Flora Gardens Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Make sure that pupils, particularly the most able, make the strongest progress they can in reading, writing and mathematics by:
  • raising adults’ expectations of how well pupils can achieve
  • setting more challenging tasks.
• Improve pupils’ writing throughout the school by:
  • encouraging as much writing as possible on topics across the curriculum
  • improving pupils’ spelling.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders at all levels have improved all areas of the school’s work, so that Flora Gardens is now a good school. The new leadership team was formed in September 2015. Leaders have acted swiftly to tackle the actions for improvement identified in the previous inspection report. They rightly prioritised raising the quality of teaching. As a result of determined actions, the teaching force is now more stable than at the time of the previous inspection and the quality of teaching is consistently good.
• Staff show, in their responses to the Ofsted online survey, that they back their leaders strongly. Almost all of those who worked at the school at the time of the previous inspection say that the school has improved a great deal. A typical comment from one member of staff is, ‘Staff feel supported and listened to. Everyone really does work as a team.’
• Leaders observe teaching frequently and provide effective guidance to adults on how to improve their skills where necessary. As a result, the quality of teaching is consistently good and enables pupils to make good, though not exceptional, progress in their learning. Leaders do not always ensure in their observations of the quality of teaching that the most able pupils are stretched.
• Leaders and governors make wise use of the additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders effectively check on the achievement of these groups and put in place additional support for any at risk of falling behind. This is particularly helpful in enabling disadvantaged pupils and those with a range of additional needs to make progress in line with other pupils. The headteacher keeps governors well informed about the progress of these groups, and governors, too, keep a watchful eye on them.
• Leaders and governors make good use of the additional government funding for primary physical education and sport. A specialist teacher delivers lessons and provides a stimulating range of lunchtime and after-school clubs. These attract pupils who might not otherwise take part in sport. A wide range of activities is on offer, including indoor athletics and girls’ football and cricket. Leaders plan well for continuing the benefits of the funding once it ends, ensuring that specialist teaching will continue.
• Leaders identified reading as a historically weak area of pupils’ achievement. They acted quickly to encourage and improve reading. For example, they made wise choices of books to be studied by pupils and awarded books as prizes so that reading is seen as valuable. Pupils’ achievement in reading throughout the school is now strong, as is their achievement in mathematics.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. It enables pupils to have a solid grounding in reading, writing and mathematics, so that pupils are ready for the transition to secondary school.
• The curriculum makes a strong contribution to promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have access to high-quality experiences, both during the school day and when taken out on trips and visits. For example, pupils have wonderful opportunities to attend concerts and to play instruments themselves. They are inspired to aim high through visits by eminent sportsmen and women. Such experiences raise pupils’ aspirations and give them a sense of wonder.
• The curriculum develops pupils’ understanding of British values. Pupils learn well about a wide range of world religions, and this makes a strong contribution to promoting a harmonious school environment where diversity is celebrated. As a result of the school’s inclusive ethos, pupils’ behaviour and their personal development are extremely strong.

Governance of the school

• Governors effectively hold leaders to account for the improved quality of education provided by the school.
• Governors work in effective partnership with school leaders and with the local authority to promote improvement.
• Governors know the school well. They are clear about how well pupils are learning. This enables them to ensure that the additional government funding is used well to promote the learning of groups such as disadvantaged pupils and those who have a range of additional needs.
• Governors play an important part in securing good-quality teaching by ensuring that there is a close link between staff progression along the pay scales and pupils’ progress.
• Governors effectively carry out their statutory duty to keep pupils safe. For example, they are successfully trained in recognising signs of extremism and in protecting girls from female genital mutilation.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a safe culture within the school and all adults are trained in safety procedures. Members of staff know whom to turn to if they have a safeguarding concern.
• The backgrounds of adults who work with children are carefully checked.
• Parents are given access to clear and full information on how the school keeps their children safe.
• Before pupils undertake activities within the school, or are taken out on trips, all possible risks are carefully considered.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is consistently good and results in good outcomes for pupils.
• Through a focused and effective push on reading, pupils’ attainment in this subject has improved throughout the school. There are inviting reading corners in classrooms. Pupils who read aloud to an inspector showed that they can master unfamiliar words by using effective phonics skills. Pupils are able to read with expression and can talk about books they enjoy reading.
• Adults make sure that pupils learn mathematical skills well. Tasks have a suitable level of challenge for most pupils, particularly those who struggle with their learning. Tasks are pitched at the right level for them so that they make good progress in acquiring number skills.
• Adults’ feedback, both written and oral, enables pupils to learn well. The school’s clear and helpful feedback policy is understood by even the youngest pupils, and enables them quickly to see where they have gone wrong. Through discussion with the adults, they understand what they need to do to improve.
• Where a great deal is expected of pupils, they rise to the challenge. In a Year 2 session, pupils were introduced to Hinduism through the story of Rama and Sita. Pupils watched an exciting retelling of the story and then acted it out themselves. Pupils were able to discuss why the story shows the victory of good over evil. In such ways, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effectively promoted.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, are not always fully stretched. They do not typically make the most rapid progress they could. This is because adults sometimes do not expect enough of these pupils and do not invariably set them challenging enough tasks.
• The quality of writing throughout the school is not as strong as other subjects. This is because adults do not always take full advantage of the wide range of topics offered to pupils through the curriculum. Sometimes pupils are not offered enough opportunities to write freely about topics across the curriculum, for example in history and geography. Pupils, including the most able, do not routinely spell well enough, and this hinders their fluency in writing.

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 confident, extremely polite and thoughtful towards others. Many pupils enquired whether the inspectors were enjoying their visit, and they were really interested in holding a dialogue with their visitors.
• Pupils told inspectors that they understand the concept of bullying and are therefore sure that there is no bullying at their school. Young children get on extremely well with older pupils.
• Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, whether in school or when out and about. They are taught about e-safety and other dangers involved in using computers. They understand potential risks from talking to strangers. They appreciate the way their ‘lollipop lady’ encourages them to be safe on the road.
• Pupils told inspectors that they value the many chances they have to help others, for example through charitable efforts. They like the new house system. They particularly appreciate the way it enables pupils to work with others from different year groups, for example to compete in sports or to raise money for good causes.
• The breakfast club and the after-school care provision are safe and protective environments. Those who attend receive healthy food and are able to mix with those of all ages. Inspectors visited both clubs. In one, pupils were busy making Native American dreamcatchers, and this gave them a stimulating and worthwhile addition to their school day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are proud of their school. They absorb the school’s values well and get on extremely well with those from all heritages and backgrounds. Parents, too, value the inclusiveness of the school’s diverse community. A typical comment from one parent was, ‘There is a great sense of community within the school.’
• Pupils respect the school’s environment and keep classrooms and corridors, with their many wall displays, neat and tidy.
• Attendance is on a rising trend. The school’s robust actions to improve attendance and punctuality are paying off. Attendance is now average for the first time in several years. Persistent absence is declining.
• Pupils are highly attentive in lessons. Pupils are eager to join in and get the most from their learning.
• Incidents of disruptive behaviour have dropped dramatically. There are so many inviting, well-supervised playground activities that pupils are fully engaged. The school is a harmonious and nurturing environment.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes are good because pupils throughout the school make good progress in their learning. School information indicates that pupils currently achieve well, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils’ outcomes have been on a rising trend. Published information about pupils’ performance shows that the progress of Year 6 pupils in reading, writing and mathematics was weak in 2015, predating the appointment of the new leadership team, but higher in 2016 when leaders had been in post for a year. School information indicates that current Year 6 pupils are making strong progress in all three subjects.
• Pupils’ attainment throughout the school has improved and is now broadly average, with particular strengths in Year 6. Younger pupils do well. Proportions of children who reach a good level of development are rising. Pupils’ scores in the Year 1 phonics screening check are going up, as are outcomes in key stage 1.
• A particular success story for the school is the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders and governors ensure that the additional funding is spent effectively. As a result, these pupils achieve in line with other pupils at the school and with other pupils nationally.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the right support for their needs, and make progress in line with others. Adults provide effective support for these pupils and also for those who need to catch up in their learning.
• The school plans well for the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language, and provides them with good support, tailored to their stage of language acquisition. As a result, these pupils achieve in line with others.
• Pupils throughout the school are prepared well for the next stage of schooling, particularly in reading and mathematics. However, writing skills, though not weak, are less strong than in the other subjects. Pupils told inspectors that they would like the chance to write more freely. This corresponds with inspection findings that writing tasks are sometimes not adventurous enough or cover a broad enough range of topics. Pupils do not always have strong enough spelling skills to enable them to write fluently without worrying about how individual words are spelled.
• The most able pupils make sound progress, but are not routinely challenged with tasks enabling them to make the strongest progress possible.

Early years provision Good

• The Nursery and Reception classes give the children a nurturing and caring start to their schooling.
• The early years provision is well led. Leaders at all levels ensure that children are kept safe. Leaders plan effectively to provide stimulating activities for children, enabling them to learn well.
• Leaders check children’s learning carefully. They make sure that children learn good language, number and social skills. As a result, children’s outcomes are good though not exceptional. The proportion of children expected to achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is now typical for their age. This is an improvement from previous years.
• Leaders use effectively the additional government funding for disadvantaged children in the early years. These children achieve in line with others nationally.
• The quality of teaching is consistently good. Adults throughout the early years provision give children activities that promote their skills well. For example, in one very well-planned task, children in the Reception class were shown a film of an ‘alien’ that had purportedly visited their classroom at night. Children were excited by the activity, and this stimulated them to write at a high level. One child wrote that the alien ‘pressed the button and the camera activated.’ Such sustained writing, albeit presented in spelling reflecting the child’s age, shows how children rise to a challenge when their interest is engaged.
• Children are looked after very well. The school swiftly identifies children needing extra support and plans well for their needs. Adults work in effective partnership with external agencies to provide the right support for children who require it.
• Children behave extremely well in the early years provision. They have a wealth of learning opportunities that fully engage them. They want to learn, and join in eagerly in group discussions. For example, one Nursery activity, based on a picture of an ‘astronaut boy’ carrying a teddy bear engaged the children fully. One child said, ‘The astronaut is happy because he and the teddy bear are smiling.’ In such ways, the school promotes children’s speaking skills well.
• The school engages well with parents. Parents of children in the early years who spoke to inspectors were positive about how well the school keeps them informed about their child’s progress.
• Arrangements for preparing children for the move to Year 1 are effective. Year 1 has its own outdoor area. As the children have been used to learning through carefully prepared play activities, they soon feel at home.

School details

Unique reference number 100328 Local authority Hammersmith and Fulham Inspection number 10031702 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 215 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address John Hamilton Sam Naismith 020 8748 2566 www.floragardens.lbhf.sch.uk head@floragardens.lbhf.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26 March 2015

Information about this school

• Flora Gardens Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The headteacher has been in post as acting headteacher since the previous inspection and as substantive headteacher since March 2016.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is much higher than average.
• Most pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities varies from year to year and is currently above average.
• There is a children’s centre on site that is inspected separately.
• Children in the Nursery class all attend full time.
• The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care provision.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited around 20 parts of lessons in classes throughout the school and observed pupils’ learning in a range of subjects. The headteacher and members of the senior leadership team joined inspectors on many of their classroom visits.
• Inspectors spoke to a number of pupils, listened to them read and looked at samples of their work. An inspector met a group of key stage 2 pupils to hear how they felt about the school. There were no responses to the Ofsted online survey of pupils’ views, but inspectors considered the school’s own pupil surveys.
• Meetings were held with leaders, including those who hold responsibility for specific subjects.
• The lead inspector held a meeting with the chair of the governing body and six other governors.
• The lead inspector held an interview with the local authority’s deputy director for education.
• Inspectors spoke to a number of parents during the inspection. They considered the school’s own survey of parents’ views. There were 34 responses to the Ofsted online survey Parent View, including 15 comments. Inspectors took all these responses and comments into consideration.
• Inspectors took account of 29 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire for members of staff.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents. These included minutes of meetings of the governing body and external reviews of the school by the local authority. Inspectors looked at documents relating to the school’s evaluation of its performance and discussed these with leaders.
• Inspectors considered a range of evidence on pupils’ attainment and progress. They also examined safeguarding information, and records relating to attendance, behaviour and welfare

Inspection team

Natalia Power, lead inspector Angela Corbett

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector