Stamford Hill Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, and consequently outcomes for pupils, by making sure that:
  • teachers use information about what pupils know to inform the next steps in their learning
  • feedback on pupils’ written work is useful
  • teachers continue to access high-quality professional development to improve their teaching.
• Improve the quality and provision for reading, by:
  • ensuring that pupils are guided to choose books that are suitable for their age and stage of development
  • making sure that pupils read regularly, and that systems for recording and checking on progress in reading are effectively used.
• Improve governance, by:
  • building on recent improvements to the quality of governance so that governors better hold leaders to account for the standards achieved by pupils, the quality of provision and the investment and impact of additional funding
  • quickly resolve plans for the long-term future leadership of the school.
• Improve the partnership with parents and carers, by:
  • providing regular and reliable information about their children’s progress and about how they can help with learning at home.
• An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Over the past year, the school has experienced a period of significant turbulence. Serious financial issues, changes in leadership and high staff turnover have weakened the quality of education.
• In the past, leadership did not monitor the quality of teaching and learning with sufficient rigour. Nor were governors provided with accurate information about pupils’ performance. The new leadership team is making sure that teachers receive relevant training to support them in their work and secure the improvements needed.
• An effective partnership with a local high-performing school has strengthened the school’s leadership capacity. The interim executive headteacher and her team bring much-needed experience and calibre. Governors and the local authority recognise the need to confirm these arrangements beyond the current academic year.
• Current leaders have responded quickly in tackling the areas for improvement identified during the previous inspection. They have implemented new policies and procedures. They have strengthened arrangements for assessing pupils’ progress, for developing the mathematics curriculum and improving playground routines. The intentions are clear, but it is too soon to assess the full impact.
• Other actions are making a difference. Leaders have successfully improved school attendance. They have engaged in support from the local authority, changed procedures and communicated their expectations to staff, parents and pupils. These changes, together with a greater use of early help to support vulnerable families, has led to a significant reduction in persistent absence and improved attendance. They have introduced a ‘soft start’ to the school day. Staff welcome this as it creates a calmer beginning to lessons.
• The school is drawing on the expertise of an experienced, well-qualified special educational needs coordinator to remedy previous weaknesses. These arrangements have not been in place long enough to ensure that staff have the information (and the resources) they need for these pupils.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding appropriately to support the learning of vulnerable pupils. Leaders invest the sports premium funding in a range of additional activities to improve pupils’ fitness and encourage participation. In the past, leadership has not ensured that governors know what this funding is being spent on and what difference it is making.
• Subject overviews set out the proposed content and mode of delivery for different subjects. The planned curriculum is appropriately broad and has the potential to extend pupils’ skills and deepen their knowledge. In practice, however, not enough time is given for pupils to learn across a range of subjects.
• Aspects of the curriculum extend pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences well. Pupils cook using ingredients they have grown in the ‘edible garden’. They enjoy performances of Shakespeare, experiencing live theatre. They find out about different authors from their visit to a book fair. Assemblies provide opportunities to be together as one school family and to reflect on important themes such as considering the needs of others. Visits, visitors, breakfast and after-school clubs provide memorable cultural and sociable occasions which pupils appreciate and enjoy.
• Parents are supportive of the changes made by new leaders. Some parents rightly remain concerned about the progress their children are making and about communication between home and school.

Governance of the school

• Under the direction of the new interim chair, who is a national leader of governance, governors have formalised the new leadership arrangements. Securing the services of the executive headteacher to lead and manage the school is proving to be a well-judged step towards improving the school. Governors are working with the local authority to secure the school’s leadership in the longer term.
• Governors know that the events of the past year have negatively impacted on the discharge of their duties. They did not fulfil their role in holding school leaders to account for the quality of provision and pupils’ outcomes. Currently, governors do not have a strong enough overview of the school’s performance. Nevertheless, they are clear about the need to carry out their role with greater effect and efficiency. Recent minutes of meetings reflect a sharper focus on their strategic function.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There is a strong culture of safeguarding and of pastoral care. Leaders provide staff and governors with training that is current and relevant. Staff know who vulnerable pupils are and the signs to look for that may indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. They know what to do if they have a concern. Leaders make sure that risk assessments for visits and activities are all completed to a good standard. Staff are vigilant about site safety and security.
• Pupils know how to stay safe. They feel well cared for and they know who to talk to if they have concerns or worries. Pupils understand the risks associated with using the internet and about the dangers and risks on the roads. Parents agree that their children are safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

• The quality of teaching is inadequate and has been hampered by high levels of staff turnover. Many teachers are new to the school and have not had sufficient time to improve outcomes for pupils.
• The assessment of learning is ineffective. Teachers do not have reliable enough information about what pupils already know or can do. This results in teachers planning work that does not meet pupils’ needs sufficiently.
• Teachers do not consistently identify pupils’ errors and misconceptions quickly enough in lessons. The work in pupils’ books shows this in reading, including phonics, writing and in mathematics. Recorded work also shows that some pupils repeat mistakes and harbour misconceptions which are not corrected.
• Too often, the teaching of reading is not good enough. Not all teachers guide pupils to choose books that match their ability. Not all teachers check consistently whether pupils are reading at home. Book corners have plenty of reading materials but some of the books are tatty and in need of replacement.
• Inappropriate and mundane tasks are typical features of much teaching. Pupils spend too much time on activities such as cutting and sticking that do not improve their knowledge of the subject.
• Teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ work. Pupils are given work to do that is too easy or too hard. On occasion they ‘switch off’ or misbehave, disrupting their learning and that of others.
• The teaching of pupils with SEND is poor. Teachers receive sparse and unreliable information about these pupils’ learning needs. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan appropriately for this group of pupils.
• Leaders have introduced a new system for assessment. The pupil progress meetings that they now hold with teachers are beginning to sharpen teachers’ understanding of how well their pupils are doing. Staff are responding well to the additional challenge and value the improved guidance they are receiving from senior leaders.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are proud to be part of the school and enjoy being here. They speak about school being like a family. They like helping each other and understand the importance of kindness. They learn about the importance of equal opportunities and respecting differences of viewpoint and faith.
• Pupils appreciate the opportunities they are given to visit different places of interest and to enjoy a residential visit in their final year. They enjoy clubs, including breakfast club. They appreciate the improvements made to the playground, with activities such as gym fitness, table tennis and climbing all on offer.
• Pupils are safe and feel safe in school. Leaders help pupils to develop self-awareness and resilience. Pupils say there is no bullying. They are clear about the differences between a bully and being a ‘meanie’.
• Parents appreciate the positive changes brought about by the new leadership team. They feel their children are safe. They speak of the school feeling like ‘a community’.

Behaviour

• Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. When lessons are interesting and when expected to do so, pupils behave well. In these lessons, they are polite and listen carefully to what they are being asked to do. Some pupils misbehave in lessons where the work is not suitably challenging or there is not enough for them to do. They still need to be reminded about expectations such as how to line up and move around the building quietly and calmly. Some pupils do not show the same level of respect to all adults.
• Since the previous inspection, leaders’ work to improve pupils’ attendance has been effective. As a result, attendance is now at the national average and persistent absences have reduced.

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

• Current pupils are making inadequate progress across year groups and subjects. The work in these pupils’ books shows that their knowledge and skills in both key stages are not developing adequately. Typically, work is incomplete, untidy and shows a lack of understanding of what is being taught. On some occasions, pupils repeat work unnecessarily.
• Teaching does not deepen or extend pupils’ understanding in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils with SEND make particularly poor progress from their starting points. Information about their learning is incomplete and unreliable. Teachers do not have the information they need to plan for their next steps.
• Pupils’ achievement in reading is not consistent enough. Although pupils read in different subjects and at home, their reading is not monitored closely enough with the result that pupils needing extra help do not get the support they need. Some pupils choose books that are either too easy or too hard.
• Pupils benefit from opportunities to write in different subjects and different genres. However, scrutiny of their written work shows that their knowledge of spelling, grammar and punctuation is not developing adequately. Teachers’ expectations are too low. Inspectors saw numerous examples of incomplete work which went unchallenged.
• In mathematics, pupils do not understand fundamental mathematical concepts such as place value, shape and measure.
• The lack of opportunity for errors to be addressed and learning to be revisited impedes pupils’ progress. The progress of disadvantaged pupils is similarly inconsistent.
• In the 2018 key stage 1 tests, pupils’ attainment was below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Results in all three subjects were also below those achieved in the previous year. Pupils in Year 1 achieved below-average results in the phonics screening check. Disadvantaged pupils did better than their peers.
• The provisional 2018 key stage 2 tests suggest that these pupils’ progress was similar to the national average. Disadvantaged pupils attained a higher standard in reading than their peers but a lower standard in writing and mathematics.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Children start their Reception Year with skills at a lower level than those typical for their age. In 2016, a higher proportion of children achieved a good level of development than seen nationally. Attainment dipped in 2017 and 2018 to just below the national average.
• Children’s progress in the early years, though better than in the main school, is uneven. The agreed assessment system is not used well enough by all staff to record learning and decide on the next steps. In each class, every child has a ‘special book’ to capture significant ‘moments of learning’. These form the basis for dialogue between staff and with parents so that next steps can be easily identified. Practice in using these books varies between classes. In the best examples, information in the books make it possible to plan well for the next stage of learning. Other books contain sparse and superficial detail which does not help with future planning.
• Adults are kind and focused on making sure that children enjoy their time learning in early years. They keep areas tidy and accessible. They organise resources in interesting and creative ways which make learning fun and inviting.
• Children are confident learners and, when encouraged to do so by adults, make good use of the activities planned for them. During the inspection, two children were playing make-believe in the home corner. They ‘cooked’ eggs, beginning with the one in its ‘shell’ and completing the cooking with a ‘fried egg’ ready to serve. They persevered with this task and enjoyed talking to each other and having one another’s company. A group of five children built and played with construction toys. They enjoyed one another’s company, having conversations and being sociable. Some areas of the classrooms go unused because children are not given information about what is available. This limits their opportunities for development in those areas.
• Staff are appropriately trained and qualified for early years. Less experienced staff have been supported effectively by the early years leader to improve their skills. Staffing ratios are appropriate for all classes.
• Due to recent reductions in staffing, leaders have had to manage the early years provision in a way that maintains appropriate adult-to-child ratios. Nevertheless, children now only learn outside for an hour a day.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 102112 Haringey 10056186 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 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 215 Appropriate authority The governing body Interim Chair Mr Andrew Bethell Interim Executive Headteacher Ms Julie D’Abreu Telephone number 020 8800 2898 Website Email address www.stamfordhill.haringey.sch.uk admin@stamfordhill.haringey.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24 April 2018

Information about this school

• The school is an average-sized primary school.
• It includes provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds.
• The school serves an area of significant deprivation.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly average.
• The school has a high proportion of pupils from different ethnic groups.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all year groups. The observations of learning were undertaken with the interim head of school and the assistant headteacher for early years.
• Inspectors met with school leaders from both the partner school and those employed directly by Stamford Hill. These meetings focused on their roles and on the actions taken since the previous inspection. Inspectors also spoke to staff about their roles in the school and considered the nine responses to the staff survey.
• Inspectors met with five members of the governing body to also review actions taken since the previous inspection.
• Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their views about the school and about their learning. Inspectors spoke to pupils in class and in the playground. They heard pupils read and asked them about their choices of books. On the second day of the inspection, pupils accompanied a member of the inspection team on a tour of the school.
• Inspectors reviewed a range of written work from pupils of different ages. This was to see what progress they are making in their learning.
• Inspectors reviewed a range of documents including records relating to safeguarding, health and safety and behaviour, and attendance information. They reviewed minutes from governing body meetings. They also looked at curriculum plans and arrangements for assessment.
• Inspectors spoke with parents and took account of the 36 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and to the free-text service provided.

Inspection team

Jane Moon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Lando Du Plooy Ofsted Inspector