Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to develop strategies for improving progress in reading by:
  • providing frequent opportunities for pupils to read texts appropriate to their ability and where relevant, across the curriculum
  • setting clear expectations of how often pupils will read
  • ensuring that questions within comprehension activities can be understood by all pupils.
• Ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged by low attendance by:
  • improving attendance for all groups of pupils
  • reducing the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school
  • providing pupils with the opportunity to catch up when they have been absent.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The academy head and the executive principal work successfully together. They are determined to improve the school. They are supported by a strong governing body and a highly effective federation. Their understanding of the quality of education in the school is accurate.
• Leaders provide clear direction for the school. They identify the strengths and areas for development. Leaders know what needs to be achieved in order to continue the journey of improvement.
• Training and professional development for staff, at all stages of their career, is a strength of the school. Staff speak highly of the opportunities for professional development through the partnership with the federation. Middle leaders appreciate their role in the development of less experienced staff. The level of support for newly qualified teachers is exceptional.
• Funding for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is used effectively and clearly allocated on individual plans. This is also the case for pupils with education, health and care plans. The plans indicate support that pupils will receive and what they should be achieving. Regular assessments are used to plan for this group. Plans for transition are detailed, ensuring that all moves are successful.
• The curriculum offers a breadth of opportunity for the pupils, supported by specialist teaching. In addition to the benefit for pupils, this provides ongoing professional development for teachers. During the inspection, pupils were engaged in a variety of subjects including Mandarin, music, science, religious education and dance. Learning in all areas of the curriculum is effective. The curriculum is supported by educational visits and after-school clubs, for example, for music, cooking and art, and a puzzle club.
• The pupil premium strategy identifies the barriers that disadvantaged pupils face and what actions leaders will put in place. Planned support is having a positive impact on pupils’ academic achievements. However, less than a third of pupils who are supported by pupil premium funding attend after-school clubs.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is evident throughout the school, and pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils have clear ideas about moral conduct and discuss this articulately. A range of faiths is taught and pupils talk confidently and in depth about religions. Respect is a core value of the school and pupils understand that this applies to all people.
• The school makes good use of the physical education and sport funding. Plans are clearly focused on providing high-quality experiences for pupils. For example, inspectors observed Year 6 pupils actively enjoying a street-dance session, where school staff both observed and took part. The range of experiences is having a positive impact on pupils’ academic and physical development. Leaders have seen an increase in competition success.

Governance of the school

• Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. The governing body is well led. Governors recognise the strengths and areas for development well. Governors have link areas in school and report to the full governing body on their findings. This includes what actions will be taken. Governors engage fully with a variety of training opportunities, including understanding what good-quality teaching and learning look like.
• Minutes of governing body meetings reflect the good work completed by the team. The minutes show evidence of leaders being challenged by governors. However, it is not always clear what the outcome is. The minutes demonstrate that governors look at all aspects of the school’s work.
• The chair of governors works effectively with federation leaders to manage the performance of the head of school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The designated safeguarding lead is new to her role. She has quickly developed secure systems. Records are detailed and hold appropriate information. Governors routinely complete safeguarding audits with clear actions for improvement.
• All staff have received appropriate safeguarding training, which is up to date with current legislation, including the ‘Prevent’ duty. All staff know what to do if they have a concern. They have a sound understanding of the school’s system and are confident that any concern will be responded to in a timely manner.
• Intervention and support for pupils and their families are offered at the earliest opportunity.
• Leaders’ contributions to multi-agency meetings are appropriate. Information is used to inform decisions in order to keep pupils safe.
• Pupils say that they are safe. They know how to be safe, including on the internet. Parents and carers said that they believe pupils to be safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Positive working relationships in school provide a strong basis for learning, as pupils are keen to succeed. Teachers know the pupils well and use this information to plan effectively. As a result, pupils are not afraid to take risks in their learning and will contribute to lessons.
• Enthusiasm for learning is evident in almost all classes. This means that lessons move on and pupils have more opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and understanding. Learning is not disrupted by inappropriate behaviour. The vast majority of pupils are engaged in their work and enjoy their learning.
• High expectations that pupils will work with positive attitudes are apparent in the majority of classes. Pupils know what they need to do, and their work is well presented. This high level of expectation is also evident in work produced across subjects in the wider curriculum.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well catered for. Visual resources and well-focused support are in place for those who need it. Pupils who fall behind during lessons are swiftly supported to catch up.
• Phonics sessions are delivered in a purposeful and engaging way. Pupils apply these skills when reading and writing.
• Pupils and parents are clear about the expectations for completing homework tasks. However, it is not clear to pupils whether or not they are expected to read at home.
• Secure subject knowledge leads to sophisticated questioning in the majority of classes. Questions are relevant to the different groups of pupils to support progress. Teacher subject knowledge also supports learning for pupils. This was particularly evident in a session about modern slavery, where pupils were able to relate to the concept of slavery using modern-day technology.
• Pupils who are reading at age-appropriate expectations, as well as the most able, enjoy reading, and read with fluency. At times, however, the text is too difficult for the least able. Opportunities to read are sometimes limited, for example when pupils do not have a copy of the text or cannot see the whiteboard. Sometimes, lower ability pupils do not understand the questions during comprehension activities. At times, the expectations are too high, for example, in expecting a poor reader to scan a text for information.

• Some pupils are at a disadvantage by being absent from school. Pupils are not supported to catch up when they have been absent and this limits progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are caring and respectful and show a genuine commitment to support one another. This was apparent in one lesson when a pupil could see that his friend was struggling to answer a question, so he offered his support.
• Pupils respect their teachers, as seen in their swift responses to staff. The majority of pupils listen attentively in class and maintain good levels of concentration, leading to well-presented, detailed work.
• Pupils are confident and are able to have sensible conversations with visitors.
• Bullying and discriminatory incidents are rare. Pupils said that when bullying does happen, it is dealt with quickly and effectively by staff.
• Pupils know how to be safe and whom they can talk to if they have a concern.
• Pupils understand the rule of law, with one saying, ‘even if your mind tells you to do something wrong, you make the right choices, so you don’t do it’. They said that respect is one of their golden rules. Pupils developed this by talking about how this applied to different religions and cultures. One pupil said, ‘in our class, we don’t care about differences, we just play’.Pupils said that they understand the importance of being healthy and eating a balanced diet. This was not evident across school, however; for instance, not all pupils took part in a street-dance session. Several had not got their kit and simply watched. The reasons given for not taking part are weak.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Behaviour in lessons and when moving around the school is positive and reflects high expectations. Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons, during breaktimes and at lunchtime. The lunch hall is a calm and orderly environment.
• The majority of pupils respond swiftly when instructed by teachers. As a result, incidents of behaviour likely to disturb pupils’ learning are infrequent. The majority of pupils consistently behave well.
• The school’s behaviour records show a number of exclusions due to unacceptable behaviour. This has followed an increasing trend of exclusions. Meetings are held for pupils and parents when pupils return to school, and increased support is effective.
• Attendance has been below the national averages for the last three years. Steady progress has been made this current academic year towards reducing poor attendance. Overall, the proportion of pupils absent from school in the autumn term is in line with national figures. Leaders use a range of strategies to improve attendance.
• For White British pupils and those for whom English is a first language, attendance is still too low and persistent absence is too high. Pupils are not supported to catch up when they have been absent from school. This impacts on the progress made.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Standards at the end of key stage 1 are higher than age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In 2017, key stage 2 pupils achieved in line with expectations in mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling. Progress in mathematics was above national averages.
• Progress in writing at the end of key stage 2 was well above national averages. This was evident when looking at pupils’ books. Consistently strong progress in writing is evident across all year groups.
• Pupils achieve in line with national expectations in the Year 1 phonics tests.
• Assessments are accurate, and dialogue between teachers and pupils leads to positive progress for the majority of pupils. Pupils use guidance from teachers well to improve their learning.
• The quality of work produced across a broad range of subjects is strong, for example in history and geography. Work produced in art reflects a variety of styles and textures and is of a high standard.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported effectively by individual support assistants and through additional structuring of their work. School assessment systems show at least expected progress for this group across all year groups. Progress from the end of key stage 1 to the end of key stage 2 is below that of pupils nationally for this group.
• Outcomes are good in work produced by pupils in mathematics. Age-appropriate work is completed confidently. The majority of pupils make good progress in mathematics. Leaders are aware that it is not evident that the most able are challenged in mathematics; however, these pupils do make at least expected progress.
• Progress in 2017 in reading was well below the national averages. The progress of pupils in reading during the inspection was not as strong as in writing and mathematics. This is particularly evident for lower ability pupils.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Highly effective leadership provides strong direction and support for staff in early years.
• Training and development for staff are of high quality and have a positive impact on the progress of all children. The vast majority of children reach a good level of development by the time they leave Reception. They are very well prepared to start Year 1.
• Partnership working with parents is highly effective. Parents are given detailed information about the curriculum in order to be able to support their children successfully. Regular events support parents in developing their knowledge and in celebrating children’s success.
• Transition to early years is successful. Leaders work with parents and other providers to ensure that children have a positive start.
• Children enter Reception with skills that are below those typical for their age. Where gaps are identified, for example in reading and writing, children are swiftly supported to catch up. Over the last three years, outcomes have been well above national averages, reflecting consistently outstanding progress.
• Children are purposefully engaged in a wide range of stimulating activities. The learning environment is highly effective in inspiring children. Children have the challenge and support required to ensure that they succeed. They work together well and persist in their learning.
• Children work independently and demonstrate good levels of concentration and perseverance. For example, one boy spent a considerable amount of time with his magnifying glass and clipboard simply ‘investigating’.
• Children demonstrate good listening skills and are keen to learn. On the rare occasions that children make the wrong choices, staff are swift to intervene. Children respond well to instructions from staff.
• Staff watch carefully, allowing children to learn for themselves. For example, during a disagreement between two children, staff did not provide the answer. Instead, they asked questions until the children had sorted it out for themselves.
• Teachers respond swiftly to develop learning for children. This was particularly evident in an outdoor learning session observed by inspectors, when the teacher quickly gathered children to read a sentence written by a child. This led to children asking meaningful questions and writing for themselves.
• Staff give high regard to children’s welfare and fully adhere to the school’s safeguarding procedures in order to keep children safe in school. They know the children very well and respond swiftly to any changes in behaviour. Parents said that they believed their children to be safe in school.
• Initial assessments are accurate and reflect what children can do. They are used to provide appropriate learning for all children, including those who are disadvantaged.
• Phonics skills are well developed, and children use these skills effectively for reading and writing. They work in different classrooms for phonics and leaders acknowledge that the process of moving between classes needs to be further developed.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 137413 Southwark 10047716 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 converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 401 Appropriate authority The board of trustees Chair Head of school Claire Lemer Pearl Harris Telephone number 020 7639 6091 Website Email address www.harrisprimarypeckhampark.org.uk info@harrisprimarypeckhampark.org.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 November 2014

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium grant is above that found nationally. The proportion of those who have SEN and/or disabilities is similar to that in schools nationally.
• Pupils are taught in single-year classes from Year 1 to Year 6. There are two classes in each year group. In early years, there are two Reception classes. Nursery provision is in the mornings only.
• The school runs a range of after-school activities.
• The school works in partnership with the Harris Federation.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed learning in 37 lessons, some jointly with the head of the academy and executive principal. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and attitudes in classrooms, at breaktimes and at lunchtimes.
• Individual pupils and different groups of pupils spoke with inspectors to discuss their learning and views of the school. Inspectors listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them. The inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work across subjects and year groups.
• A range of documents was considered, including the school’s improvement plan, self-evaluation documentation, information about pupils’ progress and attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding arrangements.
• The chair of the governing body met with inspectors. The lead inspector also met with the chief executive officer of the federation and the primary director. Inspectors held meetings with school staff. Inspectors met with leaders of inclusion, assessment, attendance and early years. Inspectors met with middle leaders. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead.
• The inspectors took account of the views expressed in the seven online responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and contributions from parents who contacted Ofsted directly. In addition, they gathered the views of several parents during informal meetings at the school.
• The inspectors took account of the views of four members of staff in response to the staff questionnaires. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Donna Chambers, lead inspector Chris Ashley-Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Jacqueline Underwood Ofsted Inspector