In a recent Ofsted inspection conducted on 19th and 20th September, Elmgrove Primary School in Kenton, Harrow, has been rated ‘Good’ overall.
The school has received praise for its friendly, inclusive community, nurturing environment, and emphasis on pupils’ personal development. The school’s atmosphere was praised for its warmth, with students valuing the strong relationships they share with staff.
The report states, “Pupils value the warm and trusting relationships that they have with all staff. Leaders place a high importance on pupils’ pastoral support. This helps pupils to understand and manage their feelings.
“Adults have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Behaviour in lessons and around school is calm and purposeful. Routines for pupils’ future learning are established right away in the early years. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently good.
“They respect teachers and concentrate well in lessons. Staff encourage pupils to follow the school values of kindness, respect, responsibility and commitment.
“Pupils respond and act on these values positively. Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs, visits and events at school. They value sporting activities such as the opportunities provided by specialist coaches in football, dance and karate.
“Pupils also spoke with great enthusiasm about how the school fosters a love of music and art. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe in school. Parents and carers are happy to send their children to this school. They value the school’s nurturing and sense of ‘family feel’.”
The Ofsted report continues, “Pupils are well behaved, polite and courteous. In early years, staff enable children to follow consistent routines. Leaders promote pupils’ wider development well. This builds from the rich curriculum in subjects such as art and design and music, where pupils have high quality experiences.
“Pupils can take part in a range of clubs and visits. Staff encourage staff to be respectful of differences, including faiths and beliefs. This helps pupils to develop mature views around tolerance and equality.”
While the inspection highlighted numerous strengths, including the students’ excellent behavior and the school’s promotion of wider development through creative subjects and various extracurricular activities, there are areas to refine.
The report noted, “In some foundation subjects, the school’s curricular thinking is not well developed. It does not identify clearly the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to build from early years to Year 6.
“The school should ensure that subject leaders continue to develop their knowledge and subject expertise and bring about further improvements in how the curriculum is delivered and assessed.”
