Khalsa Primary School

134778 Unique Reference Number Slough Local Authority 328979 Inspection number 19–20 November 2008 Inspection dates Raminder Arora 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 Voluntary aided School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 283 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 Nichhatar Singh Kandola Chair Mrs Harshindar Kaur Buttar Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Wexham Road School address Slough SL2 5QR 01753 823501 Telephone number 01753 522055 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 19–20 November 2008 Inspection dates 328979 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: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a newly founded Sikh faith school, which opened in September 2007. Slightly bigger than average in size, the school has 283 pupils, mainly Sikhs of Indian origin. Pupils come from a number of surrounding boroughs and a small proportion belong to other minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is lower than average. All except one fifth of all pupils speak English as an additional language, and a few are on the early stages of learning the language. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties is lower than average. These are mainly moderate learning difficulties. There is Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision for children in the Nursery and Reception classes. There are no pupils in Year 6. An acting headteacher is currently leading the school. This is the school's first Ofsted inspection.

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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: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008

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Grade: 2

This good school has progressed rapidly since it opened just over a year ago. The headteacher has created a strong team of staff, who share her commitment to seeking continual improvement. Parents are particularly pleased with how well all members of staff care for their children and keep them safe. As one parent so aptly wrote, 'So glad my daughter is at this school and making good progress academically and spiritually'. Another wrote, 'I am confident my son will prosper at this school.' As a result, pupils are happy and proud of their achievements and say that they feel safe because there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem. Pupils achieve well and make good progress from their well below average starting points, so that standards are broadly average in both Key Stage 1 and 2. Writing and investigational science have been prioritised as focuses for improvement, because pupils perform relatively

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Grade: 2

less well in these areas. Pupils who need extra support with their learning make good progress in lessons and through good quality additional support. The quality of teaching, although mainly good, is variable. In some lessons, the more able pupils in particular are not sufficiently challenged. Assessment procedures are helpful in tracking pupils' progress and setting targets for their learning. However, they are not used consistently by teachers to set targets that are sufficiently accurate or challenging. The school recognises this and is working to ensure that targets are reviewed regularly and involve pupils more in self-evaluation. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Behaviour is exemplary and effective systems help all pupils to participate in this learning community. The school has established strong links with others to provide expertise and specialist support. The involvement

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Grade: 2

of the local community plays an extremely important role here, with pupils participating in a wide variety of community events. Pupils have a genuine voice in influencing the school and extend their understanding of rights and responsibilities through work with the school council. Pupils achieve skills and levels in literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology (ICT) in line with expectations for their age. They are getting more involved in their own learning and are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils improve their basic skills through good teaching and an interesting curriculum. Teaching staff have worked hard to develop a curriculum that is well suited to pupils' needs and interests, and successfully underpins the philosophy of the school. The wide variety of extra-curricular activities adds much to pupils' experiences, and new technology contributes well to their learning

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Grade: 2

and enjoyment of lessons. Sport plays a major part in the life of the school. Pupils and their parents greatly value the many well attended sports clubs. This keeps the pupils fit, and supports the school's efforts to help pupils understand the importance of diet. The school has good capacity to improve further, because of the clear focus on improvement. The headteacher, staff and governors are committed to raising standards and work well as a team. They are aware of the school's good qualities and realise the need for middle managers and subject leaders to take more accountability for standards in their areas. Governors, led by a very able chair of governors are questioning and supportive in their work.

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Grade: 2

When children start in the school, their skills and abilities are well below those expected for their age. Their language and communications skills are particularly weak. Children quickly 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008 settle into the school routines and make good progress, because of the good teaching based around an interesting range of well-planned activities. They have good opportunities to visit the school and meet the staff before they start, which helps them to feel safe and secure. The welfare of the children is a high priority and this results in their good personal development and well-being. Children behave well and display good manners. Parents are extremely pleased and their comments include, 'It has exceeded my expectations', and 'My son can't wait to get to school'. Teachers seize opportunities to develop children's language skills through a strong

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Grade: 2

focus on speaking and listening, and the teaching of letters and sounds. In a lesson observed, a child thinking that milk came from cartons led to a discussion about cows, and the singing of 'Old Macdonald had a farm'. Although children have appropriate opportunities for working with adults and exploring freely, some chances are missed to challenge, particularly the more able. The outdoor facility is developing, and now being used for both physical fitness and creative play. Relationships with parents are good and helping to improve attendance, which is currently not in line with the rest of the school. Assessment procedures are excellent as teachers continually assess the progress of children in all areas of learning so that they can plan the next steps for their development. Leadership and management are good and clearly focused on improving the provision further. Adults work together as effective teams and provide all children with

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Grade: 2

good care and support. By the end of Reception, while children have met many of the early learning goals expected for their age, they are still below average in language, communication and literacy.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards particularly in writing and science across the school through accurate assessments of pupils' progress and challenging targets. ■ Ensure that all teaching is consistently good and offers greater pace and higher expectations, especially for higher attaining pupils. ■ Increase accountability of middle managers and subject leaders so that their actions can have a greater impact on school's work.

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Grade: 2

Standards are average and the pupils achieve well. Children enter the school with standards well below what is usually expected for their age. Progress is good in EYFS and continues to be so across both Key Stages 1 and 2. The school's first published results of 2008 show standards as broadly average in Key Stage 1. Results in reading are slightly better than in writing and mathematics, particularly in the number of higher levels attained. The analysis of pupils' previous and current work in Years 3, 4 and 5 shows that pupils, despite having come from a range of different schools recently, have settled in well and are making good progress towards the targets set. The school is aiming at gaining more higher levels and aware of the need for all teachers' expectations to be consistently high. There is insufficient focus on developing pupils' scientific knowledge and skills through 'hands on' opportunities. Standards in writing are a

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Grade: 2

continuing focus for improvement. Pupils do well in ICT. Those with learning difficulties and the few learning English as a new language achieve as well as their peers. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008

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Grade: 1

There is a strong sense of calm and order in the school's environment. Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their outstanding behaviour and attitudes. Attendance is above average in the main school and pupils are very keen to attend. The school sometimes finds it difficult to persuade parents not to take pupils on holidays in term time. Pupils say they feel safe and that there is little or no bullying. They understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and either enjoy the healthy meals provided by the school or bring wholesome packed lunches. Pupils are appreciative of the extra-curricular activities provided for them and many regularly participate in the many sporting and creative events. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of pupils' personal development are outstanding. They learn about multi-cultural Britain and the wider world through many opportunities in the

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Grade: 1

curriculum. The school places great emphasis on everyone treating one another with respect. There are good opportunities, both in religious education and other lessons, for pupils to consider spiritual and philosophical issues. Pupils contribute regularly to charities of their choice such as, the School Bag Burma Appeal. They are encouraged to consider the needs of others and as a result relationships are excellent. The school council is developing to allow pupils more voice within the school. Pupils willingly and enthusiastically take on responsibilities in the classroom and the whole school.

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Grade: 2

Although the majority of teaching is good, the quality varies. In the best lessons, teachers' expectations are high and the pace of work is good, which means that pupils learn quickly. Most other lessons are interesting and enjoyable, and planned well to meet pupils' individual needs. The teaching assistants provide effective extra support for those who need it. Relationships are strong and pupils are well motivated to work hard as a result. Teachers encourage pupils to think for themselves and talk about their learning, which helps their understanding. Some lessons provide well-planned opportunities for pupils' self-evaluation. Consequently, pupils are very sure about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. However, this is not consistent across all lessons. Teachers' planning does not always offer enough challenge for more able pupils.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a well-planned and balanced curriculum that works well to meet the needs and interests of all the pupils. Punjabi, Sikh Studies and community work are integrated into the curriculum. Older pupils are taught French by visiting specialist teachers. The school works well with parents by sending them details of each half term's curriculum plan so that they can support their children. A great strength of the school is the wide range of after school clubs, which are popular and well attended. A variety of educational visits stimulates the children and contributes to their enjoyment, social development and academic achievement. Teachers are seeking opportunities to provide a more thematic approach to learning but this is still at an 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008 early stage. The impressive new ICT suite and class set of laptops are used well to develop

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Grade: 2

Staff are committed to the well-being of pupils and take good care of their welfare and safety. Child protection procedures are robust. Regular site inspections and routine risk assessments make the school a safe place. Proper security checks are made on adults working with the children. Appropriate systems are in place to monitor pupils' progress, although these are not fully established yet. Pupils with learning difficulties are identified early so that any gaps in progress are quickly filled and effective support is put in place. Pupils who speak little English receive additional teaching support. Good use is made of external agencies in order to meet pupils' needs, for example, their emotional and behavioural needs or speech and language difficulties. Pupils are set targets in English and mathematics, and know what they need to do next. Marking is supportive and identifies how pupils can improve their work. However, while

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Grade: 2

most targets are specific to pupils' needs, not all are always accurate or challenging enough.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides strong leadership. She has been successful in her aim to develop all aspects of pupils' potential and has a clear vision of how to take the school forward. Her vision is communicated effectively to staff so that they share a common sense of purpose. Parents are immensely pleased with the school's speedy developments over the last year, especially in raising standards and establishing strong links with the community. Regular celebration assemblies and events such as, sports tournaments and the Summer Camp for children from across different boroughs, promote the school exceptionally well as a learning institution locally and at international level. Good links with educational organisations and the local authority have proved extremely beneficial for the school. Regular monitoring of teaching and staff training has focused on raising achievement and developing the expertise of all staff, many of

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Grade: 2

whom are inexperienced. The school self-evaluation procedures are shared across the school and suitably identify strengths and areas for development. Efforts are now being made for wider involvement of all staff in making more detailed analysis of needs and accurate evaluations of all aspects. Governors play a valuable role and are fully involved in planning. They have the expertise and understanding to ask searching questions to hold the school to account. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008 .

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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: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 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?

NA 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: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 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? 2 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 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: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

03 December 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Khalsa Primary School,Slough,SL2 5QR Thank you for letting us visit your new school and for making us feel welcome. We were very impressed by your politeness and the way you behaved in and around the school. You told us how much you like coming to school and how you learn so much when you are here. Your school council members are taking their job very seriously, as one said, 'We make the school good'. You take pride in all the charity work that you do for other people, and also raise money for your own school. Your parents wrote to us to say that they like the school as much as you do and know that you are well looked after. We agree with you and your parents that Khalsa Primary is a good school. We like many things about your school. We think that you are very lucky to have such a beautiful building to work in and were pleased to see how well you look after it. You all enjoy your lessons

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and work very hard in all the different subjects. Your teachers and teaching assistants make sure that you have the help you need when you find your learning difficult and this helps you to make good progress. You know a lot about how to stay healthy and fit and the staff at school make sure you are always safe. Although you learn and achieve well, we have asked the school staff and governors to do the following three things to help you do even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To give you more appropriate and challenging targets that help you work even better, especially with your writing and science. ■ To improve all teaching so that you are all challenged and enabled always to do well in all lessons. ■ All staff with special responsibilities to make sure that their work has a good effect on the progress you make. You can also help by making sure you always do your best and continue to enjoy learning, so that your school remains a delightful place to be. Yours sincerely Raminder Arora Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Khalsa Primary School, 19–20 November 2008

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