Carterhatch Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Develop the quality of improvement planning so that the school’s priorities are clear and governors can accurately hold leaders to account.
• Improve the effectiveness of the teaching of writing in key stage 1, by:
  • raising teachers’ expectations of the quality of pupils’ writing
  • increasing the frequency of opportunities to write at depth across a range of subjects, including the humanities
  • improving the quality of presentation and handwriting.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The two headteachers lead the school with care and sensitivity, but also with ambition. Their vision is to improve teaching and create memorable learning experiences for the pupils. This is proving successful, particularly in mathematics and reading.
• Senior leaders have created a clear set of school values which are known to even the youngest children. The headteachers and assistant headteacher make an effective leadership team which is well supported by a capable governing body. Together, they have maintained a consistent focus on improving the quality of learning and pupils’ progress.
• Although leaders have a clear view of the school’s strengths, development planning has lacked clarity. As a consequence, the school’s priorities have not been clear and leaders have not been held to account by governors on some aspects of the school’s work that needed improvement, including writing standards at the end of key stage 1.
• The impact of leaders’ work is shown by improvements in the teaching of phonics and pupils’ early reading skills. Leaders recognised that standards needed to rise rapidly as the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the national phonics screening check remained below average in 2017. Changes were made to the teaching of phonics and standards are now rising rapidly. Children in the early years make a good start to their reading, which is built upon in key stage 1.
• Middle leaders are similarly ambitious for the school. They are enthusiastic about their work and can link the actions they take to improved outcomes for pupils. For example, the successful development of innovative mathematics teaching has led to increased expertise and, in turn, to significant improvements in pupils’ progress in key stage 1.
• The school’s new assessment system is intended to enable senior leaders to hold teachers to account for the progress pupils make in their classes. This system is now starting to provide useful information that can be analysed to identify any underachievement of groups of pupils. The headteacher is keen to develop this further so that teachers can make use of the analysis in planning work for pupils.
• Pupil premium funding is used well to support disadvantaged pupils, using a range of strategies. For example, leaders have been very quick to address the drop in writing standards of these pupils in the 2017 end-of-key-stage assessments. Support in lessons is augmented with more intensive intervention where needed and high-quality resources. Additionally, the funding is used for pupils’ personal development by providing access to extra-curricular activities. Because of these strategies, disadvantaged pupils now generally make the same progress as other pupils nationally.
• The primary physical education and sports premium is used carefully and enables the school to provide specialist teaching. Pupils benefit from a good range of clubs and opportunities and take part in sports events and competitions 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. In particular, the school’s deeply held school values place mutual respect at its core.
• Carterhatch’s curriculum is broad and diverse. There is a focus on developing pupils’ key literacy and numeracy skills, but pupils also enjoy studying subjects such as science and geography. These are developed through an active approach which pupils find interesting, particularly when they can choose for themselves when to tackle the learning challenges given to them.
• The school has received useful support from Enfield local authority. The authority has a good understanding of the school and has provided advice and consultancy to support leaders’ strategies. This included providing a detailed review of school performance and support for the teaching of writing.

Governance of the school

• Governors are thorough in carrying out their duties. They pay frequent visits to the school and consequently know the school well. They have acted conscientiously to enable the school to develop its vision of a caring community.
• However, the governing body is relatively small and, as such, has limited capacity to act as a driving force in school improvement. In recent years, governors have not focused directly on the main challenges facing the school, in part because of weaknesses in the school’s development planning.
• Governors’ committees provide a focus on pupils’ progress and resource provision. Many of the governors have a long association with the school and rightly value its place in the community. They are keen to promote their mission to provide ‘child-led’ learning and achieve high standards.

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. 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; 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 very 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. Key staff have ensured that safer recruitment training and practice are up to date.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good and ensures that all groups of pupils do well. Mostly, teaching is characterised by effective use of time and high expectations of the quality of work that pupils produce.
• The school has successfully improved the way teachers assess pupils’ work. Teachers give useful feedback during lessons, which pupils can act upon immediately and so improve their work. The assessment information is also used well to identify which pupils need additional support or further challenge.
• The teaching is usually effective in making lessons challenging and interesting for all pupils. For example, in a mathematics lesson pupils worked at different ways to solve worded number problems about division and multiplication.
• However, some teaching of writing fails to challenge pupils, reflecting expectations that are too low. As a result, overall, pupils are not making the progress in writing of which they are capable, both in English lessons and other subjects.
• Teaching staff have very strong relationships with the pupils. They work well with the additional adults who support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Pupils know that the staff want them to do well. In turn, this has developed pupils’ positive attitudes towards learning.
• Teaching in the additional ‘kangaroo class’ helps pupils who need extra support to get small-group experiences in a safe environment that meets their needs well. The school has a proud reputation of ‘going the extra mile’ to help pupils succeed. In many cases, these pupils are well integrated into the mainstream school and are much-valued by their classmates.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

Behaviour

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Current pupils are making very good progress in mathematics and reading and improving rates of progress in writing. This is reflected in the school’s assessments of their progress over time, in their books and in their learning in lessons. This is the result of consistently good teaching over time. Progress in writing is slower. Although there are indications of better progress, pupils’ attainment in writing remains below average.
• In 2017, the proportion of Year 1 pupils achieving the expected standards in the phonics screening check was slightly below that seen nationally. However, because of determined action by staff, pupils’ phonics skills are improving quickly. Standards of reading are good in key stage 1 and pupils read with clarity and understanding. They clearly enjoy reading and told inspectors about their favourite types of books, though not all read regularly outside of school.
• In 2017, the proportions of Year 2 pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and mathematics were average, but below average in writing. The proportions attaining the greater depth standard in reading and mathematics were below average and relatively few pupils attained the greater depth standard in writing. The headteacher recognises that more should be expected of pupils in writing and is already putting in place strategies that aim to redress this shortfall.
• Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress in reading and mathematics. Leaders are tracking their progress more closely and differences in progress and attainment between these and other pupils have been eradicated in other areas. Leaders are committed to maintaining this improvement by targeting additional support where it is most needed. Disadvantaged pupils, as others, make slower progress in writing and their attainment in writing remains below average.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making better progress than in the past. Their needs are now better identified, and they are given precise support by teachers and support staff. This includes pupils in both the classes and the additional ‘kangaroo class’.
• Pupils are generally well prepared for the next stage of their education when they leave the school at the end of Year 2. This is because of the good foundation they receive at Carterhatch Infant School. Pupils are confident and positive about their future because they have learned to be successful.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Staff plan carefully to ensure that children learn well and make substantial progress from their starting points. As a result, children’s levels of development have been maintained since the previous inspection and are close to those seen nationally.
• Teachers in the Reception and Nursery classes create a welcoming learning environment that interests children in activities that they find enjoyable. Very skilful teaching ensures that children get plenty of experiences in learning how to read and write.
• Teaching assistants work well to support children in their learning. Children are excited by the topics that they study. They settle swiftly to work and are very well behaved and respectful towards one another.
• Classrooms are very well resourced and staffed so that children can learn independently or with adults, as they choose. The adults place themselves carefully, so they are always the focus of any of the main teaching activities taking place. Children are enthusiastic and work well together, enjoying the activities which take place both indoors and outside.
• This strength of provision is typified in the Reception classes, where the teachers work hard to create wonderful opportunities for children to learn outside. These include taking responsibility by looking after the school’s chickens and rabbit.
• Across all classes, children are very well cared for and their well-being is of paramount importance.
• Leaders are rightly proud of the strong provision available at the mainstream school and in the specially resourced provision. They keep a close eye on the children’s progress and work hard to ensure provision is of a very high standard. As such, leadership and management of the early years provision is extremely effective and striving for continuous improvement.
• Since the previous inspection, the school has worked successfully to raise disadvantaged children’s achievement. They are now doing as well as their peers.
• Children develop very positive attitudes to school life in the early years and are well prepared for moving into Year 1. Children in the Reception class are already showing increased skill in writing and all children clearly enjoy their experiences while at the school.
• The school is developing effective partnership working with parents, who give the school valuable information about the children as they begin their ‘school journey’. Assessments of the children’s achievement are given to parents at the end of the early years, which provide a summary of their work and a valuable keepsake.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101983 Enfield 10041971 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 Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 337 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteachers Tracey Charles Adrienne Barrell and Sarah Clements Telephone number 020 8804 6886 Website Email address Date of previous inspection

www.carterhatchinfants.com office@carterhatch-inf.enfield.sch.uk

27–28 November 2013

Information about this school

• The school is larger than most primary schools. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average.
• The school has created an additional class for small-group work for pupils who have a range of SEN and/or disabilities. There are currently 10 pupils from key stage 1 accessing this resource.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching in samples of lessons in all year groups, several of which were visited jointly with the headteachers.
• The inspection team heard some pupils read in Years 1 and 2 and looked at samples of pupils’ work.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school improvement plan and records of pupils’ behaviour, safety, safeguarding and attendance. They also scrutinised assessment information of individual pupils and records of meetings of the governing body.
• Inspectors met with teachers and spoke with pupils. A meeting was held with three members of the governing body. A meeting was also held with two representatives from the local authority. Several meetings were also held with the headteachers.
• The views of parents were obtained through 24 responses to the online Ofsted Parent View survey, as well as informal discussions, which were held with parents on the first day of the inspection.

Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin, lead inspector Sherlyn Ramsay Sukwinder Samra

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector