Sudbury Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of teaching further by:
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to work at greater depth in reading and writing in key stage 2
  • improving pupils’ progress in science, geography and history
  • making sure that all teachers deliver lessons which meet the needs of the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged
  • ensuring that children in the Nursery class make the same good progress as children in the Reception classes.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the last inspection, the school has undergone several leadership changes. The headteacher has been in post for the past year and was initially seconded to the school from a local secondary school. She has made an effective partnership with the previous acting headteacher, who is now the school’s associate headteacher. They are well supported by an executive headteacher. These changes have brought about a consistent focus on raising standards of learning across the school, which has resulted in accelerated progress being made.
• The headteacher has led the school with determination and skill. She has a clear vision to improve teaching and outcomes for all pupils and the current assessment information and work in pupils’ books show that this is proving successful.
• Middle leaders are similarly ambitious for the school. Although some are new to their roles, they are proud of the work they have done thus far and hold a clear view of how the work they do links directly with improved outcomes for pupils. A good example of this is the successful work to develop an innovative approach to the teaching of mathematics. This has led to increased expertise in this subject, which has led to significant improvements in teaching and rates of progress in key stages 1 and 2.
• Pupil premium funding is used to support disadvantaged pupils through a range of activities in their learning across the curriculum. Funds support pupils more intensively through the work of the school’s well-deployed teaching assistants. Additionally, the money is used to develop these pupils’ self-esteem by enabling them to benefit from the range of extra-curricular activities that are available.
• Although the school has a good awareness of the social issues, which may prevent disadvantaged pupils from making good progress, this is not always used to target interventions where they are most needed. For instance, a lack of focus in key stage 1 last year resulted in standards in this key stage being lower for disadvantaged pupils than their peers. This has improved over the current year and differences have diminished because of effective actions taken to address the identified issues.
• The primary physical education (PE) and sport premium is carefully spent. PE teachers lead lessons in dance and additional equipment is being purchased to enhance outdoor sports participation. It has also helped to provide access to competitions. Pupils benefit from a good range of clubs and opportunities and take part in sports events with other local schools.
• The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is helping pupils gain a thorough understanding of life in modern Britain through a clear set of deeply held school values.
• Sudbury’s curriculum is broad and diverse. As well as focusing on developing pupils’ key literacy and numeracy skills, pupils have experienced studying an appropriate range of other subjects. Work in art and PE is strong. Work in science, geography and history is less developed and pupils make less progress than in mathematics, for instance.
• The school has received useful support from the Brent Schools Partnership. They have a good understanding of the school and have provided advice and consultancy to support leaders’ strategies. The school has found this helpful in gaining an accurate view of current standards.

Governance of the school

• Governors are effective and diligent in carrying out their duties, particularly in both supporting and challenging the headteacher and other senior leaders. They have acted on the recommendations of a review of governance following the previous inspection. Because of this, the significant issues holding back leaderships’ work at the school at the previous inspection have now been resolved. All senior leaders are now in step with the governing body and unified in their focus on raising standards at the school. They know the school very well and have been determined to ensure that the school achieves the best outcomes possible.
• Governor committees provide a focus on pupils’ progress and curriculum provision. Governors question the progress of groups of pupils and the impact of additional funding, such as the school’s use of special needs funding and the pupil premium. Consequently, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress and progress rates for disadvantaged pupils have shown recent improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• School leaders have ensured that all members of staff are trained in child protection procedures. The school’s policies and practice are thorough. A strong culture of safety exists in the school where key staff engage with parents, carers and other stakeholders to ensure that all pupils are supported and safe.
• Pupils are very confident that the school is a safe place and both parents and staff at the school who responded to Ofsted’s surveys or spoke with an inspector agree with this view. Governors are thorough in their checking of safeguarding procedures and place the safety of pupils uppermost in their work. School leaders work effectively with external agencies, such as social services, to ensure that when concerns are raised, they are always followed up quickly and with due care.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching at Sudbury is good and teachers use their time well to ensure that all groups of pupils do well. Teachers have high expectations of the quality of work they expect in lessons and pupils know how to improve their work.
• The promotion of language development is a strong feature of the teaching and this is helping pupils to become attentive listeners. They are eloquent when speaking to adults and one another.
• The school has a very clear approach to the way in which work is assessed so that pupils can see easily how well they have done and how they can improve their work. This has been a helpful development since the last inspection, but some inconsistency remains in some subject areas, such as science, history and geography.
• Teaching in mathematics is good because teachers make the lessons challenging and interesting for the pupils. For example, in a mathematics lesson, pupils worked at different task to look at the relationship between multiplication and division. Their work was challenging because the teacher spotted when they found it easy and moved them on to work of greater complexity. This is typical of the diet pupils receive.
• In some lessons, the most able pupils are not challenged enough. Consequently, this group of pupils sometimes spend too long on work that they can already do. This affects pupils’ behaviour during these lessons and, when they lose concentration, this can lead to them becoming distracted more easily.
• Teaching staff have strong relationships with the pupils and make effective use of additional adults in their lessons, who are used to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This strong work ethos supports pupils well as they know that the staff want them to do well. In turn, this has developed pupils’ positive attitudes towards school and a thirst for learning.
• The teaching of phonics and early reading is good. The school has employed subject specialist teachers to teach some subjects such as music, PE and art. In these subjects, teachers have good subject knowledge and use this to inspire pupils. In other subjects, such as science, geography, history and RE, teaching quality varies across and between year groups.
• Pupils in key stage 2 are all now reaching at least average standards in reading and writing. However, not enough pupils achieve higher standards in reading and writing by the time they leave key stage 2. This is also true of the most able pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Leaders have ensured that pupils are taught to show tolerance of diversity and awareness of how to be successful learners.
• Positive messages about how to tackle and respond to bullying have been helpful to pupils. Pupils are particularly aware of how to keep safe while working on the internet. Pupils say that bullying is rare at the school, though were it to occur, they know the systems that exist are robust and easily accessible. The school’s records of behaviour incidents demonstrated this to be the case over time.
• Leaders have instilled a sense of pride in the school, which is evident in how the pupils care about their appearance and the presentation of their work. They are taught how to show respect for one another, even if they hold very different beliefs or points of view.
• Pupils show kindness and understanding in their attitudes towards one another and different groups of people in society. The school is developing pupils’ awareness of different faiths, races and cultures, although their work to develop awareness of different types of families and sexual orientation is not as well developed and, as a result, some pupils find this difficult to understand.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They are confident, friendly and polite. They hold good attitudes to school life, take their work seriously and are respectful of the adults who teach them. Pupils help each other and hold positions of responsibility, which add to the productive culture of the school.
• Since the last inspection, the school has worked effectively to create sensitive and consistent approaches to behaviour management. Teachers ensure that positive messages about good behaviour are consistently applied throughout lessons. This results in pupils behaving well. However, in a small number of lessons, their attention wanders and they occasionally lose concentration.
• The school is a happy and calm place. Pupils want to come to school every day and demonstrate a serious attitude to their work.
• Attendance rates have improved and are now above the typical averages for primary schools in England for all groups of pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Current pupils are making very good progress in mathematics and improving rates of progress in reading and writing. This is reflected in their progress over time, in their books and their learning in lessons. Pupils’ work reflects the diligent way in which they approach their studies.
• From their different starting points, pupils make good progress. This is seen in English and mathematics, and in a range of other subjects, including art and PE. Outcomes have improved continuously for pupils over the past two years in key stages 1 and 2.
• The proportion of Year 1 pupils achieving the expected standards in the phonics screening check was above that seen nationally last year. Standards of reading are good and pupils read with clarity and understanding. They clearly enjoy reading and told inspectors about their favourite authors with great zeal.
• In 2016, standards of attainment in key stage 2 were above the national averages in mathematics and similar to national figures for reading and writing. In key stage 1, standards were similar to national averages in all subjects. School assessment information indicates that current pupils are on track to match at least the progress made in the previous two years. This is the result of improved teaching over time.
• Pupils’ progress in science, history and geography is shallower than in English and mathematics, as pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to explore the curriculum in as great a depth.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making better progress because the leadership of this area has improved since the last inspection. Their needs are now better identified and are given precise support by teachers and support staff.
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education when they leave the school at the end of Year 6. This is because of the good foundation they receive at Sudbury Primary School. Pupils are confident and positive about their future because they have learned well enough to be successful.
• Disadvantaged pupils are making improved rates of progress. Leaders are tracking their progress closer and differences in progress and attainment are diminishing. Leaders recognise this difference and are committed to developing this area further through targeting additional support where it is most needed.

Early years provision Good

• Staff plan carefully to ensure that children learn well and make substantial progress from their starting points to achieve improving levels of development that are now above those seen nationally.
• In the Reception classes, teachers create a vibrant learning environment that enthrals children in activities that they find enjoyable and interesting. Teaching assistants work well to support children in developing effective learning behaviours. Children focus attentively upon phonics tasks and enjoy learning about the links between letters and sounds. Children settle swiftly to work and are well behaved and respectful towards one another.
• Classrooms are well resourced and staffed so that adults can support many groups of children at the same time, and encourage them to explore the activities that are provided for them. Children are enthusiastic and work well together, enjoying the activities which take place both indoors and outside.
• This strength of provision is better in the Reception classes than the school’s Nursery class. In the Nursery, resources, particularly those intended to focus children’s attention on developing the key skills of reading, writing and number, are less well used. Teaching is less focused on promoting effective learning, as staff are less skilled at ensuring that resources available help children to excel in their development.
• The recently appointed early years leader has made a very good start in her role. She, together with other senior leaders, carries out regular checks of children’s progress. This allows them to identify any gaps in children’s understanding and act to address them. As such, leadership and management of the early years provision is good. The early years leader has worked effectively to improve provision and has clear plans to develop the Nursery class.
• Since the last inspection, the school has worked successfully to eradicate the difference in the standards achieved by the school’s disadvantaged children so that they now achieve as well as their peers.
• Children develop a very positive attitude to school life in the early years and are well prepared for moving into Year 1. They are already showing increased skill in writing longer pieces of text and enjoy their reading.
• The school is developing effective partnership working with parents, who are invited in each week to share in learning activities. As a result, the school is able to build on the interests of the children and parents are kept aware of the work their children are doing.
• Learning journals chart children’s progress over the Reception Year and contain a range of work, observations and photographs of children working independently. As well as becoming a valued keepsake for parents, teachers use this information to help plan work which builds on what the children already know.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138608 Brent 10034793 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils Gender of pupils 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 928 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Ian Phillips Beth Ragheb Telephone number 020 838 54444 Website Email address www.sudburyprimary.co.uk/ office@sudbury.brent.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17 November 2015

Information about this school

• 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.
• The school is larger than most primary schools. The largest ethnic groups represented at the school are from Indian and other Asian backgrounds. The proportion speaking English as an additional language is above average. The proportion of pupils that join or leave the school during term time is slightly below average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is slightly below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching in samples of lessons in all year groups throughout the inspection, several of which were visited jointly with members of the school’s senior leadership team.
• The inspection team heard some of the school’s pupils read, and looked at samples of work throughout the inspection.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school improvement plan, records of pupils’ behaviour, and information relating to safety, safeguarding and attendance. They also scrutinised information on individual pupils’ progress, anonymised records of teachers’ performance, and records of meetings of the governing body.
• Inspectors met with teachers and spoke with pupils. A meeting was held with five members of the governing body. A meeting was also held with two representatives from the Brent Schools Partnership.
• The views of parents were obtained through 36 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, as well as informal discussions, which were held with parents on the second day of the inspection.

Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin, lead inspector Susan Ladipo Helen Morrison Robert Greatrex

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector