Marion Richardson Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the consistency of high quality teaching across the school by:
  • ensuring that teachers use assessment effectively to plan and adapt work to meet the needs of all pupils in lessons;
  • improving the consistency of challenge in lessons to ensure that all pupils make good progress and achieve well;
  • ensuring that all adults have the appropriate subject knowledge to successfully guide and support pupils in increasing their knowledge and understanding.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher sets a very clear vision for the school as an inclusive learning environment where every pupil is valued, and where all staff are supported. He has established a strong learning culture in the school. Ably supported by two knowledgeable assistant headteachers, the senior leadership team is rigorous in driving improvement and supporting change.
• Many children come to the school with limited English language and a limited range of enriching experiences outside school. Leaders have worked well with governors and external agencies to provide a comprehensive programme of family learning and parental engagement. This innovative approach includes family learning visits at weekends to major cultural activities, and a successful range of parent classes. Local parents support families new to the UK, guiding and helping them settle into the community. Parents are very supportive of the school and value the way they are involved and engaged in its work. It has built a very strong relationship between the school and community, with parental engagement and support for their children’s learning at the heart of the school.
• Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is managed very well. Leaders quickly identify pupils at risk of falling behind. Carefully managed interventions ensure that pupils get back on track, and that gaps in learning are tackled step by step through all year groups. By the end of key stage 2, disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as other pupils in the school. They achieved above the national average in writing and mathematics in the 2016 national tests for Year 6 pupils. Provisional results for 2017 national tests show further improvement, in reading and writing.
• Senior leaders effectively analyse information about pupils’ progress. They have an accurate knowledge of the strengths and areas needing further development. They successfully support middle leaders in taking greater leadership responsibility in monitoring quality and supporting teachers. This is building strong leadership at all levels across the school.
• Middle leaders are encouraged to take the initiative. For example, the attendance and family support team have taken ownership of the drive to reduce persistent absence. With help from senior leaders, they rigorously analyse attendance data and have implemented family and pupil action plans. The team have introduced interesting workshops for parents and a range of effective actions to improve attendance. This is successfully establishing a culture of regular attendance and punctuality and is reducing persistent absence among a core of families.
• Systems to manage the performance of teachers are rigorous. Appraisal is used well. Senior staff draw a good range of information together from direct observations and discussions on pupils’ progress, to identify targets and support. Professional development and support for staff is strong and new teachers feel very well supported. Teachers value the support they receive and feel that leaders are not only helping with their professional development, but are also helping to manage their workload and well-being. There are good opportunities for teachers to gain from the effective local partnerships established with other schools.
• Managing provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is going through a period of change. Senior leaders oversee the management of special educational needs to make sure that funding is used wisely, that pupils’ needs are met, and that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well. Good plans are in place to recruit and appoint a leader responsible for special educational needs.
• The curriculum is well planned and developed. It is effective in providing all pupils with a broad and enriching learning experience. Over the last year, leaders have led a thorough curriculum review to ensure breadth and balance across all subjects and to embed the school values in all aspects of the curriculum. British values are taught. Promoting safety, health and both respect and tolerance is central to all curriculum themes. Teachers plan the curriculum very well and organise work that encourages pupils to think, to question and to research. Leaders have introduced innovative ‘curriculum suitcases’ that outline the core skills and knowledge to be taught across each subject and that build on that pupils have already been taught.
• Learning and cultural visits out of school are purposeful and linked well to the work pupils do in classrooms. Leaders use additional funding for promoting sport very well. For example, sports coaches, funded through additional grants, work alongside class teachers to improve teachers’ subject knowledge of sport and physical education. Over time, they become more confident in teaching new skills and techniques with their class at other times in the week.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. Pupils are encouraged to learn about each other and about cultural and religious diversity within the community. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Pupils prepare afternoon tea for elderly residents and talk with them about the community. Parents come to school to cook and prepare meals to share with a local Christian shelter for the homeless. From early in the nursery, pupils learn to cooperate, and to care for each other. High expectations are set for the way pupils work with each other and take responsibility. They respond very well.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Governors play an integral part in supporting the school and in setting vision and the school’s future plans. They have a broad experience and are committed to improving the school. They keep themselves well informed but are also rigorous in their challenge to school leaders. They are very involved in monitoring the progress made by the school, and in challenging ideas and decisions. This ensures that the implications of decisions on the learning and progress of pupils are carefully considered.
• Governors take their roles and responsibilities seriously. They carry out a suitable range of checks in recruiting new staff. They regularly make sure that all safeguarding procedures are up to date and that the site is safe. Governors check that additional funding is used well to support pupils. They actively engage in strengthening links with parents. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities diligently.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff are aware of the need to keep children safe. They are vigilant in keeping a watchful eye on pupils for any signs of upset or worry. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained and informed on all aspects of safeguarding. This makes sure that any early signs of harm, abuse or domestic violence are picked up and referred quickly. When concerns arise, leaders work diligently with external services to ensure that action is swift, and sufficient to make sure that children are protected. Safety is at the core of the school’s values. There are thorough procedures in place to keep the school site safe, and to make sure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe.
• Pupils know how to work safely on the computer. They are taught how to work online safely and what to do if they feel bullied or harassed. Teachers openly discuss safety issues with pupils. The curriculum promotes pupils’ safety and personal well-being. Pupils talk very positively about the school and how staff help them feel safe and valued. The site is well supervised and managed with clear rules for moving around school safely. These are implemented and followed well.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching and learning has many strengths. It is good overall. Where highly effective teaching takes place, learning is very focused and teachers provide work that is well matched to pupils’ needs with that extra bit of challenge. This is particularly the case with guided reading lessons in key stage 2, where teachers know their pupils very well, provide interesting and engaging books, and use questions effectively to challenge their understanding. Activities are well structured, pupils are well supported, and they make good progress. However, not all teaching takes account of the knowledge and skills pupils have already learned. In some cases, teachers plan work that is not sufficiently challenging and covers ideas that some pupils know already. For some pupils, the work is too challenging, and has not been adapted enough so that they can make progress step by step.
• Several teachers have changed their teaching responsibilities recently. Although they are supported well in adjusting to different year groups, some are not using assessment information on pupils’ prior and ongoing learning well enough to plan work that is set at the correct level for pupils’ skills. In some cases, where teachers plan a good succession of lessons with clear progression and variety, they do not sufficiently adapt this planning lesson by lesson in light of what pupils have learned. Assessment is not always used well and therefore work is sometimes provided that offers little added value in helping pupils progress. This means that not all pupils make the progress they are capable of. Teachers maintain very positive relationships with pupils and work successfully to maintain an atmosphere that promotes the school’s values. Classrooms are welcoming and well organised. Teachers are consistent in setting high expectations for behaviour and for the way pupils work with each other and value everyone as equals. In one lesson, discussion led to an unfriendly name being used by a pupil to describe a character from a book. The teacher immediately challenged the use of the word and its appropriateness. Pupils agreed that the use of the name was wrong and why. This underpins how teachers work and how they maintain an atmosphere that tackles stereotypes and promotes inclusion and respect.
• Overall, phonics are taught well. Pupils develop a good phonic knowledge through the early years and key stage 1. They apply this knowledge well in reading accurately and writing with confidence. Under the direction of teachers, other adults and teaching assistants work well and support pupils in using and applying their phonic knowledge. Sometimes, teaching assistants working independently with groups of pupils do not have the phonic knowledge they need to secure pupils’ understanding.
• Teachers and other adults work very well with disadvantaged pupils using a range of carefully crafted and targeted interventions and lessons. This individual support and small group teaching is very effective in boosting pupils’ learning, tackling gaps in knowledge, and in getting them back on track. It is central to the school’s success in ensuring that disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. When interventions are not planned, and pupils are involved in class lessons, work is not always well matched to their needs and prior learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They listen very well to adults and respect the contributions of each other in lessons.
• Pupils willingly take on responsibilities as ‘digital leaders’ and ‘anti-bullying ambassadors’, working to help others and to be there for others if they need help. They show very positive attitudes to work and to each other, valuing the contributions of others, and looking after each other in the playground. Pupils develop confidence, ask questions and quickly learn to be responsible. Pupils know the importance of looking after their environment. They take pride in their school, put things away after they have finished with them, and take care to look after other pupils when they need it.
• Pupils have a good spiritual and cultural understanding. They learn about other cultures and thrive from the many cultural experiences arranged for visiting art galleries and museums. Pupils have a good and developing knowledge of other faiths and cultures, including local heritage. They develop a good understanding of the importance of taking care for each other and for those who may be old or isolated. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong, and confidently talk and discuss issues that concern them. They willingly take responsibility and work well together.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. From the early days in the nursery, children understand what is expected of them. They play together well, learn to share and very quickly follow the example set by older pupils. The strong focus for pupils to ‘stay on green’ and meet the high expectations of behaviour is consistent across the school. Classrooms promote high standards of behaviour. Teachers emphasise the high expectations and, through their encouragement and reinforcement, pupils respond very well. A culture of care and responsibility is embedded across the school and pupils understand that excellent behaviour is a part of that. Pupils come into classrooms ready to learn. They behave very well with each other.
• Pupils have very positive relationships with each other and their teachers. They are eager to please their teachers and not let them down. The school is a calm and orderly community where pupils walk carefully, play very well together and respect each other. In breaks and lunchtimes, pupils take care and look after each other well. Both parents and staff appreciate the very positive expectations set by leaders in promoting a caring and safe environment where all pupils behave well.
• Attendance is in line with national averages. Persistent absence has been high among disadvantaged pupils but this is reducing due to the very effective management of attendance and family support. Daily attendance is monitored well and absentees are contacted swiftly. Those who are often absent from school are supported with well- focused action plans and additional support from the school’s attendance and family team. The whole school community, including teachers, leaders and governors is focused on improving attendance. The very strong links with parents and the community help contribute to the positive relationships between home and school. This is improving and maintaining regular attendance and punctuality.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Children enter the early years with skills and experience that are typically well below those expected of their age. Many begin in the nursery with limited English language. Most make very good progress through the early years, with an average proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. Through key stage 1, pupils continue to make steady progress but disadvantaged pupils make good progress due to very well-managed interventions and extra support. Through key stage 2, progress continues. It is more rapid among older pupils, with many developing a deep understanding of some of the topics and themes they study. Very well structured and focused interventions make sure that disadvantaged pupils and those with gaps in knowledge do not fall behind. By the end of key stage 2, most disadvantaged pupils, and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, have made significant progress with many achieving as well as other pupils.` In 2016, pupils at the end of key stage 2 achieved above the national average in writing and in mathematics. They achieved broadly average in reading but with fewer pupils reading in greater depth and with meaning. In 2017 national assessments for Year 6 pupils, achievement remained high in mathematics and in writing. More pupils were writing in greater depth and reading with greater understanding. This reflects the increased focus on improving the reading skills of the most able pupils.
• In 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was broadly average. Pupils develop a good phonic knowledge through the early years and Year 1. They begin to use their developing knowledge of phonics to write words, shopping lists and captions for their pictures. They increase in confidence in using phonics to read unfamiliar words. However, some pupils are capable of greater challenge, with phonic work in some classes not always building on what pupils already know.
• Pupils achieve well overall in lessons but there are some inconsistencies between classes and year groups. This reflects inconsistency between teachers in how they use assessment to make sure that work is always matched well to individual pupils’ learning needs. In some activities, pupils already have a good understanding of the work that has been planned for them to do. They successfully complete the work but could do more. For example, in one mathematics lesson, pupils were subtracting numbers from 20 using a number line to help them. They worked accurately but were able to work out more complex subtraction problems with numbers up to 100 in their head. Pupils in another class as part of a phonics lesson, were introduced to the new sound of the day, but most already recognised the sound as they had learned it previously.
• Pupils make good progress overall in science, art, physical education and computing. Effective teaching makes sure that pupils build on the knowledge and skills they already have and that they achieve well. Pupils are developing a good knowledge of the topics and themes they study in history and geography. Although pupils make good progress and write well in English, the quality and depth in writing across other subjects does not always reflect the quality and depth seen in the English books.

Early years provision Good

• Most children make very good progress through the nursery. They are joined at the beginning of the Reception Year with many children from other nurseries. Very good progress continues through the Reception Year and the proportion of children achieving a good level of development is similar to that seen nationally by the end of Reception.
• Children are well prepared for entry into Year 1. They have successfully learned the routines of the school and become increasingly able to work on their own. Stimulating classroom environments provide a range of enriching learning experiences to capture children’s interest. Due to the large number of boys in the early years, teachers have refined the curriculum and carefully considered activities and themes that will capture their interest. The outdoor learning environment provides a range of learning opportunities for children to explore and play together. Prompts and support to reinforce early literacy and mathematical ideas outside are limited. The area provides outdoor space for both nursery and Reception children but there is limited development of learning ideas to meet the needs of older children who are already familiar with the resources and space.
• Teaching and learning in the early years is good. Teachers plan a broad range of interesting activities that encourage children to be independent with increasing concentration. Many young children are learning English for the first time and lack the confidence to use and write English. Nevertheless, teachers and other adults successfully encourage children to develop fluency and confidence in their speaking skills. They provide a wide range of activities that encourage children to use and practise their English by talking together and writing notes and shopping lists and jotting down ideas. Teaching assistants work well as part of the early years team, supporting children, and encouraging them to explore their ideas. They do not always have the subject knowledge they need to lead groups successfully, for example in teaching phonics.
• The early years is very well led and managed. Changes in staffing are supported well. Children’s achievement and progress are very closely checked to identify those who need extra help and support. Once identified, children receive short bursts of extra help which are kept under close review. It makes sure that no child is left behind and that those with gaps in knowledge very quickly catch up with other children.
• Children behave very well and respond very positively to the enthusiasm and support provided by some adults. They are calm and sensible in the classroom and outdoor play areas. They are kept safe and they feel safe.

School details

Unique reference number 100911 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 10036325 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 Maintained Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 448 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jo Everest Headteacher Ian Jones Telephone number 020 7790 1441

Website www.marionrichardson.towerhamlets.sch.uk Email address admin@marionrichardson.towerhamlets.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection 2−3 May 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is a larger than average primary school, with the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language being well above average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The school is part of local partnership between a collaboration of primary schools.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils learning in lessons through a series of learning walks and observations alongside the school’s senior leaders. They looked at work in books, along with a sample of work from the previous year. Several pupils were heard read and a group of pupils were interviewed about their work. Inspectors observed pupils in the playground, in the dining room and around the school. Time was spent in the early years observing children both in both indoor and outdoor activities.
• Meetings were held with school leaders, managers and governors. A representative of the local authority met with the lead inspector. Discussions took place with a group of teachers regarding support and professional development provided by the school.
• Among the documents scrutinised were improvement plans, curriculum documents, minutes from governing body meetings and records relating to pupils’ progress.
• Inspectors also scrutinised documents about pupils’ attendance and behaviour. A range of documentation was reviewed, showing how the school keeps pupils safe.
• The views of parents were taken into account by analysing 61 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and through meetings with parents during the day. Thirty-five responses to the staff questionnaire were also considered.

Inspection team

Paul Wagstaff, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Angela Corbett Ofsted Inspector Rani Karim Ofsted Inspector Ruth Dollner Her Majesty’s Inspector Karen Jaeggi Ofsted Inspector