South Grove Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to refine the curriculum to take account of recently introduced initiatives.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher, well supported by other leaders, has brought about significant change in the culture of the school. This has enabled pupils to make very strong progress, standards to be consistently high and behaviour to be excellent. Their high expectations and a relentless focus on improvement enable pupils to be ‘the best they can be’.
• Leaders have inspired teachers to be innovative and take risks. They continually search for ways to improve outcomes for the pupils. Consequently, pupils love their learning and all pupils thrive in the school.
• School systems are strong and there is an extensive and rigorous monitoring system in place. There is great attention to detail. Analysis of assessment information is painstaking, so that prompt action can be undertaken. Tracking of pupils’ progress is meticulous, including in non-core subjects. Teachers are expected to promote high expectations and set challenging targets.
• Leaders at all levels have an excellent understanding of their role. All know assessment information well. All leaders have a detailed action plan based on improving learning and outcomes for all pupils. They complete a summary report as an evaluation of the impact of their work.
• Provision for pupils with SEND is outstanding. Leaders have ensured that assessments are thorough. These demonstrate strong progress, both academically and emotionally. Pupils’ needs are identified promptly, interventions are swiftly implemented and outcomes monitored rigorously. Strong liaison with parents and the close involvement of external agencies greatly support children and families.
• Leadership in the special educational needs resourced provision is also very strong. Assessments are used rigorously to plan for progression in learning. The curriculum is modified to meet individual needs. Information is shared with all staff and roles are well defined. Pupils make rapid progress as a result of outstanding teaching. Pupils are integrated extremely well into the main school, based on accurate judgements of their readiness to manage learning in the main classroom.
• Opportunities for the professional development of staff take place continually. These are closely linked to performance management and the school’s priorities. Currently, all staff are involved in training based on action research.
• There is a clear rationale for the curriculum. This is based upon the school’s values and the evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses in the past. It is designed to ‘empower pupils to explore and inspire them to learn’. It is broad and balanced and effectively meets the needs of all pupils. It is enriched through a full range of extra-curricular activities. It is also flexible to take advantage of opportunities locally or nationally. For example, the school is very aware that this year, the borough is the ‘Borough of Culture’. There are plans to modify the curriculum to ensure full advantage is taken of this event. Leaders keep the curriculum constantly under review to ensure that previous gaps in pupils’ knowledge are eliminated. The aim is to deepen pupils’ understanding and extend the richness of their experiences.
• Leaders and governors are committed to ensuring that pupils develop a strong set of values. This is reflected in the emphasis on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The values of a Rights Respecting School effectively support these aspects very well.
• The school has a strong commitment to sport, in part through the very effective use of the physical education and sport premium. Sports coaches provide expert teaching, run clubs and train teachers. Pupils participate in a wide range of competitive sports.
• Parents speak with much enthusiasm about the school staff and how they ‘work hard for the children’. They appreciate the ‘home learning’, which has both accelerated learning for their children and increased partnership with the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly effective in their role. They play a crucial strategic role in the improvement of the school, for example, by being involved in the development of the school improvement plan. They have an in-depth understanding of the needs of the pupils, and what is needed to improve the school further. Individual governors have a responsibility for a specific aspect or part of the school. They focus on school priorities. Governors check on all aspects of the school’s performance and are analytical in the questions they ask school leaders. Governors monitor finances closely and evaluate the impact of spending. Governors have willingly undertaken training, so that they are well informed about school performance measures and current safeguarding practice.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• School staff have a deep understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and are up to date in their training. This includes understanding the ‘Prevent’ duty and the signs that a pupil may be at risk of female genital mutilation. Records, such as the child protection register, are meticulously organised. The school promptly refers cases that cause concern and follows these cases through. Leaders are relentless in ensuring that pupils get the support they need.
• Leaders have a strong understanding of the specific needs of the community, the challenges facing families, and the risks that pupils might face. The school has recently introduced a programme to improve the resilience of pupils and develop their self-confidence. It is designed to help the most vulnerable pupils, so that they are better prepared to combat issues such as gang violence, and to remain safe.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They know that staff care about them and that there are key members of staff to whom they can go if they need help. The school ensures that all pupils know the appropriate behaviours necessary to stay safe online. Workshops have been organised for parents to raise their awareness of the dangers of the internet, and how to stay safe online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Learning is the focus for all lessons. Excellent relationships exist. The school seeks to maximise pupils’ own learning by developing key attributes such as independence, resilience and responsibility. Working with teachers, pupils learn to know and understand what they need to do so that they make strong progress.
• The school’s approach to mathematics is illustrative of its innovative approaches to teaching. In Year 6, each pupil is allocated a touch screen tablet computer at the start of the mathematics lesson. In one session, for example, pupils in Year 6 learned to estimate and compare different angles, independently responding to progressively difficult questions. Each pupil’s answers were monitored on the teacher’s computer. When pupils encountered difficulty and made an incorrect response, the teacher provided immediate support. The teaching assistant intervened if any pupil made repeated errors. Pupils say that they feel more confident and are motivated by this approach because they can see immediately whether they have got a question right. The broader impact is seen in pupils’ outcomes: 50% of pupils achieved the higher standard in mathematics in the 2018 national assessments.
• Training has contributed to teachers’ very good subject knowledge. All phase leaders have successfully completed the ‘outstanding teacher’ programme. This led to a change in the school’s marking policy and its approach to giving feedback to pupils.
• The use of specialist teachers in music, physical education, art and design and computing supports learning well. Pupils are encouraged to be painters in an art lesson or scientists in science, for example. In all subjects, pupils are challenged to improve their work.
• Teachers phrase questions skilfully to deepen pupils’ understanding and challenge their thinking. Learning starts either with establishing what pupils already know and/or recalling what they have previously learned. This enables teachers to focus on new knowledge and skills more effectively. This supports pupils’ good progress, while also revising previous learning for those who do not have strong recall.
• Pupils from an early age learn to use resources independently. Classroom organisation includes a ‘help desk’ where pupils can go to get help, for example, with their writing. It contains prompts and hints to improve writing. Pupils regularly use classroom displays to check their work independently. They also work well together to support each other to improve.
• A greater focus on learning has enabled pupils to choose how they would like to learn, including, for example, as part of a group, in pairs, or independently. This, along with high expectations, enables pupils to be well motivated and make good progress.
• Teaching in the special educational needs resourced provision is based on good knowledge of individual needs and well-planned ‘next steps’. For example, in a physical education session, pupils listened attentively as the teacher modelled throwing and catching to practise ball skills for tennis. Through encouragement, support and challenge, all were engaged, enjoyed the activity and improved their skills.
• Throughout the school, the deployment of teaching assistants is effective. They skilfully ask questions and provide explanations to support learning. Pupils supported on a one-to-one basis are helped extremely well.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Personal development and welfare Outstanding

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The school strives to support pupils’ well-being in a number of ways, especially through its personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. Additional support is provided by outside agencies. For example, a theatre group provided a workshop on mental health. It also addressed the issue of obesity with its ‘Invasion of the Summer Puddings’ production.
• Pupils are highly motivated. They show great resilience when faced with work that challenges them. They are proud of their achievements. ‘We make good progress here,’ is typical of their responses.
• Pupils understand democracy and have a strong voice in the developments in the school. This includes their roles as representatives on various bodies and acting as ‘ambassadors’. ‘Feel good ambassadors’ are trained by adults. They challenge others to improve, encourage them to join the clubs on offer and to get involved in competitions. They organise competitions at lunchtimes, working alongside the sports coaches. They also train pupils in other schools.
• The computing council is made up of most-able older pupils. They plan lessons on coding for younger pupils and help others who are less confident in their computing skills. They will be demonstrating their skills in a national exhibition later this term.
• Junior health and safety ambassadors focus on how pupils move around the building, and make sure that coats and bags do not create a safety problem. Older boys are coached to be ‘Mighty Mentors’. They learn how to make a difference locally and globally. For example, they are learning about how they can help reduce the amount of plastic pollution and the need for clean water.
• Undertaking these varied roles teaches pupils leadership skills and how to take responsibility, and increases their self-confidence.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils fully understand the school’s high expectations for their behaviour. Their conduct is often impeccable. Pupils are very polite, courteous and respectful. They have excellent attitudes to learning.
• There are anti-bullying ambassadors, and an anti-bullying charter has been established to ensure that the school is a ‘bully-free zone’. Pupils say, ‘There is no bullying here: we don’t allow it’.
• The school has put in place very strong systems for checking and promoting high attendance. This includes establishing the whereabouts of children missing in education, even when the family have moved overseas. Attendance is broadly in line with the national average and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is low.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils make strong and sustained progress in each year group and in each subject. They are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Their understanding is deepened and their thinking challenged by teachers in all year groups. For example, when younger pupils explore the need to wash their hands, they are asked what germs are. When asked if they are big, they respond that they must be invisible. In a Year 5 science lesson, pupils studied the moon. They considered whether the dark side of the moon is always dark. Effective questioning enabled them to answer correctly as to whether a planet always has a night.
• Most Year 6 pupils reached at least the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in 2018. An increasing proportion of the most able pupils exceeded this, particularly in mathematics. This represented outstanding progress for all groups of pupils, including pupils who speak English as an additional language. Work seen in a sample of books shows high rates of progress across the school and in all subjects. Current assessment information shows that progress across the curriculum is strong. Progress and high standards are being sustained.
• Foundations are laid by the end of key stage 1 as a basis for pupils’ strong progress in key stage 2. By the end of Year 2, from a low baseline on entry, most pupils reach the expected standards. Over time, an above-average proportion of Year 1 pupils have met the standard in the national phonics screening check.
• The proportions of disadvantaged pupils attaining the expected and higher standards at the end of key stage 2 are above national averages. Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress, at least similar to that of others in their classes, with the help of targeted support.
• Most-able pupils also make strong progress.
• Pupils with SEND make strong progress as a result of the excellent support they receive.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leadership of early years is strong, demonstrating ambition for children’s development. Practice is planned carefully according to the needs of each individual. Teaching is highly effective. As a result, the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development exceeds the national average.
• Children are engaged in activities, collaborate constructively with each other and take responsibility for selecting resources. They are very interested in and curious about what they are learning. They behave well.
• Children make good progress in all areas of learning from very low starting points. Children in Reception Year build on their experiences in Nursery and make rapid improvement. They extend their phonics, writing and number skills.
• Children in Nursery Year are very happy. They enter with low levels of language and personal and social development. However, they make rapid improvement because of the wide range of activities that are planned for them. They enjoy model-making using bricks, modelling clay or rice to fill containers, for example. Outdoors, they climb up and down apparatus, taking appropriate risks. Throughout, adults support, question and explain to extend learning.
• In Reception Year, there is a strong focus on reading, writing and number. For example, children used their knowledge of phonics to label the houses of the ‘three pigs’. Other children made up stories from pictures in books they had chosen independently. They turned pages accurately and were keen to talk about the pictures. Outdoors, children showed the ability to sequence numbers to 25, while others, working with an adult, counted the faces of a triangular prism.
• Much focus is placed upon ensuring that children develop the core skills to help them to learn. This includes specific and regular teaching of phonics, which underpins children’s rapid progress. For example, the most able children are challenged to write a sentence using the sounds they have been taught.
• Adults have secured a safe and very caring environment, with children treated in a sensitive and appropriate way. Adults respond positively to children. In turn, they react positively towards adults and with each other. Children know their routines well. For example, when asked to tidy up, resources are returned promptly, with the help of an adult, to the correct place.
• Excellent relationships exist with parents. For example, they are invited to attend weekly family reading sessions to encourage a love of reading. Phonics workshops help parents better understand teaching methods and provide helpful hints to support their children. The school works hard to engage with all parents as part of a home learning project.

Bricks, play

School details

Unique reference number 103072 Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest Inspection number 10058966 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 446 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Charlotte Slade Julie Maltwood 0208 521 6000 www.southgrove.waltham.sch.uk school@southgrove.waltham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 15 May 2018

Information about this school

• South Grove Primary School is a two-form entry school with Nursery provision.
• The school is part of a soft federation of six schools.
• The largest group of pupils are from an Asian background.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is high and above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is in the top 20% nationally.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in parts of 35 lessons.
• Senior leaders accompanied inspectors to the majority of these. They looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to key stage 1 and key stage 2 pupils reading.
• Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff and five members of the governing body. A phone call was made with the local authority’s director of education.
• Inspectors took account of the 124 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and written contributions from four parents. Inspectors also talked with parents as they brought their children to school at the start of the day.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including planning and monitoring documentation, records related to behaviour and attendance, and documents related to safeguarding.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 42 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 40 responses to the pupil survey.

Inspection team

Rick Barnes, lead inspector Kanwaljit Singh Martin Roberts

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector