Goldbeaters Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that teachers consistently challenge the most able pupils, including the disadvantaged, to maximise their rates of progress, by:
  • intervening promptly to provide the appropriate level of challenge
  • building on pupils’ prior learning and abilities from the start of activities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The exemplary leadership of the principal inspires the whole school community. The school has developed its own vocabulary for successful learning and working together. This language and ‘can-do’ attitude drives up the levels of pupils’ confidence. Pupils and staff talk about ‘powering on’ when delving into their work. One pupil told inspectors that staff ‘push us on to learn more’.
• The school is a member of the Gold Star Federation, partnering Goldbeaters with another local school which has a track record of outstanding provision. The principal’s vision for the two schools and the community they serve has become reality. Innovative use of the facilities at the state-of-the-art partner school and the sharing of staff’s skills provide an additional high-quality breadth and depth to Goldbeaters’ provision.
• The recently built partner school provides pupils from Goldbeaters with a wealth of activities to take part and succeed in. For example, pupils regularly use facilities that include a radio station, dance and drama studios and all-weather pitches for sport. These experiences contribute to pupils developing their artistic and sporting skills to a high level.
• Senior leaders work closely with teachers and staff to ensure that the quality of teaching is at the highest levels possible. The commitment and enthusiasm of the team makes sure that pupils receive well planned, organised and resourced lessons throughout each day.
• Pupils’ progress is monitored thoroughly. Assessment information is analysed by senior leaders who ensure that no pupil is left behind. There are frequent impromptu catch-up lessons for those children who are at risk of not keeping up. Pupils’ self-assessment is so well developed that they have the confidence to ask for additional support. This support is provided either during a lesson or straight afterwards to make sure no time is wasted.
• The outstanding curriculum weaves different subjects, such as history and geography, into different themes and topics over the school year. Pupils are taught to research different aspects using books and electronic media. Rich displays of pupils’ art and designs are seen throughout the school. Homework is used creatively to support the different topics.
• Parents view the school with a high regard. Regular events are planned throughout the year. Parents spoke and wrote about the ‘Go Fest’ and other activities that happen on Saturdays including a cinema club and fireworks evening. These events have helped the school develop close and productive links with parents. The relationship benefits pupils’ learning and attendance.
• The creative and effective use of the additional sports funding provides a range of activities led by specialist teachers and instructors. These activities include hockey, football and rugby.
• The use of pupil premium funding is well targeted to boost pupils’ progress. Additional staff, activities and resources contribute to pupils’ progress improving dramatically, often from very low and challenging starting points.
• Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of pupils is excellent. Around the school building are ‘discovery zones’ which reflect a variety of cultural events. One pupil told an inspector that the zones ‘make us want to think’. Another pupil spoke about musical performances and said that music ‘… makes us a better person’.
• Preparation for life in modern Britain is woven into the school’s work. Pupils work well with each other regardless of gender, race and faith. Year 4 pupils were observed discussing democracy and the presidential elections in the United States.
• Leaders at all levels know the school well and what they need to do to maintain the school’s outstanding provision. Consequently, inspectors and leaders agreed that teachers need to focus on accelerating the progress of the most able pupils, especially in reading and mathematics. Staff have already started to use different strategies but it is too early to see the benefits of their actions.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is well led and holds the school to account through its regular meetings and a programme of visits to see the school at work.
• Governors know the school well and what it needs to do to maintain its rightly deserved profile in the community. There is a powerful ambition to continue to provide an excellent quality of education.
• The governors oversee the work of the two federated schools. This ensures an effective use of shared staffing and resources. Specialist subject teachers, for example in sport, work with pupils on both sites.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that pupils are well cared for and are safe from harm. Staff are trained and understand the government’s current child protection requirements.
• Leaders ensure that that the recruitment processes work and ensure that all the appropriate staff checks are carried out and recorded effectively.
• Governors check recruitment processes and that the single central record is up to date.
• The deputy headteacher, as the safeguarding lead, ensures that all staff are aware of their statutory responsibilities in keeping children safe. Training has taken place to ensure that staff know their mandatory duties in relation to issues such as female genital mutilation, child sexual exploitation and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teachers’ relentless enthusiasm brings lessons to life. Pupils become excited and want to ‘power on’. Pupils self-assess their work and discuss it with their teacher before agreeing how they will reach their targets known as ‘Go Goals’.
• Pupils know exactly what is expected of them in each lesson and respond well to the electric atmosphere that is frequently created by adults. Pupils are swept along with excitement and become completely absorbed in their tasks.
• All staff know the pupils well and create a lively, spontaneous and focused learning environment. Pupils’ love of learning is channelled with extreme skill and care, producing well-presented work of high quality. Writing is a particular strength. Many key stage 1 pupils are writing at a standard much higher than is typical for their age.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge which is used well to question pupils with precision and probe their knowledge.
• Relationships are extremely positive between adults and pupils. Teaching assistants, or teaching accelerators as they are known, are well trained and provide a high level of support for all pupils.
• Most-able pupils make good progress, including those who are disadvantaged. However, from time to time, these pupils are provided with work which they complete very quickly and find quite easy. Senior leaders are aware of this. Teaching strategies to provide the higher-attaining pupils with work that matches their ability more swiftly are being developed.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. This judgement is reflected in one of the very many positive comments made by parents: ‘Teachers care about every child… and go above and beyond the expected teaching standards’.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and very well looked after.
• The school is very inclusive. One parent wrote that the school ‘… is a safe, happy and progressive school where all strengths and diversities are encouraged’.
• Bullying is a rare occurrence. Pupils are confident that adults would move swiftly to stop it.
• During a Year 4 personal, social, health and economics (PSHE) lesson, pupils were seen debating democracy in a mature and reflective manner.
• Leaders record, track and evaluate the character of pupils, for example, optimism, wisdom and energy. The benefit of this tracking helps develop pupils’ resilience and ability to deal with problems, setbacks and difficult situations in their learning and life.
• Pupils’ equalities are taken seriously. A good example of this is the access to information technology. The school provides an online mathematics programme, those pupils without computers at home are able to join a lunchtime club to ensure they do not miss out.
• Vulnerable pupils and those with highly complex needs are looked after with great care and attention. The deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator work well together with the family liaison officer. This work often involves close liaison with external agencies, ensuring the most appropriate support reaches families in a timely manner. Many parents wrote about the caring nature of the school and how they had been helped during difficult times.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils work well together and respond well to adults during lessons and around the schools.
• Pupils are positive and interested in their learning to such an extent that the ‘can-do’ atmosphere is almost tangible. Pupils demonstrate a remarkable degree of self-discipline. They focus on their work and use the school’s many affirming phrases to attempt more difficult problems.
• The number of behaviour incidents is exceptionally low. Pupils look after each other and demonstrate very high levels of care and friendship.
• Attendance has increased over the last few years and is broadly in line with that seen nationally. Due to the effective work of the school’s family liaison officer, rates of persistent absence and punctuality are also improving. This work is allied to the work of the local authority’s welfare officer and is having a number of successes in reducing absenteeism.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils’ progress is unrelenting in all subjects. From very low starting points, all groups accelerate toward national expectations for reading, writing and mathematics. In most cases, pupils exceed these expectations.
• Pupils’ results from the phonics skills checks are rising rapidly, especially in the early years and Year 1. In 2016, the results rose to be above average, including those for disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils’ reading demonstrates a love and interest in books. Most pupils can identify and use different forms of punctuation to improve fluency and expression expected for their ages. The most able pupils confidently describe the meaning of metaphors and nuances in story plots.
• Work seen in pupils’ books and during lessons is of an extremely high calibre. The quality of presentation, depth of writing skills and vocabulary are exemplary.
• Pupils attack mathematics problems with enthusiasm and interest. Pupils in Year 4 were observed using the timetables of the Northern Line underground railway to calculate times of arrivals. Consequently, pupils make rapid progress and achieve the expected levels for their age.
• Pupils’ work in other subjects is equally of a high standard. Pupils are encouraged to be ‘thinkers’ on a ‘learning quest’. ‘World Learning’ books provide strong evidence of progress and a depth of learning in subjects including science, history and geography.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. They are supported well throughout the school by the teachers and experienced, well-trained teaching assistants. The same approach provides pupils who speak English as an additional language with opportunities to rapidly gain confidence and fluency.
• The progress of the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, is good. However, it could be even better. The principal has identified areas for improvement around how these pupils are provided with activities that match their ability. He and other senior leaders are already working alongside teachers to introduce more effective strategies to increase progress at these higher levels.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The Nursery and Reception classes are well led. The work of the early years is shared between the two federated schools, providing additional capacity for sharing expertise and ideas.
• Children settle in quickly and enjoy the well organised and resourced learning environments.
• Rapid progress from very low starting points ensures that a higher than average proportion of children reach the expected good levels of development. Children are very well prepared for Year 1.
• Staff accurately assess the amount of progress children make in both Nursery and Reception. Children’s progress is carefully recorded in learning journal books and online. Parents can check in and see the most recent learning and activities their children have been involved in.
• Staff provide children with a very wide range of exciting and stimulating activities that challenge and develop their understanding of the world. Children can talk about their learning and what they have achieved.
• Relationships with parents and carers are very strong. The shared information and regular contact ensures that any problems are swiftly worked out.
• Safeguarding is effective. Staff work tirelessly to ensure the environments are secure. Children play safely and encourage their peers to be careful.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101283 Barnet 10008728 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 477 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Principal Susan Hinton Christopher Flathers Telephone number 020 89596033 Website Email address www.goldbeaters.org.uk office@goldbeaters.barnetmail.net Date of previous inspection 14–15 March 2012

Information about this school

• Goldbeaters Primary School is larger than most primary schools.
• The school is part of the Gold Star Federation which includes The Orion, another local primary school. The principal and a single governing body oversee the work of both schools.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than that seen nationally.
• The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is much higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher that seen nationally.
• The school runs after-school and breakfast clubs which are managed by the governing body.
• The school meets the government’s floor standard (the minimum expected of pupil attainment and progress).
• The school meets statutory requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection was converted from a short inspection to a full section 5 inspection.
• Inspectors carried out a series of short, focused visits to classrooms and longer lesson observations in each year group. Many of these were with the senior leaders.
• Formal and informal discussions took place with senior leaders, including governors, subject leaders, parents and a representative from the local authority.
• Documentation relating to the school’s website and safeguarding, including the single central record, was scrutinised.
• The school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress were evaluated.
• Pupils’ work in different subjects was scrutinised alongside senior leadership team and subject leaders.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, as well as before school and during break and lunchtimes, was observed by inspectors.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read individually and during lessons.
• The lead inspector accompanied the principal to the site of the federated partner school. A short observation took place of a range of physical education lessons. The other facilities used by the pupils of Goldbeaters Primary were seen.
• Inspectors took into account the 72 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

Inspection team

John Seal, lead inspector Amy Jackson Meena Walia Jeff Cole David Lloyd

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector