Walthamstow Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes for the most able pupils by:
  • ensuring that the work they are set in mathematics builds quickly on what they can already do, so enabling them to deepen their understanding of concepts
  • providing opportunities for pupils to think carefully before responding.
• Ensure that teachers’ expectations are consistently high in subjects across the curriculum so that pupils make the same strong progress as in English.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The highly effective headteacher is supported by a strong governing body and trust board. Leaders and those responsible for governance have an accurate understanding of the quality of education in the school and the key areas for development.
• The headteacher, effectively supported by those responsible for governance, has been instrumental in keeping the school stable during a time of staff shortages and limited leadership capacity. The trust has ensured that support has been swiftly obtained to secure pupils’ progress.
• Staff said that they are happy to work at the school and feel part of an effective team. They value the high level of professional development they receive and can talk about where training has made a difference to their teaching. For example, they cite consultants’ demonstration of effective teaching within their own classes as being particularly helpful.
• Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is evident throughout school. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They understand the difference between their rights and their responsibilities.
• Pupils respect and celebrate their diversity and understand the importance of treating others equally. Typifying the view of others, one pupil said, ‘We don’t even need to talk about skin colour in our school, because we are all treated fairly.’ Pupils are able to talk about the characteristics of different religions.
• Funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used effectively. They receive swift support which enables them to make consistently strong progress from their starting points.
• The school also uses the pupil premium funding carefully, based on the identification of the key barriers to learning faced by pupils. Regular reviews of the strategy enable leaders to respond appropriately to changing needs. For example, leaders now recognise that a greater focus on mathematics is necessary.
• The school makes good use of the primary sport premium. This includes giving pupils experience of sports that are new to them, for example tennis. The provision of additional after-school clubs has led to an increase in participation for girls and those pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding.
• The curriculum is well planned and is supported by regular educational visits which are linked to the topics pupils are studying. Pupils benefit from specialist teaching in physical education. However, pupils’ progress across other subjects in the curriculum is not as high as in English and mathematics. This is because teachers’ expectations are not as high and pupils’ progress is not assessed and checked. Governance of the school

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All staff have received appropriate safeguarding training, which is up to date with current legislation, including the ‘Prevent’ duty. Staff are clear about the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. They are confident that these are dealt with in a timely manner. Governors complete regular audits of safeguarding procedures, including ensuring that checks on newly appointed staff are thorough.
• All staff know the pupils well and so can identify changes in behaviour that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm and respond swiftly. Leaders contribute to multi-agency meetings and work effectively with parents and external agencies.
• Pupils said that they know how to be safe, including when using the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers know pupils well. They have warm working relationships. As a result, pupils are keen to please adults and feel confident to contribute in lessons and share their ideas.
• In English, reflecting teachers’ high expectations, work is produced to a high standard. Strong teaching challenges pupils’ use of vocabulary, ensuring that they use the correct terminology when discussing their learning and when writing.
• The teaching of reading is effective. Pupils who read with the inspector enjoyed reading. They were keen to talk about the key features of their book, the title, the author and the blurb. Pupils demonstrated a good understanding of what they had read.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported to enable them to work alongside their peers. Additional adults are successfully deployed and know how to meet the diversity of pupils’ needs. They use a broad variety of visual resources and positive reinforcement to support pupils to succeed. As a result, pupils are keen to learn.
• Pupils who are in receipt of the pupil premium funding also receive effective support to overcome specific barriers to learning. As a result, they too make good progress, particularly in reading and writing.
• Effective teaching engages pupils through purposeful questioning based on good subject knowledge. Adults ask questions that are usually well matched to pupils’ abilities, and pupils respond swiftly. On occasion, however, the most able pupils are not given time to think deeply in order to provide more complex responses.
• Teachers’ assessments in English are accurate and are generally used well to establish where greater challenge is needed. As a result, the most able pupils are given tasks that extend their writing skills, for example. However, consistent challenge for the most able pupils is less evident in mathematics. At times pupils are given an additional task when they have completed their work, but often it is not related to the concept they have been considering and, as a result, does not deepen their understanding.
• Teaching is not as strong in other subjects as it is in English and mathematics. There are inconsistencies in teaching across the school because teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not as high and they do not make accurate assessments of pupils’ progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons, particularly when learning is fun and engaging. They also behave well when moving around the school, in the dining hall and at social times.
• Evidence presented by the school showed how greater consistency in teachers’ behaviour management has led to a decrease in the number of behaviour incidents. Pupils who have difficulty in managing their behaviour benefit from effective support from external agencies. Leaders work in partnership with specialist provision to ensure that the needs of these pupils are effectively met.
• Leaders have been relentless in their drive to improve attendance through a structured approach. Attendance has continued to improve over time and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school has reduced significantly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s current assessment information shows that pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and an average proportion of pupils are likely to attain the expected standard at the end of Year 2.
• An average proportion of pupils attained the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2017, but provisional results for 2018 are a little below average. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils have attained the standard. Pupils have developed the necessary phonics skills to enable them to read well. They also apply these skills when writing.
• The proportion of pupils attaining the higher standard in writing and mathematics is below national averages.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive effective support and make strong progress from their low starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding make progress broadly in line with their peers, but with stronger progress in reading and writing than in mathematics.
• Pupils make slower progress in other subjects of the curriculum, reflecting lower expectations and the lack of assessment. Work is not as well presented as in English and, as is the case in science, is sometimes incomplete.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is very well led by the headteacher. She ensures that all staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. All adults know the children well.
• Working relationships between staff and children are positive. Children respect the adults, respond quickly to instructions and are keen to please them. Children behave well and are happy. Parents said that their children enjoy school and they have no concerns.
• Teaching in the early years is good overall, but not consistently strong. The more effective teaching is highly effective because children are encouraged to think hard about their learning. This is because the teacher builds on what they can already do, asks engaging questions and encourages children to talk about their own ideas.
• Children who read with the inspector had appropriate books and were keen to read. They enjoyed their books and could talk about what might happen next. They used phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words.
• Children make strong progress in writing. Children use their phonics skills to attempt new words when writing. They like to write and do this without prompting, for example writing a list of materials that will be needed to design and create a model.
• Children are challenged to achieve well in mathematics. They make strong progress in number and in shape, space and measure.
• Children who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support so that they can work alongside their peers. Consequently, they make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Children who are in receipt of the pupil premium funding are also well supported. Intervention is clearly planned for and has resulted in progress which is in line with that of other children.
• The early years team promotes the welfare of children well. The safeguarding procedures are effective. Any concerns are referred to the designated safeguarding lead in a timely manner.
• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception has been consistently above national averages. Provisional assessments suggest that the proportion of children exceeding expectations has increased in 2018.
• The vast majority of children listen well in a whole-class setting. They complete challenging work and are resilient. Children are well prepared for the transition to Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number 141748 Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest Inspection number 10048336 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 Academy free school 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 66 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair of governors Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Anna McShane Natalie de Silva 0203 475 3490 walthamstowprimary.org.uk info@walthamstowprimary.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is the first inspection since the school opened in 2015.
• The school is part of the United Learning Trust. In preparation for September, Walthamstow Primary Academy is working in partnership with another primary academy within the trust to share leadership, expertise and resources.
• The school is currently smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium grant is above that found nationally.
• The proportion of those who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with schools nationally.
• Pupils are taught in single-year classes in Year 1 and Year 2. In the early years there is one Reception class.
• The school runs a range of after-school activities.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in eight lessons, all jointly with the headteacher. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, at breaktimes and at lunchtimes.
• Individual pupils and different groups of pupils spoke with the inspector to discuss their learning and views of the school. The inspector listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them. The inspector, together with leaders, also looked at a large sample of pupils’ work from across subjects and year groups.
• A range of documents were considered, including the school’s development plan, self-evaluation documentation, information about pupil progress and attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding arrangements.
• The director of primary education from the trust and the chair of governors met with the inspector. The inspector held meetings with school staff. The lead inspector had meetings with the headteacher to discuss the leadership of early years, pupil premium, safeguarding and outcomes.
• The inspector gathered the views of several parents during informal discussions at the school. The views expressed in the online responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire could not be included, as there were too few.
• The inspector took account of the views of three staff in response to the staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Donna Chambers, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector