Elfrida Primary School

Elfrida Primary School Elfrida Crescent, Bellingham, London, SE6 3EN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school’s results and the progress made by pupils have improved steadily over the past three years. Pupils make good progress from their individual starting points.  The school encourages pupils to read widely and often.  Teaching and learning across the school are good and some teaching is outstanding.Teachers plan lessons well to meet the needs of their pupils. Pupils are mostly provided with the right level of challenge to match their abilities.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress.  Pupils feel safe because behaviour is good and allows good teaching and learning to take place. The pupils are proud of their school and enjoy being there.  Relationships between the staff and pupils are caring.  The executive headteacher and head of school are very effective leaders who share a wide range of expertise and drive forward improvements in teaching

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and pupil achievement They are ably supported by a strong team of partnership leaders and managers.  The governing body is well informed and has worked closely with the leadership team to make sure that teaching and learning are good in the school and that good leadership has been established at all levels.  Since the last inspection the school has strengthened its engagement with parents.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not always given enough opportunities to work independently in order to develop their skills.  Some leaders, who have recently taken up management positions, have not yet had the opportunity to provide support to and monitor the work of their colleagues.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons, of which 12 were joint observations with the senior leaders. Each class was visited at least once. In addition, the inspectors made other short visits to lessons and to learning areas.  Meetings were held with three groups of pupils, members of the governing body, representatives from the local authority, senior and middle managers and teaching staff.  Inspectors took account of the 16 responses to the on line questionnaire (Parent View) and spoke to parents as they brought pupils to school.  The information from 30 staff questionnaires was considered.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ books and at a number of documents, including the school’s own data and monitoring of how well pupils progress, planning documentation and records of behaviour, attendance, punctuality and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Mandy Snook, Lead inspector Additional inspector Stephanie Rogers Additional inspector Howard Dodd Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Elfrida is a larger than average sized primary school with a diverse community and ethnic mix. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is much higher than the national average.  It is in partnership with a neighbouring school with which it shares resources, expertise and facilities. This has been in place for the past year. An executive headteacher oversees the work of both schools with a head of school responsible for the day-to-day management of Elfrida Primary.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those supported at school action, school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs, is broadly average.  The executive headteacher has been at the school for one year and the head of school has been in her position since November 2011. Six new teachers took up post in September 2012.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all pupils are consistently given enough opportunities to learn independently and develop their thinking skills.  Increase the involvement of middle managers in monitoring the school’s work and supporting the staff.

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Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils is good  The proportion of pupils making, and exceeding, typically expected progress in English and mathematics is well above the national average. This good level of achievement continues to be seen in the work pupils are doing in lessons. Attainment in Year 6 shows continual improvement and is above average.  The good monitoring system shows that all pupils are currently making good progress from their individual starting points. All year groups are on track to make at least expected progress, with a high proportion predicted to make more than expected progress.  The higher than average number of pupils who benefit from pupil premium funding do well at this school, achieving as well as other pupils in the school and nationally.  The large number of pupils for whom English is an additional language achieve equally as well as other pupils in school because of focused support and intervention strategies.

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Inspection judgements

 Scrutiny of pupils’ books showed some examples of good extended writing in Key Stage 2, for example, linked with work on living conditions in Victorian England. Clear building of skills in mathematics books was seen, for instance, where pupils were exploring the properties of regular and irregular shapes.  Pupils have good speaking and listening skills and are eager to express their ideas and to take part in discussions. This was also seen where pupils knew how to ask good questions when talking to their partners.  Discussions with pupils showed that they have a very positive learning experience; they thoroughly enjoy reading and solving problems in mathematics.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children make progress that is consistently good, especially in language and communication. This has been sustained over the last two years, with good progress being made by the current Reception class.

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Inspection judgements

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit from specialist support provided by capable teaching assistants, as well as expertise secured through the partnership. Vulnerable pupils are well cared for and also make good progress. There is a wide range of intervention support provided for all pupils, which has resulted in good progress being made across the school.  Pupils, parents and staff all believe that pupils make good progress at this school and are well supported to do so.  Reading skills are taught well and pupils read widely and confidently. Pupils know the sounds that letters make and this has enabled the vast majority of pupils to read fluently at an early age and then build on these skills as they move through school.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching is good  In the best lessons, teachers encourage pupils to use resources and skills to solve problems with confidence. Pupils made good progress in a mathematics lesson where they responded well to the challenge of being asked to think of quick, smart strategies when dealing with prime numbers.  Good questioning was used by teachers who adapted questions to meet pupils’ ability levels. It was also effective in assessing prior knowledge of pupils and allowing them to share their knowledge. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is instrumental in enabling pupils to make good progress.  Marking and assessment are very effective in guiding pupils to make progress and to improve their work. Pupils are confident in marking their own work as well as each other’s and they are given time to respond to teachers’ comments.  Teachers frequently plan together with their colleagues in the partner school. Planning is

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Inspection judgements

imaginative and detailed and is annotated as teachers make adjustments to suit the needs of their pupils.  The creative curriculum has had a very positive impact on teaching and learning, particularly on the boys, who say that they are finding lessons more exciting and stimulating. Nevertheless, pupils are not always given enough opportunities to work independently and develop their thinking skills.  Pupils’ secure basic skills mean that they are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good  Pupils have good attitudes in lessons and show an eagerness to learn. They are cooperative with their teachers and are respectful of all adults who support their learning. They also collaborate well with each other.  They are courteous in and out of lessons, holding doors open for adults and listening to each other very respectfully.  Incident logs show a marked decline in incidents over the last year, with no pupils being excluded and positive behaviour strategies replacing previous policies.  The pupils understand bullying in all its forms. They say that it is extremely rare and, when it does occur, the school deals with is swiftly and effectively.  The curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe.  Play at break and lunchtimes is well managed and positive. There are many organised activities and resources available for the pupils to engage with. Teachers and teaching

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Inspection judgements

assistants participate in games with the pupils and ‘no one spends play time alone’.  The multicultural profile of the school enables pupils to have a respect and appreciation for each other’s beliefs and cultural identities.  There were instances of pupils celebrating each other’s success and progress with spontaneous applause and showing genuine pleasure in their friends doing well.  Attendance is improving and was above average last year and punctuality is good.

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Inspection judgements

The leadership and management are good  Management at all levels shows good modelling of professional standards under the effective leadership of the executive headteacher. The team pursues excellence and has made highly successful changes in recent times in order to achieve its goals.  Leaders and managers are knowledgeable about data and ensure that information is shared and used by all teaching staff. Pupil progress has accelerated since the last inspection and there is little difference in the achievement of different groups. The school is successfully narrowing any identified achievement gaps and, thus, promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination well .  Some middle leaders are new to their role but are ably supported by senior management. Leadership responsibilities are distributed effectively and there is a strong team ethos. However, the role of middle leaders in monitoring the school’s work and supporting their

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Inspection judgements

colleagues is not yet fully developed.  Self-evaluation is accurate and has given senior leaders a good understanding of what the school needs to do to improve. Detailed action plans are in place to address school priorities.  Teachers benefit from suitably targeted training and development, which feed into well- documented career paths agreed in collaboration with senior leaders. Staff performance is managed well and this has a positive impact on improving the quality of teaching.  Both the enriched curriculum and planned cultural activities make good provision for pupils to develop their social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding. There are links with charities, churches and groups within the neighbourhood to encourage the building of a close community.  The safeguarding of pupils meets requirements. The school carries out the necessary checks on staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children and all staff have

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Inspection judgements

received the appropriate level of training.  The local authority knows the school well and is providing light touch support for this good school.  The governance of the school:  supports the school and has an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses  monitors the progress of the school and provides suitable challenge for the senior leadership team  manages finances efficiently, including the use of pupil premium and its impact on pupil achievement, and ensures that development is ongoing.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupil’s needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupil’s needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 100681 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 404729

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 402 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Malcolm Snell Executive Headteacher Ms Irene Cleaver Date of previous school inspection November 2010 Telephone number 02086985755 Fax number 02086983904 Email address icleaver.209@lgflmail.com guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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,

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School details

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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School details

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

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