Eldon Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • teaching is strengthened, particularly in key stage 1, so that pupils make strong progress from their starting points
  • the proportion of pupils achieving at least the national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2, is at least similar to that of other pupils nationally
  • the reading curriculum is strengthened to enable pupils to better develop their fluency and comprehension skills
  • leaders check pupils’ progress from their starting points when evaluating progress leaders systematically follow up behavioural incidents with consistent sanctions for misbehaviour.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • sharing and building on the strong practice found in the school
  • providing the most able pupils with more challenging work to enable them to achieve as well as they should
  • providing lower-ability pupils, including those new to the English language and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, with work that is well matched to their needs so that they make the progress of which they are capable
  • ensuring that pupils improve their comprehension skills through reading texts that are matched to their abilities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders have not been rigorous in sustaining consistently good teaching across the school. The quality of teaching is variable, particularly for pupils in key stage 1. As a result, these pupils do not achieve the standards of which they are capable.
• Senior and middle leaders have an accurate understanding of how to improve the school. However, they do not thoroughly monitor their areas of responsibilities. As a result, inconsistencies in pupils’ performance remain between year groups and subjects.
• The amalgamation of the junior and infant schools led to a period of instability. This affected the efficient running of systems and procedures across the school.
• Leaders have not taken timely and effective action to improve the teaching of reading. In the past, leaders were unable to keep up to date with the increased expectations of the national curriculum. Leaders recognise the need to improve the teaching of reading; however, the design of the reading curriculum remains inconsistent.
• Leaders do not use assessment information from pupils’ starting points to evaluate precisely their progress. Consequently, leaders do not have an accurate understanding of pupils who are not making strong progress, particularly the most able pupils.
• The recently appointed headteacher has an accurate understanding of the challenges facing the school. She has a clear vision and has worked tenaciously with staff to bring about improvements since her appointment. Staff morale is high and teachers feel well supported. Senior and middle leaders are empowered to lead their areas of responsibilities and have strong aspiration for the school to succeed.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils benefit from learning about a wide range of religions, including visits to and from places of worship. One pupil shared a widely held view that ‘it doesn’t matter what religion you are at Eldon Primary School’. Well-thought-out opportunities in lessons enable pupils to deepen their understanding of moral issues. For example, Year 6 pupils demonstrated a strong understanding of the British Empire and the use of slavery. Pupils reflected maturely on how this made them feel.
• British values are promoted well through the school’s values, including ‘love and tolerance’. School values are shared through assemblies and understood well by pupils. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about taking part in voting to decide on who to choose as the ‘School Prime Minister’.
• The primary school physical education and sport premium is used very effectively. Leaders rigorously monitor its use ensuring that pupils have access to high-quality sports opportunities and competitions, including gymnastics and athletics.
• Additional funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used adequately. Leaders implement additional support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and use external specialists for additional expertise. However, leaders’ understanding of the quality of support for these pupils is overgenerous.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively and check disadvantaged pupils’ attainment in different subjects regularly. Disadvantaged pupils benefit from a wide range of initiatives, including music tuition and counselling services.

Governance of the school

• Governors understand the school’s priorities well and provide leaders with strong support. They recognise the improvements the school has made in pupils’ attendance, including the greater involvement of parents. Governors understand challenges that remain around pupils’ achievement in reading, and the progress of the most able pupils.
• Governors visit the school regularly to check leaders’ actions for themselves. For example, a link safeguarding governor scrutinises documents related to staff suitability checks and discusses additional support to vulnerable pupils. Link governors work alongside external health and safety auditors to ensure that the site is safe for pupils.
• Governors recognise the need for additional external validation to help them develop a precise understanding of the school’s strengths and next steps.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders take safeguarding extremely seriously. They have a rigorous understanding of a range of vulnerable families and work proactively to provide timely and targeted support. Leaders liaise very well with external agencies and are tenacious in following up with concerns when working with the local authority.
• Leaders collaborate well with clear roles and responsibilities. The school’s safeguarding outreach and attendance officers work diligently to provide additional support to families and pupils. Record-keeping is robust and leaders demonstrate a high level of understanding of individual safeguarding cases.
• Staff receive up-to-date training reflecting the latest developments in safeguarding practice, including preventing extremism and female genital mutilation.
• In the past, a few safeguarding concerns were raised about the school. Leaders have worked closely with the local authority and other external professionals, who confirmed the effectiveness of the school’s procedures.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inconsistent, particularly across key stage 1.
• The teaching of reading is not effective because teachers are at the early stages of implementing a new approach to reading. Lower-ability pupils do not routinely have books that they are able to read fluently because these books and texts do not match their reading abilities. The most able pupils, particularly in key stage 1, do not develop their reading comprehension skills because they do not read widely enough. Pupils’ opportunities to listen and read a range of books, and visit the school library, vary between classes and are too inconsistent.
• Lower-prior-attaining pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities receive weak support and are overly reliant on additional adults to complete tasks for them. These pupils do not receive work that is matched to their abilities and often wait for teaching assistants to help them. As a result, lower-ability pupils do not develop independence in their learning.
• The most able pupils do not make strong progress, particularly in key stage 1. Tasks set for these pupils are typically not challenging enough and do not deepen their knowledge and understanding. Several most-able pupils told inspectors that work set for them was often too easy.
• Pupils new to the English language make limited progress because adults working with them are not sufficiently skilled to develop their knowledge and understanding. In lessons, these pupils do not understand what they are required to learn and sit quietly waiting for adult guidance.
• Teaching assistants’ support to improve pupils’ learning is variable. In better lessons, teaching assistants probe pupils’ understanding with strong questioning to embed learning. However, too often, pupils make slower progress as teaching assistants provide only basic guidance to them.
• However, examples of more effective teaching practice across different year groups are apparent. In these lessons, pupils make sustained progress. For example, Year 6 pupils were challenged to solve mathematical problems using well-taught arithmetic skills. Teachers in these lessons use robust questioning to deepen pupils’ learning and tackle misconceptions. However, in most lessons, resources to aid pupils’ mathematical understanding are limited and pupils do not apply previously taught number skills adequately.
• In writing, pupils have many opportunities to write at length. For example, Year 5 pupils wrote cohesive and interesting diary entries about William the Conqueror, linked to their history topic ‘1066’. However, this is not consistent across the school, particularly for lower-ability pupils. These pupils take too long to begin writing and rely heavily on adults to tell them what to write.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils learn to use previously taught sounds in their writing. Teachers typically demonstrate secure subject knowledge, which helps pupils make consistent progress.
• Pupils’ learning in the wider curriculum is well established. In PE, pupils make good progress and enjoy their lessons. For example, Year 4 pupils followed complex gymnastics routines and assessed each other’s performance with constructive feedback. In music, Year 1 pupils were fully engaged in learning about ‘layering sounds’ and demonstrating good progress in making rhythm patterns with percussion instruments.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils’ opportunities to access quality provision at breaktimes are inconsistent. In particular, pupils on the field have limited occasions to use a range of equipment. During these times, pupils play with little positive guidance from adults. Many pupils told inspectors that they wanted more equipment to play with and had shared these concerns with adults.
• When breaktimes are managed effectively, pupils enjoy using equipment such as skipping ropes, interacting well with adults who support pupils’ development. ‘Play buddies’ are given the responsibility to help their peers during breaktimes.
• Pupil have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. They are very respectful of each other’s diverse backgrounds. Pupils celebrate achievements in assemblies maturely. For example, during an assembly, pupils took pleasure at other pupils receiving ‘bikeability’ certificates for completing a bicycle safety course; pupils reflected deeply about the ‘thought of the day’. Pupils feel safe and know that they can go to adults that they trust to solve any concerns.
• Pupils have a good understanding of online safety and regularly recap on rules during weekly computing lessons. Pupils are confident about the potential dangers of social media sites, including how not to share personal details or pictures.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Leaders have recently introduced a new behaviour policy, but its use is inconsistent. Serious and minor incidents are recorded in a systematic way. However, leaders’ analysis of these incidents and subsequent sanctions are variable. On occasions, serious incidents are not followed up appropriately.
• During the inspection, pupils were typically well behaved, polite and keen to learn. Pupils told inspectors that there are often cases of poor behaviour, and the school’s behavioural records suggest that these are too frequent. The number of behavioural incidents in key stage 2, particularly involving boys, is too high.
• Leaders work effectively to oversee pupils’ attendance. They work more closely with external agencies and parents to follow up poor attendance. As a result, attendance and rates of persistent absence have significantly improved. However, these remain below the national averages.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics varies because of inconsistent teaching.
• Too many pupils across the school continue to work below the age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils typically leave early years with knowledge and understanding similar to other pupils nationally. These pupils, particularly the most able pupils, make weak progress to the end of key stage 1. As a result, a large proportion of pupils in key stage 2 work at standards below those of which they are capable.
• Lower-ability pupils, including those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, and those new to the English language, make varied progress because of inconsistent support.
• In 2016, pupils’ progress in reading at the end of key stage 2 was well below the national average. The proportions of these pupils attaining age-related expectations in reading were significantly below the national average. In 2017, although there was an improvement in pupils’ reading achievement, this remained below the national average.
• In 2017, pupils’ progress in writing at the end of key stage 2 was above the national average. The proportion of Year 6 pupils attaining at least the expected standard was in line with the national average and an improvement on 2016. However, the progress of the most able pupils was well below the national average; the proportion of pupils attaining the higher standards in writing was below the national averages in 2016 and 2017.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 remained above the national average for the last two years.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ progress in mathematics and writing remains above the national average at the end of key stage 2. In 2016 and 2017, disadvantaged pupils’ progress in reading at the end of key stage 2 was below the national average. Currently, across year groups, disadvantaged pupils’ achievement is typically at least similar to or above other pupils in the school.
• In 2017, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the national phonics screening check rose at the end of Year 1 to be in line with the national average.
• Pupils make secure progress in the wider curriculum. They have a strong grasp of history and speak articulately about important historical events. In PE and music, pupils make sustained progress as they move through the school.

Early years provision Good

• Children make good progress in early years because of strong leadership and consistently good teaching. The early years leader provides clear direction with an accurate understanding of strengths and steps for further improvement.
• The early years is a language-rich environment where children have many opportunities to mark make and write, making strong progress. Children use a range of resources, including large whiteboards, to write independently and apply their phonics skills well. They have well-developed fine motor skills, including holding pencils correctly as they write.
• The learning environment is stimulating and conducive to learning. Children have good access to all areas of learning and have many opportunities for their physical development. For example, children use tricycles along a track to balance and climbing equipment sensibly.
• Children in the Nursery and early years self-regulate their behaviour well. Children share resources sensibly and cooperate well with their friends. Adults act as positive role models and provide strong care and guidance.
• Adults assess children regularly and ensure that children who have SEN and/or disabilities are identified well for additional support. For example, leaders work closely with external agencies to provide specialist support for children whose language skills have not developed securely.
• Children make strong progress in mathematics and have well-embedded early counting skills. Adults use resources effectively to enable children to develop good arithmetic strategies. For example, adults skilfully reminded children of how to subtract using resources, which enabled them to make marked progress.
• Parents and carers agree that their children are well cared for and make good progress. There are many parental support services, particularly in the Nursery.
• Children join the Nursery with skills significantly below those expected of their age. Leaders in the two-year-old nursery provision, ‘Terrific Twos’, provide well targeted support, particularly for disadvantaged children. Children progress very well by the end of their Reception Year, with the proportion of children attaining a good level of development broadly in line with the national average. Children leave the early years well prepared for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101988 Enfield 10047403 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Community 2 to 11 Mixed 1,191 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Daniel Donaghy Jane Flynn 020 8807 4763 www.eldonprimary.co.uk office@eldon-jun.enfield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Eldon Primary School is much larger than the average primary school. The infant and junior school were separate schools on the same site. They amalgamated to become a primary school in 2015. The school operates a Children’s Centre hub.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The largest group comes from other White backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is similar to the national average.
• The current headteacher joined the school in September 2017.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all year groups at least twice. Many observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders.
• Inspectors met with governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body, and a school improvement adviser from the local authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised books in all classrooms, across a range of subjects. Inspectors heard pupils read and talked to pupils informally throughout the inspection.
• A range of documentation was considered, including the school’s self-evaluation, assessment information, records relating to attendance, safeguarding and behaviour.
• Inspectors took account of the 69 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and of information gathered from discussions with parents during the inspection. They also took into account the 53 staff responses and eleven pupil responses to the online surveys.

Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Rekha Bhakoo Jeff Cole Joy Barter Barney Geen

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector