I ask you, is this level of neglect acceptable in other parts of this nation's capital? Or is it the case that commuinities from a certain social class are expendable? See for yourself:
Inspection Report
Unique Reference Number
100325
Local Authority
Hammersmith and Fulham
Inspection number
307357
Inspection dates
10-11 July 2008
Reporting inspector
Jane Chesterfield
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
Type of school
Primary
School category
Community
Age range of pupils
3-11
Gender of pupils
Mixed
Number on roll (school)
305
Appropriate authority
The governing body
Date of previous school inspection
20 October 2003
School address
Australia Road
London
W12 7PT
Telephone number
020 8743 2514
Fax number
020 8743 9658
Chair
Mr Mark Chapman
Headteacher
Mr David McNaught
Introduction
The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.
Description of the school
The school serves an urban community of mainly social and privately rented housing. Two thirds of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is very high compared with national figures. Most pupils come from minority ethnic groups and two thirds are learning English as an additional language. These figures are very high. Almost half the pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, which is more than double the national average, although the proportion with statements of special educational need is average. The main difficulties are speech, language and communication, and specific or moderate learning difficulties. Mobility of pupils is high. The headteacher has been in post only since June 2008. Before that, the school had not had a permanent headteacher since July 2005. There is still no permanent deputy headteacher.
Key for inspection grades
Grade 1
Outstanding
Grade 2
Good
Grade 3
Satisfactory
Grade 4
Inadequate
Overall effectiveness of the school
Grade: 4
In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.
The overall effectiveness of the school is inadequate because too many pupils make insufficient progress in English and mathematics across the school, and standards in these subjects have been exceptionally low in recent years, especially in Years 3 to 6. Although this year there has been some improvement in standards in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, there is still a legacy of underachievement. Pupils are not making rapid enough gains in their learning, because teaching is not adequately targeted to meet their different needs. Lessons lack the pace and challenge to motivate and stimulate pupils. The curriculum is not well planned, so continuity and development for the pupils is not ensured. As a result, many pupils are passive learners or fail to show interest in their work. Marking and target setting are inconsistent in quality so pupils do not always know how to improve. Support for pupils with specific or moderate learning difficulties, or with speech and language difficulties is inconsistent. Their achievement is also inadequate. Provision for pupils learning English as an additional language is inadequate and this impedes their progress.
Pupils' learning is hindered further by the unsatisfactory behaviour of a significant minority of pupils, mainly boys, who take up too much of their teachers' time. Although many pupils behave well in lessons and around the school, some do not show self-control and respect for others. The level of exclusions is very high, and more pupils have been excluded this year than last. There are incidents of fighting, disobedience and unkindness to others, which affect pupils' sense of well-being in the school. Pupils believe that adults will sort out the problems they take to them, but supervision around school and in the playground is not always effective and expectations for behaviour are not always high enough. One pupil commented that she would like a school where everyone shows respect to everyone else, and people treat others as they would like to be treated themselves. Pupils' attendance is well below average, and has dropped during this school year.
The new headteacher is fully aware of the school's weaknesses and, capably supported by the acting deputy headteacher, has a clear understanding of what needs to be done to drive the school forward. Although he has only been in post for three weeks, he has made a good impression with staff, pupils and parents. Most staff are willing to make the necessary improvements. Intentions for developing the school leadership team and strengthening processes for school self-evaluation and development planning are good. Parents are satisfied with the school and feel that it is well placed to improve. Nonetheless, the new leadership team has not yet had the chance to make a demonstrable impact on the school, and improvement since the last inspection is inadequate. Consequently the school's capacity to improve is inadequate.
Effectiveness of the Foundation Stage
Grade: 3
Children enter the Nursery with a level of skills well below those expected for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. Their progress through the Foundation Stage has been disrupted by a number of staff changes this year, but now good teaching means they are starting to make satisfactory progress. However, the current cohort will leave the Reception classes still well below expected levels for their age. Children's progress has not been tracked systematically in the past, but the school is now addressing this.
Staff in the Foundation Stage rightly focus on developing children's personal and social skills. Many children in the Nursery are still learning the rules and routines, such as how to share equipment and treat it with respect. Some children, particularly boys, find it hard to concentrate on their activities and need adult support to do this. There is good balance of tasks led by adults and those initiated by children, with a clear emphasis on building language and mathematical skills. Children in the Nursery enjoy a good range of stimulating activities both indoors and outdoors. However, the Reception outdoor area is not used well to give the children opportunities for hands-on experiences. The school is aware of this and has plans for improvement.
What the school should do to improve further
Raise achievement and standards in English and mathematics, particularly in Years 3 to 6.
Improve behaviour, particularly boys', and reduce the level of exclusions.
Improve pupils' attendance to bring it closer to national levels.
Increase the challenge and expectations in teaching to meet the needs of all pupils, especially those learning English as an additional language.
Develop rigorous systems for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school.
Achievement and standards
Grade: 4
Most pupils have not reached the expected early learning goals when they enter Year 1.The standards at the end of Year 2 have fluctuated considerably in recent years, from below average to very low in reading, writing and mathematics. There has been some improvement in results this year but this is not yet secure. Pupils' progress has not been tracked systematically in the past and achievement is still inadequate for too many pupils.
In Years 3 to 6 pupils make inadequate progress. They leave the school with standards in English and mathematics that are exceptionally low. Although standards in science are better, they are still below average. Although the school has focused rightly on raising standards in English and mathematics, too many pupils make insufficient progress and do not reach the standards of which they are capable.
Personal development and well-being
Grade: 4
Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is inadequate. Although many pupils behave well, a significant minority of pupils, mainly boys, show rough and aggressive behaviour towards others. Incidents of racist name calling and bullying persist. This kind of behaviour has a direct impact on pupils' enjoyment and learning. Some pupils find it hard to establish good relationships with others and cannot tell right from wrong.
Although pupils say they like school, their attendance is poor, often because they go on holiday during term time. The school is aware that it needs to work more closely with parents to reduce this problem. Pupils enjoy clubs and visits that help them to develop their social skills, although they are sad that some activities they have enjoyed, such as the choir, cease to exist when staff leave. Pupils willingly take on extra responsibilities such as being on the school council or acting as friendship buddies. However, they make little contribution to the wider community. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of how to be healthy and enjoyed the school's healthy eating week. Their social, literacy, and numeracy skills are weak, however, and this means that they are inadequately prepared for the next stage in their education.
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning
Grade: 4
The quality of teaching and learning is inadequate overall. Although there are some good examples of lively and energetic teaching which encourage pupils to learn, most teaching is not sufficiently focused on accelerating pupils' learning and helping them to make up for lost time. Teachers are hard working and committed, and have good relationships with their classes, although some do not manage behaviour well enough. There are no rigorous whole-school systems for planning, assessing and tracking of pupils' work. This makes it difficult for teachers to meet the many different needs of their pupils and help them to make progress. Teaching assistants are not always well deployed to match teachers' requirements and pupils' needs, particularly for those learning English as an additional language. This means that the value of their support is limited.
Curriculum and other activities
Grade: 4
The curriculum is not well matched to the needs of pupils and does not enable them to develop satisfactory basic skills. A lack of whole-school planning leads to discontinuity from year to year and it is not clear exactly what different year groups have covered. Pupils sometimes miss lessons such as physical education if they need extra support with literacy or numeracy. A start has been made on linking subjects across the curriculum, such as the school's healthy eating week during the inspection, but this has not been planned well enough to provide the right challenge for all pupils. There are few clubs during and after the school day. There are not enough organised activities at playtime and too many age groups share the playground at the same time.
Care, guidance and support
Grade: 4
Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust and the school works well with other agencies to support pupils with more complex needs. Day-to-day pastoral care for pupils is not always vigilant and their behaviour is not managed successfully.
Pupils' specific learning needs are identified, but their progress is not tracked consistently to assess the impact of additional support. Large numbers of pupils who are learning English as an additional language do not consistently receive adequate additional support, and as a result make inadequate progress.
Leadership and management
Grade: 4
Leadership and management have been ineffective in ensuring that the school has achieved good quality provision and positive outcomes for pupils' standards and personal development. Although there has been some recent improvement, there is still much work to be done to make sure all pupils do as well as they can in their all-round development as individuals, in surroundings where they feel secure and able to thrive. The new senior leadership team shares a commitment to pupils' well-being and a determination to improve. However, the team has not been in place long enough to have made any significant impact on raising pupils' achievement and standards. At present, therefore, the school lacks the capacity to improve.
Subject leaders are enthusiastic about getting to grips with their roles and have identified common areas for improvement. These include the need to develop a consistent system for assessments to inform the tracking of pupils' progress and use it to improve teaching and learning. Governors share the commitment of senior staff to school improvement, but have not been active enough in challenging the work of the school in recent years and have failed to hold it to account for low standards and inadequate achievement. They are supportive of the school and have confidence in the new headteacher, and they understand the part they have to play from now on in building a better, successful school for the local community.
Annex A
Inspection judgements
Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate
School Overall
Overall effectiveness
How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?
4
Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection
No
How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?
3
The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage
3
The capacity to make any necessary improvements
4
Achievement and standards
How well do learners achieve?
4
The standards1 reached by learners
4
How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners
4
How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress
4
1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.
Personal development and well-being
How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?
4
The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
4
The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles
3
The extent to which learners adopt safe practices
4
How well learners enjoy their education
4
The attendance of learners
4
The behaviour of learners
4
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community
4
How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future
economic well-being
4
The quality of provision
How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs?
4
How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?
4
How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?
4
Leadership and management
How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?
4
How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education
4
How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards
4
The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation
4
How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can
4
How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money
4
The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities
4
Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements?
Yes
Does this school require special measures?
Yes
Does this school require a notice to improve?
No
Annex B
Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection
24 September 2008
Dear Pupils
Inspection of Canberra Primary School,London,W12 7PT
Thank you for being so helpful and friendly when we visited your school recently. We really enjoyed meeting you and talking to you. We know that you like your school and that you get on well with your friends and your teachers.
However, we think that too many of you are not doing as well as you could be in your lessons, because you are not given work that is well chosen for you. You should all be getting work that challenges you without making you struggle to understand it. Some of you are not getting the help you need to behave the way you should. Many of you are often absent from school, and so you have gaps in what you have learned. That is why we have decided that your school needs Special Measures, which means your new headteacher and his staff will get a lot of extra help and support to make the school better in every way.
You have a big part to play in improving the school. You can help by always doing as your teachers ask in class and around the school. Tell your teachers if the work they give you is too hard or too easy, or if there is anything that you do not understand, so that they can help you. You can also think about how your behaviour affects other people in class and in the playground, and try to treat other people the way you like to be treated. Your parents can do their bit by making sure that you only ever miss school when you are ill.
Good luck and best wishes for the future.
Yours sincerely
Jane Chesterfield
Lead Inspector
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