Harris Primary Free School Peckham Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by securing stable leadership at all levels.
• Ensure that there is a consistent level of challenge in lessons so that more pupils achieve greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Provide more opportunities for pupils to investigate in science and study the subject in depth.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the previous inspection, the school has undergone substantial and frequent changes in senior leadership. Strategic deployment of leaders from the federation has helped to secure capacity in leadership and management.
• The executive principal provides effective support to the recently appointed head of academy and the rest of the leadership team. School leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s current position and know what needs to be done to improve further. However, many parents are rightly frustrated at the high turnover of leaders in the school and want stability. Leaders recognise their concerns and know that they need to rebuild relationships with parents.
• Leaders at all levels are determined to secure a good education for every single child, regardless of their background. They are ambitious and at the same time committed to ensuring that the school is a happy and safe place where pupils can thrive.
• Middle and senior leaders monitor the quality of teaching regularly through regular lesson observations, book checks and progress tracking. As a result, leaders are quick to identify and tackle aspects of teaching that need improvement. Performance management is rigorous; challenging targets are personalised for each teacher and reflect the high expectations of the leadership team.
• Teaching staff receive guidance from well-qualified and experienced practitioners from the federation. This enhances the tailored programme of continuing professional development for each teacher, ensuring that teaching staff are well trained. Teachers who are new to the profession appreciate the support they receive, which has helped them to improve their practice.
• The broad curriculum gives pupils the chance to study a range of subjects. These are well balanced between academic subjects and those that promote pupils’ artistic, musical and sporting skills. Lessons are enriched by a range of visits and themed ‘wow’ days. Year 2 pupils, for example, visited the local fire station as part of their work on the Great Fire of London. Pupils said that they like the choice of extra-curricular clubs on offer, which includes those for drama, Japanese and film.
• Leaders check carefully that the use of additional funds from the pupil premium is improving the achievement of eligible pupils. It is used mainly to provide targeted interventions for disadvantaged pupils, such as additional help in lessons, booster classes in English and mathematics, subsidies for before- and after-school care and support from the family liaison officer. This has been effective in improving the achievement of disadvantaged pupils in all year groups.
• Leaders monitor closely the progress being made by pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They evaluate sharply the additional funding to ensure that it is making a difference in improving pupils’ progress over time. Interventions are put in place to meet the needs of each pupil. For example, staff provide individual and small-group teaching sessions to boost literacy skills, which has improved pupils’ progress in reading.
• Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils say that they are taught to respect everyone, and to be ‘loving, caring and sharing,’ as one pupil said. They enjoy learning about other religions and the diverse ways of life of different heritages. Displays around the school show leaders’ strong commitment to British values and pupils take part in fund-raising activities for charities.
• The school uses the physical education and sport premium funding well. Pupils have more opportunities to take part in extra-curricular clubs such as those for street dance and multi-sports. In Years 2 and 4, the funding enables pupils to have a term of swimming lessons.

Governance of the school

• The governing body brings a range of useful skills and experience to the leadership team and governors have clearly defined roles. Governors meet their statutory duty to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective and have undergone up-to-date training.
• Governors have detailed knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They understand their role in the school’s leadership, with the chair of governors describing them as ‘a critical friend’. Governors are involved in reviewing progress against the school development plan and are increasingly effective in holding school leaders to account for how well pupils are achieving.
• Governors share the high expectations of the school and are committed to improving the school further. However, they must ensure that all policies are read carefully before ratifying and publishing them.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders ensure that appropriate checks are made on the suitability of staff before they start working at the school. Staff and governors are properly trained in all aspects of safeguarding, including the ‘Prevent’ duty and the risk of female genital mutilation. Consequently, pupils feel well cared for and safe. They know what to do and whom to speak to if they have any worries. The headteacher meets with pupils to ask their views on safety in the school and acts on any issues they raise.
• The family liaison officer works closely with school leaders so that vulnerable pupils and their families are supported effectively and receive the help they need. This is a strength of the school. Case files are detailed and well organised. Any concerns are considered carefully and prompt action is taken, including making referrals to external agencies as necessary.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching and learning is good. Consequently, pupils across the school make good progress and achieve well.
• The consistent approach to planning means that pupils in each year group receive the same lesson content. This is particularly effective where there is a high turnover of teaching staff because it ensures that pupils’ education is not disrupted by changes in staff.
• Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge. In many lessons, teachers ask questions skilfully to check understanding. They follow this up by pitching questions at a suitable level to deepen pupils’ knowledge. When pupils make mistakes, teachers encourage them to explain their thinking, helping pupils to identify their errors and correct them.
• Teachers have established clear classroom routines so that pupils, on the whole, settle quickly to tasks. Pupils work sensibly together and support each other’s learning.
• Resources are used to good effect in lessons and pupils use the stimulating displays in classrooms to help them with their learning. In a mathematics lesson, for example, pupils used individual analogue clocks to help them tell the time, modelled carefully by the teacher. This helped the teacher to deal with any misunderstandings quickly.
• Support staff are well deployed to support groups of pupils as well as individuals. They are a valued part of the school and receive high-quality training. Consequently, the support they provide is tailored to individual needs and helps pupils to make progress.
• The assessment system is robust and measures pupils’ progress from their starting points. Pupils’ attainment and progress are monitored closely and this enables teachers to identify correctly the areas they need to focus on.
• Phonics teaching is of good quality. Teachers promote reading skills well. Pupils enjoy reading and can talk about favourite books they have read. Pupils say that the new reading milestones in their diaries encourage them to read more regularly.
• Writing tasks are well structured in English lessons. Teachers refer to success criteria frequently so that pupils know how to improve their written work. However, in other subjects, there is often an over-reliance on work sheets, which prevents pupils from organising their own work and writing extensively.
• Lesson activities are not consistently matched to the abilities of pupils, particularly the most able pupils. While challenging tasks are set, pupils do not always have time to complete these tasks in depth. As a result, pupils’ thinking is not stretched sufficiently.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and well looked after in school. The vast majority of parents who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire or who spoke to inspectors felt that their children were happy and safe at school. According to one pupil, ‘all the teachers care about us’.
• Pupils have a good understanding of bullying in its different forms. They say that bullying happens occasionally, but staff are quick to sort out any problems between pupils. One pupil said, ‘We get on with each other in and out of school.’
• Pupils are confident learners and are happy to share and present their ideas to others. They can talk about their learning and explain how teachers help them to improve their work.
• The democratically elected school council is proud of the responsibility it holds. Members feel listened to and make sure that they put forward other pupils’ views to the leadership team.
• Pupils know how to stay safe online and how to deal with cyber bullying. They are taught about travelling safely to and from school, although the pastoral team recognises that more work is needed to alert pupils to risks in the local area. Weekly assemblies focus on a particular theme from the school’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural programme.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They are quick to respond to teachers’ instructions and want to please. Expectations of behaviour are consistently high across the school and staff use praise regularly to promote good behaviour.
• Pupils are engaged in their learning and time in lessons is used productively. When tasks are not challenging or engaging, there is some low-level disruptive behaviour.
• At break- and lunchtimes, pupils take it in turns to use the equipment and games provided for them. They like the variety of activities and play well together.
• Pupils move around the school in a calm and orderly fashion. Behaviour records show that any incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with quickly by staff. Pupils follow the ‘golden rules’ and say that these help them to know what to do. Learning mentors work effectively with pupils who have emotional, social or behavioural needs.
• Attendance has improved significantly in the last year and is now in line with the national average. Staff monitor attendance weekly and analyse the figures to identify any worrying trends of absence. The family liaison officer and education welfare officer have put strategies in place to work with pupils and families. This involves better communication with parents and carers, home visits and good links with external agencies.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s current assessment information shows that pupils across all year groups are making good, and at times better, progress from their starting points in a range of subjects. There is no significant difference between the progress that disadvantaged pupils and other pupils are making.
• Pupils’ work in books matches the teacher assessments and is of a good standard in reading, writing and mathematics. The presentation of tasks indicates that pupils take care of their work and have a sense of pride in what they are doing.
• Effective support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities means that pupils make at least good progress from their various starting points. The school works hard to ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed.
• By the end of key stage 1 in 2016, pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with or above the national average. Given the low starting points of pupils, this represents good progress over time.
• Pupils’ skills in reading develop quickly, with four out of five pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 screening check. Pupils can use their phonics skills to decipher difficult words. By the time they reach key stage 2, pupils can read with increasingly confidence and fluency.
• In 2016, the number of pupils achieving greater depth was below average in all subjects. Leaders were disappointed in these outcomes and have worked with teachers to improve the level of challenge in lessons. Although this is starting to have an impact, leaders know that they need to sustain these changes to ensure that pupils, particularly the most able, achieve the standard of which they are capable.
• Attainment in science in Year 2 was below the national average in 2016. Work in books shows that there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to study topics in depth and to conduct scientific investigations for themselves.

Early years provision Good

• Children join Reception with skills that are generally well below the levels typical for their age. As a result of good teaching, children make good progress and are well prepared to begin Year 1. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has improved steadily and is now above the national average.
• Disadvantaged children do as well as or better than other children nationally. This has been the case since 2015 and current performance information indicates that this trend is set to continue. Children who have special educational needs are identified quickly. Staff put effective support in place, such as individual phonics teaching, to ensure that they make good progress from their starting points.
• The new staff team in Reception classes is ably supported by an experienced early years leader from the federation. Staff have opportunities to observe high-quality teaching and to share good practice, which ensures a consistent approach to lessons. Support staff feel confident in their roles and are encouraged to develop their skills further through teacher training.
• Children’s behaviour in early years is good. Children work and play well together because they understand what is expected of them. They are interested and curious learners who talk enthusiastically about their tasks and confidently explain what they have learned.
• Leaders have created a safe and happy learning environment in early years. Both the indoor and outdoor provisions have a wide range of stimulating and creative activities that help children develop in all aspects of their learning. They enjoy the imaginative resources on offer, such as the model construction site, gardening shed and reading den. Although activities foster independent learning, children are not always directed to particular tasks to move them on in their learning.
• Learning journey books show clear progress and staff make regular and valuable updates on each child’s progress. Leaders acknowledge that there is more work to be done to engage parents fully in their child’s development and learning.

Inspection report: Harris Primary Free School Peckham, 19–20 April 2017 Page 8 of 12

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138270 Southwark 10023591 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy free school 4 to 9 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 273 Appropriate authority The Harris Federation Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Sophie Outhwaite Louise Oswald 020 7394 5700 www.harrisfreeschoolpeckham.org.uk info@harrisfreeschoolpeckham.org.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 March 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• Harris Primary Free School Peckham is an average-sized primary school. The early years provision comprises two Reception classes.
• The school is part of the Harris Federation. An executive principal oversees the leadership and management of the school. The head of academy was appointed in March 2017.
• The Harris Federation provides extensive support to the school. Consultants, leaders and teaching specialists from the federation work with the school on a regular basis.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The school currently meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classes in the school to observe teaching and learning across a range of subjects. Many of these observations were done jointly with school leaders.
• The inspection team scrutinised pupils’ books from a variety of subjects and year groups. They spoke with pupils about their work in lessons.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, the chair of governors, representatives from the Harris Federation, newly qualified teachers, support staff and a group of pupils. An inspector listened to a group of pupils read.
• Inspectors analysed documentation provided by the school, including the leaders’ evaluation of the school, information about pupils’ progress and attainment, safeguarding information, minutes from governing body meetings, attendance information and behaviour records.
• Inspectors evaluated the views of 25 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also held informal discussions with parents during the inspection.

Inspection team

Jude Wilson, lead inspector Rekha Bhakoo Sean Flood Avtar Sherri

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector