Wilberforce Primary Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that:
  • staff continue their effective work with parents to further reduce the number of pupils whose progress is hampered by poor attendance
  • the assessment system is fine-tuned to fully capture the progress that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make in their personal development
  • the quality of teaching is enhanced further by sharing the most effective practice within and beyond the school.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leaders have worked relentlessly to transform the school since the previous inspection. Since the headteacher’s appointment in 2016, she has been a force for good both within the school and the local community. She is trusted, respected and valued by staff, parents and pupils.
• Staff from the United Learning Trust (ULT), along with governors, have provided highly effective support in enabling the school to improve strongly. They have provided support and challenge in equal measure. This cohesion and trust between leaders and staff have led to precise, effective actions that have significantly improved all aspects of the school’s work. Leaders have also worked effectively with the local authority to support their work and to forge effective partnerships with other schools.
• The most recent appointments to the leadership team have strengthened early years and the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. As a result of leaders’ robust actions since the previous inspection in December 2017, the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes have improved significantly.
• Leaders at all levels now have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. There is a strong culture of reflection across the school. Leaders support and challenge each other very effectively and in turn, teachers do not shy away from asking for help from colleagues or from passing on advice to colleagues. Their one non-negotiable priority is to improve the quality of education so that pupils achieve their best. Leaders exemplify the values that they instil in their pupils. They are ‘responsive, reflective and resilient’.
• Leaders have collectively ensured that outcomes for pupils are good and that inadequate teaching has been eradicated.
• The curriculum interests and inspires pupils. Leaders have worked well together to create a curriculum that focuses sharply on reading, writing and mathematics, but also enables pupils to apply these skills in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 1 use their phonic skills well to read aloud their mathematical problems.
• The school has adopted a thematic approach to the curriculum. A whole-school theme is explored throughout all year groups, resulting in high-quality work in all subjects which can be seen in classroom displays and across the school. Leaders make effective use of the physical education and sport premium funding. Pupils enjoy the range of sports and music activities on offer. They compete and perform in events within and beyond the school. For example, they recently did very well in a ‘wassailing’ competition.
• The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Pupils play and learn happily together. They celebrate and respect differences between them and show a good understanding of faiths and beliefs that are different from their own. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding well to support the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. In some year groups and subjects, there are no differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and that of their peers. In others, any differences in achievement are diminishing strongly.
• Leaders have been creative in reviewing their processes for reporting to parents. They now do this on a regular basis so that parents have an up-to-date picture of how well their children are doing. This reporting system reflects the rigour and precision of the school’s assessment procedure, which has been overhauled since the time of the previous inspection.
• Leaders have been effective in improving overall attendance, which is in line with the national average. However, there remains a small number of pupils who are persistently absent. Leaders have a detailed understanding of the circumstances behind each absence. Where absences are unauthorised, fines are issued. However, there are pupils and families in vulnerable and complex situations who sometimes struggle to get to school.
• Leaders do not shy away from challenging parents to improve pupils’ attendance. However, they also offer kindness and support to vulnerable families to enable them to bring their children to school regularly. They constantly seek support and advice to help them engage with parents. For example, the school nurse led a session for parents explaining how children could attend school with minor ailments.
• Additional funding to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well spent. The provision for these pupils is strong. Leaders track progress in reading, writing and mathematics rigorously, in line with the careful tracking they undertake for all pupils. Some of the pupils who have specific needs make very strong progress indeed in their behaviour and attitudes to learning. They also quickly develop their self-confidence and self-esteem and their ability to work alongside other pupils. However, this excellent progress is not fully captured by the school’s assessment systems.

Governance of the school

• Trustees and governors have made an excellent contribution to school improvement since the school became subject to special measures. Since this time, the local governing body was completely re-structured. A highly skilled chair of governors was appointed and had an immediate and positive impact on the quality of governance and on school improvement planning. He facilitated links with outstanding schools and networks which enabled leaders and teachers to learn from excellent practitioners and therefore hone their own skills.
• Governors are rigorous in the challenge they offer to leaders. The new executive committee has enhanced this work further by asking the right, insightful questions and by celebrating and supporting the school’s successes. Governors hold leaders to account well for the spending of the physical education and sport, pupil premium and SEN funding.
• No stone is left unturned in ensuring that leaders are held accountable at Wilberforce. The mutual respect between governors and leaders helps to ensure that actions taken are both creative and forward thinking.
• Governors fulfil all their statutory duties effectively. They have ensured that all the appropriate checks are carried out when recruiting staff.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Keeping pupils safe lies at the heart of the school’s work. Referral and recording systems have been completely overhauled since the previous inspection and are now thorough, effective and used consistently by all staff.
• Leaders are proactive in their work with external agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe and that families receive the support they need.
• A key feature of the school’s strong work around safeguarding is its incisive knowledge of individual children and their families. Leaders meet regularly to review individual pupils’ attendance to explore any possible links with pupils’ well-being and safety.
• Staff and governors receive appropriate training in all aspects of safeguarding and are vigilant with regard to signs of radicalisation, extremism or female genital mutilation.
• Pupils feel safe at school and know that they will be listened to if they have fears or anxieties.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils make good progress because they are well taught. Some exceptional teaching leads to some pupils making very strong progress. Teachers are passionate about their work and committed to doing the very best for the pupils that they teach. Positive relationships underpin learning in the classrooms.
• At the time of the monitoring visit in December 2017, there remained some variability in the quality of teaching across different year groups. The most able pupils in mathematics were not being sufficiently challenged to achieve their potential. Leaders took immediate, rigorous action to address this issue. Teachers’ planning and provision for the most able mathematicians across the school are now clear strengths. Teachers responded swiftly to training and support and have transformed their teaching of mathematics. As a result, progress in mathematics for all pupils, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged, is now consistently good.
• Since the previous inspection, teachers’ confidence in teaching reading and writing has improved. High-quality literature is used well to develop pupils’ reading comprehension skills and to stimulate writing activities. Teachers effectively show pupils the link between reading and writing. Teachers have developed their skills in ensuring that talk between them and between pupils underpins learning. Teachers now make learning fun because they are confident in their ever-improving skills.
• Inadequate teaching has been eradicated and weaker teaching has been bolstered by excellent support and team teaching from phase leaders. As a result, pupils in all year groups are making strong progress in a range of subjects. Teachers have significantly raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve. As a result, outcomes are improving strongly.
• Teachers are confident and effective in their use of the systems and processes to track pupils’ progress. Alongside this information, the regular pupil progress meetings are used well by teachers to target pupils’ next steps in learning effectively.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported well and this helps them to make good progress. The caring ethos of the school ensures that they feel included and are valued as part of the school community.
• Teaching in some classes leads to very strong progress indeed. Leaders are committed to sharing particularly effective practice within the school, while continuing to look beyond the school for further inspiration, to move teaching to outstanding.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Warm, caring relationships between adults and pupils are evident across the school. Pupils thrive in an environment filled with trust and kindness. Pupils value the school community and respect the rules that are in place to keep everyone safe and happy.
• Pupils are confident in their learning and in themselves as young British citizens. Pupils talk with great honesty about their work and their lives. They know what they are successful at and know the challenges they face in their learning and in life. They understand that they can learn from mistakes to become successful learners. This is the culture that has been so thoughtfully developed across the school.
• Pupils at Wilberforce have a friendliness and openness that is a credit to them, the staff and their parents and carers. They are genuinely pleased to greet visitors. They wave, smile warmly and say, ‘Welcome to Wilberforce.’ They open doors without being prompted to do so and often start up a friendly conversation about any number of interesting things. It is a delight to spend time with them.
• Pupils make great efforts to support a range of charities. They recently raised a considerable amount of money for sick children and were clearly moved to see the impact of the money they had raised on the children’s lives. During the inspection, the whole community was counting steps for charity. Staff and pupils happily teased each other about how many steps they had completed. This was typical of the ‘family’ ethos evident at Wilberforce.
• Pupils show in-depth knowledge of how to keep themselves safe online. They know how to keep themselves safe within and beyond the school gates. They understand the different forms that bullying can take and know whom they can turn to in school if they need help.
• Pupils say that bullying is now rare, and parents who spoke to inspectors agreed that this was the case. Older pupils and parents remember a time when Wilberforce was not free of bullies. As one pupil put it, ‘It wouldn’t happen now.’ School records confirm this. Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils behave well in classrooms and conduct themselves impeccably around the school. During assemblies, they listen attentively, contribute to discussions and sing with enthusiasm. They think deeply about the themes being explored and respond thoughtfully to questions asked.
• Overall attendance levels are similar to the national average. A small number of pupils are persistently absent. Leaders are using a range of strategies to tackle this effectively.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes have improved since the previous inspection and are now good.
• Attainment in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been above the national average for the last three years.
• Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has improved over the past two years. Attainment at the end of key stage 1 was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of 2017.
• In 2017, Year 6 attainment in mathematics was above the national average and was much improved on the 2016 outcomes in reading and writing.
• Pupils who are currently in the school are making good progress this year because of better teaching. Visits to classrooms, scrutiny of pupils’ work, and the school’s assessment information show that all pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Similarly, all pupils, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged, are progressing well in all national curriculum subjects.
• The current Year 6 pupils have gaps in their learning because of the legacy of poor teaching over time. Teachers are ensuring that these gaps are being filled and that pupils are now making strong progress. However, assessment information shows that standards at the end of Year 6 this year are likely to remain slightly below average. This year group has seen a significant number of pupils joining and leaving the school at different points across key stage 2. Assessment information shows that pupils who have been at the school for the longest time are making the strongest progress.
• In Years 1 to 6, progress is strong and attainment is improving strongly.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are doing very well and make good progress from their differing academic starting points. The progress they make in their personal development and well-being is notable and evident in their attitudes to school and to learning.
• Pupils are on track to leave the school better prepared for the next stage of education than they were at the time of the previous inspection.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision has suffered from staff and leadership turnover since the previous inspection.
• A highly skilled leader has transformed this phase of the school since her appointment last year. Other key staff have been recruited this term and this has led to consistency in the good quality of teaching.
• Children who are currently in early years are making much better progress than previously. Many of them are developing early writing and number skills that are above the standard expected for their age. Many of them are developing phonics knowledge well and are applying this learning to their reading of age-appropriate books and to making plausible attempts at early writing.
• Tracking of children’s progress in all areas of learning is rigorous and accurate. The proportion of children on track to achieve a good overall level of development at the end of Reception Year is higher than previously seen. Work in books and on display around the provision shows strong progress from children’s starting points. Learning journey folders chart children’s progress in a lively and informative way. Parents enjoy seeing the photographic evidence of their children’s achievement.
• Leaders rightly identified that there were some gender gaps evident in the progress children make. As a result, they reviewed the curriculum and adjusted topics and themes to interest all children. During the inspection, children were very motivated in their learning about transport. The role-play area had become a ‘tube train’, which stimulated positive and informed responses from boys and girls.
• Staff are sharply focused on developing children’s language and vocabulary. In this way, they are successful at meeting the needs of the large proportion of children who have English as an additional language.
• Children in early years are kept safe and are happy at school. Parents who spoke to inspectors expressed confidence in the provision. Children have confidence in themselves and in their learning. They are happy to talk to visitors about their learning and play. They also enjoy a friendly chat while enjoying the healthy snacks that the school provides.
• Leaders and staff have worked very effectively to engage parents in their children’s learning. Parents have benefited from workshops and guidance on how to support their children with reading and with mathematics at home.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139824 Westminster 10043261 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 Academy converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 191 Appropriate authority The board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Robert Carpenter Claire Macfie 020 7641 5865 www.wilberforceprimary.org admin@wilberforceprimary.org.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 April 2016

Information about this school

• Wilberforce Primary School is part of the United Learning Trust.
• The school became subject to special measures in April 2016 and was removed from this category during this inspection.
• Wilberforce is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school. Pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. There is one full-time Nursery class and one Reception class in early years.
• The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged or who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• This was the fourth monitoring visit of the school. The school was judged to require special measures in April 2016. The inspector took account of the evidence gathered during the third monitoring visit in December 2017, when considering the judgements for this inspection.
• The inspector observed learning in all year groups. Observations were undertaken with the headteacher, the mathematics subject leader, the early years phase leader and the special educational needs coordinator.
• Inspectors met with the chair of the local governing body and with the director of the United Learning Trust.
• The inspector spoke with pupils to discuss their learning and their views of the school.
• The inspector met with senior leaders, phase group leaders and with the subject leaders for English and mathematics. Leaders of all other subjects met with inspectors on the previous monitoring visit.
• Inspectors examined a range of school documents, including information on pupils’ progress across the school, improvement plans, curriculum plans and checks on the quality of teaching. They also examined school records relating to safeguarding and behaviour.
• Inspectors scrutinised a sample of books to see what progress pupils make.
• Inspectors took account of the responses to information gathered from discussions with parents during the inspection and of views gathered during the monitoring visit in December 2017. There were no responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View.

Inspection team

Ruth Dollner, lead inspector

Her Majesty’s Inspector