Reay Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 19–20 June 2012 Inspection number 395621 Reay Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 100634 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 395621 Inspection dates 19–20 June 2012 Lead inspector Sarah McDermott

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 247 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Aird Headteacher Elizabeth Tennant Date of previous school inspection 26 September 2006 School address Hackford Road London Stockwell SW9 0EN Telephone number 020 7735 2978 Fax number 020 7820 9165 Email address headteacher@reay.lambeth.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 You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The team observed 17 lessons taught by nine teachers. The inspectors held meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body, members of the senior leadership team and several groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online Parent View survey in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s day-to-day activities and scrutinised school documentation including school development planning. They also investigated procedures for keeping pupils safe, scrutinised behaviour logs and looked at pupils’ work. They analysed responses to pupil and staff questionnaires as well as 64 questionnaires returned by parents and carers.

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Information about the school

Reay Primary is an average sized school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. About three quarters of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, predominantly of Black African or Black Caribbean heritage. Half of the pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. Their needs mostly relate to behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school holds the International School award and Artsmark Gold among other awards.

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Information about the school

The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises one Nursery class and one Reception class. The school manages a chargeable before-school club. A private organisation runs after-school care on site which is not part of this inspection.

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Information about the school

At the time of the inspection the headteacher works two days a week to support a nearby primary school. The deputy headteacher is known as the Principal by staff, parents and pupils. 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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Key findings

 Reay Primary is a good school it is not yet outstanding because pupils’ attainment is lower in writing than in reading or mathematics. Overall, pupils achieve well because of good teaching. Learning for some disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs is not always as swift as it could be because their personal targets are not always shared with them.

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Key findings

 Pupils make good overall progress from their entry into Nursery to the end of Year 6. In 2011, attainment for Year 6 pupils was broadly average in mathematics and English, with above average reading standards. These pupils started school with low levels of attainment. The learning and progress of pupils currently in school are good. Pupils from different ethnic groups make similarly good progress.

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Key findings

 Teachers have a good rapport with their pupils and instil in them a love of learning. They organise lessons methodically, ensuring activities match the aptitudes of different pupils. Marking of work is helpful and encouraging but does not always set high enough expectations on presentation and the quality of writing.

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Key findings

 Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to learning. They are courteous, enjoy each other’s company and move around the school sensibly. Staff provide good support for pupils who have difficulty managing their own behaviour so disruption to learning is unusual. Pupils feel safe and confidently turn to adults should they have any concerns. Attendance is high and punctuality is good.

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Key findings

 The headteacher and Principal monitor the performance of teachers closely. They arrange well-tailored training opportunities to ensure any inconsistencies in the quality of teaching are rigorously addressed. The school provides an inspirational range of trips and activities and is starting to address the need for the curriculum to promote writing more comprehensively. 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 attainment and progress in writing so pupils reach at least national average levels at the end of Key Stage 2 in July 2013 by:  reviewing the way writing is taught to ensure the rate of progression through the planned curriculum matches the needs of all pupils  checking that teachers’ marking encourages pupils to produce good quality writing in all subjects of the curriculum  celebrating and sharing the best writing in displays around the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make consistently good and better academic progress by involving them at frequent intervals in reviewing their personal targets.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enjoy coming to school, as testified by their high attendance rates and positive comments about exciting activities. Parents agree with their children that the school helps them to make good progress. One parent commented, ‘My children are happy and eager to get to school and are enthusiastic about their learning.’ Children arrive in the Nursery with skills below the levels expected for their age. The Early Years Foundation Stage gives them a good start to their education because they are keen to be involved in new experiences and grow rapidly in confidence. In a delightful session in the garden children came on in leaps and bounds in their knowledge and understanding of nature through mimicking the movements and imagining the sounds of mini-beasts. By the time children move on to Year 1, they have skills at least in line with expectations for their age, with some children exceeding expectations.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils achieve well. In lessons observed they settled down to productive learning quickly because they know the expected routines. They collaborate well in sharing ideas and helping each other. Pupils relish the challenge when they are given the opportunity to experiment and find things out for themselves. In an excellent lesson to write an entertaining piece about the Aztecs, pupils in Year 6 made very good use of book and internet resources to research and include interesting information in their accounts.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1. Daily and systematic sessions on how to sound out letters and combinations of letters give pupils essential building blocks to tackle new words with great confidence and lead to above average standards in reading at the end of Year 2. Pupils continue to make good progress across classes at Key Stage 2. The school’s accurate tracking data, observations of lessons and work scrutiny show that attainment for the current Year 6 class is securely above 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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Achievement of pupils

average in reading and average in mathematics. Attainment in writing is a little below average and improving. However, attainment for this group of pupils was below average, particularly in mathematics and writing, at the end of Key Stage 1 and so represents good progress. The daily session for guided reading is a favourite time for many pupils but pupils are not as confident in their writing skills across the curriculum.

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Achievement of pupils

Staff provide very dedicated care and attention to improve the personal development of vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs. Consequently, in many cases pupils make great strides in improving their behaviour and self-discipline. However, the academic targets of these pupils are not consistently shared with them to help even more in closing the gap on their classmates. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress because teachers and teaching assistants explain new vocabulary carefully and encourage them to participate with confidence in class activities and discussions.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers start lessons off promptly with high expectations of participation and behaviour. Resources are to hand and good use is made of the interactive whiteboard to stimulate learning. Plans are detailed and give teachers valuable guidance on activities to match individual need. Good use is made of the wealth of data on pupils’ progress to organise pupils into appropriate ability groups and to target extra help for pupils who are falling behind.

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Quality of teaching

In the best lessons, teachers give pupils plenty of opportunities for hands-on experience and free rein to investigate independently. For example, in an excellent music lesson pupils made outstanding progress because they all had access to instruments for testing out pitch and rhythm. Occasionally, too much teacher direction hampers pupils’ creativity and development of their independent skills. Teachers work closely with their teaching assistants to ensure good quality support is provided to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs as well as those who need extra attention to keep them on task. However, teaching staff do not consistently share the well-designed child-friendly individual education plans frequently enough with pupils. Consequently, pupils do not always understand how well they are progressing against their targets and opportunities are missed to spur them on.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers have good questioning techniques to encourage pupils to think more deeply about what they are learning. They do not accept one word answers but expect full sentences and clear explanations in reply. The promotion of the core skills, especially reading and numeracy, is thorough. Across different subjects, teachers find opportunities to introduce and explain new vocabulary. Reading skills are taught and developed well and pupils have plenty of chances to read high quality books with adults, including the good number of parent volunteers. Marking of exercise books is encouraging and helpful, and in the best practice teachers add extra questions and small tasks to embed learning. Nevertheless, teachers are not all 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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Quality of teaching

consistent in expecting the highest quality writing in subjects beyond literacy. They do not always pick up and correct slapdash writing in science or topic books. In addition they miss opportunities to celebrate and share pupils’ achievements by not displaying the highest quality writing in displays around the school to act as exemplars of the best work. Teachers make a point of promoting spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, particularly through art and international links, at every opportunity.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils behave well because they are clear about the rules and expectations. They understand the behaviour card system and appreciate the fair and consistent way that adults deal with any incidents of inappropriate behaviour. The fixed-term exclusions in 2011 were concentrated on a very few pupils. The school ensured that strategies employed were very successful in ensuring that learning for the vast majority of pupils was disrupted as little as possible and in providing effective care and support for the particular pupils who had difficulties managing their own behaviour. The input of the learning mentor and close work with the pupil referral unit have reaped rewards in the significant improvement in these pupils’ behaviour. Pupils and their parents justifiably believe that behaviour is typically good in school and pupils can get on with learning unhindered. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage grow in confidence because of safe and secure surroundings and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Incidences of bullying, including via text messages or social media, are rare. One parent commented, ‘There is very little bullying because of the teachers’ focus on promoting an atmosphere of acceptance and respect.’ The pupils are equally adamant that any form of bullying would be quickly picked up on and dealt with fairly by adults. Pupils know they are very well looked after in school and they feel safe. Parents also feel that their children are safe in school. Pupils all get on very well together, whatever their ethnic or religious background, showing great respect for different views and beliefs. Peer mediators are proud of their roles and contribute well to an orderly and supportive community.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school is extremely effective in ensuring pupils attend school daily. Holidays in term time are strongly discouraged and unexplained absence is chased up immediately. Consequently the high attendance rate and good punctuality are having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher is very experienced not only in leading the school but also in providing valuable support and advice to schools in several local authorities. She, the Principal and other members of the senior leadership team are clear about the school’s strengths and what needs to improve. They are constantly honing their ability to compare the school’s performance against other schools, using national benchmarking data. Senior leaders make good use of pupils’ progress data to 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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Leadership and management

carefully analyse how different groups of pupils are achieving. Should any dip in performance be noticed, the senior leadership team is quick to arrange extra support so gaps in achievement can be narrowed. The senior leadership team maintains a thorough timetable of rigorous classroom monitoring and ensures the good quality of teaching is maintained through well-selected professional development. Middle managers are growing in their confidence to judge the quality of teaching and learning in their subject areas. The effective focus on improving teaching and achievement and sustaining pupils’ good behaviour and other strengths of the school demonstrate the school’s capacity for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

Many aspects of the curriculum are strong and used well to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. One parent gave telling examples, ‘My child has great opportunities to do exceptional things. Projects for Black History month, a visit by an Olympic athlete, working with the National Theatre on the nativity play and a trip to the South London Botanical Institute are just a few of the recent events’. In some classes these experiences are used well to promote writing. The school is in the process of reviewing the English curriculum to ensure it is flexible enough to allow pupils to move faster through planned activities or repeat aspects that need more practice.

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Leadership and management

The school’s leaders and staff work hard to ensure no pupil is discriminated against and all have an equal opportunity to achieve. The governing body is well organised and is confident in challenging the headteacher and her staff on any dips in performance. School leaders and managers ensure that safeguarding meets all legal requirements. The before-school club provides a safe and harmonious place for pupils to be looked after should their parents or carers need to get to work early.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data 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. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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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

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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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 Reay Primary School, London SW9 0EN

Thank you very much for welcoming us to your school. Reay Primary is a good school where you make good progress. You enjoy school and feel you learn a lot in lessons. We judge teaching to be good because lessons are well organised and teachers give you plenty of chances to try things out for yourselves. Your headteacher wants the best for you and leads the school well. The senior team works well together and knows what needs improving.

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Inspection of Reay Primary School, London SW9 0EN

You all feel safe at school and know how to look after yourselves. We agree with you that your behaviour is good. You told us you are not worried about any types of bullying and are confident that teachers will sort out any problems. Your attendance is very good.

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Inspection of Reay Primary School, London SW9 0EN

To make your school even better, we have asked your headteacher to:

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Inspection of Reay Primary School, London SW9 0EN

 help you improve your writing by finding the best ways for you to develop your writing skills, checking that teachers mark the quality of writing in all your exercise books and putting more of your best writing on display  make sure that adults helping those of you who need extra assistance with your learning check that you are clear how you are doing against your personal targets.

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Inspection of Reay Primary School, London SW9 0EN

We certainly enjoyed our visit to your school and seeing your delightful playground and garden. We know that your teachers and their assistants make your school a very special place for you. All of you can help by always trying to do your best, continuing to behave well and making your families and the school proud of you.

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Inspection of Reay Primary School, London SW9 0EN

Sarah McDermott Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available 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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