Camelot Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• To ensure that lessons are always pitched appropriately for pupils across the curriculum so that: − − they deepen their learning there are improved levels of engagement from pupils who are too easily distracted − most-able pupils are sufficiently challenged.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and senior leaders have worked hard to build positive and supportive relationships with pupils and parents, in order to bring stability to the school after a long period of turbulence and staff changes. The vast majority of parents are positive about the current headteacher and said that he has transformed Camelot Primary School. Leaders have created an ethos of high expectations and aspirations that pupils understand and value. They work together very well to ensure that the strong vision they have for the school is translated into effective action in the classroom. Leaders have positive and supportive relationships with staff. Consequently, there is a shared vision for all pupils to succeed, and pupils are making good progress.

• Pupils’ outcomes in the early years and key stage 1 have continued to improve as a result of the unrelenting focus on raising achievement. Pupils make strong progress in phonics and are prepared well for key stage 2. Progress and attainment across key stage 2 is good and improving.
• Middle leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and priorities for development in their areas of responsibility. They go into classrooms and observe the impact of their initiatives and help teachers to improve by giving good guidance. They ensure that all teachers use the school’s systems and procedures consistently in order to secure standards that are improving. As a result, teaching is effective.
• Leaders have introduced robust systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress and attainment. They regularly scrutinise each pupil’s progress across all subjects and hold teachers to account. Leaders use this information to ensure that no pupil falls behind or, if any do, they are supported to catch up. The accuracy of the school’s judgements is moderated externally by the local authority and other schools in order to ensure that pupils’ achievement is now measured with precision.
• Teachers know the pupils well because of the information they receive from leaders and the assessments they make during lessons. They use this information to plan next steps effectively for most pupils. There are times, however, when the work is either too easy or too hard for some pupils and they lose concentration.
• Leaders monitor the quality of teaching frequently. They are rigorous in their analysis of a range of evidence, such as work in pupils’ books, lesson observations and pupils’ perceptions. Drawing on expertise within the school, such as coaching, mentoring and curriculum training and external support provided by the local authority, leaders ensure that teachers provide a good education to pupils.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. It is designed to broaden pupils’ horizons and give them new experiences. Pupils value the school trips, which are a feature of the curriculum and enhance learning. For example, pupils were taken to Winchester in order to learn about the legend of Camelot. Pupils are given the opportunity to grow and care for plants in an area where there are few green spaces. Creativity and problem solving are at the heart of the curriculum and, as a result, pupils are developing their thinking skills, language and communication. However, there are times when the curriculum could be more challenging for the most able.
• Pupils are improving their reading skills because of a whole-school approach to reading. High-quality texts are used as a springboard for learning across the curriculum and this motivates pupils to learn. A new library contains books that are both interesting and challenging. Pupils are seen reading in groups, independently and to adults throughout the day. They have developed an enjoyment of books and are learning to empathise with certain characters. As a result, the standard of reading is good and improving.
• Leaders have recognised the development of the writing curriculum as a whole-school priority. There are ample opportunities to practise writing across a range of subjects. Pupils learn to use ambitious language and are taught to check, edit and improve their writing consistently. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good or better progress because of this approach.
• Leaders ensure that the mathematics curriculum promotes problem solving and develops reasoning skills in order to deepen pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. There are times, however, when reasoning skills are not developed well and the most able pupils lack challenge.
• Support for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is good. The new special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has quickly identified the areas for development. She has built productive relationships with parents and these are having a positive impact on the education and well-being of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. She knows the individual needs of each pupil and holds regular training sessions that enable staff to give good support. Progress is measured in accordance with pupils’ needs and ensures that support is deployed effectively. The local authority moderates the school’s judgements about the progress of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and agrees that the school’s information is accurate. These pupils make good progress.
• The headteacher runs well-attended daily booster sessions for Year 6. Pupils practise their mathematics and English skills before school. They said that this helps them to feel more confident in lessons. The headteacher was observed delivering a times tables challenge to a group of pupils who were proud of their improved scores. He provides sports activities as an incentive for pupils to attend and complete their tasks. He employs graduates to help deliver these sessions, who move on from this to become trainee teachers in the school. As a result, achievement in the current Year 6 class is improving.
• The breakfast club offers a good start to the day. A healthy breakfast is provided, and pupils have the opportunity to take part in physical activity. Staff read with the pupils as part of the whole-school focus on reading, and pupils engage with books well.
• Newly qualified teachers receive good support and training and said that they are proud to work at Camelot Primary School.
• Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through carefully planned programmes and create a strong ethos of inclusion. For example, pupils learn about faiths other than their own and demonstrate respect for diversity. They appreciate the opportunities to debate and vote on relevant issues. The school’s ambassadors are keen to talk about their roles and the actions they have taken; they are proud of their school. There are times, however, when opportunities for deeper self-reflection are missed.
• An overwhelming majority of pupils, parents and staff appreciate the improvements that have been made by the current headteacher and the leadership team.

Governance of the school

• The school has a highly committed and effective governing body. It is strategic in its focus and ensures that its priorities match those in the school development plan. Questions raised in the governors’ meetings demonstrate that they provide the leadership team with sufficient challenge.

• Regular monitoring of expenditure, such as pupil premium funding, has ensured that such funds are spent well and enable the pupils to make good progress.
• Governors ensure that the sport premium funding is used effectively and measure its impact on pupils’ progress and engagement with sport. Additional sporting activities that engage pupils with school are improving outcomes.
• Governors, many of whom are new to the role, receive effective training to ensure that they are able to hold the leadership effectively to account.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All staff and governors are trained to spot any safeguarding issue or concern. As a result, all staff know how to make a referral, and pupils know whom they have to go to if they have a problem.

• Appropriate checks are made on all staff before they begin work at the school to ensure that they are fit and proper to work with children. An appointed governor ensures that all safeguarding procedures are robust.
• Safeguarding leads are relentless in ensuring the physical and emotional well-being of their pupils. They provide personalised support to vulnerable pupils to ensure that their needs are met.
• Safeguarding leads liaise effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils are provided with the best possible support.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils appreciate the improved curriculum and want to do well. They are keen to talk about the good progress they have made and are proud of their books.

• Teaching across key stage 1 is planned effectively and pupils are prepared well for key stage 2. The majority of lessons are interesting, and teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge. There are times, however, when pupils could be expected to do more.
• Teaching across key stage 2 is having a positive impact on the school’s drive to improve attainment. Science is well planned, and pupils are demonstrating a good understanding of scientific processes.
• Pupils make good progress in writing because of the precise and helpful feedback given by teachers. They encourage the use of ambitious vocabulary and punctuation and varied sentence structures that engage the reader. The feedback is particularly successful for pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• Teachers are committed to improving pupils’ progress and are using the school’s curriculum guidance to plan thoroughly and collaboratively across year groups. This ensures that all pupils develop the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate for their age group. However, teachers are not always matching the learning well enough to the abilities of the pupils, and this is causing some of them to lose focus.
• The teaching of reading is a strength of the school. Pupils enjoy listening to and reading a range of texts. This is having a positive impact on language development and communication. There are inviting reading corners in every classroom that engage pupils and promote enjoyment.
• Teachers and the majority of teaching assistants use questioning effectively to extend and develop pupils’ understanding. For example, during an English lesson, Year 6 pupils were asked to explain why they thought characters in a story reacted in a certain way. When pupils responded, the teacher used further probing questions to deepen their learning.
• Additional adults are deployed well and provide good support, ensuring that pupils who need further explanation do not lose focus and impact negatively on the learning. However, they are not always sufficiently skilled in extending and deepening pupils’ knowledge and understanding, particularly for the most able.
• Teachers ensure that pupils use the correct subject language appropriate for the subject they are studying. In Year 3, pupils were developing exciting vocabulary connected with a topic about volcanoes. This focus on the development of language is enabling pupils to explain their learning and deepen their knowledge.
• Teachers in most classes plan challenging activities for the most able pupils. This was observed most consistently in mathematics lessons. However, in some lessons observed, most-able pupils were not sufficiently challenged, and opportunities for pupils to explain their reasoning were sometimes missed.
• Pupils in Year 6 speak highly of the teaching they receive before school each day. They learn how to improve their comprehension skills and spelling and gain confidence in mathematics. As a result, disadvantaged pupils in particular are making good progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.

• The school is successful in developing pupils’ curiosity as learners. They have very positive attitudes towards learning and embrace new challenges.
• Pupils respond well to teacher support. Pupils’ work on display and in their books reflects a strong sense of pride.
• Pupils are friendly, welcoming and inclusive of each other. The school has strong support systems in place for pupils who may experience difficulty.
• Pupils recognise that the school keeps them safe. They are taught about the importance of e-safety and know what to do if they are contacted by a stranger online.
• Pupils develop a good understanding of the importance of free speech and democracy because there are opportunities to express these values in the curriculum. The school ambassadors and school council are proud to represent the views of their classmates.
• Pupils have a strong sense of fairness and appreciate the way in which it is promoted across the school.
• Assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to empathise with characters from literature. However, there is not enough self-reflection.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.

• Pupils speak highly of the headteacher and of how he has improved behaviour across the school. They appreciate the clarity of the behaviour policy and value the rewards.
• Behaviour at lunchtime and in the playground is good. Most pupils move around the school in an orderly manner, but a few pupils need to be reminded.
• Most pupils behave well in lessons, but there are occasions when some pupils lose focus because the work is not pitched at the appropriate level.
• The school has made successful links with a local pupil referral unit, and this has impacted positively on the resilience of the pupils who attend. As a result, there have been no permanent exclusions and behaviour in the school has improved.
• The school has put in place a number of successful strategies to improve attendance and punctuality. As a result, overall attendance is in line with national expectations, and the number of persistent absences has reduced.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The proportion of pupils who met the expected standards in key stage 1 and phonics in Year 1 at the end of the last academic year was in line with the national average. These pupils are making good progress from low starting points.

• At the end of the last academic year, the progress made by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was around the national average.
• The school’s assessment information indicates that pupils in Year 6 are on track to meet national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Work seen in books confirms that pupils are making better than expected progress. The proportion of pupils on track to reach the higher standards is improving.
• Pupils’ books demonstrate good and improving progress in all subjects, particularly writing. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good and sometimes even better progress.
• Progress in writing is strong because there are opportunities to write across the curriculum and teachers give effective feedback.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress across the curriculum because pupil premium funding has demonstrable impact.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. They receive tailored individual support that has a positive impact. However, teachers do not always build on this progress in the classroom.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, make good progress, but some could do more if lessons provided greater challenge.
• Pupils make good progress towards mastering age-related expectations in mathematics. The introduction of problem solving is helping pupils to deepen their learning.
• Pupils are developing good scientific skills and apply their reading, writing and mathematics skills effectively in their science activities. Leaders are now tracking progress and attainment in science more robustly, and this is having a positive impact on standards.
• Pupils are making good progress in their social and emotional development. They are keen to make progress because leaders are identifying and removing any barriers to learning.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership of early years is a strength of the school. There is clear vision and a determination to provide the best possible provision for its children and families and to benefit the wider community.

• Safeguarding is effective. Children are kept safe and know how to keep themselves safe both in the classroom and in the outside area.
• Relationships in both Nursery and Reception are warm and caring. Children learn how to play with one another respectfully. Children maintain their concentration and complete activities well.
• Relationships with parents are productive because of the way in which the early years staff engage with families. Parents interviewed were very positive about their experience of early years.
• The transition from Nursery to Reception is smooth because adults know the children well, and there are good systems in place to pass on necessary information.
• The proportion of children who attain a good level of development at the end of Reception is consistently in line with the national average. The majority of children make good or better progress from low starting points. This includes children who speak English as an additional language, disadvantaged children and those who have SEN and/or disabilities and the most able.
• Robust systems are in place to assess and track the progress of each child, and these inform their next steps for learning. Learning journals demonstrate the strong progress that is made by children effectively but would be enhanced if there were contributions from parents.
• The early years leader has a very positive relationship with the local authority, which regularly moderates the school’s assessments. This ensures that the judgements made about children are accurate.
• The early years curriculum is based around the needs of the children and takes into account the environment in which they live. There is a strong focus on access to natural materials, such as earth and wood, because of the urban setting. The development of children’s language, reading, writing and mathematics skills is strong.
• Children learn to be creative because of the wide range of interesting activities available. The activities are linked, where possible, to a book, which helps children to engage with their learning more effectively and extends their knowledge and understanding of the world. There are open-ended activities available that require children to plan and solve problems. As a result, pupils’ language and thinking skills are being developed well. This is particularly beneficial for those who speak English as an additional language. However, the activities provided in the Nursery are not as engaging as those in Reception.
• Reading is taught very effectively in early years and prepares children well for their transition to Year 1. Adults read to groups of children and engage them in storytelling. As a result of good teaching and well-stocked book areas, children learn to enjoy books and choose to read by themselves.
• Children use their knowledge of phonics to write by themselves and are moving effectively from writing letters to words and sentences. The work on display and in their learning journals demonstrates that children are making good progress.
• Teachers ensure that children learn the correct subject language connected with the topics. As a result, children are developing a wide range of ambitious vocabulary.
• Teachers provide well-planned lessons that develop all areas of children’s development effectively. For example, children were observed developing number and language skills when playing in the mud kitchen. They discussed the activity with each other and counted out trowels of earth into a sack.
• Teachers and additional adults receive effective training. They use good questioning techniques that extend children’s learning and know when it is the right time to step in and give support. However, not all additional adults are using questioning as effectively as others, and some opportunities to extend children’s learning are missed.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 100780 Southwark 10041959 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 508 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Local authority Juliette Young James Robinson 0207 639 0431 www.camelotprimaryschool.co.uk office@camelot.southwark.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24 February 2016

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This school is well above the average-sized primary school.

• The proportion of pupils from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds is significantly above average. The majority of pupils are from families of Black African heritages.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is significantly high.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported by funding through the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding which, in this school, supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above average.
• Children in the early years provision attend the Nursery part time or the two Reception classes full time.
• The proportion of pupils who join or leave part way through their primary education is higher than in most primary schools.
• The school provides daily breakfast and after-school clubs.
• The school has been through a period of turbulence with a succession of headteachers and almost a complete turnover of staff. The current headteacher has been in post since September 2016.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in every classroom, including Nursery and Reception. They were accompanied by the school’s senior leaders.

• Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff, the chair of the governing body and two other governors. A meeting was also held with two representatives from the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ books, walked around the school and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring information, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.
• Inspectors took account of six responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also met informally with parents at the start of the school day.
• Inspectors took account of the 200 responses to the school’s pupil survey.
• Inspectors took account of 34 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Anna Bosher, lead inspector Bola Soneye-Thomas Teresa Skeggs

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector