Ealing Primary Centre

134597 Unique Reference Number Ealing Local Authority 328929 Inspection number 28 January 2009 Inspection date Stuart Charlton Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Pupil referral unit School category 5–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 5 School (total) The local authority Appropriate authority Mrs Teresa Conway Headteacher 22 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection 573 Greenford Road School address Greenford UB6 8QJ 020 8575 6067 Telephone number 020 8813 4203 Fax number

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5–11 Age group 28 January 2009 Inspection date 328929 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: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Ealing Primary Centre is a pupil referral unit for those who either are at risk of exclusion or have been excluded from mainstream primary schools. At present, the majority of pupils are boys. All have a statement of special educational needs, or are being assessed for one. This is considerably higher than would be expected, as is the number of pupils eligible for a free school meal. Pupils come from a range of ethnic backgrounds, but none speaks English as an additional language. The Centre is in the grounds of a primary school and is also the base for the Local Authority Outreach Team. The management committee is responsible for the Ealing Primary Behaviour Service, which includes both the Centre and the multidisciplinary Outreach Service.

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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: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009

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Grade: 2

Ealing Primary Centre provides good education for its pupils. There are outstanding features in the support and guidance given to pupils to enable them to develop their personal and social skills extremely well. Since the last inspection, there have been substantial improvements in the quality of teaching and learning, and very effective systems have been implemented through which the senior management team can monitor and evaluate the provision. The Centre is held in high esteem by pupils and their parents. One parent commented 'My son's confidence has increased enormously, and we truly appreciate the work and effort the staff at the Centre have put in with him.' Recent changes to the management structure have resulted in the Centre manager and the manager for the Outreach Service having both shared and individual responsibilities within their roles, and acting as joint interim Heads of the Primary Behaviour Service. This arrangement

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Grade: 2

has been very beneficial in ensuring the early identification of pupils at risk of exclusion, and provides very good support for pupils who are reintegrated into mainstream schools or move into specialist provision. The way in which both aspects of the Service work together to address the social and educational barriers to pupils re-engaging in education is exemplary. The small number of pupils in the Centre at any one time is one of its biggest strengths, as it allows them to receive the individual attention they need in order to improve their attitudes to school and their learning. However, for some pupils there are insufficient opportunities to work in large teaching group situations while they are at the Centre, so as to prepare them fully for reintegration into mainstream schools. The Centre Manager has a very clear vision of how the provision should develop, and provides the drive, determination and commitment to ensure that it is realised. In this she is ably assisted

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Grade: 2

by her senior management team. They have a clear view of the Centre's strengths and weaknesses, and have drawn up a comprehensive development plan. Very good systems have been developed to set challenging targets for all pupils, and effective use is made of these to monitor the progress of individuals. However, most pupils are at the Centre for a relatively short period of time, typically two terms, and using National Curriculum levels or P levels to measure their progress does not give sufficiently precise information to show that all achieve as well as they can. The Centre has not yet gathered information about patterns and trends over a sufficiently long period to ensure its reliability and make accurate judgements. The results that pupils attained in the 2008 standard attainment tasks and tests at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 were broadly in line with the national expectations. Before they came to the Centre,

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Grade: 2

these pupils had missed considerable proportions of their education due to absence and/or exclusion. Consequently, these results represent at least good achievement, given the pupils' below average starting points. In lessons, the present pupils are also making good progress overall. This is based on a clear majority of teaching which is good, with some that is outstanding. The pace of improvement in the quality of teaching is increasing rapidly. This is due to the good systems that are in place to monitor teaching and its impact on pupils' learning, and to help and support teachers in developing their practice. Teachers' planning now has a clear focus on the needs of individuals, based on the challenging targets which are set. There are good systems in place to monitor pupils' behaviour and appropriately challenge them to improve, and these are applied consistently in all lessons. Many pupils have made marked changes for

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Grade: 2

the better. For example, their behaviour is excellent, they relish coming in each day, and they 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009 have an outstanding understanding of how to keep healthy and stay safe. This and their good attendance have had a very positive effect on their attitudes to learning. An important feature in the success of the Centre is the strong teamwork and sense of purpose which have been established. Through the very strong links with the Outreach Service, very good relationships have been developed with a wide range of agencies, and these contribute extremely well to the support and guidance which pupils receive. The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. The Centre is at a critical stage in its development, and the positive ethos that has been established enables it to look forward to the future with confidence.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Use information about patterns and trends in pupils' progress over time more effectively to accurately show that all achieve as well as they can. ■ Ensure that all pupils have sufficient opportunities to develop the experience they need to work in large teaching group situations.

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Grade: 2

The Centre has effective systems in place to determine pupils' attainment on entry. This involves using information from their previous schools, usually through the work done by the Outreach Service, and a wide range of diagnostic tests. Clear education plans are set up for each pupil, with challenging targets based on National Curriculum levels or P levels. These are reviewed on a termly basis. Comparing the results of standard assessment tasks and tests for pupils at age 7 and 11 with their attainment on entry shows that pupils generally make good progress and achieve well.

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Grade: 1

A particularly impressive aspect of the work of the Centre is the impact it has on improving pupils' attitudes and behaviour, and their attendance. The vast majority have radically changed the pattern of their attendance, often from less than 30% to over 90%, and in a number of cases to not having missed a day since they started at the Centre. This success is based on strong systems to promote and reward good attendance. These systems are under continual review, and pupils are involved in this process so that the majority are fully aware of the benefits of regular attendance. Involving the pupils in the development of the behaviour policy has ensured that they respect the consistency with which it is implemented, and this involvement is a key reason why behaviour is now as excellent as it is. Pupils say that it is 'hard but fair'. Improvements in attendance and behaviour have had a positive impact on pupils' attitudes.

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Grade: 1

Most pupils now greatly enjoy their education and are proud of the Centre, its facilities and what it does for them. All pupils are involved in the home economics/cooking programme and, coupled with the healthy options available in the canteen, this means that they now have very good awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. All pupils understand the importance of safety, and are highly appreciative of the secure environment which the Centre provides. All involved with the Centre are working hard to raise its profile with the local community, and the improvements in pupils' behaviour are helping in this. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, resulting from a very effective programme for their personal development supported by regular assemblies. The Centre's strong focus on developing pupils' literacy and numeracy, and their information and communication technology skills, along with the excellent

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Grade: 1

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009 development of their personal skills, prepares them extremely well for reintegration into mainstream education.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is undergoing rapid improvement which is based on the good support systems that have been put in place, and on the effectiveness of monitoring by senior managers and through peer observations. There is a clear focus in teachers' planning on the needs of individual pupils, and good emphasis is placed on setting and using challenging targets. A strong feature in all lessons is the high quality of the relationships which are developed, and the way in which these are used to engage pupils and actively involve them in their own learning. Teachers' subject knowledge and their practical vocational skills are highly valued by the pupils. Support staff play a very important role in helping pupils to develop their learning and social skills. Teaching pupils with a wide range of ability and ages in the same group, along with sometimes having to make late changes in planning to cope with pupil absence, means that

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Grade: 2

some lessons are more successful than others.

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Grade: 2

The very small group sizes are a particular strength of the Centre. However, because the groups are so small, some pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to experience and deal with the challenges of working in large class group situations while they are at the Centre. Staff are aware of this, and are looking to link more effectively with local primary schools.

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Grade: 1

The Centre has invested a great deal of time and effort in establishing very effective systems to guide and support pupils' personal and academic development. A crucial factor in the success of these systems is the pastoral care system linked to the work of the Outreach Service. All staff know each pupil and their needs extremely well, and work very closely with parents and other agencies to ensure that these are addressed. This forms the basis for the excellent relationships which are quickly established. Through the Outreach Service, the Centre has established its own internal network of links to agencies such as social services, educational psychologist support and the Youth Offending Team. These are the cornerstones for the very effective work with parents and carers. The Centre's systems for setting targets and tracking pupils' progress against these are effective, and yield high-quality information. However,

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Grade: 1

because some pupils are only in the Centre for short periods of time, the information from these reviews is not sufficiently precise to quantify objectively that all are achieving as well as they can. As information is built up about patterns and trends over time, the Centre is well placed to make more meaningful comparisons between past and present pupils to determine their rate of progress more accurately. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009

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Grade: 2

The success of the Centre is based on the very clear vision, enthusiasm and drive of the manager and her senior management team. In a very short period of time, she has brought together a strong team of teachers, and support and administrative staff, who work together effectively. The Centre is exceptionally successful in re-engaging pupils in education by making learning enjoyable, thus enabling them to gain the confidence they need to reintegrate successfully into mainstream schools or to move into specialist provision. Good systems have been implemented to address issues around attendance, behaviour and attitudes. The information from these systems is used well to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision. The Centre and the Outreach Service work extremely well with families, and thereby effectively promote community cohesion. This also ensures that the barriers to engaging pupils in education

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Grade: 2

are addressed exceptionally well. The management committee has responsibility for the Primary Behaviour Service, which includes both the Centre and the Outreach Service. Many of the members are recently appointed and are coming to terms with their roles and responsibilities well. They have already started to hold half-termly meetings, concentrating in turn on the Centre and the Outreach Service. This enables them to act effectively as critical friends to the Centre. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 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: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 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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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: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009

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learners?

2 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 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 1 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: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 February 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Ealing Primary Centre,Greenford,UB6 8QJ Thank you for all the help you gave me when I visited the Centre on 28 January 2009. I was very impressed with your behaviour and the way in which you concentrated on your work in the lessons I visited. You told me that the staff in the Centre give you excellent support, and that you now enjoy coming to school. Through the help you get, you have all made substantial improvements in your attendance and behaviour. I agree with you that the Centre is a good place to be. I think that the support and guidance that you get to develop your personal and social skills is second to none. You all spoke very positively about how the small group sizes make it easier for you to learn, but I have asked your teachers to ensure that you also get the experience you need of working in large class groups. This will help you when you go back into mainstream

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

schools. Many of you make such a success of your time at the Centre that you are only there for a short time. This makes it difficult for teachers to be absolutely sure that you are all doing as well as you can. I have asked them to look again at how they use the information from your termly reviews so that they can accurately measure the progress you are making. You can help in this by making sure you attend regularly and doing your best in all lessons. Yours faithfully Stuart Charlton Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ealing Primary Centre, 28 January 2009

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