Viking Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the outdoor environment in the Reception class by providing children with rich and stimulating learning opportunities.
• Challenge the most able pupils by matching work to pupils’ abilities.
• Ensure that pupils make good progress in foundation subjects by closely monitoring pupils’ progress in these subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher was appointed in January 2015, when the school was in a period of decline. He quickly implemented a robust improvement plan to reverse the decline and improve pupils’ outcomes. The plan included making significant changes to the senior leadership team in order to create a culture of high expectations for all. The success of this is evidenced by the strong improvement in pupils’ key stage 2 outcomes in 2017.
• The headteacher, together with senior leaders and governors, remains resolute to drive further improvements in the school. They have an accurate and honest view of the school’s performance. Plans for securing further improvement are well-conceived and closely linked to their evaluations. This process is playing a key part in securing continued improvement.
• Subject leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, are an emerging strength of the school. Their leadership skills are developing well due to the high-quality training they receive. They know the strengths and areas in need of improvement in their subjects. 

• Performance management systems are robust. All staff are held to account for pupils’ progress. They know that their progression on the pay scale is dependent on how successful they are in the classroom. Leaders have successfully tackled previously weaker teaching.
• School leaders have given much consideration to planning the curriculum. They have developed topics or themes that have an exciting book or story to stimulate pupils’ imaginations and engage them in their learning. Where possible, subjects are linked together by an overall theme or topic. This helps pupils to gain a broader understanding of the subjects they learn.
• Pupils visit local places of interest and this adds to their enjoyment of school. Since the start of this academic year, pupils benefit from regular opportunities to build their confidence and self-esteem through creative learning experiences in the nearby outdoor woodland area.
• The primary school physical education and sport premium is used effectively to improve teachers’ skills and provide more sports clubs for pupils. As a result, pupils enjoy taking part in a broader range of sporting activities, which contribute to their understanding of how to live healthily.
• British values are integrated across the curriculum. Pupils are taught well through a comprehensive personal, social, health and emotional programme. As a result, pupils demonstrate a good understanding of equality, respect for all and knowledge of the rule of law. 

• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils develop an understanding of democracy and human values through the curriculum and in other activities, such as the election of school councillors. Pupils learn about different faiths, including those faiths and cultures represented in the school community.
• Effective use is made of the special educational needs (SEN) funding. Well-targeted support is provided for those pupils who need help catching up, including pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make good progress from different starting points.
• Leaders ensure that additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is thoughtfully used to support eligible pupils academically and emotionally. This includes funding additional teaching assistants, as well as trained counsellors. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are attending school more regularly, display positive attitudes to learning and make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Developing the core subjects has been a high priority for leaders. Consequently, pupils’ progress in the foundation subjects is not closely monitored. This results in pupils making inconsistent progress in the wider curriculum.

Governance of the school

• Since the previous inspection, a new chair of governors has been appointed and a review of how the governing board works has been undertaken. An action plan addressing identified areas for improvement was implemented and the governing board is developing the skills and knowledge to hold leaders to account.
• Governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the areas for improvement.
• Governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They take nothing for granted and make regular checks to ensure that the information they receive from the school’s leaders is accurate.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The site is secure and parents agree that pupils are safe. Leaders ensure that safeguarding training is up to date and processes for checking new employees and volunteers are thorough.
• Staff are alert to changes in pupils’ behaviour and other signs that raise concerns. They report concerns to leaders, who respond quickly and appropriately. Leaders keep detailed records of their work with parents and agencies to make sure pupils are safe.
• Staff know pupils well. The culture of care and protection extends far beyond that of fulfilling statutory requirements. Staff go the extra mile to ensure that pupils with the most complex and challenging needs are well cared for, and receive the support they require.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Adults establish positive relationships with their pupils and expect good behaviour. Pupils respond well to this and display positive attitudes to learning.
• In English, pupils explore different styles of writing and write for a wide variety of purposes. Pupils’ handwriting is quickly improving due to the consistent approach to teaching handwriting across the school.
• The teaching of mathematics is good. Teachers ensure that pupils are fluent in their mathematical skills and provide plentiful opportunities for pupils to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills.
• Reading is taught well. Pupils across the school enjoy reading. The teaching of phonics is systematic and helps pupils to get off to a good start in reading. Pupils use their phonic skills to decode unknown words, and talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors.
• There are a number of pupils who speak English as an additional language, and some who are in the early stages of speaking English. These pupils are taught well and make good progress. They are given extra support to develop new vocabulary and language structures based on the context of their current learning.
• Teaching assistants provide effective support to pupils who have identified needs or pupils who need to catch up with their learning. They ask probing questions to clarify misconceptions and help these learners to make good progress.
• Teachers and teaching assistants have secure subject knowledge owing to the training that they receive. This helps them to clearly explain what pupils must learn. They teach concepts well so that most pupils understand their work and make good progress in lessons. However, teachers are not sufficiently adept at providing the most able pupils with work that demands enough of them.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils concentrate well and are keen to learn.
• Pupils are confident and articulate. They were eager to share their views with inspectors.
• Pupils know about the different types of bullying. They say that bullying rarely happens, but that teachers tackle any problems effectively.
• Pupils feel safe in school. They understand the potential dangers of the internet and learn about fire and road safety.
• Most parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, agree that pupils feel safe in school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. 

• Pupils respond well to the high expectations that leaders have of their behaviour. This is seen within lessons and when pupils move around the school.
• Pupils get on well with each other, regardless of their different backgrounds, and treat each other with respect. 

• Historically, pupils’ attendance has been below average. School leaders have worked well with parents and pupils to increase rates of attendance. The measures they have put into place are effective and attendance is now broadly in line with the national average. Fewer pupils than previously are persistently absent.
• Most of the parents and staff who completed Ofsted’s online surveys agreed that pupils behave well in school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2017, the unvalidated published outcomes for pupils in key stages 1 and 2 show good improvement from the previous year. At the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils attaining at the level expected for their age was broadly in line with the national figures for reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of key stage 2, attainment in reading and mathematics exceeded the national average. Attainment in writing was slightly below the national average.
• Pupils leaving key stage 2 in 2017 made strong progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. This was a significant improvement from 2016, when the progress dipped below the national average.
• Phonics outcomes in Year 1 continue to remain above the national average. Pupils make good progress and enter Year 2 with the necessary skills to read and write. These outcomes reflect the systematic and high-quality phonics teaching in the school.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities achieve well in relation to their starting points because of the additional support they receive from teachers and teaching assistants.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language, as well as those pupils who join mid-term, make good progress. This is because leaders quickly identify pupils’ needs and tailor the support accordingly.
• Leaders and teachers monitor each pupil’s progress every half term to ensure that no pupil falls behind. The school’s current assessment information, supported by inspection evidence, shows that the majority of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because the quality of teaching continues to improve. However, pupils’ progress in the wider curriculum is variable.
• From their starting points, the most able pupils do not make as much progress over time as they could. Consequently, progress for the most able pupils is inconsistent. Early years provision Good

• Leadership of the early years is effective. Leaders understand the strengths and areas for improvement, and are working to improve children’s experiences further in the setting.
• Adults help children settle quickly into school. As a result, children develop good routines and are happy and confident in their environment.
• Children get on well with each other, take turns and share resources.
• Partnership work with parents is strong. Parents are invited to join in with celebrating and supporting their children’s learning.
• Disadvantaged children make good progress from their different starting points. This is because adults provide appropriate support for them. Therefore, the pupil premium funding is spent effectively.
• Safeguarding is effective and statutory responsibilities are met.
• Children enter the Nursery at levels of development that are often well below that which is typical for their age. They make good progress, and this continues during their time in the Reception class. However, in this year the activities planned in the outdoor learning environment are not sufficiently challenging or exciting. As a result, opportunities to further promote children’s curiosity and learning experiences are not maximized in Reception.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101908 Ealing 10037689 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 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 235 Appropriate authority The governing board Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Michelle Bailey Jamie Maloy 020 88453186 www.vikingprimary.net office@viking.ealing.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The headteacher took up post in January 2015.
• The percentage 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 eligible for the pupil premium funding is more than double the national average.
• The number of pupils who join and leave the school at other than usual times is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well above national average. 

• Children attend the Nursery in the morning only.
• The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum standards set by the government.
• The school runs its own morning and after-school clubs, which a small number of pupils attend.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. Inspectors observed some lessons jointly with school leaders.
• Pupils’ work was reviewed during lessons and a more detailed scrutiny was made of pupils’ books with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• Pupils read to inspectors and inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection in order to gain their views. 

• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, as well as before school and during break and lunchtimes, was observed by inspectors.

• Formal and informal discussions took place with senior leaders.
• Meetings and discussions were held with a representative from the local authority, staff, parents and pupils.
• Inspectors also met with all members of the governing board.
• Inspectors assessed the school’s documentation on pupils’ attainment and progress, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, governors’ minutes, the school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement, as well as reports on the quality of teaching.
• Pupils’ work in a wide range of subjects was scrutinised. Pupils’ work on display was also considered.
• Inspectors considered the 52 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, as well as speaking to parents directly. The responses from the 11 staff questionnaires as well as the 65 pupil questionnaires about the school were also considered.

Inspection team

Jenell Chetty, lead inspector Rekha Bhakoo Raphael Moss

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector