Normandy Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Reduce the proportion of persistent absentees so that the overall school attendance improves in line with the national average.
• Ensure that teachers address any misconceptions and identify next steps at the earliest opportunity to help pupils move on quickly in their learning.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Since the school converted to an academy, standards have improved significantly. This is a result of strong and effective leadership at all levels. Leaders take actions which are based on a secure analysis of their pupils’ needs. They review and analyse all aspects of the school’s performance regularly to ensure that everything they do has a positive impact.
• When the school converted to academy status, the trust provided valuable support. This focused particularly on the quality of teaching and learning, behaviour and the curriculum. The support has greatly reduced, and the school’s leaders now provide support to other areas of the trust.
• Leaders have high expectations of themselves and others. They are reflective and seek to continuously improve. Leaders set challenging targets, which focus on improving pupils’ progress. They pinpoint priorities for the school based on an accurate self-evaluation. Leaders form effective action plans, which support key areas for development. They monitor these plans rigorously.
• Leaders make sure that staff receive high-quality training to develop their skills. Teachers attend regular staff training sessions. Leaders ensure that performance management targets are specific and focus on pupils’ learning. Leaders encourage other teachers to shadow them in their roles, and several teachers are undertaking further qualifications. These strategies help staff to develop their leadership potential, and strengthen school leadership.
• Subject leaders are passionate about their subjects. They have an accurate and detailed understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in each year group. Senior leaders work closely with subject leaders to review pupil progress and plan a range of strategies to address underachievement of specific groups. Consequently, pupil progress is strong across the school.
• Leaders review the curriculum constantly to ensure that it is meeting the needs of all pupils. Pupils enjoy learning in a broad range of subjects. A wide variety of enrichment activities enhances pupils’ learning. Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils develop a strong understanding of the school’s code of values. This emphasises the belief that ‘Every single child will enjoy their learning and make great progress at Normandy school.’
• The school’s values and curriculum support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Pupils have a good understanding of other religions and faiths through religious education lessons and visits to different places of worship. Assemblies and personal, social and health education help prepare pupils for life in modern Britain and reinforce fundamental British values.
• Leaders sharply evaluate the spending of funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, and ensure that it is spent effectively. This enables teachers to focus on pupils’ individual needs. Staff are very experienced and knowledgeable about all aspects of SEN and/or disabilities provision. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress because of effective teaching and support.
• Leaders analyse and review the use of pupil premium funding to make sure that it is making a difference to the pupils it is meant to support. Disadvantaged pupils receive personalised support in and outside of lessons, and can attend breakfast and after-school clubs. This is leading to improved progress and attendance for disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders also ensure that the sports premium funding is used effectively. Specialist coaches work alongside teachers to develop and support them in delivering high-quality physical education lessons. The range of sports clubs has increased, as has pupils’ participation in them.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly effective in their roles. They have played a crucial strategic role in the improvement of the school. They have an in-depth understanding of the needs of the pupils and of what is needed to improve the school further. They lead from the front, providing great support to school leaders. Individual governors each have a responsibility for a specific part of the school.
• Governors check on all aspects of the school’s performance and are analytical in the questions they ask school leaders. Governors monitor finances closely and evaluate their impact. Governors have willingly undertaken training so that they are well informed about school performance measures and current safeguarding practice.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• School staff have a deep understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and are up to date in their training. They discuss different safeguarding scenarios. Leaders regularly check staff’s knowledge of particular safeguarding issues, such as the ‘Prevent’ duty and female genital mutilation. This heightens teachers’ awareness and vigilance regarding potential issues facing pupils.
• Leaders are knowledgeable about the specific needs of the community. They promptly refer cases that cause concern and follow these cases through. Leaders are relentless in ensuring that pupils get the support they need.
• Pupils said that they feel safe in school. They know that staff care about them and that there are key members of staff to whom they can go if they need help. An e-safety pupil group raises pupils’ and parents’ awareness of the dangers of the internet and of how to stay safe online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour throughout the school. This includes where there is specialist support, for example, in speech and language, and music. Pupils know what is expected of them because teachers structure learning well.
• Teachers are aware of the needs of different groups of pupils and work hard to ensure that their needs are met. Teachers provide appropriate additional support so that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities can fully engage in lessons.
• Teachers plan interesting lessons. As a result, pupils are motivated to learn. In history, pupils use their research skills to find out how people lived in different times. In science, pupils apply their problem-solving skills to investigate different topics.
• Teachers receive targeted training, which develops their strong subject knowledge. A consistent approach to teaching phonics has led to well-established routines in each class. Subject specialists’ effective modelling and guidance have improved teachers’ confidence in teaching science.
• Teachers are consistent in ensuring that pupils are fully focused and concentrating. As a result, pupils understand how they are expected to behave in lessons. Lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour and pupils make progress.
• Teachers ensure that the teaching of writing is effective, which enables pupils to gain a deeper understanding of new skills. Teachers create opportunities for pupils to consolidate and reinforce their learning. For example, younger pupils are challenged to improve their descriptive writing, and older pupils develop the ability to create tension in their writing.
• Teachers give effective feedback to pupils. They tell them how well they are doing and where they can improve. If pupils get frustrated with their work, teachers reassure and help them.
• Teachers check pupils’ work regularly to monitor their progress. However, at times, pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed quickly enough and their next steps are not clear. This restricts some pupils’ progress, as teachers do not move them on consistently in their learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are proud of their school. They are happy and polite. Pupils are respectful of each other. They encourage one another and learn quickly to become resilient.
• Pupils are keen to take on responsibilities, such as those of house captains and play leaders. Older pupils act as ambassadors and escort visitors around the school. They are articulate and can explain clearly how the school works from the early years to Year 6.
• Pupils are motivated learners and they want to do well. They said that they like the links to different subjects in the curriculum and the educational visits they are offered. They know that they have made progress because they can see how their work has improved since the beginning of the year.
• Pupils understand democracy and have a voice in school developments through their roles as representatives of different bodies. For example, the school council and e-safety committee share information with pupils and staff.
• Pupils said that there is zero tolerance to bullying. They know about the different forms bullying can take. Older pupils asserted that no bullying takes place. Pupils look out for each other. The ‘can I help you’ pupils assist staff at lunchtimes to ensure that pupils get first aid if they need it.
• Pupils feel safe. They know that teachers care for their well-being and will help if they have any problems.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Behaviour around the school is calm and orderly. In classrooms, in the playground and in corridors, behaviour is never less than good. Pupils respond promptly to teachers’ instructions. Behaviour records show a significant decline in the number of exclusions, as a result of leaders’ focus on behaviour.
• Pupils fully understand the school’s high expectations of behaviour. Staff consistently apply rewards and sanctions in line with school policy. Pupils talked positively about the ‘Diamond and Red Book’ policy, which has helped to improve behaviour throughout the school.
• Pupils increasingly value their education. Attendance, although below the national average, is improving. Leaders acknowledged that more work needs to be done to decrease the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes across the school are good. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make good progress in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.
• Overall progress by the end of key stage 2 is well above the national average in reading and writing. Progress in mathematics is in line with the national average. Most Year 6 pupils reach at least the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress. By the end of Year 6, their progress is in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics
• At the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics is above average. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and disadvantaged pupils achieve well.
• Most pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress over time because of effective support programmes. Although overall attendance of this group of pupils is improving, the absence of some pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities hinders their progress.
• Teachers ensure that pupils develop literacy and numeracy skills from a young age. Pupils apply what they have learned in different contexts. Leaders’ recent emphasis on higher standards has resulted in improvement in pupils’ writing. Pupils’ presentation is good, reflecting both the school’s high expectations and pupils’ engagement.
• Attainment in phonics is above average. Pupils apply their phonics skills to work out unknown words. Pupils who struggle with reading receive good-quality support. Consequently, all pupils improve their fluency in reading as they progress through the school.

Early years provision Good

• Strong leadership in early years has resulted in improved provision and outcomes since the school became an academy. Leaders have a good understanding of the main strengths and areas to develop. Safeguarding is effective.
• Staff plan well for the range of children’s needs and abilities. They identify differences in children’s learning and ways to overcome them. For example, staff pay particular attention to boys’ communication skills and girls’ progress in mathematics. They provide directed activities to address any differences. Assessment information shows that this is having a positive impact.
• Both the indoor and outside areas in early years are well resourced and provide a rich learning environment. This helps children to learn in a variety of ways and to develop their independence.
• Teachers provide a full range of activities to develop children’s skills. They model language well and give opportunities for children to improve their speaking skills. For example, staff make ‘phone calls’ with children to encourage them to speak with greater confidence.
• Staff use effective questioning to promote children’s learning. They provide a focus for questioning, for example by including ‘learning questions’ in each activity. Children’s language skills are consolidated in phonics sessions, in which children successfully sound out simple words. In Nursery, inspectors observed adults encouraging children to find and identify pictures in a book.
• From below-average starting points, children make good progress in all areas of learning. This is because teaching is good. Most children, including disadvantaged children, achieve a good level of development by the end of Reception and are ready for key stage 1.
• Children behave well. They listen well and play cooperatively with each other in all activities.
• Parents are kept closely informed of their child’s progress. Staff form good relationships with parents and ensure that home visits take place before children start in early years.
• Staff assess children’s progress accurately through observations and discussions about children’s work. They celebrate successes and provide opportunities for future learning. However, occasionally teachers do not address misconceptions quickly enough or identify next steps sufficiently promptly, which can hinder children’s progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141889 Bexley 10041049 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 Academy converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 591 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Executive headteacher Headteacher Derek Clements Andrew Hogarth Claire Whittington Telephone number 01322 333998 Website Email address www.normandy.bexley.sch.uk admin@normandy.bexley.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Normandy Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 April 2015. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be ‘requires improvement’.
• The school forms the Pelham Academy Trust with one other school.
• The executive headteacher and headteacher were appointed when the school became an academy. The governing body was also restructured.
• Normandy Primary School is an above-average-sized primary school.
• The majority of pupils are from a White British background.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is well above the national average.
• Children in the Nursery attend part time. There are two Reception classes.
• The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in parts of 33 lessons. Senior leaders accompanied inspectors to the majority of these lesson visits.
• The inspection team looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to key stage 1 and 2 pupils reading.
• Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff and six members of the governing body. A telephone conversation was held with the school’s improvement partner.
• Inspectors took account of the 80 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and written contributions from 46 parents. Inspectors also talked with parents as they brought their children to school at the start of the day.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents provided by the school, including planning and monitoring documentation, records related to behaviour and attendance, and safeguarding procedures.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 29 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Rick Barnes, lead inspector Ellie Whilby Sherlyn Ramsay

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector