St George's CofE Primary School

Age group 3 11 Inspection date(s) 21 22 September 2011 Inspection number 376504 St George's CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 101044 Local Authority Wandsworth Inspection number 376504 Inspection dates 21  22 September 2011 Reporting inspector Liz Kounnou

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 231 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev Canon Geoff Vevers Headteacher Mrs Janet Hilary Date of previous school inspection 25–26 June 2009 School address Corunna Road Battersea London SW8 4JS Telephone number 0207 622 1870 Fax number 0207 498 9683 Email address admin@st-georges.wansdworth.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors observed 26 lessons taught by 10 teachers. Meetings were held with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. The inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at pupils' books, work on display, school policies, planning and assessment information. The inspectors read 66 questionnaires from parents and carers, 93 from pupils in Key Stage 2 and 15 from staff, all of which were used to inform the inspection process.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, pupils learning to speak English as an additional language, those who join the school from overseas and those who are entitled to free school meals across the school to determine whether teaching is sufficiently challenging.  The achievement of higher attaining pupils throughout the school to determine the level of challenge in all year groups and the proportion of pupils on track to reach levels above age-related expectations.  The extent to which school self-evaluation has been consistently grounded in sophisticated and accurate analysis since the last inspection, and the impact of this on raising standards over time.

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Information about the school

St George’s is an average sized school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well-above average. Most pupils are from minority ethnic heritages. A few new pupils arrive from overseas each year. Almost half the pupils speak English as either a second or a new language and 23 languages are spoken in the school. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is considerably higher than average. The majority of this group have been assessed with behavioural and emotional difficulties or moderate learning difficulties.

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Information about the school

There has been a high level of change in staffing this year, with six new teachers appointed since September.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

St George’s CofE Primary School is outstanding and goes from strength to strength and it sustains an excellent capacity to improve. There is a relentless approach to securing improvement. The school examines the impact of its practice continually to ensure that it realises its vision and that each child is able ‘to be the best that they can be’. All the parents and carers said that their children enjoy coming to this ‘wonderful’ school. Attendance is exceptionally high because pupils want to be there. One parent summed it up for others when she wrote, ‘St Georges is amazing. The teaching is outstanding from all the staff and my children continue to progress every term. There is no better school for my children.’

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Main findings

For a significant number of pupils, their skills and understanding in English and mathematics are well-below average when they start school. By the time they leave in Year 6 attainment is above average. Right from the first day in the Nursery class there is a strong focus on finding out what children can already do and what their next steps in learning should be, so that teaching and the curriculum are adapted to every child’s needs. Pupils learning to speak English as an additional language achieve extremely well and make outstanding progress. They are immersed in English from the start, including those who join the school having just arrived in England. Staff take the time to teach pupils the vocabulary they need in order to take a full part in school life and to understand what is being said to them in lessons. Those with special educational needs progress exceptionally well because the quality of assessment and understanding of their needs is finely tuned, so that specialist

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Main findings

teaching is targeted precisely to close each gap.

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Main findings

Innovative use of teaching staff to create small focused teaching groups in Years 5 and 6 has been highly successful because teaching is precise teaching and the assessment of pupils’ understanding is instant. This means that no pupil is left behind and the most able enjoy high levels of challenge in every English and mathematics lesson. Other subjects are highly enjoyable due to the choice of topics that motivate pupils from all the diverse groups. Nonetheless, the level of challenge for the most-able is not always as high in these subjects as it is in English and mathematics. The school, with its marvellous gardens and allotment, provides an oasis of calm and burgeoning growth in the local landscape. Its highly supportive and welcoming ethos permeates every aspect of school life enabling pupils to feel completely safe throughout the day. Pupils’ behaviour is superb in all lessons. Their attitudes to learning are exceptional due to high levels of motivation and a culture

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Main findings

across the school of high aspirations and possibilities. Every pupil knows they can

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve opportunities to challenge the most-able pupils in all classes in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Over time attainment in Year 6 tests in English and mathematics has been average. Substantial improvement in more recent results is due to investment in small teaching groups at the end of Key Stage 2. Overall attainment on entry is low and pupils are now making outstanding progress. School data show a trend of rising achievement all through the school. Pupils’ books, complete with plastic covers to keep them pristine, reflect very high standards in every year group, and are a clear example of the pride pupils take in their work.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Very precise planning and assessment lie behind the success of those with special educational needs. Well-tailored support encourages pupils to work things out for themselves so that they grow in confidence at a rapid rate. Their books reflect high levels of pride and interest in the work. The focus on talking about their work in all year groups is especially successful for pupils who are learning to speak English as an additional language. It significantly develops their ability to express their ideas in English. The most-able are challenged consistently. Higher attaining mathematicians in Year 5, for example, relished the challenge when asked to work out 35% of 50 after successfully demonstrating their understanding of equivalence between fractions, decimals and percentages.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils of all abilities and from all the diverse groups show diligence in all their work and pay great attention to teachers’ guidance for improvement. In Year 6 pupils were fully engaged in writing a persuasive letter to someone in another ‘clan’. They wrote in full paragraphs to explain their reasons for asking the other clan to change their behaviour. One boy stopped to say ‘Miss, I am in danger of getting a repetition sign (in the marking of his work) because I keep writing ’you’ at the beginning of my sentences.’ This led to a very helpful discussion on the use of pronouns.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils are highly motivated, and see the relevance of their work. In one lesson, Year 5 pupils worked in pairs to write a script for a television interview, which they planned to film later in the week. Pupils acting in role as either the premiership footballer or the TV sports reporter were very keen to edit the punctuation in their first drafts so that they could read them aloud more easily. They assessed their own writing skills when rehearsing the film script to another pair. In Year 2, pupils of all abilities succeeded in planning out a story sequence because the ‘Talk for Writing’ strategies, with actions to act out each part, enabled all the children to easily remember the sequence of the story.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

The pupils’ voice has an impact on all aspects of school life. There is a sense of

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

service to the community, and empowerment to improve local conditions. Pupils met with local officers to discuss local traffic conditions and the quality of school meals. Pupils have a strong sense that they must manage their own behaviour, take responsibility and protect every minute of their learning time by behaving well and insisting that others do the same. They are happy and safe throughout the day. From the moment they step through the school gate they learn how to choose healthy options. The allotment is a great motivator and produces a wealth of healthy produce. Garden club members persistently asked the team if they had made a visit to the allotment and proudly showed us samples of their harvest. There is a sense of togetherness running all through the school often seen and heard in the gentle singing that takes place as smiling children move from room to room.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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contribute to their future economic well-being

Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1

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How effective is the provision?

Outstanding teaching is used very effectively throughout the school to foster independence, initiative and teamwork for the pupils. There are exceptionally good relationships. Adults show tremendous respect for the pupils. Diligent marking and assessment lead to challenging lessons that are precisely planned to help pupils make the best progress they can. In all lessons teachers share simple and explicit criteria so that pupils know exactly what they need to do to succeed and how to judge their own success. A pupil explained why he thought the work was easy despite the fact that he had to think so hard: ‘It’s the simple planning’ he said, ‘you just know what you need to do.’ Teachers know every learner very well and target questions specifically to challenge pupils and probe their understanding. They adapt

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

their lessons seamlessly to meet the needs of all the groups.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The curriculum themes and chosen texts fire pupils’ imagination. There are exciting opportunities to develop enterprise skills, such as the work in Covent Garden Fruit Market, next door to the school, and, for those pupils lucky enough, work with Chelsea Football Club, and pupils prize these links. The strength of the curriculum is the precisely tailored planning to develop the quality of language, which lies behind pupils’ success in both English and mathematics. Every opportunity is harnessed to develop confident use of language. In other subjects there is a strong focus on enjoyment and great relevance in the themes chosen. However, plans do not always show how the most-able will reach the highest levels in subjects across the curriculum. Pastoral care is outstanding. Attention to detail ensures highly successful care, guidance and support, tailored for each pupil, so that they are able ‘to be the

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

best that they can be’. Every member of the team goes the extra mile to enable every one of the pupils to thrive.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Equality of opportunity is at the heart of the school’s success. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated, and there is an insistence that all pupils will do well. Every child knows they are valued and listened to at school. Leaders ensure they know how well each child is doing from their earliest days in school, and ask probing questions to discover why any child is not making at least good progress from their starting points. Staff know they are accountable for every pupils’ success. Excellent training for staff increases skills and subject knowledge so that they are able to cope with the pressures of working in this challenging school. A large number of staff recently left the school, mainly for promotion. Extremely effective procedures to help new staff settle into the school mean that all of the new staff are already fully immersed in the school’s policies and expectations so that this significant change in staffing has not

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How effective are leadership and management?

slowed progress for the pupils. Self-evaluation is rigorous and accurate and there is a relentless focus on improving attainment and achievement. The school has made marked improvement since its last inspection in this key area, and staff, particularly those with leadership responsibilities, work very purposefully to ensure improvements are embedded and effective.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Safeguarding has the highest priority for school leaders, who work diligently to ensure that every child is safe. Governors contribute to this diligence by visiting the

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

school twice a year to ensure that safeguarding policies are carried out in practice. Governors are highly efficient and instrumental in the school’s success, they are fully informed and regularly analyse their own effectiveness. Their actions to secure funding for additional teaching staff enabled significant improvements to be achieved. School leaders broaden horizons and actively promote community cohesion through a range of local, national and international projects that involve families and children working together. Staff talk to parents every day, visit them in their homes and ensure that interpreters are available whenever they are needed, so that there are very strong partnerships between home and school and parents value the school highly. The school actively helps parents to support their children’s learning at home.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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driving improvement

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The environment in the Nursery and Reception classes is a haven of fun and excitement for the youngest children. High expectations permeate the entire unit. Indoor and outdoor spaces are packed with tempting activities. Dinosaurs lurk among logs on a prehistoric table. Staff establish routines very quickly so that children know what is expected of them. After only two days in school the nursery children respond straight away to the song that draws them all together on the carpet. Adults guide language development in all of the activities and have a very clear plan for each of their groups. No time is wasted in helping and encouraging children who speak other languages at home to begin to speak English. Children are able to choose from a wealth of activities that have been well designed to help them learn. The writing table is beautifully presented and includes glue and sticky tape to encourage the children to write and seal up secret letters or cards. Outdoors,

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Early Years Foundation Stage

children are given opportunities to write in a sticky tray of paste. Great attention is paid to ensuring that all safety and welfare requirements are fully met in this

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

stimulating environment. For example, staff take the trouble to dry the outdoor climbing equipment carefully before children use it.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Very specific planning for learning letters and sounds ensures that children, who have just moved into the Reception class, can already spell out three letter words and blend some sounds together. They are spellbound during phonic sessions by the teacher’s funny hat, the silly songs they sing to keep them all on task and by the praise they are constantly given for their hard work. Phonics lessons are consequently a joy, and filled with giggling, gleeful responses.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The precise approach to teaching the skills they need in small groups ensures children make astonishing progress during their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Despite the overall low level of attainment when they start school, by the time they move on at the end of Reception their attainment is above average and the majority have reached or exceeded the levels expected for their age.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Less than a third of parents and carers returned a questionnaire, and this is a lower response rate than is typical. Of those that did, the overwhelming majority have positive views of the school. A very small minority who express concerns raise different individual issues. Almost all parents and carers are pleased with the progress their children make. One wrote, ‘Overall my child loves going to school because she enjoys learning and is making really good progress.’ Inspectors found that children really enjoy school, that care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding and pupils’ progress excellent. The headteacher is widely recognised to be a driving force in the school’s success. ‘The head is brilliant’, wrote one. Another comment reflected the school’s vision, stating, ‘The school has gone from strength to strength during my eight years here. The attitudes of staff and drive to do the best

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at St George’s CofE Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 66 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 231 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 47 71 19 29 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 45 68 21 32 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 37 56 25 38 2 3 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 36 55 26 39 2 3 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 36 55 27 41 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 30 45 32 48 1 2 1 2 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 31 47 35 53 0 0 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 26 39 37 56 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child’s particular needs 24 36 40 61 1 2 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 38 58 24 36 2 3 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 19 29 41 62 3 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 36 55 29 44 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 39 59 26 39 0 0 1 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.  The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of St George’s CofE Primary, Battersea SW8 4JS

Thank you for being so polite when we came to your school. We enjoyed visiting your lessons and talking to you. You really helped us. Your school gives you an outstanding standard of education so that you achieve extremely well and make excellent progress all through the school.

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Inspection of St George’s CofE Primary, Battersea SW8 4JS

The things we like most about your school are that:  you all try so hard in lessons to ‘be the best that you can be’  your books are extremely neat and tidy and show how well you are doing  your teachers take great care when they are marking your books to help you see where you could do even better  your attendance is excellent and you really enjoy coming to school because your teachers often make lessons fun for you  your behaviour in lessons is splendid, you help one another very well and make sensible choices  the school grounds are beautiful because the gardening club takes great care to look after all the plants, including those flourishing in the school allotment.

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Inspection of St George’s CofE Primary, Battersea SW8 4JS

To help the school become even better, we have asked senior leaders to help the most-able pupils do as well in all the other subjects as they do in English and mathematics. You could help by trying just as hard to do well in these subjects as you do in English and mathematics, and by telling the headteacher some of the things you would like to find out, or learn to do. Thank you again for talking to us about your delightful school and making us so welcome. We hope that you will all continue to enjoy coming to school and try your hardest so that you are successful in the future.

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Inspection of St George’s CofE Primary, Battersea SW8 4JS

Yours sincerely Liz Kounnou Lead inspector

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from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy

of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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