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Schools & FE · School inspection (CIF)

Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park

Inspected 18 Jan 2013 · published 8 Feb 2013 · URN 137413

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Summary

Requires improvement

Samuel Ofori-Kyereh (lead), Barbara Firth, Veronica Young

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection date verified

    18 Jan 2013

  • Inspectors verified

    Barbara Firth, Samuel Ofori-Kyereh, Veronica Young

  • Leadership and management AI-checked

    Requires improvement

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Requires improvement

  • Previous overall verified

    Satisfactory

  • Postcode verified

    SE15 5TD

  • Name on report verified

    Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park

  • URN verified

    137413

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

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  • OverallRequires improvement
  • Leadership and managementRequires improvement

Tone of the report

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+11Mostly positivemore positive than 44% of reports of this type graded Requires improvement
OutstandingGoodRIInadequate

In line with other reports of this type graded Requires improvement.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praiseimprovedmake good progresseffectivelyoutstandingconsistentlystronghighly effectiveexceptionally
Criticisminadequatenot alwaysrequires improvementweaknessesbelownot yetat riskgaps

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsWhat needs to improveAbout the inspection positive critical
  • Findings347w+71
  • What needs to improve2197w−1

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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Anatomy of the report

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Pages
9
Words of findings
2,460
about usual (typical 3064)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 45, typical 47
Average sentence
20 words
Next steps
8
typical 8
Hedged sentences
8%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 12%What needs to improve 73%About the inspection 15%

Full report text

Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park Marmont Road, London, SE15 5TD

p.1

Overall effectiveness

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

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Last year, standards in Year 6 were well below average, especially in mathematics.  The quality of teaching is not yet consistently good throughout the academy.  Teachers do not always use assessment information about pupils to plan activities that are set at the right level, especially for the more able.  Teachers’ marking does not always inform pupils how to improve their work in order to move on to the next level of their learning.  Teachers in charge of subjects do not use progress information enough to help them improve the subjects they lead on.  Not all leaders are fully involved in checking the quality of teaching and in supporting other teachers to improve their work.

p.1

The academy has the following strengths

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because they are well supported and cared for.  Pupils’ attainment in all subjects at the end of Key Stage 1 has improved.  Teaching is good in some classes and some groups of pupils, such as those who receive additional funding and those with special educational needs, achieve well.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are polite and respond positively to adults and to each other.  The new interim principal has communicated a clear vision in supporting senior and middle leaders to eradicate inadequate teaching and raise pupils’ achievement in all subjects.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons and undertook shorter visits to 12 other lessons. Six of the lessons were observed jointly with the principal and one of the vice-principals.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work was scrutinised. Inspectors looked at displays around the academy and listened to pupils’ reading in Years 2 and 6.  Inspectors examined the academy’s self-evaluation report with the principal and discussed in detail the information on pupils’ achievement across the academy. The monitoring records relating to the quality of teaching and learning were examined. Safeguarding records and attendance figures were scrutinised.  Inspectors held several discussions with the interim principal, the Chair of the Governing Body and the director of the primary advisory team. Further discussions were held with senior leaders, a group of teachers and two groups of pupils.  Inspectors observed assemblies.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ behaviour at break- and lunchtimes was observed.  Inspectors took account of responses from seven parents and carers to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the academy’s parent survey. They met parents and carers at the start of school and sought their views about the academy.

p.2

Inspection team

Samuel Ofori-Kyereh Lead inspector Additional inspector Veronica Young Additional inspector Barbara Firth Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this academy

 The academy is a larger-than-average-sized primary school. It has been an academy within the Harris Federation since September 2011.  Prior to becoming an academy, the school was named Peckham Park Primary School. It was inspected on 15–16 June 2010 and judged to be a satisfactory school.  The academy has gone through uncertain times with high staff turnover. Many new teachers have recently joined the academy. The interim principal joined the academy at the beginning of this term.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups, those who speak English as an additional language and those at the early stages of learning English are higher than those found nationally.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action is average, and the proportion of those supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding to help

p.3

Information about this academy

pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and looked after children) is above average.  The academy does not offer any alternative provision for its pupils.  The academy meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

What does the academy need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in all subjects so that it is at least consistently good by ensuring that:  teachers’ marking clearly informs pupils how to improve their work  pupils have time to respond to teachers’ verbal and written comments so that they can move on to the next level of their learning  teachers ask questions that effectively check pupils’ understanding and help them to think more deeply about what they are learning so that they can make good or better progress.

p.3

What does the academy need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ attainment and their rates of progress in all subjects by:  using assessment information about pupils more effectively to plan lessons that are set at just the right level, especially for the more able, so that they do their very best  making opportunities for pupils to check their own or other pupils’ work so that they learn from each other.

p.3

What does the academy need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the leadership of the academy by ensuring that:  all leaders and members of the governing body are more directly involved in checking the impact of the quality of teaching  subject leaders plan effectively the subjects they lead on so that there is consistency of approach to teaching in all subjects  leaders give support to other teachers in order to improve the quality of teaching  the outdoor area of the Nursery and Reception classes is improved in order to create more exciting activities to enrich children’s learning.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress that pupils make requires improvement overall across the school. The progress made in Years 6 has been below expected levels until recently. As a result, standards at the end of Year 6 in last year’s national tests were below average in reading and writing, and well below in mathematics.  Sometimes, the more-able pupils do not achieve as well as they should because teachers set work that is too easy for them. Occasionally, pupils are not given the chance to check their own or each other’s work to learn from one another.  Pupils make at least the progress normally expected in reading as they move through the school. In a Year 6 guided reading lesson, all pupils were able to use different approaches to read difficult words and to make sense of their meaning. Across the academy, pupils read a wide range of books which stretch them.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make good progress. This is mainly because

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the extra funding has been well spent on resources that support the teaching of literacy and mathematics and on good one-to-one support for pupils who are at risk of not achieving as well as they should.  Because the progress of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is improving, gaps in their attainment are closing with all pupils nationally, as reflected in their average point scores.  Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, those who speak English as an additional language, and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress, particularly in reading and writing. This is because the support provided by other adults, such as speaking and role-play activities in small groups, suit them.  Children join the Nursery with skills and abilities that are well below those expected for their age. The children receive good support in developing their writing and reading skills so that by

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the time they leave Reception, standards are broadly average.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because there is not enough consistently good teaching and there remain pockets of inadequate teaching. Many teachers are new to teaching and are still developing their skills. There are, however, examples of good teaching in the school which can be used to model good practice, and recent improvements to the progress pupils make are a testament to this.  Where teaching is weak, it is because tasks are not set at the right level for pupils. Often, all pupils start off with similar work, which means that more-able pupils are given work that is too easy, and so they are not pushed enough to make even better progress.  Teachers’ questioning does not always help pupils to move on in their learning. For example, some teachers accept simple answers from pupils instead of asking probing questions to guide them to think more deeply and develop their answers even further.  When marking pupils’ work, teachers often do not always inform pupils what they need to do to

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

improve their work. Pupils seldom are given the chance to respond to teachers’ comments, assess their own work or that of others so that they can extend their learning.  Where teaching is at its best, which is in a minority of lessons, teachers plan work that meets the needs of all pupils, set a good pace and deploy other adults effectively to support pupils. For example, in a good Year 4 writing lesson, where pupils had fruitful discussions about tsunamis, pupils were actively involved in learning and the teacher explained things clearly.  Standards in reading are improving rapidly because the teaching of the sounds letters and blends make (known as phonics) is good. Many pupils did well in the national reading phonic screening check for Year 1. Pupils read a wide range of books with confidence and older pupils enjoy reading to the younger ones.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good individual support

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

and this helps them to take a full part in learning. Their progress is carefully and regularly checked so that work is planned to build on what they already know.  Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception. For example, children make their own choice of learning activities to help them count and attempt to read. The outdoor area requires further improvement so that pupils have access to a wide range of activities to extend and develop their learning.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour has improved greatly because of the academy’s effort to involve pupils in discussing the behaviour policy, which is consistently applied by all staff. Meticulous records show that the behaviour of many vulnerable pupils has improved considerably over time.  Pupils are very polite and follow the strong adult role models in the academy. Pupils care for each other and are welcoming. For example, when a child needed help during playtime, many pupils simultaneously rushed over to her.  Even when teaching does not interest pupils, their behaviour rarely disrupts lessons. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers, staff and pupils agree that pupils are well behaved. The positive behaviour and attitudes of pupils in lessons are the major reasons why many pupils are currently making good progress.  Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying and they say that there is no racist,

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

homophobic or cyber-bullying. Pupils say that some incidents of name-calling which hurt feelings occur but that all incidents are taken seriously and dealt with well by teachers and other adults.  Pupils say that they feel very safe and the overwhelming majority of parents support this view. Pupils talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe. They understand how to stay safe when using the internet.  Pupils reflect on different spiritual and moral issues during assemblies. Parents and carers attend the assemblies. Pupils’ work displayed around the academy shows that they are supported to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well.  The academy has worked well with parents and carers to improve pupils’ attendance from below average and it is now average. Pupils are punctual to school and to lessons. The majority of pupils say that they enjoy coming to school because they are well cared for by teachers who are

p.5

The leadership and management require improvement

 Not all senior and subject leaders are actively involved enough in checking the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility. They do not provide enough support to new and inexperienced staff to improve their teaching so that it is consistently good. The new interim principal identifies these weaknesses as areas for development.  The recent changes to the way reading and mathematics are taught have added some excitement to these subjects.  The school has an accurate view of the academy’s strengths and areas to develop. New plans to improve various aspects of the academy are now being led mainly by the interim principal and the director of the primary advisory team.  Teachers are set performance targets closely linked to the progress pupils make. Teachers must achieve the targets before promotion up the pay scale is considered. The impact of this is positive. However, good teaching, while increasing, is not yet consistent across the academy.

p.5

The leadership and management require improvement

 The academy works in close partnership with other academies within the federation which enables staff to share good ideas and practice. The partnership helps provide pupils with opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.  The academy tackles discrimination by ensuring that all groups of pupils have opportunities to succeed. For example, the strong emphasis on improving the quality of teaching and raising pupils’ achievement through effective use of pupil premium funding is closing gaps in pupils’ learning.  The director for the primary advisory team of the federation has provided valuable support to the academy, particularly in checking the quality of teaching and learning, and holding staff to account through setting performance targets. Such support contributes to the improved levels of progress and attainment seen across the academy.  The governance of the academy:

p.5

The leadership and management require improvement

 Governors have undertaken several training activities such as safer recruitment and child protection, and fulfil their statutory duties. Governors visit the academy regularly to collect first-hand information on its performance. They know about the quality of teaching and how well pupils are doing compared with all pupils nationally. Governors ask leaders searching questions on how to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They make sure that teachers have to earn any pay rises through improved pupils’ performance. Governors make sure that pupil premium funding is used to improve pupils’ literacy skills by recruiting extra adults to help pupils, particularly with their reading.

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

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

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Grade Judgement Description

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

p.7

Academy details

Unique reference number 137413 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 402754

p.8

Academy details

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

p.8

Academy details

Type of academy Primary Academy category Academy Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the academy roll 407 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cathy Loxton Interim Principal Jo Conduit Date of previous academy inspection 15–16 June 2010 Telephone number 020 7639 6091 Fax number 020 7635 7110 Email address j.conduit@harrisprimarypeckhampark.org.uk 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 .

p.8

Academy details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s academy. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which academys to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

p.9

Academy details

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

p.9

Academy 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), academys, 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 academy. Under the Education Act 2005, the academy 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

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Academy details

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 academy inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Academy details

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

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