Wanstead Church School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that teachers consistently challenge the most able pupils, including the disadvantaged most able pupils, by building on their prior learning and developing their independence, particularly in mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The exemplary leadership of the headteacher inspires the whole school community to work to the best of its ability. This positive attitude has developed a high level of confidence in staff and pupils.
• Senior and middle leaders work with teachers and support staff to ensure that the quality of teaching is constantly improving. Leaders provide teachers with high-quality feedback on their performance, informed by thorough evaluations of the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning. The performance management system appropriately rewards the highly effective classroom practice. Teachers who are new to the profession are very well supported to improve their skills.
• Middle leaders successfully use information about pupils’ progress to decide on priorities for improving standards in their subjects and key stages. High-quality professional training ensures that they are able carry out their roles effectively.
• Leaders have developed successful links with other schools to increase the accuracy of teachers’ assessment. This information is analysed by all leaders, resulting in actions that contribute to pupils’ strong progress. Pupils who require additional assistance are well supported, using a range of strategies.
• The well-planned curriculum successfully threads subjects such as history and geography into different themes and topics over the school year. Pupils develop research skills using the school’s quality information books and a range of technology. Rich displays of pupils’ art and design are seen throughout the school.
• The creative and effective use of the additional sports funding provides a range of activities led by specialist coaching. Pupils gain considerable skills through the high-quality sessions as shown, for example, in a Year 6 tennis lesson.
• The use of pupil premium funding is well targeted to effectively boost the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Additional staff and resources richly contribute to provision for this group of pupils.
• Pupils who have special needs and/or disabilities are well provided for. Accurate assessments ensure that they receive appropriate support and that they make substantial progress.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very strongly. In lessons, there was ample evidence of pupils’ ability to discuss complex issues with maturity. For example, in a history lesson about the Ancient Greeks, Year 5 pupils were able to debate the morality of war. Pupils work well with each other. Pupils know about democracy and regularly use the voting process to decide on charities that they will support. Pupils told inspectors that, when deciding on membership of the school council, they used booths ‘like in a polling station’. These experiences equip them well for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders at all levels know the school well and what they need to do to maintain the school’s outstanding provision. They agreed with inspectors that teachers should focus on accelerating the progress of the most able pupils.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly skilled and knowledgeable. They have a perceptive understanding of information about the work of the school, including assessment data. The governing body is well led. Governors hold the school to account through regular meetings with leaders and a programme of visits to see the school at work. They are clear about the areas for school improvement. Governors’ challenge to leaders demonstrates a powerful ambition for the school to continue to provide an excellent quality of education.
• Governors have a secure knowledge of how the school spends the pupil premium funding and they can assess its impact on pupils’ progress, using the school’s assessment information. This results in a collaborative approach to school self-evaluation, which ensures that all leaders work hard to provide the best education for all pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that the recruitment processes work and that all the appropriate staff checks are carried out and recorded effectively.
• Staff are well trained and understand the government’s current child protection requirements, including how to spot the signs of pupils who may be at risk of radicalisation. They work positively with external agencies. This ensures that information is shared in a timely manner to help keep pupils safe.
• Pupils receive regular updates on how to keep safe online. Parents said that they are confident that their children are safe and well cared for when they are at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils. They plan interesting and effective lessons. As a result, pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, make excellent progress.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. They use this very well to question pupils with precision and deepen their learning. Teaching assistants are used successfully to support and challenge pupils.
• Teachers are skilful in supporting pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work alongside support staff to provide the necessary resources and activities that ensure that pupils make very strong progress.
• Teachers provide excellent opportunities for pupils to develop reading, writing and mathematical skills. The questions they ask probe pupils’ understanding and prompt them to think more deeply and develop reasoning skills. Expectations are very high. For example, in key stage 1, pupils were challenged to demonstrate that they could calculate using fractions to share out cakes.
• Phonics teaching is highly effective. Pupils’ early reading skills are developed very quickly. Those pupils heard to read did so with confidence and talked enthusiastically about their favourite books. Pupils read widely across the curriculum, and this successfully supports their learning in other subjects. The most able readers enjoy tackling challenging texts.
• Teachers equip pupils well to take responsibility for their own learning. They provide them with challenging work that requires perseverance. Leaders agree that the most able pupils could be challenged further by building on their prior knowledge in lessons, particularly in mathematics.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils participate in their lessons with huge enjoyment. They are very confident young people. They are eager to share their learning. The school staff foster extremely positive relationships with pupils throughout the school.
• The school values are of high importance to the staff and pupils. Pupils have a deep understanding of how these characteristics help to develop them as future citizens. For example, the assembly on ‘peace’ enabled pupils to engage in reflections on how this value can be demonstrated in their actions in school.
• Pupils show a deep respect for their teachers and additional adults. They have complete confidence in the staff to help them if they have any worries. They have a mature understanding of what constitutes bullying behaviour. Pupils said that it is hurtful and consistent. Any issues are dealt with through the well-understood behaviour system. Pupils are clear about the range of rewards. They particularly like the ‘tea party’ set up for pupils who are consistently well behaved.
• Pupils know how to stay safe online. They are very knowledgeable about the strategies to combat cyber-bullying. They know how to assess risks to themselves when using online technology.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The beginning of the day is calm and orderly. Pupils enter school ready and eager to learn. Their behaviour around the school is exemplary. Pupils move around the school quietly and sensibly. They are extremely engaging and polite to each other, staff and visitors.
• Playtime is a happy place where pupils play well together despite the limited space. Pupils play safely with a range of equipment. The number of behaviour incidents is exceptionally low.
• A strong commitment to learning is also demonstrated by pupils’ high rates of attendance, which are consistently above the national average.
• Parents speak warmly of the ‘community feel’ of the school. They said that they are confident that their children are safe and well cared for.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• The proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2017 was well above the national average.
• Pupils, including those from a disadvantaged background, have made very strong progress from their starting points. In the key stage 1 assessments, a higher proportion of these pupils have met and exceeded expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics than in previous years.
• In key stage 2, from starting points that are often already high, current Year 6 pupils have made excellent progress across the school in reading, writing and mathematics. The 2017 national test results showed that the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standards was higher than national averages.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make strong progress from their starting points. Additional funding is spent well to provide highly effective support, which enhances pupils’ progress.
• Pupils’ books show that they make substantial and sustained progress across a range of subjects in addition to English and mathematics. Pupils have many opportunities to apply their skills of explanation and reasoning successfully. These include the work they do in history, geography, science and religious education. As a result, pupils are well prepared for secondary school.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leaders ensure that children in the early years benefit from high expectations and effective teaching. Children are well prepared for Year 1.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development has been above the national average for several years. Children usually arrive in the setting with skills which are at least typical for their age. They make strong progress so that many exceed a good level of development by the time they move to Year 1. There were no children entitled to the pupil premium in the early years in 2016.
• Children develop positive attitudes to learning quickly in the early years. They learn to share and develop concentration through their tasks. Children cooperate when learning indoors and outdoors. They listen carefully to the teacher. For example, in Reception, children sat attentively when the teacher read a story to help their transition to Year 1.
• Leaders have ensured that the primary sport premium has been used effectively in early years. Nursery and Reception children receive the same high-quality experiences as the pupils in the rest of the school.
• Teachers use assessment information skilfully to plan interesting activities. The areas of learning in the early years’ curriculum are developed both indoors and outdoors.
• Carefully planned writing and number activities enable children, including the most able, to make substantial and sustained progress in reading, writing and mathematics. For example, in the ‘police station’, children were writing reports and taking numbers from the call centre. ‘The robbers are getting into the building,’ one child told the inspectors as he was scribing in a notebook.
• Safeguarding is effective in the early years. Appropriate levels of supervision ensure that children are well looked after and staff are well trained to recognise any concerns.
• Parents typically have a positive view of the excellent work of the early years’ provision.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 102841 Redbridge 10023665 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 Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 247 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Neil Hawes Mark Hemsley 0208 989 6001 www.wansteadchurchsch.co.uk admin@wansteadchurchsch.redbridge.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 25–26 January 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Wanstead is an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than that seen nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is lower than the national average.
• In 2016, the school met the government’s floor standard (the minimum expected of pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of key stage 2).

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in every year group, in some cases with senior leaders. An assembly was visited during the inspection.
• Inspectors scrutinised books to evaluate the progress and current achievement of pupils.
• Inspectors listened to pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 reading. Inspectors also spoke to these pupils about the types of books they read and their enjoyment of reading.
• Inspectors reviewed school documentation related to pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching and learning. This included the school’s current plans for improvement and assessment information on the pupils’ achievement.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors also scrutinised the school’s logs on attendance, behaviour, bullying and exclusions.
• A range of safeguarding documentation was scrutinised during the inspection. This included school policies, records relating to child protection, procedures to keep pupils safe in school and the school’s single central record.
• Inspectors met with a group of pupils to evaluate behaviour, safety and pupils’ attitudes to learning. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally in lessons and around the site.
• Meetings were held with the local authority representative, the governing body, senior leaders and middle leaders to evaluate the impact of their work.
• Inspectors met formally with groups of staff to review the support provided by senior leaders to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Inspectors also took account of 17 staff responses and 27 pupils’ responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.
• Inspectors spoke to parents informally before school. Inspectors also took account of the 94 responses from Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

Inspection team

Sara Morgan, lead inspector Rani Karim Roger Easthope

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector