Davidson Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Give pupils more opportunities to develop their writing skills across the curriculum so that they can confidently produce high-quality extended pieces of writing.
• Ensure that the quality of teaching and learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is strong across the school.
• Ensure that levels of attendance continue to improve, particularly for pupils who are persistently absent.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school has gone through a period of significant change since it opened in April 2016. Frequent changes in senior leadership and teaching staff have threatened the stability of the school. The executive headteacher and leaders from the trust have worked hard to give pupils consistency in their learning. They have recruited and retained high-quality staff who are committed to improving the school further.
• Staffing is now stable. The restructured leadership and management team has clearly defined roles and works as a cohesive group. Leaders review the impact of their actions continuously, refining and amending strategies to ensure that they make a positive difference. Leaders are well supported by staff, who share their ambitious vision for the school.
• Middle leaders are increasingly responsible for monitoring the teaching and learning in their areas. All are relatively new in post and benefit from a coaching programme led by experienced leaders from within the trust. As a result, they carry out their roles effectively.
• Staff are held to account for their pupils’ progress. Teachers and support staff spoke positively about the training that they receive, and they value working with other schools in the trust. They know that changes have been made for the right reasons. Teachers new to the profession are well supported.
• Leaders have high expectations. All members of the school community have welcomed this. They work together to ensure that pupils achieve good outcomes. Leaders have put in place various actions to improve pupils’ aspirations, such as increasing levels of pupils’ responsibilities. As a result, pupils know the importance of working hard and doing well.
• Leaders make sure that pupil premium funding is used effectively. They have sharpened their planning for how it is spent so that pupils receive personalised support. This takes different forms, such as specific interventions to improve learning in English and mathematics, funding for additional resources and school trips, and extra-curricular activities.
• The school provides good support for pupils with SEND. Leaders have a secure understanding of pupils’ different needs, and they ensure that support is tailored so that these pupils make good progress. This support is monitored regularly. Increasingly, pupils’ needs are identified at an early stage. Additional funding is used effectively so that pupils with SEND get individual help and specialist support, such as speech and language therapy.
• The school has a broad curriculum. Leaders have developed a topic-led curriculum, and pupils enjoy events and visits that enhance their learning, such as themed days and visits to local places of interest. However, the quality of curriculum delivery varies across the school. Some subjects, such as music and modern foreign languages, vary in quality in certain years. Leaders need to ensure that subjects are consistently strong across the school.
• Leaders promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, and they ensure that this is weaved through the curriculum. School rules are closely linked to British values, teaching respect and tolerance of people from different backgrounds. As a result, pupils show a good understanding of different cultures and religions.
• Leaders make sure that the sport premium funding has a positive impact on pupils’ lifestyles. A specialist sports coach helps teachers to deliver high-quality physical education lessons. Play leaders run active sessions at lunchtime, and pupils enjoy the variety of sports activities on offer. Pupils also participate in local sports events, such as the Croydon Schools Swimming Gala.
• Leaders’ work to gain the support and trust of the local community is ongoing. Parents and carers are increasingly positive about the changes to the school. The parent teacher association has started to thrive, and it regularly raises funds for the school.

Governance of the school

• A local governing body works across all schools in the trust, and it has some involvement in monitoring the work of school leaders. School leaders are accountable to the board of trustees, which oversees all aspects of the school’s work.
• Trustees and governors carry out their statutory duties effectively. Some are new to the role and have completed training to improve their skills, such as understanding school performance information and specific safeguarding training. Governors and trustees hold leaders to account, and they have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.
• Trustees and governors visit the school regularly, and they work with school leaders to review actions.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that pre-recruitment checks on all staff are completed. Members of staff receive regular training, and they understand their role in ensuring that children are safe in their care. Leaders respond promptly to any concerns that are raised about pupils. They carefully consider individual concerns, and they do not hesitate to make referrals to external agencies when necessary. The safeguarding team has established strong relationships with vulnerable pupils and their families. The team follows up any concerns relentlessly so that the right help and support is given.
• Leaders are acutely aware of local risks to pupils. They use a range of approaches to teach pupils about how to stay safe in and out of school. Older pupils, for example, learn about the dangers of knife crime and gang culture through visits from local police. Pupils learn about safety through assemblies, workshops and personal, social, heath and economic education lessons. Pupils confidently told inspectors that they feel safe at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have established routines in lessons that help to create positive learning environments. Warm relationships are evident between teachers and pupils. As a result, pupils want to do well.
• Teachers are reflective and keen to develop their practice as much as they can. The school’s focus on mathematics this year, for example, has helped them to develop ways to challenge the most able pupils. This is starting to have an impact, and staff are refining the mathematics programme so that it suits pupils’ needs and abilities.
• Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They model work to pupils so that they know exactly what is expected of them. Teachers use a range of resources to capture pupils’ interests. Support for pupils with SEND is generally good, particularly for pupils with one-to-one support.
• Reading has been given a higher profile through the opening of a new key stage 1 library. Pupils’ reading develops well as they move through the school as a result of effective teaching.
• Joint marking of pupils’ work and sharing good practice with other teachers have resulted in teachers being increasingly confident and accurate in their assessment of pupils’ work.
• Teachers use assessment information to identify underachievement, and they plan lessons to address this. They know that pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 have significant gaps in learning, particularly in English and mathematics, due to a legacy of weak teaching. Teaching in these areas is particularly strong and is ‘plugging’ gaps in knowledge and skills.
• In subjects other than English and mathematics, the quality of teaching and learning is more varied. In science, pupils cover a variety of topics in depth, and they can use their investigative skills to conduct experiments. However, teaching and learning in history, geography and French are less strong. As a result, pupils’ levels of understanding and skills are limited in some year groups.
• Teachers develop pupils’ writing skills primarily in English lessons. Texts are used to inspire different genres of writing, such as the retelling of mythical stories. In subjects such as history, geography and religious education, pupils’ work is often based on worksheets that do not allow pupils to write creatively or at any length.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils like their school. They enjoy many aspects of their lessons, and they talk enthusiastically and confidently about what they have learned.
• Inspectors observed pupils working well collaboratively in many classes. They share ideas and help each other when trying to work out challenging tasks.
• Pupils have many opportunities to take responsibility. They feel listened to through the work of the school council. Elected pupils help leaders with aspects of school improvement, such as discussing ideas for raising attendance levels. Other responsibilities include pupils’ parliament, prefects and house captains. Pupils take their roles very seriously and do not want to let the school down.
• Pupils are respectful of people from other backgrounds. ‘Language Ambassadors’ help new arrivals who speak English as an additional language. They make sure that new pupils, from Reception to Year 6, feel welcomed and settled at the school.
• Pupils generally take pride in their work. Books are well presented in most subject areas.
• Pupils feel looked after in school. They said that site security, trust in staff and the opportunities to speak freely and confidentially about problems they might have help them to feel safe. They are knowledgeable about e-safety. Bullying is rare, but pupils say that teachers deal with any incidents quickly.
• The school promotes an active and healthy lifestyle to all pupils.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are generally well behaved in lessons and around school. They are polite and friendly to staff and visitors.
• Off-task behaviour occurs in some lessons, usually if the work is not suitable or too easy, but this is occasional. A very small number of pupils present challenging behaviour. Leaders and staff have appropriate measures in place to deal with this effectively.
• Attendance has improved considerably in the last year. However, it is still below the national average. Rates of persistent absence have almost halved through leaders’ ongoing work in this area.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, make good progress. Work in pupils’ books shows strong progress over time in a range of subjects, particularly English and mathematics.
• In 2018, Year 6 pupils’ progress was in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. This helps to ensure that pupils are well prepared for secondary school.
• Pupils achieve well in key stage 1. Attainment at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics is consistently above average.
• Phonics is taught well. Staff have a consistent approach to teaching phonics. Consequently, pupils can apply their skills to decode and sound out new and difficult words. A high proportion of pupils achieved the expected standard in the 2018 Year 1 phonics screening check. Older pupils read fluently and have appropriately challenging texts.
• While most pupils can write at age-related expectations, the proportion achieving at the higher standard has been consistently below the national average. Work in books shows that pupils do not have many opportunities to apply their writing skills across the curriculum.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders and staff in early years have created a rich learning environment, indoors and outdoors. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points, that are typically low for their age, and they are well prepared for Year 1.
• Observations of children’s learning and reviews of children’s work support staff assessments of strong progress, including for disadvantaged children. The development of writing is a particular focus for improvement in the early years. Leaders have taken effective action to address this, such as giving children more opportunities to write for purpose, and using ‘finger gym’ to improve coordination and pencil grip.
• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been below average for the last two years. This is improving as leaders increasingly check pupils’ progress thoroughly and pinpoint areas of development to target for each child. This information is used to plan activities that develop children’s learning effectively.
• Staff use skilful questioning and interact well with children. They encourage children to think and make links between their learning. For example, adults prompted children playing in the snow to have conversations and make predictions about snow formation and melting. Staff demonstrate strong practice and a good knowledge of how children learn.
• Children play well together and follow staff instructions promptly. Occasionally, there are issues with sharing toys and resources, but staff praise good behaviour and teach children the importance of cooperating with each other.
• Safeguarding arrangements in early years are effective. Staff have appropriate training, and they ensure that children are well looked after. Parents are confident that their children are safe and happy in Reception.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 142610 Croydon 10058825 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 sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 227 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Acting Principal Telephone number Website Email address Phil Jefferies Farzana Begum 020 8654 1460 www.davidsonprimary.com office@davidsonprimary.com Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Davidson Primary Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 April 2016. When its predecessor school, Davidson Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate.
• Davidson Primary Academy is part of the Chancery Education Trust. The school has a local governing body, which has delegated responsibilities from the board of trustees.
• The school is an average-sized primary school. The early years provision comprises one Reception class.
• The acting principal took up post in April 2018.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above other schools nationally.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classes in the school with school and trust leaders to observe teaching and learning in a range of subjects.
• Meetings were held with school leaders, trust leaders, teaching staff, support staff, different groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority. A discussion was held with two trustees and a governor.
• The inspection team had informal discussions with pupils in lessons and around the school. Inspectors listened to pupils read from Year 2 and Year 5. Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ books from all year groups and subjects to evaluate progress over time.
• Inspectors reviewed documentation provided by the school, including the school’s self-evaluation, development plan, current assessment information, attendance records, behaviour logs and safeguarding information.
• Inspectors considered the 23 responses to Parent View and spoke to some parents at the start of the school day. There were no responses to the staff and pupils’ surveys.

Inspection team

Jude Wilson, lead inspector James Robinson Julie Davey Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector