Leigh North Street Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by:
  • putting in place systems which ensure that all safeguarding checks and training are always completed and up to date
  • implementing rigorous systems for monitoring other aspects of provision, including attendance and behaviour increasing the progress disadvantaged pupils make in reading so that it is at least in line with national average.
• Improve teaching, learning and assessment so that pupils make at least good progress by:
  • making sure that teachers have high expectations of all pupils, particularly the most able, and that they set work which is closely matched to what pupils already know and can do
  • addressing the variations which remain in teaching so that it is consistently good or better.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Some checks on staff appointments were missing when inspectors arrived. Leaders quickly responded when these gaps were identified and took appropriate steps to put this right. While a small number of staff have yet to receive their formal safeguarding training, they do know what to do if they have concerns. Senior leaders and governors recognise the need to quickly put in place more rigorous systems to ensure that all required checks on adults are always in place and that training is up to date.
• Leaders do not always keep and analyse the information that they have well. For example, leaders monitor attendance overall, but do not have a clear picture of the attendance of groups of pupils. They maintain consistent records of incidents of poor behaviour, but they do not have a clear system for centrally monitoring racist incidents. While these specific issues are not a concern in the school at present, leaders’ systems would not readily allow them to identify patterns of concern if they were to emerge.
• Since the previous inspection of the school, a junior phase has joined the previously outstanding infant phase. New leaders identified a need to ensure greater consistency across the enlarged school in terms of how teachers teach. They have taken effective steps to do so and teaching now typically features strategies which interest and enthuse pupils. However, leaders recognise that inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain. Teaching is not consistently well matched to the starting points of pupils. Teachers do not consistently consider the impact of what they do on the progress pupils make.
• Leaders have not yet secured good outcomes across the school. While children in the early years make outstanding progress, they do not make good progress from Year 1 to Year 6.
• Leaders’ use of pupil premium funding has helped disadvantaged pupils to make outstanding progress in the early years. However, as with the progress of other pupils, disadvantaged pupils do not make good progress in key stages 1 and 2. In reading, pupils make less progress than other pupils in the school and nationally. Leaders recognise the need to develop their existing systems to support disadvantaged pupils so that their progress improves.
• Additional funding to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities has enabled these pupils to make progress in line with their peers in school, but not with pupils nationally. Along with other pupils in the school, the progress of pupils with SEN and/or disabilities requires improvement.
• Leaders engage and motivate staff well. Staff spoken with during the inspection told inspectors that they feel welcome and well supported. Inspectors’ observations of teaching showed the positive impact of leaders’ work to support teachers’ development. Leaders have secured the commitment of staff to their improvement plans.
• Physical Education and sports premium funding is used well. It has been used to encourage more pupils to become involved in sport through, for example, the provision of different activities, such as curling and archery. Leaders run a ‘catch-up’ swimming club to support those who cannot swim 25 metres. Pupils benefit from expert dance tuition, while teachers develop their own dance skills by working alongside expert coaches.
• Pupils’ understanding of the modern world is well developed. The rounded curriculum means that, in lessons, pupils learn about environmental issues, such as deforestation and its impact on the environment, creatures and habitats. Pupils are taught about the importance of working together, regardless of people’s differences. Pupils have a secure grasp of the school’s values of acceptance, safety, perseverance, independence, respect and enjoyment. They are able to put them in context and understand what they mean.

Governance of the school

• Governance is a strength of the school.
• Governors have an accurate and detailed knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They ask important questions of leaders, and follow these up to make sure that they are appropriately answered. Governors make good use of governing body meetings to hold leaders to account.
• Governors’ choice to make regular visits to the school works well for them. They use this time to follow up on the implementation and impact of the school’s improvement plans. They challenge leaders. They ask how and when strategies will have an effect. Governors are enthusiastic, vigilant and effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders maintain well-kept records of concerns for pupils’ well-being. They record minor worries and follow these up as appropriate. Leaders monitor the welfare of pupils about whom they have concerns and, when required, involve external agencies to secure pupils’ welfare.
• Adults in the school know what to do if they are concerned about a pupil. Posters around the school remind staff how to report concerns, and the systems in place for doing so are well understood.
• Leaders have recently reviewed their approach to bullying in response to concerns raised by parents. They conducted a survey on bullying, led workshops about it and changed the bullying policy in consultation with parents and pupils. The review has been successful. Pupils told inspectors that bullying is rare. When it does happen, it is dealt with well.
• Leaders and governors recognise that some of their systems and processes are not as robust as they ought to be. Leaders took prompt actions to rectify gaps in their recruitment checks identified during the inspection and agree that systems need to be tighter. They also recognise the need to ensure all safeguarding training is consistently up to date for all staff.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• In a range of classes across key stages 1 and 2, the work teachers set is not consistently well matched to what pupils already know and can do. Often, pupils all work on the same tasks and it is evident that, for some of them, this work is too easy. They complete it without having to try hard. As a consequence, pupils are not typically making the progress of which they are capable. This is particularly true for the most able pupils.
• New leaders have reviewed teaching across the school and have introduced a focus on the consistent use of strategies which they feel will benefit pupils. As a result, certain features of teaching, such as the use of ‘talk partners’, are now common across the school. Pupils respond well to these strategies. However, teachers do not consistently link the use of these strategies to the impact that they have on pupils’ progress. Sometimes, for example, teachers ask pupils to discuss an idea because they think it is an effective way of teaching, not because they have considered whether it will develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This means that pupils are sometimes busy with activities which do not help them to learn.
• Leaders recognise that there is still work to do to ensure consistency in all aspects of teaching. Inspectors saw some good use being made of questions which probe pupils’ understanding. Leaders know this needs to be more widespread. Some teachers quickly identify and correct pupils’ misconceptions, but others do not.
• Teachers across the school have high expectations of how pupils should behave. They develop positive relationships with pupils, and they usually teach in a way which interests pupils. As a consequence, pupils behave well and time is rarely lost to disruptive behaviour.
• Learning Support Assistants provide effective help for pupils. They question pupils well. They provide guidance on how to approach problems. Pupils are required to think about the work that they are doing and, consequently, they learn effectively.
• Teachers often make good use of their knowledge to develop pupils’ skills and understanding in a range of subjects. For example, inspectors saw pupils in Year 2 learning about rainforests in geography and how to animate pictures in information communication technology (ICT). Teachers typically teach and reinforce subject-specific terminology, such as photosynthesis, pollination and fertilisation in Year 3 science. This equips pupils well for further study as they move through their education.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders ensure that pupils know it is okay to be different. Pupils understand that there are different forms of family structure, and that people have different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. Inspectors witnessed an assembly specifically promoting the understanding and acceptance of difference. One pupil told inspectors, ‘It would be boring if everyone was the same.’
• Pupils have the skills of effective learners. For example, in Year 5, pupils were confident to perform their poems in front of inspectors and other pupils. They readily acted out the emotions their words were expressing. Pupils support each other by sharing ideas. Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.
• Leaders ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe. In information communication technology, for example, pupils learn about cyber-bullying, while in personal, social and health education, pupils learn about relationships. Assemblies cover topics such as using equipment sensibly and talking to an adult if pupils are concerned. Pupils were able to reflect on what they had learned and describe to inspectors how to stay safe.
• Pupils explained that there are friendship ambassadors who help if pupils are alone or need help. They also said that there are adults in the school who they can talk to if they are worried. Most pupils who spoke with inspectors said that they feel safe. Almost all parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, agree that their child feels safe in school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Most pupils are consistently well behaved and polite. In lessons, they are rarely off task. If pupils do disrupt others’ learning, they quickly respond to requests to stop doing so.
• Around the school at breaktime and lunchtime, pupils usually play well together. They show respect for each other and for adults. While some pupils told inspectors of some boisterous behaviour, this is not typical.
• Since at least 2015, pupils’ attendance at school has been better than the national average. The proportion of pupils excluded from school is consistently low. This reflects pupils’ positive attitudes to school.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils join Year 1 with above average attainment. Pupils move on from these high starting points to make broadly average progress to the end of key stage 1. In 2016 and 2017, pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with pupils with similar starting points nationally.
• At key stage 2, in 2016 and 2017, pupils made less progress in reading than their peers nationally. In writing and mathematics, the progress pupils made was in the bottom 20% of pupils nationally. While pupils’ attainment was broadly average, this did not represent good progress from their starting points.
• The progress pupils now make varies throughout the school. For example, pupils in Year 1 make stronger progress than pupils in Year 2, particularly in mathematics. While the proportion of pupils achieving the required standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 is in line with the national average, this does not demonstrate strong progress from the same cohort’s high reading attainment at the end of the early years. New strategies have enabled some pupils in Year 6 to make good progress in reading and writing since the end of Year 5. However, these strategies have not been rolled out across the school and progress in these subjects is inconsistent in other year groups. Leaders’ work to improve teaching, learning and assessment has improved the progress pupils make, but it is not yet good.
• Disadvantaged pupils through key stages 1 and 2 typically make progress in line with other pupils in the school in writing and mathematics. However, as with other pupils in the school, this is not good progress. In reading, disadvantaged pupils make less progress than other pupils in the school and nationally.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities also make progress in line with other pupils in the school.
• As a result of the well-balanced curriculum being underpinned by teachers’ good subject knowledge, pupils develop a secure understanding of a range of subjects, such as science, music, ICT and geography.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leaders have sustained the outstanding quality of education in the early years.
• Early years provision is expertly led and benefits from a highly experienced team of staff. Adults in the early years receive on-going and thorough training so that they can continue to develop their skills. Learning support assistants are highly skilled and work very well with teachers. As a result, all adults contribute significantly to the learning and development of children in the early years.
• Teachers’ planning considers activities for children that they enjoy, what they are good at and what they need to develop further. Adults give highly considered thought and planning to the types of activities which are both adult-led and child-centred. In either case, adults make the most of opportunities for children to consolidate and develop their understanding of the world. For example, pupils making a picture of a minibeast hotel were encouraged to seek out some real minibeasts outside. Other children were learning to assess risk by using tyres, crates and planks.
• Children make strong progress in all the early years aspects of learning, because the work children do is carefully planned and based on a strong understanding of what they already know and can do.
• Children are confident learners and join in with activities readily. For example, inspectors saw children happily joining in with a singing activity with no sense of embarrassment. They use equipment sensibly and show enthusiasm for what they are doing. Children play well together and learn in a happy, harmonious environment.
• Pupils join the early years at a level of development which is consistent with their age. They go on to make very strong progress through the early years and to complete Reception with attainment which is consistently above average. Disadvantaged children in the early years also make outstanding progress. The proportion of disadvantaged children achieving a good level of development is consistently higher than the proportion of non-disadvantaged children who do so nationally.

School details

Unique reference number 114774 Local authority Southend-on-Sea Inspection number 10046482 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 629 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mrs Linda Wells Mr Anthony Hautler Telephone number 01702 476 224 Website Email address www.leighinfants.co.uk office@leigh.southend.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 November 2013

Information about this school

• Leigh North Street Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school serving the area of Leigh-on-Sea.
• Since the most recent inspection of Leigh Infant School in November 2013, the school has been joined by pupils and staff from the now closed Leigh North Street Junior School. Together they formed Leigh North Street Primary School.
• The school meets the current government floor standards for the minimum standards and progress pupils should achieve at key stage 2 in English and mathematics.
• The school has a smaller than average proportion of pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any time in the last six years.
• The proportion of pupils whose first language is not believed to be English is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for SEN and/or disabilities is below average, while the proportion who have a statement of SEN or an education, health and care plan is above average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 17 classes, sometimes accompanied by the headteacher, and reviewed the work of pupils in their books. They visited assembly and also reviewed the work of pupils in Year 6 who were on a residential trip during the inspection.
• Inspectors met with senior and other leaders, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s central record of recruitment checks and safeguarding files. They considered leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement plans, as well as their analysis of the use of funding. Inspectors reviewed documents demonstrating the work of governors and the school’s information on pupils’ progress, attendance, behaviour and exclusions.
• Inspectors spoke with parents before school on both days and considered the 229 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They spoke with pupils in formal settings and during pupils’ free time. Inspectors spoke with a range of staff with different roles.

Inspection team

Andrew Hemmings, lead inspector Mark Jones Stewart Caplen Susannah Edom-Baker Rob James Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector