Heathmere Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching, learning and assessment in key stage 2 further by ensuring that writing tasks are matched to pupils’ levels of ability and provide sufficient challenge.
• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that pupils’ attendance continues to improve so that it is in line with national averages.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders are passionate and caring in the way that they run the school. They evaluate the school’s effectiveness accurately and have thorough plans to tackle the weaknesses. As a result, Heathmere is a nurturing and safe school where all can flourish.
• The broad and balanced curriculum ensures that there is a consistent approach to learning across the school. The curriculum includes many additional topics and extra-curricular activities. For example, during the inspection, some Year 6 pupils were away at a residential outdoor education centre. Other additional activities include, for example, trips to museums and cinemas. All Year 4 pupils learn to play the trumpet as part of timetabled lessons. Such activities help to broaden pupils’ horizons and deepen their awareness of technology, arts and culture.
• Leaders have developed a curriculum where spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported well. Through this curriculum and effective teaching, pupils gain a strong understanding about life in modern Britain. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of the importance of issues such as community and friendship.
• Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning significantly. As a result, there are now very few instances of poor behaviour, and attitudes to learning are strong.
• Leaders ensure that parents and carers play a full role in the life of the school. Staff work closely with parents and provide opportunities for them to learn about how the school teaches their children. The school helps parents to get family support where appropriate. Parents are very positive and typically make comments such as, ‘My children are very happy and feel safe.’ Parents of pupils at the early stages of learning to speak English are appreciative of the support the school gives to enable them to catch up quickly.
• Leaders use training well to develop teachers’ expertise. Teachers work in partnership with leaders to identify their strengths and any areas of practice they need to improve. They have access to high-quality training, coaching and mentoring support. This is having a positive impact on the consistency of teaching, learning and assessment across all year groups, for example in the teaching of mathematics. Teachers say that they feel that their work is valued and that their well-being is considered.
• The group of pupils with SEND represents a significant proportion of the school population. Leaders provide specialist teaching support and one-to-one and group sessions for pupils. High-quality teaching ensures that pupils make strong progress towards their targets.
• The funding the school receives for its large group of disadvantaged pupils is used well. For example, it provides additional teaching support and extra resources. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make progress that is similar to that of their peers. Sports funding is equally well used, enabling pupils to have access to high-quality sporting and fitness activities.

Governance of the school

• Governors take their roles and responsibilities very seriously. There is a good balance of support and challenge. They understand and take account of the diverse nature of the community which the school serves.
• Governors have a good understanding of the effectiveness of the school. This is because they receive detailed information from the leadership team about pupils’ progress. This enables them to ask probing questions about how well pupils are doing.
• Governors ensure value for money in using additional government funding to support the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Governors play a full part in securing sufficiently skilled staff to meet the pupils’ wide-ranging needs.
• The governing body undertakes regular training, for example in safeguarding and checking school performance, and ensures that statutory requirements are met. As a result, they make an effective contribution to pupils’ safety and welfare.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding at Heathmere. The school provides a safe and caring environment for pupils.
• Leaders ensure that staff have received up-to-date safeguarding training. They work effectively with outside agencies to keep pupils safe. Members of staff are familiar with the procedures in the school. Records are well maintained and governors fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.
• All statutory checks are in place to ensure the suitability of adults working in the school. The site is secure, and staff make appropriate checks on visitors when they arrive at the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers use assessments effectively to plan for the next steps in pupils’ learning. They set up lively and engaging activities which capture the pupils’ interests. Teachers use effective questioning in lessons to challenge and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils respond well and show high levels of engagement. In key stage 1 and the majority of key stage 2 classes, teachers identify pupils’ misconceptions and address these quickly. Overall, teachers show good subject knowledge and effective questioning skills which ensure good progress.
• Teachers reinforce pupils’ positive attitudes to learning well. This is a key strength of the school. As a result, pupils are resilient to failure and eager to know how to improve.
• Teaching and support staff ensure that their classrooms are attractive and welcoming. Displays are colourful, well maintained and assist pupils in their learning. For example, displays are used well to explain mathematical concepts and skills.
• Leaders have established an agreed system for assessing pupils on a regular basis in all classes. This ensures that any individual or group needing support is identified swiftly. Leaders also ensure that a range of intervention and teaching activities are set up to support those at risk of not making enough progress. As a result of this effective provision, no group or groups of learners fall behind.
• The teaching of mathematics is systematic. Topics are taught in a carefully structured and ordered way. As a result, pupils build their knowledge and skills securely and apply them confidently. Teachers encourage pupils to think more deeply about how to apply their knowledge to real-life mathematics problems. Pupils rise to the challenge, for example when using their knowledge of times tables to explore multiples in depth.
• Sometimes, teachers do not move pupils on in their learning quickly enough. This is particularly the case in writing tasks in key stage 2. This is because the task is too easy or the teaching is not challenging enough to match pupils’ levels of ability. For example, sometimes teachers do not pick up errors in pupils’ punctuation, spelling and grammar quickly enough.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders and teachers promote the school’s values of respect, resilience and high expectations at all times. For example, teachers are good role models and set up learning experiences where learners succeed. They actively teach pupils how to be confident, resilient learners who do not give up when facing a challenge. As a result, pupils acquire very positive attitudes to learning. They are supportive of each other and interact well when learning together.
• Pupils are polite and treat visitors with respect and consideration, for example by holding open a door or asking if they can be of help. They are friendly and gregarious, reflecting the school’s core values extremely well.
• A group of four- and five-year-old pupils were buying and selling items in their ‘shop’. In discussion with inspectors, the pupils explained that they would ‘have to learn a lot’ if they wanted to run a real shop. This is a good example of the strong personal development which the school promotes from the earliest age.
• Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Teachers incorporate pupils’ diverse backgrounds and draw on these in order to extend pupils’ understanding of people and communities beyond their immediate experience.
• British values are a key part of the curriculum and are taught well. Visits to local places of interest enrich pupils’ awareness. Displays of work across the school and discussions with pupils demonstrate that they have developed a good understanding of the British values of tolerance and respect.
• Pupils spoken with during the inspection said that they feel safe. This view is shared by parents who responded to the online inspection questionnaire.
• Not all pupils take pride in their work. Occasionally, pupils’ work is not presented as well as it could be.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Over a period of several years, leaders and members of staff have established a consistent and effective approach to the management of behaviour. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. Teachers are strong and caring role models, and provide clear guidelines and behavioural expectations. Pupils, including the youngest, play well together and behave well in classes. This is because they are taught well. Older pupils told inspectors that they see it as part of their responsibility to help ensure that behaviour is good around the school. As a result, Heathmere is a happy, harmonious place where all pupils thrive.
• Leaders have taken wide-ranging action to reduce absences. For example, follow-up phone calls to parents and meetings to underline the importance of attending school are effective. As a result, attendance has risen. Similarly, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has sharply reduced. Although attendance has risen, it remains slightly below the national average.
• There have been no permanent exclusions since 2014. Although the rate of temporary exclusions is above the national average, it has fallen sharply since the previous inspection. This is as a result of concerted and effective action by leaders over time.
• Pupils say that there is almost no bullying. Views gathered from parents support this judgement. During the inspection, no bullying was seen or reported, and school records show that any incidents are rare and dealt with effectively. As a result, there are few, if any, repeated instances.
• There were one or two examples of off-task behaviour noticed in some classes where learning was not sufficiently structured or challenging. However, such instances are rare and quickly dealt with by staff. Pupils respond well because they enjoy positive relationships with staff.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• School leaders and teachers work effectively to identify and address the needs of the community. Although many pupils begin partway through their primary schooling, often with limited social, emotional and academic skills, staff help them make strong progress with their learning. This is the result of effective teaching.
• The impact of the school’s work ensures that no matter what the starting point, almost all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and pupils who speak English as an additional language, make nationally expected rates of progress.
• Because teachers encourage pupils to discuss their learning and use accurate vocabulary, pupils can explain what they are doing and how they have approached their work. This was seen, for example, in one group in Year 5, where pupils could explain why a character in a story reacted the way they did.
• Pupils make good progress in extending their writing skills. However, a few do not, particularly in key stage 2. Many are supported well by broadening their vocabulary through class discussions and sharing ideas. However, in a few key stage 2 classes, this does not always translate into writing with logical content or accurate punctuation, grammar and spelling.
• Phonics is taught well from the earliest age. As a result, despite low starting points, by the end of Year 1 almost all pupils reach the expected standard of phonics knowledge. This represents strong progress.
• Pupils respond well to teaching in mathematics. Teachers carefully structure mathematics lessons to give pupils security and confidence, encouraging high success rates. As a result, pupils demonstrate a range of skills and knowledge with confidence. This was evident in Year 4, for example, where pupils’ thoughtful responses to the teacher’s questions showed their good understanding of long division.
• Staff work closely with parents and external specialists to increase pupils’ self-confidence and improve learning outcomes. Pupils with SEND receive effective, well-planned support, for example in small-group or one-to-one sessions. As a result, they make good progress towards their targets.

Early years provision Good

• Almost all children begin their schooling with social, mathematical and language skills which are typically below those seen for their age. On arrival, teachers, working with parents, quickly and accurately assess the children’s needs. Staff create a supportive and nurturing environment. As a result, children settle in quickly and make good progress, especially in their personal and social development. Children, including those with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress from typically low starting points, especially in writing and mathematics.
• Leaders have addressed the recommendation made at the previous inspection to improve the outside learning area and plan effectively to use it. As a result, the outdoor and indoor learning spaces are bright and stimulating. Children use these spaces creatively, showing imagination and curiosity. They cooperate well and show good levels of concentration. This is because teaching staff take every opportunity to engage children in activities that support their learning.
• Leaders have developed a broad and engaging curriculum which meets children’s needs and interests and extends their experiences. In particular, staff plan activities which develop the children’s imagination. For example, inspectors saw one younger learner concentrating hard on creating a mobile phone using felt, card, sticky tape and a pair of scissors. Children thoughtfully chose areas and equipment to use, and they worked well with each other.
• Staff teach phonics skilfully. As a result, children quickly develop confidence in reading. Teachers encourage children to use their phonics knowledge to develop their early writing skills. This was seen in displays of children’s writing and in their workbooks.
• Relationships between staff and children are positive and nurturing. Because children are taught good social skills, they quickly learn to share and work together. For example, pupils were enjoying sharing, cutting and gluing, dressing up and engaging in imaginative and creative play. The effective use of questioning by staff ensures that all children are fully included in such activities. Children have opportunities to explore and expand on their vocabulary, using words such as ‘bigger’, ‘smaller’, ‘under’ and ‘next to’.
• Children behave very well and show care for each other. They are safe because staff supervise them well and know when to provide close support or observe from a distance. Safeguarding arrangements in the early years are effective and meet requirements.
• The leadership of the early years is effective. For example, training provided by leaders has resulted in better teaching and a subsequent rise in achievements. Leaders work diligently to secure further improvements and have made a priority of continuing to raise the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development.

School details

Unique reference number 101029 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 10058877 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 318 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Freya Guinness Headteacher Emma Lewis Telephone number 0208 788 9057 Website www.heathmereprimary.org/ Email address sbm@heathmere.wandsworth.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 November 2014

Information about this school

• Heathmere is an average-sized primary school.
• The school has 14 out of 17 ethnic groups; 19% are White British, 16% are of other White background, 15% are of Black British African background, 10% are of Asian or British Asian Pakistani background, 11% are of other Asian background.
• Over half (54%) of pupils speak English as an additional language. This is well above the national average. Almost half (49%) of pupils are in receipt of pupil premium funding. This is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is well above the national average. Around 18% of pupils receive special needs support. This is well above the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited classrooms to observe teaching and learning, including undertaking joint observations with school leaders. They also spent time looking through pupils’ books and listening to pupils read.
• Meetings were held with members of the governing body and with a representative from the local authority. Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders.
• Inspectors spoke with a number of parents before the school day. They also considered 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, as well as other conversations with pupils in school and on the playground. Views from 30 staff questionnaires were also considered. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.
• A wide range of documents were scrutinised, including records related to pupils’ behaviour and attendance, safeguarding procedures and the school’s analysis of how well it is improving. Inspectors also examined the school’s records of checks made on the quality of teaching.

Inspection team

Martin Roberts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Nick Hitchen Ofsted Inspector Lisa Farrow Ofsted Inspector