coaching to ensure that all teaching is at least good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Broaden the scope of middle managers' roles further by providing opportunities for them to monitor lessons in their subject areas. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 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? 1 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? 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 2008

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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 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

28 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Coppermill Primary School,London,E17 6PB Thank you for making us so welcome at your school. We agree that it is a good school, and some things are outstanding. Here are some of the things we particularly like about it.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress and reach standards that are above average.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The children in the EYFS get off to a good start and get on very well together.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour is excellent, and you are very caring towards one another.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You contribute greatly to the life of the school and your wider community.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You know all about staying healthy and keeping safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The teaching is good and you find lessons interesting and exciting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There are lots of clubs for you to enjoy and visits for you to take part in.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school cares for you extremely well and makes sure you know what you have to do to improve your work. ■ There is outstanding leadership from the headteacher and co-headteacher.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We are pleased that teachers share ideas together and we have encouraged them to do more of this so that they can learn from one another. We believe the people in charge of subjects would benefit from opportunities to visit lessons to see what is going on and to find out how well you are learning. I am sure the staff would be glad to hear what you particularly enjoy about your lessons. Thank you once again for your help. Our very best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Mr N Butt Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Coppermill Primary School, 17 November 2008

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