Morningside Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Embed the assessment system so that progress and attainment are tracked consistently well across all subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher’s leadership underpins the school’s rapid and sustained progress. It is now a highly successful school where pupils from all backgrounds can thrive. Ably supported by her staff and governors, the headteacher has demonstrated a determination and moral commitment to give pupils a great standard of education.
• Leaders at all levels have driven improvements. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s overall performance and use this knowledge to address areas for development effectively. The executive principal from the federation provides effective support to leaders. Expectations are high and staff work rigorously to make sure that all pupils make rapid progress. Leaders’ relentless attention to detail has resulted in the raised standards across the school.
• Middle leaders are highly trained. Senior leaders within the school and across the federation support them effectively and provide valuable opportunities for staff to develop their leadership skills. As a result, middle leaders carry out their responsibilities confidently and play a crucial role in the leadership team.
• Staff share good practice not only with each other but with colleagues from other schools in the federation and further afield. For example, staff deliver training on the school’s successful writing programme and invite teachers from other schools to observe outstanding teaching practice.
• Performance management targets are focused and staff receive high-quality training to support their development, closely monitored by senior leaders. This has led to rapid improvements in teaching and learning. Newly qualified teachers are well supported and feel, as one teacher said, ‘part of the family’. Staff morale is very high.
• Leaders have designed a curriculum which provides breadth and depth to pupils’ learning. Staff work with leaders to review the curriculum regularly, ensuring that it motivates pupils to learn. In all year groups, the themes and topics covered inspire and challenge pupils to think creatively and extend their knowledge. The wide range of extra-curricular activities, such as yoga, multi-skills, homework club and steel pan band, are often offered to specific pupils, based on their needs.
• Leaders are determined to give pupils rich experiences, and the curriculum is enhanced by thoughtful and well-planned activities. For example, themed weeks focus on learning about subjects such as science and technology beyond the classroom. Visitors from a variety of professions teach pupils about the world of work, and introduce them to careers such as neuroscience and software engineering. Pupils are highly aspirational as a result.
• Leaders ensure that the pupil premium funding is reviewed and evaluated carefully. Funding is allocated to target and support individual needs, such as improving attendance, helping pupils overcome challenging personal circumstances or developing literacy and numeracy. Consequently, it is making a difference to the achievement and well-being of the pupils it is meant to support. Disadvantaged pupils do as well as, and often better than, other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The provision for pupils who have special educational needs/and or disabilities is outstanding. Additional funding is used to very good effect and leaders evaluate it sharply. Each pupil’s needs are met specifically through a detailed programme of tailored support. Staff receive training so that they can adapt lessons, and teaching assistants are used effectively to provide individual or small-group support. Parents are fully involved and attend workshops to learn about how best to help their children. As a result, pupils are making very strong progress and are on track to meet their challenging individual targets.
• The school uses the primary school sport premium funding effectively to promote sport across the school. The number of specialist staff who work with pupils has increased, as has the range of lunchtime activities and sports clubs. More pupils represent the school in local sports competitions than previously and have opportunities to take examinations in activities such as judo and dance.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted across the school. Pupils are reflective learners and keen to learn about the world beyond their immediate surroundings. They talk positively of the trips they attend, such as the Royal Courts of Justice and local places of worship. Pupils have many opportunities to take part in school events such as music concerts, dance festivals and drama productions.
• British values form the basis of the school’s own values, the ‘Morningside Messages’, and are woven into the curriculum. Pupils understand and demonstrate these values. From a young age, they are taught to be respectful and tolerant of each other, regardless of race and religion.

Governance of the school

• Governors bring a range of valuable experience and skills to the leadership team. They have an in-depth knowledge of the school’s performance as a whole and know its strengths and areas to further improve. Their judgements are confirmed through a range of first-hand experiences, such as regular visits to the school, listening to presentations from school leaders, meeting pupils and attending staff training.
• Governors support and challenge the headteacher and senior leaders effectively. They have been instrumental in making changes to the school since the previous inspection, working closely with school leaders to ensure that every child gets the best education possible at the school. They understand their statutory duties well with regard to safeguarding and actively test out procedures in the school to ensure that they are robust.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s approach to safeguarding is thorough and rigorous. The school site is secure and well supervised. Leaders are diligent in ensuring that the appropriate pre-employment checks are made on the suitability of staff.
• Leaders ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met, but they go above and beyond these. They are relentless in ensuring that pupils and families get the support they need. The school-based social worker works closely with leaders to ensure that they have a positive impact on the most vulnerable pupils and families. Recent changes to the absence procedures, for example, have ensured that no stone is left unturned where safeguarding is concerned.
• All staff are up to date in their safeguarding training, including the ‘Prevent’ duty and awareness of female genital mutilation. Staff understand what they should do if any concerns arise. Leaders take swift and effective action if safeguarding issues arise. Pupils say that they feel safe at school and parents agree.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching and learning are consistently outstanding across the curriculum and all year groups. Consequently, pupils make outstanding progress.
• Teachers demonstrate excellent subject knowledge which enables them to deliver challenging and well-structured lessons. Teachers skilfully question pupils, encouraging them to use their prior knowledge and apply it in a different context. Work is aimed at the right level for individual pupils and tasks are tailored to their needs.
• Interesting and stimulating activities ensure that pupils are motivated and enthused to learn. Teachers use well-prepared and creative resources. For example, in a Year 5 Spanish lesson, pupils were able to offer opinions on different types of fruit as they tasted them. In a Year 3 mathematics lesson, pupils formed shapes with elastic bands on a board, which helped them to calculate perimeters accurately.
• Teachers plan topics carefully to ensure that pupils make progress. Teachers use ‘cold tasks’ to inform them of pupils’ knowledge and understanding at the start of a topic. Teachers then use ‘hot tasks’ at the end of the unit of work to demonstrate the impact of teaching and the clear development of pupils’ learning.
• Support staff are deployed well and their skills are used effectively. There is a shared responsibility between teachers and support staff as they work together to ensure that pupils receive high-quality teaching. Support staff are highly trained and trusted to deliver lessons. At other times, they work with different groups of pupils or individuals, providing effective additional support.
• There has been a strong drive to improve pupils’ skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Regular teaching of basic skills within the context of lessons and the higher profile of grammar have led to substantial improvements in this area. Mathematics lessons are planned to ensure that all pupils have the chance to consolidate and deepen their mathematical knowledge and understanding.
• The consistent approach to reading across the school enables pupils to make outstanding progress as they move from year to year. The reading scheme promotes key skills such as interactive reading, comprehension and fluency. Staff monitor pupils’ progress regularly, moving them to different ability groups as appropriate. Pupils are enthusiastic and confident readers as a result of the high-quality reading provision.
• The school’s relatively new assessment system ensures that staff track pupils’ progress accurately and comprehensively in most subjects. Assessment is embedded in daily practice and teachers use it confidently to identify and address any gaps in knowledge. Leaders acknowledge that the assessment system needs to be refined further so that it is consistent across all subject areas.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are looked after extremely well at school. They follow the caring example set by staff and look after each other. In the playground, older pupils look after younger children and ensure that no one is left on their own.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in and around school. They understand what to do if accidents happen, and staff supervise them closely.
• Pupils understand the different forms of bullying but say that it rarely happens. They know who to go to if they have any concerns, and have faith in staff to help them resolve problems. Peer mediators are prominent around the school. They go through a rigorous application process and receive external training to help deal with arguments or friendship issues among pupils.
• The pastoral team are an asset to the school. They know pupils and their families well, and have earned their trust through their determination to help pupils and families who face challenging circumstances. They liaise with the school’s social worker to ensure that pupils receive timely and appropriate support, on both a practical and an emotional level.
• The pastoral team also encourage teamwork and fun for pupils through structured playtime, organising games for large groups of pupils to play together. As one staff member said, ‘We want them to have happy memories of school.’
• Transition between all key stages is handled extremely well. Staff support pupils and parents throughout this process so that pupils settle in quickly to their new environment. The school has many new arrivals joining throughout the school year. Staff deal with this sensitively to ensure that new pupils are happy and settled from day one.
• Pupils demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to learning. They talk about their learning enthusiastically and articulately. Pupils talk knowledgeably about the different careers they might have and they are ambitious for their futures.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils understand the importance of behaving well and they respond excellently to the high expectations of staff. Established routines and the easily understood ‘Morningside Messages’ mean that no time is wasted in lessons from poor behaviour. Pupils move from one activity to another purposefully and without disruption.
• Success is celebrated in many ways. Consequently, pupils are motivated to behave well, work hard and participate in lessons. Behaviour is monitored closely and staff predict potential issues and resolve them immediately. Pupils with challenging behaviour are helped to become successful learners.
• Pupils are excited about coming to school and speak about it positively. Attendance is consistently above the national average. Leaders have put in place successful strategies to help pupils get to school each day, such as the ‘walking bus’, which collects pupils from home and brings them to breakfast club.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Leaders’ sustained and focused improvement work has secured an upward trend in outcomes across the school in recent years. Pupils’ progress and achievement across the school and in a range of subjects are outstanding as a result. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• In 2016, the progress that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, made by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly above the national average. Pupil premium funding has been used well to provide intensive support for pupils. The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, made at least good progress and many attained the high standard in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities made above-average progress in writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 when compared with other pupils nationally from similar starting points.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 1 in 2016 was above national figures. The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, achieve well.
• Current pupils in all year groups are on track to make at least good progress in all subjects this year. A high proportion of pupils, not just the most able, are working beyond age-related expectations. For pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, their progress is close to that of other pupils in each year group.
• Phonics teaching is strong. Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics screening check is consistently above the national average. Pupils show a clear progression in their reading skills as they move up the school. They enjoy reading regularly at school. By the end of Year 6, they have developed a wide range of skills and read as much for pleasure as for learning.
• Standards and expectations are consistent across all subjects. Work in books demonstrates and supports the broad and balanced curriculum which is delivered through age-appropriate but challenging tasks and activities. There is clear evidence of outstanding progress in books from the beginning of the school year for all pupils.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years environment is bright, attractive and well resourced. The outdoor provision has been developed since the previous inspection. This enables pupils to access a variety of activities, both inside and outside, which cover all areas of learning. Activities are age-appropriate and show clear progression from the two-year-old provision through to Nursery and Reception. As a result, children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Children in early years are safe and happy. Safeguarding is effective and children behave excellently. Warm relationships between children and staff give children the reassurance and confidence to try out new activities and share their thoughts and feelings. Adults encourage children to be independent, intervening when appropriate and moving them on in their learning.
• Creative and interesting activities engage children. Consequently, they respond well to challenges, enjoy their learning and show resilience. For example, staff in Reception set up a ‘crime scene’, where children had to work through a series of tasks to find out who had eaten the cake. Children busily set about identifying clues, offering their ideas and recording their thoughts.
• From below-average starting points, children, including those who are disadvantaged, make outstanding progress. School information shows that this is particularly the case for children who join the school at the age of two. Careful and accurate assessment of each child leads to highly focused teaching which targets individual needs.
• The majority of children enter early years with well-below-average language development. Staff skilfully use opportunities to improve children’s language and communication skills. For example, pupils were observed writing in the paint and glitter tray, sounding out sounds as they wrote. Staff challenge children to use full sentences and to extend their vocabulary. Vibrant and stimulating displays add to the language-rich environment.
• Leaders in early years are quick to identify and address any weaknesses. For example, boys’ writing was an area for development this year. Leaders delivered staff training specific to this and devised writing activities which motivated boys. Consequently, boys’ writing has improved and the proportion of boys on track to achieve a good level of development has increased significantly.
• Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also make substantial progress. Adults adapt lessons to suit their needs, and specialist support staff, such as speech therapists, provide additional support. Children entitled to early years pupil premium funding perform as well as other children with similar starting points.
• Leaders have worked hard to build up relationships with parents and carers. They make home visits before children join the early years provision. This gives staff the chance to meet each child, assess their needs and reassure parents. Staff offer a variety of classes, such as language lessons, support for parents returning to work and a sewing class. The daily feedback board provides valuable information to parents, and specific workshops help parents to support their child’s education at home.

School details

Unique reference number 100232 Local authority Hackney Inspection number 10031812-2 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 Community Age range of pupils 2 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 453 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Heather Rockhold Headteacher Janet Taylor Executive Principal Sian Davies Telephone number 0208 985 5382 Website www.morningside.hackney.sch.uk Email address admin@morningside.hackney.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 June 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Morningside Primary School is an above average-sized primary school.
• The early years is made up of two Reception classes: a nursery class and provision for two-year-olds. The school also offers a breakfast club and after-school club.
• The school joined the Primary Advantage Federation in January 2013. There are eight schools in the federation. The headteacher took up post in November 2012.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is well above the national average.
• Two thirds of the pupils speak English as an additional language. The majority of pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above average.
• The school currently meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed lessons in all year groups and across a range of subjects. Some of these observations were done jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, teachers, support staff, members of the governing body, including the chair, and a representative from the local authority. There were formal and informal discussions with pupils. An inspector listened to a group of pupils read.
• Inspectors evaluated a range of documentation provided by the school, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan, external reports of the school, information about pupils’ progress and attainment, safeguarding information, minutes from governing body meetings, attendance information and behaviour records.
• The inspection team reviewed pupils’ learning over time through scrutiny of pupils’ books from a variety of subjects and year groups. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their work in lessons.
• Inspectors evaluated the views of three responses from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also held informal discussions with parents during the inspection.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 17 responses to the staff survey and 35 responses to the pupils’ survey.

Inspection team

Jude Wilson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Chris Birtles Ofsted Inspector Jo Franklin Ofsted Inspector Paul Wagstaff Her Majesty’s Inspector