Gladstone Park Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that teaching routinely challenges most-able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, so that they achieve all of which they are capable.
• Develop the strategic role of middle leaders so that they have a greater impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• Adopt a more systematic approach to monitoring children’s progress and to the sharing of effective practice, in the early years, in order to improve children’s outcomes.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have established a culture in which learning comes first. Academic success and the development of pupils’ social skills are valued equally. The school’s values are at the heart of its work. Those pupils who begin the school having had challenging starts to their lives in other countries, along with those who speak little or no English, are welcomed warmly into the school community. They enjoy the same support and levels of challenge as other pupils. Equality of opportunity is central to the school’s work.
• Since the school joined the trust, leadership development has focused, rightly, on making sure that senior leadership is secure and effective. Governors and senior leaders are aware that, having achieved this, the next stage of development is to broaden the role of middle leaders so that they have a greater impact on teachers’ practice and consequently on pupils’ outcomes. Although their own accountability has been raised, middle leaders are not yet sufficiently involved in monitoring the performance of staff in their areas of responsibility.
• Leaders carry out a range of activities effectively to check the quality of teachers’ work. They scrutinise pupils’ books regularly to see that agreed policies are being implemented and that pupils are making progress. Consequently, they have an accurate understanding of teachers’ effectiveness and of their areas for development. Leaders’ advice and guidance to teachers are precise and direct.
• Teachers who begin their careers at the school speak highly of the support they receive from leaders. The carefully planned opportunities they have to work alongside colleagues and to observe the practice of more experienced teachers are helpful in improving their own effectiveness.
• The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Pupils are reflective and thoughtful, for example while responding to the teacher’s invitation to use their imagination to visualise a scene from a story during a religious education lesson. They enjoy learning about the practices of those from other religions and cultures and understand the benefits to their school community of everyone getting along. This aspect of the school’s provision contributes significantly to pupils’ readiness for their lives in modern Britain.
• Leaders ensure that despite the importance of ensuring that pupils gain key literacy and numeracy skills, they benefit from a broad and engaging curriculum. Pupils speak enthusiastically of the experiences they remember relating to other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 spoke knowledgeably about what they had learned during their study of evolution and, in particular, how animals have adapted to their habitats. Engaging themed days capture pupils’ interest in the curriculum and immerse them in particular topics. For example, the Egyptian day for Year 3 pupils, which took place during the inspection, engaged them through practical and well-considered activities in the school hall. Extra-curricular clubs promote a broad range of interests, including academic, sporting and technological.
• Pupil premium funding is spent effectively. Its use is planned carefully to make sure that eligible pupils gain confidence and proficiency in core skills, particularly reading and mathematics. Differences in the performance of disadvantaged pupils and that of others diminish as pupils move through the school.
• Leaders have a clear rationale for the spending of the physical education and sport premium. In response to need and requests, the number of extra-curricular clubs has risen sharply. As a result, the proportion of pupils engaging in sporting activity has increased significantly. In addition, this funding provides regular opportunities for teachers to work alongside sports coaches to develop the quality of their own teaching. A proportion of funding is spent on the purchase of equipment to ensure that sometimes neglected aspects of physical education, including gymnastics, are resourced and taught well.
• Special educational needs funding is spent effectively. The needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified and addressed well. As a result, these pupils make good progress. The impact of the support they receive is evaluated regularly to make sure that it remains well targeted.
• Responses to the staff questionnaire show that staff feel valued, motivated and respected. Parents also indicated confidence in leaders and managers through their questionnaire responses and in their comments to inspectors.

Governance of the school

• While aspects of governance are delegated to the local governing body, the trust is clear about its retention of responsibility for all aspects of the school’s work. The trust has provided clear and structured support for the local governing body since the school joined the trust in June 2014. Despite a number of changes to the membership of the local governing body, the trust’s support has secured the consistency required to maintain the momentum of school improvement.
• Governors have a good understanding of the effectiveness of the school’s work. Their visits to the school give them a clear appreciation of the procedures that leaders use to monitor pupils’ progress. This enables them to carry out their strategic role effectively, to challenge leaders and to hold them to account. Governors are clear about the rationale for decisions about the spending of the pupil premium, the physical education and sport funding and the special educational needs funding.
• In conjunction with the trust, governors achieve a good balance in challenging and supporting leaders. Prioritising the right areas for improvement has enabled the school to grow in effectiveness since joining the trust.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to carry out their roles. Staff know whom to speak to when they have concerns about pupils’ well-being. Leaders and governors know how important it is to remain vigilant in order to provide the right support promptly. Governors understand the importance of adopting the mantra that ‘it could happen here’ when considering issues relating to radicalisation and extremism. Leaders do not allow the school to work in isolation. They work in liaison with other agencies as required, being familiar with the processes and requirements for making referrals to professionals with complementary expertise. This is because they understand the need for agencies to work together to help safeguard pupils effectively.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils know that making mistakes can often benefit their learning. Older pupils are able to explain that through analysing their mistakes, their teachers are able to pinpoint precisely what they do not yet understand and provide them with the right support.
• Leaders have made improving the quality of the teaching of reading a priority over the course of this academic year. Their identification of pupils’ previously often weak use of vocabulary led to specific training on the topic. The positive impact of this is evident in pupils’ writing. Well-chosen texts challenge pupils to explore new vocabulary and engage with advanced concepts. The most able readers are motivated to stretch themselves through their book choices, some of which address complex themes.
• Pupils make good progress in their writing. Their writing throughout the curriculum is expected to be of the same high standard as it is in English lessons. Their application of technical aspects of writing such as spelling, grammar and punctuation, as well as its content, becomes more accurate and advanced as the academic year progresses.
• In the best cases, teachers use questioning skilfully to get to the heart of where a pupil may be stuck. This effective use of assessing pupils’ understanding leads to pupils building firm foundations in their learning. On the occasions when adult intervention is less specific, opportunities to develop children’s language, for example in the early years, are missed.
• Teachers encourage and support pupils to develop their independence and ability to tackle the barriers they encounter. This practice begins in the early years with teachers demonstrating an awareness of common misconceptions and addressing these skilfully in their teaching.
• Teachers know their subjects well and introduce concepts clearly. For example, during a Year 5 lesson about coding, the teacher’s knowledge of the capabilities of the program enabled her to pose appropriate and demanding challenges to refine and advance pupils’ understanding and skills.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils and the extent to which they engage in their learning. However, on occasions, the support provided for pupils, although judged well for lower attaining pupils, restricts the most able from achieving all of which they are capable.
• Parents spoken to during the inspection had praise for the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, both for the initial identification of needs and for their subsequent support. This results in these pupils making good progress. Where pupils’ needs prevent them reaching age-related standards, adults ensure that pupils’ social and emotional and communication skills prepare them well for the next stage of 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.
• Pupils know that keeping them safe is the school’s number one priority. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online. They understand the procedures in place in school to alert adults to any concerns they may have about internet content they encounter. They know the importance of considering the extent to which they share personal information online.
• Leaders are, rightly, committed to providing effective support for pupils’ emotional and social needs. As one of the numerous strategies employed, the school works in collaboration with a national charity to provide varying levels of support. Pupils with more marked needs receive individual counselling while others refer themselves for individual or small-group sessions to talk through their worries. This ensures that pupils’ needs and concerns are addressed promptly and that their learning is not adversely affected.
• Pupils get along very well with each other. They know that they have much to learn from those of other faiths and beliefs. Leaders promote the notion of pupils’ individuality. This leads to pupils being confident and having high self-esteem.
• A range of roles of responsibility give pupils the chance to lead and represent others. For example, Year 6 pupils take on the role of ‘red hats’. Having been trained for the role, they patrol the playground providing support and guidance to younger pupils, making sure that they have friends to play with. This is an important role, given the high number of pupils that join the school at times other than the start of the academic year.
• Pupils’ workbooks are generally well presented. They are proud of their work and take their learning seriously. This positive attitude is key to the progress they make.
• Pupils understand the importance of establishing healthy lifestyles at an early stage. They know that they should exercise regularly and eat healthily. The proportion of pupils attending sport-based clubs, which include those for football, dance and cheerleading, has risen significantly.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils move about the school calmly and respectfully. Doors are routinely held open for others, with pupils demonstrating a mature and considerate approach to each other and adults. Pupils spoken to during the inspection contributed politely and articulately.
• Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning during and beyond lessons. For example, several pupils use the library passes available at lunchtimes to attend the daily library club. They select books, sometimes with the support of the Year 6 librarian or member of staff, and enjoy settling down with a book.
• Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average. They enjoy school and make sure that they arrive before the prompt closing of the gates at the start of the school day.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In both 2015 and 2016, higher proportions than average reached the expected standard in the Year 1 national phonics screening check.
• In 2016, a similar proportion of key stage 1 pupils to that seen nationally reached the expected standard in mathematics. Slightly higher proportions did so in reading and in writing. However, fewer pupils who had finished the Reception Year meeting or exceeding expectations were assessed as working at greater depth at the end of key stage 1 than seen nationally. Leaders are aware that the most able pupils are capable of securing better progress.
• The proportions of key stage 2 pupils reaching the expected standard in 2016 were broadly average in reading and writing. A higher proportion did so in mathematics. More pupils with high starting points reached the higher standard in each subject than seen nationally.
• The school’s assessment information for pupils currently on roll indicates that pupils make sustained progress. Leaders check that their progress is consistent with that required to match or better the progress measures of pupils nationally, considering their starting points. Through their efforts to moderate teachers’ judgements both within and beyond the school and the trust, leaders have a good understanding of the standards expected in each year group.
• Although there are minor variations between year groups, disadvantaged pupils currently on roll make similar progress to that of others. This is because funding is well targeted to meet these pupils’ needs, for example through the deployment of specialist teachers of reading.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress. This is because staff are well trained to address their needs. Leaders and governors express clearly that these pupils’ language needs must not be allowed to excuse any underperformance.
• Leaders review the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities regularly. Time-limited support programmes are focused on particular needs and are evaluated to check their effectiveness. This leads to pupils getting the right support and making good progress.

Early years provision

Good

• The majority of children join the school with skills, knowledge and understanding below those that are typical for their age. Arrangements to assess children’s skills and aptitudes when they start school are appropriate and robust. By the time they finish the Reception Year, a similar proportion to that seen nationally attain a good level of development. This represents good progress from their starting points. However, boys attain less well than girls.
• Children learn how to assess and manage risk through carefully planned and supported activities. Children are safe and secure in the early years. Adults judge carefully when to intervene and when to leave children to grapple with either mentally or physically demanding activities.
• The Nursery environment is particularly stimulating, promoting purposeful activity in the different areas of learning.
• Routines are well established and children are confident. They are safe and secure, and not afraid to attempt the challenging tasks adults provide. They behave very well, demonstrating good concentration and resilience. Children relate well to each other, routinely supporting each other by collaborating to complete tasks.
• Despite children making strong progress during the early years, there is not a sufficiently established and systematic approach to sharing good practice and reducing variability in the quality of teaching. While staff, generally, respond well to individuals’ needs, leaders do not track the progress of groups of children in sufficient detail.
• Children finish the Reception Year well prepared for their learning in Year 1. Their confidence and resilience, combined with their growing independence, equip them well to tackle the curriculum in key stage 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140833 Brent 10031678 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 sponsor-led 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 674 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Academy trust Natalie Yeoh Angela Anterkyi 0208 452 1350 www.gladpark.brent.sch.uk admin@gladpark.brent.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Gladstone Park Primary School is significantly larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is over three times the national average.
• 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.
• Gladstone Park Primary School joined CfBT Schools Trust on 1 June 2014. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected it was judged to have serious weaknesses.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• This inspection took place during the week in which pupils in Year 6 sat the national tests.
• Inspectors made visits to classrooms in Years 1 to 5 as well as to the early years to observe teaching and learning. They listened to pupils read and reviewed their work. An inspector made a short visit to the school-run breakfast club.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, three governors and the regional director of the CfBT Schools Trust.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including those about safeguarding, pupils’ performance, pupils’ attendance, leaders’ self-evaluation and minutes of meetings of the governing body.
• Pupils’ views were collected through informal discussions, during visits to lessons, through formal interviews with three groups of pupils from Years 2, 5 and 6, and through an online survey for pupils.
• Inspectors took account of 68 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View. The majority of responses included free-text comments about the school’s work.
• The views of 25 members of staff were collected through an online questionnaire as well as through both formal and informal discussions.

Inspection team

Jeremy Loukes, lead inspector Julian Grenier Simon Webb Sheila Cohring Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Sarah Murphy-Dutton Her Majesty’s Inspector