Andrews Lane Primary School
Andrews Lane
Cheshunt
Waltham Cross
Hertfordshire
EN76LB

Phone:01992 623065
Headteacher: Mrs Susan Butcher

Visit school website 

206 pupils, Mixed

ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Approximately 50% of the inspectors' time was spent looking directly at learning in eleven lessons. All full-time teachers and all support staff were seen working with children. Meetings were held with staff, governors and pupils. Inspectors looked at pupils' books, curriculum plans, assessment and tracking data and the school development plan, and scrutinised 34 parental questionnaires.

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following:

• the effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly children's typical attainment on entry and provision for the outdoor curriculum
• the quality of the school's assessment and tracking systems
• pupils' behaviour in and around the school.

Information about the school

This is an average sized primary school situated in an overspill estate with high population mobility. As a result of this mobility, approximately half of the pupils in upper Key Stage 2 did not start their education at the school. The school works under challenging circumstances. The school houses a Primary Support Base for local schools, staffed with 2 teachers and 5 teaching assistants where children 'on the verge of exclusion' from other schools are taught initially, before integrating them into main school classes. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is higher than average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average, as is the proportion of pupils with a statement of educational needs. The school hosts a privately managed after-school club. This organisation was the subject of a separate inspection and the report will be available on the Ofsted website. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools award and the ActiveMark.

Main findings

Andrews Lane is a good school which has improved since the last inspection and continues to do so. The headteacher provides a clear sense of purpose and direction, clearly linked to school improvement. The effective teamwork of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, coupled with a more stable staffing situation has ensured that teaching and learning have improved and clear priorities have been set for further improvement. Parents are very supportive of the school. They like the positive family atmosphere and parents typically say: 'There is a warm, friendly and fun atmosphere in the school, staff are friendly and always willing to talk to parents'. Staff want the best for each child and, through working closely with families, strive to achieve this goal.

Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress, particularly in their personal and social development, their communication and language skills and their understanding of number. However, some opportunities are missed for children to select activities for themselves as 'free-choice' and there is currently insufficient equipment or adult support to allow children to freely explore things with purpose and challenge in the spacious and secure outdoor areas. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the increasing number for whom English is an additional language, make good progress in their time in school. Support for those pupils with significant behaviour difficulties is a strength of the school. Standards are in line with national averages at Year 6, which constitutes good achievement for pupils.

Arrangements for the evaluation and monitoring of teaching and learning are good and lead to good teaching. However, in a minority of lessons teachers do not provide sufficiently challenging tasks for pupils of all abilities within the class. Pupils' personal development is good overall. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe and of the need for healthy lifestyles. Parents say their children enjoy coming to school and pupils agree enthusiastically. Although not all pupils behave well all the time, all adults manage behaviour well. Most pupils work hard, both independently and co-operatively, and this has a positive effect on the good progress they make in most lessons. The curriculum ensures that pupils receive a good variety of exciting activities and experiences and is enriched by visits, residential stays and visitors to school. Pupils enjoy the good range of after-school activities and clubs, including physical activities. Pastoral care of pupils is good and academic guidance is now good, a significant improvement on the previous inspection. Pupils are tracked carefully and data analysed rigorously to ensure any pupil falling behind is identified quickly and support is provided. The school has good links with its local community but realises it could do more to strengthen ties with groups outside the local area and overseas. The school has a good understanding of how well it is doing and what needs to be done next. It has a good capacity to maintain and sustain improvement.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils' attainment by:

• Improving the quality of teaching so that all teachers make good use of their knowledge of what each pupil can do to plan work to match their abilities and in particular to make sure that work is not too easy
• Improve planning, resources and regular, child-initiated access for the outdoor curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage in order to further develop children's independent learning skills.

The very high mobility of pupils has an increasing impact on the school in Years 3 to 6, making comparisons between key stages difficult. The school's data demonstrate clearly, however, that most pupils make good progress in their time in the school. Work seen during the inspection confirms this good progress. The small number of pupils with severe behaviour difficulties frequently make very good progress and are re-integrated successfully into mainstream schools due to the very effective support and care provided in the Primary Support Base and in the mainstream classes. Pupils behave considerately towards each other and respond quickly to any guidance from staff about how to conduct themselves. Pupils say they enjoy coming to school and one older pupil, said: 'I enjoy Andrews Lane and I will be upset when I leave'. However, this is not fully reflected in their levels of attendance, which, despite the school's rigorous systems to encourage punctuality and full attendance, remain broadly in line with national averages. Pupils understand what constitutes an unsafe situation and are confident that issues they raise will be dealt with promptly and effectively by the school. Pupils understand the main threats to their health and how they can be avoided. They willingly take on responsibility, play a constructive role in the school and, through the school council (PALS), influence decisions about school life. Pupils' average standards and their good social skills prepare them satisfactorily for the future. Spiritual, moral and social development is good. However, the school recognises it could do more to develop pupils' understanding of life in cultures outside their community.

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

¹ The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low

How effective is the provision?

Teaching and learning are good overall. Strategies for managing the behaviour of pupils are very effective across the school so that most lessons are calm and purposeful and pupils work hard. Most teachers assess learning carefully so that pupils who need extra help are supported well and those who find learning easy are given more challenging tasks. In a small number of otherwise satisfactory lessons, teachers do not provide suitably challenging work for pupils of all levels of ability in the class. In most lessons, carefully targeted questioning draws out pupils' ideas and develops their thinking and reasoning skills. Support by teaching assistants is well focused and makes a significant contribution to the quality of learning. Good use is made of resources, including new technology, to motivate pupils and enhance their learning. Staff work together well to ensure that pupils know how to improve their work and clear targets are set to help them do this. In the best cases, pupils are actively engaged in reflecting on the progress they have made in lessons and considering what it is they still need to do. The marking of pupils' work is good, with pointers for improvement to help pupils take the next step in their learning. The school provides a good curriculum which meets pupils' different needs and interests successfully. The introduction of a new 'International Curriculum' has made the curriculum more interesting and relevant and has been welcomed enthusiastically by staff and pupils. Pupils say, 'I like it when we do I.P.C. which is all about volcanoes and earthquakes!' Links with extended services support the development of the wider curriculum well. Every pupil is valued and cared for as an individual. The support for those who need additional pastoral care, or help with their work, is good. It gives them confidence to learn and enables them to make the same good progress as others.

These are the grades for the quality of provision

How effective are leadership and management?

Since the last inspection, undertaken when the headteacher was 'acting headteacher', she has consistently communicated to the staff her high expectations about continuing to improve provision. The result of this is clearly evident in the significant improvements made since the last inspection. With the strong support of the deputy headteacher and a well-motivated staff team she has identified and successfully tackled areas requiring improvement. As a result most aspects of the school are now good. Subject leaders have good subject knowledge and have developed a good overview of the quality of teaching and standards in their subjects. The governing body is influential in determining the strategic direction of the school and becoming more involved in evaluating its work. Self-evaluation has identified all the key priorities for development. As a result of regular monitoring and support, teaching is good overall across the school and planning is founded on robust evidence and based on good quality data. The school's positive relationship with most parents and carers and its good links with a wide range of partners contribute significantly to improvements in pupils' achievement and well-being. Equality of opportunity is promoted well in all the school's work. Through rigorous analysis of the school's regular and accurate data on pupils' progress, it is constantly alert to any variation in achievement and is pro-active in devising initiatives to overcome any weaknesses. School leaders and governors have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and the school adopts recommended good practice for safeguarding pupils across all areas of its work. The school promotes community cohesion within its own and the local community very effectively. It is aware of the need to further develop pupils' understanding of those living in contexts which are different to their own, for example through links with other schools in the United Kingdom and with schools overseas.

These are the grades for leadership and management

Early Years Foundation Stage

When they join the Nursery, children's skills are well below those typically found. Most need considerable help to ensure that they learn how to be independent and work and play together. As children move through the Nursery and Reception classes they make good progress because teaching and learning are good overall. Despite this good progress, however, standards remain below average when children enter Year 1 and the school wisely continues some aspects of the Early Years' curriculum into the first term of Year 1. Teachers and support staff carefully observe and record children's achievements on a day-to-day basis and use this information effectively to plan the next steps in learning. Happy and caring relationships are established and children settle quickly. Children behave well and are enthusiastic in all that they do. They clearly enjoy school and play happily together and individually. Staff work hard to achieve a strong partnership with parents and carers. Pastoral care and welfare arrangements are effective and help the children to be safe, well cared for and aware of how to be healthy. Adults provide a wide range of interesting learning activities, in the best cases allowing children to work on things that they choose themselves as well as by taking part in more formal group-work activities with adults. However, opportunities for children to explore their learning independently in the outdoor area are currently limited and his hampers the development of their independent learning skills. There is a very good focus on helping children with their speaking skills and ensuring that they develop an ability to work with others in a friendly and purposeful way. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly, well-supported and integrated well into all activities. Adults have a good knowledge of the learning, development and welfare requirements of very young children and use national guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage well to support children's learning.

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Views of parents and carers

The proportion of questionnaires returned was lower than in most schools of this size. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who responded declared themselves very satisfied with the school. In most of the areas surveyed, for example, regarding the way in which the school keeps them informed of their child's progress, keeps their children safe, helps them support their child's learning and in their overall happiness with their child's experience in the school, almost every parent or carer had positive views. However, a very small minority do not feel that the school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour, that it takes into account their suggestions and concerns or is well led and managed. The inspection team investigated these matters carefully and do not feel that these criticisms are justified.

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Andrews Lane Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.

In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 34 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 191 pupils registered at the school.

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

Overall effectiveness of schools inspected between September 2007 and July 2008

Dear Pupils

Inspection of Andrews Lane Primary School, Hertfordshire, EN7 6LB

I would like to thank you for your help during the recent inspection of your school. My colleagues and I very much enjoyed our visit. We enjoyed watching lessons and talking to some of you. You attend a good school that is a happy and friendly place. It is like that because your headteacher and staff are leading the school well. They care for you well and give you good support to enable you to learn and enjoy your lessons. They make sure that you understand how to look after yourselves and keep safe and you do this well. You told us that you really like your school and there are lots of things to do and enjoy. We agree with you. Your behaviour is good. You work hard and try to succeed in all that you do. Well done!

We have asked your school to do two things that we feel will help the school get even better:

• ensure all teachers use their knowledge of what each of you can do to plan work to match your abilities and in particular to make sure that work is not too easy
• improve opportunities for outdoor activities in the Nursery and Reception classes so that the youngest children become more confident in finding things out for themselves.

I wish you well in your future education.

Yours Sincerely

Clive Lewis

Lead inspector