Newington Green Primary School

Newington Green Primary School Inspection report

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131325 Unique Reference Number Islington Local Authority 328583 Inspection number 30–31 March 2009 Inspection dates Clive Lewis 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 368 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 Mrs Patricia Ambrose Chair Mrs Yve Reynolds Headteacher 4 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Matthias Road School address Newington Green London N16 8NP 020 7254 3092 Telephone number 020 7275 9061 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 30–31 March 2009 Inspection dates 328583 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: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This school is larger than average and has pupils drawn from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The school works under extremely challenging circumstances. The great majority of pupils are of minority ethnic origin and over three quarters of the pupils speak English as an additional language. More than half the pupils are children of refugees or are seeking asylum. Around one quarter of pupils are of Turkish origin, 16% of pupils are of Somalian origin, while 15% are from Asian families. One quarter of pupils are of Black British or Black African heritage. A large proportion of pupils join the school at other than the usual points of entry and many stay for only short periods of time, due to rehousing. The proportion of pupils claiming free school meals is very high. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is high. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties. The school has

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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: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 2009

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Grade: 2

Newington Green is a good school which meets the needs of its learners well. It is a centre for the community and provides a haven of stability and security for all its pupils. Pupils clearly enjoy learning, behave well and speak with pride about the school. More than one pupil said, 'It's a very happy school'. Pupils are encouraged to take pride in themselves and all they do and become confident learners. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection and ensures that pupils receive a good variety of exciting activities and experiences through visits, residential stays and visitors to the school. These activities in turn give pupils a lot to talk, think and write about. This is especially important as the majority of pupils enter the school with low communication skills and a limited knowledge and understanding of the wider world. Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the constant

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Grade: 2

flux of pupils in Key Stage 2 impacts on the school's overall results. Those pupils that remain in the school, however, progress well as they move up through the year groups. Standards are broadly average at the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. However, too few pupils achieve the higher levels. One reason for this is that the more able pupils are not always provided with sufficiently challenging work. The school is aware of this issue and is working hard to raise standards. The leadership and management of the school are good. The staff want the best for each child and through working very closely with families strive to achieve this goal. The school works hard to improve attendance and although levels of attendance have improved as a result, a persistent minority of pupils do not attend regularly and continue to unduly depress the overall rate. The school has gained a number of awards including Artsmark Gold, Activemark Gold and

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Grade: 2

the Healthy School Award. The school is well supported by a knowledgeable and active governing body. The school's self-evaluation is accurate and demonstrates a good understanding of the complex issues it faces in raising standards even further. The new arrangements for staff responsibilities have effectively energised and empowered middle managers who work together well as a team and are keen to improve standards in their subjects and areas of responsibility. Recent initiatives to improve pupils' reading skills are already beginning to show signs of significant improvement in the cohorts targeted. Arrangements for the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are good. Teaching is good across the school although teachers do not always provide pupils with enough opportunities to develop their independent learning skills. The school works outstandingly well in partnership with others. Parents are overwhelmingly

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Grade: 2

supportive of the school and are becoming more and more involved each year. One parent wrote, 'The school is fantastic and has been enjoyed by all my children' and another wrote, 'I am very happy with all the things being done in the school'. The school makes an outstanding contribution to community cohesion through its excellent links with its own local community. It has good links with the national community and good and growing links with a school in South Africa. It has a good capacity to continue to improve. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 2009

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Grade: 2

When children join the Nursery, their skills and knowledge are much lower than is usually expected for their age. Because English, for the great majority of children, is an additional language, overall communication and language skills are very low and children are often lacking the social and personal skills that are usually expected for their age. Children generally lack self-confidence and need considerable help to ensure that they learn how to be independent. As children move through the Nursery and Reception classes, however, they make good progress because teaching and learning are good overall. Although children make good progress from their very low levels of attainment on entry, overall standards remain below what is expected for their age when they enter Year 1. The happy and caring relationships contribute much to children settling in quickly and developing the confidence needed to make good progress in all areas of learning. The partnership with

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Grade: 2

parents and carers is strong and has been further strengthened by home visits. The pastoral care and welfare arrangements are very effective. Consequently, children are safe, well cared for and aware of how to be healthy. Adults provide a wide range of interesting learning activities, both inside and outside the classrooms. These activities are carefully organised, allowing children to work on things that they choose themselves as well as taking part in more formal group work activities with adults. Outdoor provision for Reception children is very well developed and resourced. However, the school realises that the separate Nursery outdoor area is in need of some improvement in order to more fully develop children's independent learning skills. There is a good focus on helping children with their speaking skills and ensuring that they develop an ability to work with others in a friendly and purposeful way. As a result, children

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Grade: 2

behave well and are enthusiastic in all that they do.

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What the school should do to improve further

Raise achievement further and improve standards by:

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What the school should do to improve further

■ enabling pupils to become more independent learners

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What the school should do to improve further

■ developing the level of challenge for the more able pupils in lessons

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What the school should do to improve further

■ improving the attendance and punctuality of a minority of pupils.

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Grade: 2

Each year a number of pupils enter the school at Key Stage 2 without any previous formal education and one third of the current Year 6 cohort did not start their formal education in this school. Information provided by the school demonstrates clearly, however, that pupils who start their education in the Reception class and remain in the school until the end of Year 6 make good progress. When children join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage, their skills are significantly below what is typical for their age. Children make good progress due to good provision and teaching. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 with the result that standards by the end of Year 6 are broadly average. Standards are improving year on year due to improved and more stable teaching and secure and rigorous assessment and tracking procedures. However, fewer pupils than found nationally achieve the higher levels

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Grade: 2

in English, mathematics and science in both Year 2 and Year 6, indicating that the more able pupils are not always doing as well as they could. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 2009 disabilities achieve well and pupils who are just beginning to learn English make good and frequently very good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and social relationships across the diverse school community are excellent. Pupils take responsibility for their own behaviour and they feel behaviour is good because they are involved in managing it through their 'Positive Behaviour Committee'. They feel safe in school and say they find the school's learning mentor is very helpful in giving them strategies to deal with difficult situations. They collaborate well in lessons and like participating in group discussions. Pupils enjoy a range of physical activities, both through the curriculum and in after school clubs and thus lead healthy lifestyles. They particularly enjoy swimming, dance and the 'Arsenal Double Club' which links physical activity with the improvement of literacy skills. They make good contributions to the community through their roles as playground angels and buddies. However, there remains a

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Grade: 2

persistent minority of learners whose attendance gives cause for concern, despite the school doing all it can to encourage them to attend. Pupils' good development of information and communication technology skills and their progress in mathematics and literacy, coupled with their responsible attitudes, prepare them well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall and is effectively monitored by the school. Learners behave well in lessons and teachers have good strategies for handling any unsettled behaviour. Lessons are well planned, with learning objectives and targets clearly set. In the best lessons, a variety of activities ensures learners are engaged. For instance, collaborative discussion with feedback to others and the class, develops good speaking and listening skills. Teachers make good use of the school's interactive whiteboards to interest and motivate pupils. They use assessment data to group children in lessons and provide different tasks appropriate to each pupil's level. However, these do not always provide opportunities to extend the learning and thinking of the most able and sometimes the pace of lessons is slowed down by too much talking by the teacher. Teaching assistants provide good support in the classroom and are particularly effective in

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Grade: 2

supporting groups of pupils in the daily intensive reading activities.

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Grade: 2

The use of early intervention programmes that support pupils' phonic development and provide regular intensive daily reading practice have enabled younger pupils to make increased progress with their reading skills. The school is currently developing links between subject areas in order to make work more interesting and stimulating. The school has recently introduced a new 'International Primary Curriculum' for the foundation subjects which has led to an increase in pupils' enjoyment of lessons. Changes have been made to resources and the curriculum to better reflect the interests of boys but it is not always fully successful in addressing the needs of the more able pupils by providing suitably challenging work. The curriculum is well supported, 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 2009 however, by a good range of extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors to the school which

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Grade: 2

are thoroughly appreciated by the pupils.

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Grade: 1

The school provides outstanding care for the diverse range of pupils, including the involvement and support of their families through the 'Learning Centre for Parents'. Links with outside agencies are very well established, from specialist support for those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, to social workers and counselling services working with children and families. Guidance in lessons ensures children are clear about their targets. Data on pupils' progress is collected regularly and entered into the school's computerised assessment and tracking system. Progress is regularly monitored and reviewed by senior leaders so that children at risk of underachievement are identified quickly and provision is then modified to ensure they make better progress. For instance, the reading groups set up for all learners in Key Stage 1 have resulted in good progress for many learners. The safety of all learners is a key priority for the

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Grade: 1

school and all safeguarding procedures are securely in place.

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Grade: 2

The main strengths of the school are the commitment and enthusiasm of the headteacher and deputy headteacher and the determination of all staff to ensure that all pupils succeed. The governors are hard-working and use their good understanding of the school effectively to hold it to account. The methods for evaluating the school's work, the effectiveness of decisions and the areas to be improved are rigorous. Consequently, the school knows itself well. Subject leaders provide good advice and guidance to colleagues. Through the regular analysis of test results, the school has an accurate view of the relative strength of subjects. The evaluation of lessons, conducted by the headteacher and subject leaders, gives a good view of the quality of teaching. Among a number of new initiatives that have been introduced is the new organisation of the senior management team and middle managers, all of whom are determined

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Grade: 2

to improve standards in their areas and subjects. The strategies employed to raise standards in reading are already showing positive signs of improvement in the age groups targeted. However, in this and other recent initiatives, there has not been time yet for the new systems to become embedded and for the effect to be reflected in improved annual results. The school makes an outstanding contribution to community cohesion with its outstanding links with the local and national communities and its developing global links with schools in Africa. The school has a good recent track record of improvements and the inspectors agree with the school that it has a good capacity to improve further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 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: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 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?

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

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: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 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 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? 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 1 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: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

27 April 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Newington Green Primary School,London,N16 8NP I would like to thank you for your help during the recent inspection of your school. My colleagues and I very much enjoyed our visit. Newington Green is a good school with some outstanding features. Your headteacher and staff are leading the school well. They care for you very well and give you good support to enable you to learn and enjoy your lessons. They make sure that you understand how to look after yourselves and keep safe and you do this well. You told us that you really like your school and there are lots of things to do and enjoy. We agree with you. Your behaviour is good. You work hard and try to succeed in all that you do. I have asked your school to do a few things to make it even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help you do even better by giving you more chances to work independently

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help more of you achieve higher levels in English, mathematics and science by giving you more challenging work ■ try hard to make sure all of you attend school regularly and arrive on time each day.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Yours faithfully Clive Lewis Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Newington Green Primary School, 30–31 March 2009

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