Albion Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 11–12 October 2011 Inspection number 376453 Albion Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 100774 Local Authority Southwark Inspection number 376453 Inspection dates 11–12 October 2011 Reporting inspector Madeleine Gerard

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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 199 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karen Delaney Headteacher Penny White Date of previous school inspection 23–24 January 2007 School address Albion Street London SE16 7JD Telephone number 020 7237 3738 Fax number 020 7237 6744 Email address office@albion.southwark.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 teaching and learning in 22 lessons, taught by 10 teachers, and held meetings with groups of pupils, staff and members of the governing body. They observed the school’s work and looked at work in pupils’ books, tracking data showing pupils’ attainment and progress, the school’s development plans, and policies and records for safeguarding pupils. They considered the responses to the questionnaire received from 74 parents and carers, 68 pupils in Years 3 to 6, and 23 staff.

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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

 Whether rates of learning and progress are consistently rapid for all groups of pupils.  How consistently teachers’ planning uses assessment information to match work closely to the needs of all groups of pupils so that they learn and progress as well as they can.  The extent to which pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller-than-average primary school with Early Years Foundation Stage provision for children in two part-time Nursery classes and one Reception class. A small minority of children in the Nursery classes attend either the morning or the afternoon session while the large majority attend both sessions. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages is well above average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties or behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language is well above average. The majority of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is high. The school operates and manages a breakfast club. A greater than average number

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Information about the school

of pupils join and leave the school part-way through their education. The school has achieved a number of nationally recognised awards including Eco-School Silver, Healthy Schools, International Schools and Artsmark Gold.

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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

Albion Primary provides an outstanding quality of education and serves its local community exceptionally well. Working together as a very strong team, the staff ensure that all pupils are valued and each individual pupil is known extremely well. Leaders, managers and members of the governing body work successfully together with a shared determination to ensure that all pupils thrive in the school’s caring environment. This contributes enormously to pupils’ enjoyment of school and their outstanding behaviour. Pupils’ caring attitudes towards one another, strong teamwork skills, respect for pupils from a wide variety of different cultures and generous charity fundraising are evidence of their excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their awareness of issues related to staying healthy and keeping safe is outstanding. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the community. For example, the eco team, who have helped to secure the school’s Eco-

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Main findings

School Award, take responsibility for switching off lights and computers. Year 4 play- leaders are enthusiastic to organise games and activities for other pupils during break-time. Pupils play an active part in their local area. The gospel choir sings in the local community. Pupils have collected litter, designed a bridge for a local conservation area, made a mural for display outside a local museum and expressed their opinions to the local authority regarding development plans for the locality.

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Main findings

Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Well-established routines ensure children grow in confidence and settle quickly when they start. The school tracks pupils’ progress carefully and quickly identifies any pupils who need additional help with their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those pupils who speak English as an additional language, make outstanding progress because they receive additional support that is exceptionally well tailored to their needs. Extremely well-coordinated guidance in lessons from dedicated additional adults, and individualised extra sessions with specialised therapists, ensure that these pupils make consistently swift gains in their skills. Occasionally, teachers’ planning for other pupils does not use the information from assessments as consistently to plan activities that are sharply tailored to all

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Main findings

pupils’ needs, particularly for those who are more able. Nevertheless, they make good progress and their attainment by the end of Year 6 is broadly average.

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Main findings

Through perceptive and accurate self-evaluation, the school knows its strengths and has successfully tackled key priorities for development. Since the last inspection, secure improvements have been made including enhancements to the curriculum, and increased provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities,

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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

which has led to improved rates of progress, as well as outstanding outcomes for all pupils in their personal skills. The school’s work to engage the support of parents and carers and involve them in their children’s early learning experiences is extremely effective. As a result of all these strengths, the school’s overall effectiveness has improved and is outstanding, reflecting the school’s outstanding capacity for sustained improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By July 2012, increase consistency in teachers’ use of assessment information in their planning to ensure all pupils are suitably challenged in their work, particularly higher-ability pupils.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Children join the school with skills and capabilities that are generally well below those expected for their age. Skills in communication, language and literacy and children’s personal, social and emotional development are often particularly weak. Rates of learning and progress in Years 1 to 6, and pupils’ overall achievement and enjoyment in their learning, are good. They enjoy the work teachers give them to do, start their work as soon as tasks are set and concentrate well. This was illustrated in a literacy lesson where pupils were practising using the past tense by writing a letter. Working sensibly together in pairs, they thought carefully and made good suggestions to complete a model sentence that the teacher had written on the interactive whiteboard. Pupils were enthusiastic to start writing their own letters and continued to work hard in order to finish their work in the time they were given. They were

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

clear about what they were expected to do because they listened attentively to all the teacher’s explanations. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities made outstanding progress because the work they were given to do was extremely well matched to their needs. However, in a minority of lessons across the school, the pace of learning for the more-able pupils is occasionally not as brisk because they are not consistently challenged to develop their skills and understanding. In a numeracy lesson, pupils were working hard to round numbers up or down to the nearest 10 and 100 in order to estimate the answers to sums. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities enjoyed working with the teacher and made particularly rapid progress by explaining how they reached their answers.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils who join the school part-way through their primary education settle and make friends very quickly because other pupils are friendly and ensure that they feel welcomed at the school. Pupils who are at an early stage of speaking English receive additional support and guidance. They make extremely good progress in their English speaking skills, and learn new concepts and vocabulary clearly so that they also make rapid progress in their literacy and numeracy. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very keen to do well. They enjoy opportunities to work with teaching assistants and teachers to boost their literacy and numeracy skills.

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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

Specialist therapists work closely with pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties and successfully help them to overcome barriers to their learning. Pupils with emotional and social needs benefit from personalised counselling, advice and guidance. Higher-ability pupils are motivated to develop their interests and understanding through additional extra-curricular clubs.

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

Pupils are proud of their school and their successes in competitions against other schools, including cricket and cross-country. Visits from firefighters and clear guidance on keeping safe when using computers contribute to pupils’ outstanding awareness of how to keep themselves safe from harm. Pupils are extremely confident that adults at the school will help them should any problems occur. Junior road safety officers take a leading role in ensuring pupils know how to keep themselves safe while walking to school or travelling by bicycle or scooter. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to keeping fit and healthy, as reflected in the school’s success in achieving the Healthy Schools status and the Activemark award. Healthy lunches cooked in the school’s kitchen are popular: almost all the pupils eat a school lunch. Pupils know what they should eat and drink to keep themselves healthy and understand the impact their choices have on their health. They use the

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

equipment available at break-time enthusiastically. Boys and girls enjoy playing football together at break-time. After-school sports clubs are popular, including multi- sports, gym and basketball.

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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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The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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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How effective is the provision?

Teachers manage classes successfully and make use of a variety of resources to motivate pupils and engage their interest. Explanations of new learning are clear and ensure that pupils build on what they know and can do already. Speaking and listening activities are rightly prioritised through pair and group work, and discussions to support learning. Routines are well established and ensure that lesson time is used effectively. Work is usually well planned to meet the range of pupils’ abilities in each class. Teachers’ planning often makes clear specifically what additional adults should be doing in lessons to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, in particular. Occasionally, more-able pupils are not sufficiently challenged, particularly during whole-class teaching. Marking is helpful in making clear to pupils how they can improve their work. Most pupils know their individualised targets, although these are not always used as a fully effective tool in

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How effective is the provision?

helping pupils to move up to the next level in their work.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is particularly well organised to support pupils’ needs and underpins their very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils have regular opportunities to write at length in a variety of different styles to develop their writing skills. Individual and small group sessions in reading are particularly effective in helping pupils to improve their reading. The school has well-established links with a number of volunteers who visit the school every week to hear pupils read. Pupils appreciate the extremely wide range of experiences on offer through themed weeks, including ‘jobs week’ and ‘maths week’, as well as visits to local places of interest such as museums, galleries and theatre productions. In Years 5 and 6, and in Years 3 and 4, pupils have the opportunity to develop their independence through trips to residential centres in Surrey and Kent. Strengths in achieving the Artsmark Gold are shown in the very

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How effective is the provision?

high quality of pupils’ artwork on display around the school.

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils receive the care, guidance and support they need so that their personal skills develop extremely well. Staff work successfully to establish very positive relationships and create an environment where pupils can grow in confidence and self-esteem. One parent, reflecting a typical view, commented, ‘We are delighted that our child has the opportunity to learn in such a nurturing environment.’ Strong links with a very wide range of outside agencies promote pupils’ learning and well-being very effectively, and are used extremely well to provide additional help for pupils and their families who are experiencing difficult circumstances. The school ensures that pupils are given clear guidance about the process of transferring to secondary school to support them in moving on to the next stage in their education. The breakfast club provides a healthy, calm and sociable start to the day for the small number of pupils

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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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

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school tackles discrimination and promotes equality well so that rates of learning and progress are good for all pupils, and outstanding for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. The headteacher is a very strong leader and works closely with senior and middle leaders to communicate ambition outstandingly well and bring about sustained improvements. Since the last inspection, this has included impressive development of the curriculum, improvements to the outdoor spaces in the Early Years Foundation Stage and making sure that pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are outstanding. The governing body ensures that arrangements for safeguarding are good. Policies are reviewed regularly. The school site is secure and well maintained. Quality assurance and risk assessments are of good quality. Relationships are harmonious between different groups of pupils, and differences are respected

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How effective are leadership and management?

because community cohesion is promoted exceptionally well. Pupils have a very strong knowledge of the school and local community. Extremely well-established links with a school in Africa, together with the school’s work to secure the International School award, ensure pupils have an excellent knowledge of the lives of those who live in global communities. They meet a wide range of pupils from contrasting communities within the United Kingdom through sporting and cultural activities, and visits to contrasting communities beyond their local area.

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How effective are leadership and management?

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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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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Early Years Foundation Stage

Staff work successfully to create an environment where children can develop strong personal and social skills, grow in independence and are happy. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage work and play together well. For example, children in the Nursery outdoor area were making models using recycled materials. They shared equipment well and took turns to use the glue and scissors. They also took responsibility for finding additional resources in the classroom and brought them outside for all the children to use. There is an appropriate balance of adult-led activities and opportunities for children to select tasks for themselves. Children in the Reception class, working with an adult, used small construction blocks to measure the length of various pieces of ribbon. They practised their knowledge of numbers by counting how many construction blocks they needed to measure each one. Children who speak English as an additional language developed their knowledge of numbers

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Early Years Foundation Stage

in English well because the adult spoke clearly, and ensured they had plenty of opportunities to practise saying the numbers out loud. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed, and detailed records of observations of children’s learning and progress are kept. Occasionally, however, the planning of activities for children to choose for themselves does not use assessment information rigorously enough to ensure that they are challenged to make even faster progress.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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

More parents and carers responded to the questionnaire than is usually found nationally. The large majority of the responses were positive. The very large majority of those who responded are happy with their children’s experience at the school and all of them confirm that their children enjoy their time there. A very few parents and carers do not agree, for example, that the school ensures that their children are well prepared for the future. Inspectors judged pupils’ academic outcomes to be good and found that pupils were well prepared for the next stage in their education. Many other aspects of the school’s work and pupils’ personal development were judged to be outstanding, and inspection findings endorse almost all of the views expressed by parents and carers.

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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 Albion 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 74 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 199 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 56 76 18 24 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 55 74 18 24 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 46 62 24 32 3 4 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 44 59 26 35 2 3 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 50 68 21 28 2 3 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 52 70 21 28 0 0 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 47 64 25 34 1 1 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) 33 45 32 43 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child’s particular needs 42 57 28 38 1 1 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 48 65 24 32 1 1 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 40 54 29 39 3 4 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 48 65 23 31 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 48 65 24 32 1 1 0 0

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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 Albion Primary School, London SE16 7JD

Thank you very much for your very friendly welcome and for helping the inspectors when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you all very much and listening to what you had to say. We were very pleased to see the beautiful posters and artwork that you have made that are on display around the school. This letter is to tell you about the judgements that we reached.

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Inspection of Albion Primary School, London SE16 7JD

Albion Primary is an outstanding school. You told us that you like coming and your parents and carers told us they like the school very much, too. You behave exceptionally well, get along very well with each other and take very good care of one another. You are enthusiastic in lessons and keen to learn. This makes your school such a happy place to be. You enjoy all the interesting work the teachers plan, and you particularly like the clubs and the outings that the school organises. Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. You make good progress in your learning and reach the expected levels by the end of Year 6. The staff check regularly how well you are doing. Those of you who need additional help are extremely well supported and make outstanding progress. All the adults work together as a team to make sure that you are safe and very well cared for.

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Inspection of Albion Primary School, London SE16 7JD

Your headteacher and the staff are always looking for ways to make the school even better. We have asked the staff to make sure that all of you are set work that is the right level of challenge for you, particularly for those of you who find learning easy. All of you can help by telling your teachers if the work is too easy, or too difficult. All of you can also help to make sure your school continues to be outstanding by continuing to concentrate and work hard in lessons.

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Inspection of Albion Primary School, London SE16 7JD

Finally, I would like to thank you again and wish you well in the future.

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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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