St John's CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that teachers challenge and support the most able pupils to apply their skills and deepen their understanding in mathematics
  • ensuring that pupils’ learning is as successful in history and geography as it is in computing, science and design and technology.
• Improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils by ensuring that leaders focus more sharply on the attendance and learning behaviour of this group.
• Ensure that processes for internal communications between leaders, governors and staff are clear and consistently effective.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders and governors have maintained the good quality of education in this school. Their plans for development ensure that lessons learned from their evaluation of the school’s performance and the last inspection inform their strategies to support pupils’ good and improving outcomes across year groups.
• Leaders have maintained the good quality of teaching despite several recent staff changes. They have achieved this by making effective use of links with other local schools and training opportunities. For example, a literacy consultant from the local authority has worked with the school to improve the quality of teaching and learning in reading and writing this year.
• Senior and middle leaders use the school policies to manage the performance of teachers and support staff. Recently appointed teachers who are new to the profession feel well supported and understand the school’s policies about teaching and supporting pupils’ welfare.
• Middle leaders have helped to strengthen provision for some groups of pupils, and in some subjects. As a result, leaders and governors use the additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities more effectively. Middle leaders are ensuring that teachers use the expertise of specialist professionals well to set ambitious targets for the progress of these pupils.
• School leaders ensure that a good contribution is made to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils enjoy a wide range of memorable cultural experiences. These range from theatre trips to opportunities for learning to play the violin. Pupils’ religious education books show the broad range of opportunities pupils have to think and write about moral issues. Pupils who spoke to inspectors could explain how important British institutions such as parliamentary elections work. Pupils also benefit from residential visits to Shropshire and day trips to France. The school prepares pupils well for their future lives in modern Britain.
• Leaders make effective use of the primary school sports funding. They have focused the use of some of this funding on ensuring that all pupils learn to swim. They also use the funding wisely to ensure that this small school is always represented in local competitive sporting events.
• The curriculum helps pupils develop a broad and balanced range of skills and knowledge across a wide range of subjects. Leaders have acted effectively to improve the quality of teaching and learning in some subjects, such as computing. However, pupils’ work shows that outcomes are weaker in a few other subjects, particularly history and geography.
• Leaders and governors make good use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils to ensure that they make typically good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, they are aware that a few disadvantaged pupils in some classes continue to lack the necessary resilience and positive attitude to both learning and attendance to enable them to make consistently good progress. Leaders’ plans to improve this are supported by recent staff training. However, disadvantaged pupils’ attendance rates are below those of their peers.
• Leaders and governors understand that the morale of some staff has been affected by recent staffing changes. They recognise that at times they could improve the way that strategies for school development and pupils’ welfare are communicated so that all staff understand how and why the actions leaders take will improve the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors have supported and challenged senior leaders well to ensure that the quality of teaching has remained good through a period of staff change. They organise their work skilfully to make the most of their broad range of skills. Governors know the school well and visit regularly in order to gather first-hand evidence to test leaders’ assertions.
• Governors seek a wide range of evidence to decide on suitably challenging questions to probe leaders’ reports and findings. This has helped school leaders make effective decisions on how to tackle some weaker aspects of teaching and learning. Governors have supported the headteacher to make some difficult decisions around staffing, which have ultimately proven to be for the betterment of pupils’ development.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Over time, leaders have ensured that procedures, protocols and partnerships with the local authority, parents and other external agencies are effective in promoting pupils’ well-being. Records of the school’s work are robust and demonstrate rigorous attention to detail. They also demonstrate staff’s commitment to pupils’ welfare and their competence in following policies precisely. Regular training has sharpened staff’s and governors’ knowledge and understanding of emerging risks, such as radicalisation, cyber threats and local travel safety. Leaders plan suitable extra opportunities to address important issues such as bullying, e-safety and the dangers of smoking.
• Leaders’ approach to anticipating and managing risks is rigorous. For example, they have ensured that the storage and administration of medicines is appropriate and there are ample staff qualified in first aid and paediatric first aid. Pupils are well aware of who to go to with concerns or if they need help.
• Pupils’ understanding of how to keep themselves safe is strong. They were keen to tell inspectors about staff care for them and how they look out for one another. Pupils understand and appreciate the good work that the school does to help keep them safe, such as regular fire drills, cycling proficiency experiences and through simple daily routines. The vast majority of parents and staff share pupils’ views.
• Records of governors’ meetings demonstrate that leaders are held to account for the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Governors are suitably qualified to challenge leaders’ work and ask pertinent questions that probe the systems that are in place to promote pupils’ performance and protect them from harm. Leaders and governors are aware of a small number of staff who have not used the school’s internal reporting procedures to raise possible concerns and are working to resolve this quickly.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers set consistently high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. They use assessment information skilfully to make lessons challenging and interesting. Pupils say that their teachers make learning fun and help them understand new ideas. Inspectors agree.
• Parents are also pleased with the good quality of teaching. They appreciate the advice teachers provide to support homework. One parent told inspectors, ‘I wish I was a child again so I could enjoy the lessons too.’
• Teachers and additional adults work well together, using good subject knowledge to challenge and support pupils of different abilities. Recent training has ensured that teachers use information more effectively about pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them make good progress.
• The work that leaders have undertaken to improve reading in the current school year has been effective in improving the quality of teaching. Teachers provide accurate and well-informed guidance to help pupils acquire phonics skills and improve their spelling from the early years.
• Teachers inspire the most able pupils to make adventurous reading choices. Inspectors found that these pupils could use a wide range of sophisticated skills to discuss and write about the books they read.
• Pupils make good progress in learning to write because teachers explain how they can improve in ways that pupils can understand. Pupils’ work demonstrates that they receive the time and guidance to make improvements to the content and organisation of their writing.
• Teachers ensure that pupils make good progress in developing skills and acquiring knowledge in most subjects. For example, pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 are well supported in researching possible designs for shelters in their current design technology project. However, pupils’ work shows that teachers’ impact on ensuring that pupils make progress in subjects such as history and geography is more variable.
• The teaching of mathematics is good. Teachers and additional adults pick up pupils’ errors promptly. They apply good subject knowledge to explain how pupils can check their work. Additional adults offer well-judged encouragement for pupils who lack confidence in mathematics. However, the written work of the most able pupils shows that teachers do not challenge them enough to explain their reasoning and deepen their understanding. Pupils’ books indicate that some of the most able mathematicians spend too much time demonstrating skills that are already secure.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of how to recognise different forms of bullying. They receive excellent guidance about e-safety that enables them to identify and resist risks to their welfare when using the internet. For example, pupils in key stage 1 are aware of the dangers of clicking on ‘pop-up’ boxes when playing games online. Pupils understand confidently how school procedures, such as fire drills, and new site security measures work to keep them safe at school.
• Pupils can explain the importance of contributing to the local community. They have had their say in deciding for which good causes to raise money. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically with inspectors about their efforts to raise money for a cancer charity and to repair a local church lychgate.
• Pupils enjoy and benefit from the off-site educational activities that the school provides. Regular swimming lessons help support the healthy lifestyles that the school promotes through well-balanced menus in the dining hall at lunchtime, for instance. Pupils take every opportunity to participate in sporting activities, including during breaktimes.
• Parents reported to inspectors that they think that this school prepares pupils well for their subsequent education and personal development. During a demonstration of the school’s work to develop pupils’ entrepreneurial skills, Year 6 pupils set up a small stall that sold cakes and second-hand books to pupils and parents.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. The behaviour of most groups of pupils during lessons and in their written work demonstrates typically good attitudes to learning.
• The behaviour of pupils who find it more difficult to manage their feelings has improved. As a result, pupils say lessons are rarely disrupted. Some disadvantaged pupils occasionally show less positive attitudes to their learning.
• Pupils behave well when at play and when moving around the school. However, members of staff need to remind some pupils about rules at these times. Additional adults, such as catering staff, told inspectors that pupils are consistently polite to them. Parents typically agree that pupils’ behaviour is good. Inspectors found pupils to be welcoming and keen to talk positively about their school.
• The records leaders keep of more serious concerns about behaviour indicate that bullying and other discriminatory acts are extremely rare. Detailed records allow leaders to identify promptly any patterns that may indicate wider underlying concerns.
• Attendance is improving in the current year and is now similar to that for other primary schools nationally. However, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are persistently absent from school remains high. While small in number, leaders are focused on this group in their ongoing work to sustain good attendance overall.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils are good. They make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from a range of starting points. Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 is broadly similar to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders have been successful in reversing a decline in standards in phonics noticed in 2016. Current pupils in key stage 1 are making good progress in learning basic reading and spelling skills. Disadvantaged pupils are making similar progress to others in phonics because of the effective use of additional funding.
• The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has picked up in the current year so that it is now good. This is because leaders have ensured that teachers make better use of information and specialist expertise when setting objectives for learning.
• Pupils typically make good progress in their personal development. However, leaders are aware that some pupils with less positive attitudes to learning and attendance make slower progress, in particular a few who are disadvantaged.
• Despite some pupils’ weaker attendance, disadvantaged pupils generally make similar progress to other pupils nationally from their various starting points in reading in both key stage 1 and key stage 2. Leaders have been successful in reversing a decline in rates of progress of disadvantaged pupils in learning to read.
• The most able pupils make good progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2016, their progress by the end of key stage 2 was similar to national rates. Leaders are working hard to help teachers accelerate the progress of the most able pupils in mathematics, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. However, their work has been limited in its impact on how well this group develop their skills in using and applying mathematical concepts.
• Pupils make good gains in their knowledge and understanding in most subjects. For example, teachers’ good subject knowledge in science and computing is ensuring that pupils can use and apply their skills well. However, pupils’ progress in acquiring skills and knowledge specific to some subjects, such as history and geography, is inconsistent.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have checked the accuracy of their assessments of children’s abilities on arrival with the help of colleagues from local schools and the local authority. Children arrive with levels of development broadly typical for their age. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development is above the national average, having recovered after a dip in 2015. This represents good progress for most of the children. However, a growing proportion of children are making excellent progress to achieve a good level of development from weaker starting points. Some children in the current year are also on track to exceed a good level of development after having arrived with weaker than typical abilities.
• The small number of disadvantaged children make similar good progress to others. This is because leaders make effective decisions about how additional funding is spent.
• Leaders rigorously check that training and expertise from beyond the school has been used well to sustain the good quality of teaching. For example, because of recent training, teachers and additional adults ask more effective questions to assess children’s understanding and challenge the most able.
• Teachers have organised the outdoor and indoor areas skilfully to inspire children and support their acquisition of skills across the curriculum. For example, during the inspection, children were making good use of a ‘seaside’ themed area because of the skilful guidance and support they received from teachers and additional adults.
• Children understand adults’ expectations of their behaviour. They usually make safe choices and the most able are capable of making safe choices about the use of equipment independently of adults.
• Teachers ensure that children receive good support to develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills. They gather information about children’s learning systematically and use this to adapt activities when necessary.
• The most able children make rapid progress in learning to write. However, leaders are aware that the physical development of some children remains somewhat weaker despite the ample opportunities for indoor and outdoor creative learning.
• The arrangements for safeguarding in the early years are effective. Staff pay close attention to children’s development and welfare, ensuring that children explore and learn in a safe and caring environment.
• Members of staff use spoken language well to help children improve their understanding of how sentences are constructed. However, on occasion, they do not challenge children to reply with sufficient accuracy.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 102027 Enfield 10031787 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 Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 111 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Matthew Laban Susan Notley 0208 363 4709 www.stjohnsprimarysch.org.uk/ office@stjohnsprimarysch.org.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 February 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This school is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of key stage 2.
• The proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, entitled to the pupil premium, is much higher than average.
• An average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Information about this inspection

• The school was inspected on 6, 8 and 9 June 2017. On 10 July 2017, one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors returned to the school to gather additional evidence of the school’s safeguarding arrangements and elements of leadership and management. The evidence gathered from all four days determined the final judgements.
• Inspectors conducted short and longer observations in lessons in all classes, including the Nursery and Reception classes. Some of these observations were completed jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during playtime and the lunch break. A school assembly was also observed.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders and representatives of the governing body. Inspectors also held discussions with leaders responsible for particular aspects of the school’s work.
• Formal and informal conversations were held with pupils throughout the inspection.
• Inspectors spoke with representatives from the local authority’s school improvement service and scrutinised documentation detailing external support from the Diocese of London.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents including: information about pupils’ achievements; records of the checks carried out by leaders on the quality of teaching; minutes of governors’ meetings.
• Inspectors looked at behaviour records, attendance information and documents related to safeguarding including: arrangements for first aid and the administration of medication; risk assessments; health and safety logs; accident logs and records of follow-up; an external audit of the school’s arrangements; records relating to the school’s work with external agencies; records of pre-employment checks made on staff.
• Inspectors met with parents informally at the beginning and end of the school day and considered 20 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire. They considered 12 responses to the staff questionnaire and a number of members of staff approached inspectors to discuss their views.
• A wide range of pupils’ work was scrutinised. Inspectors spoke with pupils to consider their views about the school.

Inspection team

Andrew Wright, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Karla Martin-Theodore Ofsted Inspector Matt Tiplin Her Majesty’s Inspector