Purley Oaks Primary School

Purley Oaks Primary School Bynes Road, Purley, Surrey, CR2 0PR

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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 Good 2

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

 Teaching is not consistently good across the school.  Pupils’ progress, especially in writing and mathematics, is not consistent across the school particularly because pupils in Year 1 and in one class in Year 4 make less progress than they should.  The school’s own checks on its performance are not always sufficiently thorough.  The quality of advice that pupils receive on how to improve their work is not consistently as helpful as it should be.

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The school has the following strengths

 Nursery and Reception provision are good and this enables the children to make rapid progress, often from a low starting point.  Pupils’ progress in reading has rapidly improved over the past year. Almost all pupils read every day; they read widely for pleasure.  Pupils across the school behave well and feel safe. They are courteous to others and respectful of each other’s feelings, beliefs, ideas and property.  Leaders, managers and governors have worked closely together to make big improvements in the quality of teaching and pupil attendance. Their focus on reading and mathematics in recent times has brought about a real increase in pupils’ rates of progress in reading throughout the school, and in mathematics in most classes.  The school is very inclusive. Strong efforts are made to ensure that no child is at a disadvantage for any reason. Every effort is made to ensure all pupils enjoy learning and have the same opportunities as others.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 31 lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and two with the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors talked with pupils, looked at samples of their work, and listened to three groups of pupils read.  Meetings were also held with teachers, a group of governors, and with the school’s senior leaders. A meeting was held with a representative of the local authority to discuss the extent and impact of support provided to the school.  In planning the inspection, inspectors took account of the 28 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), views expressed by parents in a letter to inspectors, the views of 20 parents and carers who spoke to inspectors during the inspection, and 54 questionnaires returned by school staff.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at many documents including minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s development plan,

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Information about this inspection

performance management documentation, planning documents, monitoring and assessment information, school policies and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

John Collins Lead inspector Additional Inspector Angela Konarzewski Additional Inspector Bryan Meyer Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an above-average-sized primary school.  At the time of the inspection the school buildings were undergoing expansion. This restricted the outdoor play area for both the reception and the nursery.  The school has a children’s centre on site that provides a wide range of services for families with pre-school children. The school manages this jointly with four other similar centres in the area.  There are breakfast and after-school clubs run by the governors.  The Early Years Foundation Stage includes a Nursery and three Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils from ethnic backgrounds other than White British is well above the national average.  More pupils than the national average speak English as an additional language. Many are at the early stages of learning English, or have no understanding of English, when they enter the school.  A high number of pupils join the school part way through their primary education, sometimes

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Information about this school

with no previous schooling.  Half the pupils in the school are eligible for the pupil premium; this is well above the national average. This provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and army children.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. However, for those at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, it is above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been significant changes to the structure of the governing body and the senior leadership team in the past 18 months. There is a new headteacher and deputy headteacher, new leaders for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, and for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The governing body has been restructured to improve its effectiveness. There are remaining long-

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better throughout the school by ensuring that in all classes and year groups:  feedback given to pupils helps them understand what they must do to improve their work  lesson planning takes full account of pupils’ previous learning and that lesson activities are fully matched to individual needs  time is always used productively, with an emphasis on providing challenging and engaging learning activities  teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are always high, including for more able pupils  all adults working in classrooms are deployed effectively throughout lessons so that they can fully support pupils’ learning.  Sharpen the focus on how well the school is doing by ensuring that senior leaders consistently:  analyse thoroughly information gathered on how well pupils are learning  focus on remaining weaknesses in teaching.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because not enough pupils make consistently good progress once they leave the Reception classes.  The school’s information shows that pupils’ progress, especially in writing and mathematics, is uneven as pupils move from year to year through the school. However, they make strong progress in Years 5 and 6.  Most pupils who attend the school from Year 1 reach levels in Year 6 that are close to national averages in reading, writing and in mathematics.  Many pupils who join the school part way through Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 make good progress in catching up with their classmates, so that by Years 5 and 6 their achievements are similar or better.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve as well as their peers. Those joining the Year 1 ‘bulge’ class make good progress because teaching is specifically adapted to their individual needs.  Most children join the Nursery with skills that are well below those expected for their age. Many

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

do not understand or speak English when they join. However, they play well indoors and in the small space available to them outside. The well-structured teaching programme enables them to make good progress in their learning, especially in developing their communication and language skills. They are joined in Reception by children from other nurseries, and some without nursery experience whose learning in all areas is well below that expected for their age. But almost all make good progress.  The great majority of parents that commented through Parent View say that their child’s progress is good. Inspectors found that pupils’ progress in Years 5 and 6 is strong in reading, writing and in mathematics. In other year groups, progress continues to improve, although it is still less than it should be especially in two of the three Year 1 classes and in one Year 4 class.  Nevertheless, reading levels in particular have improved throughout the school, with an

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

improvement in pupils’ progress in mathematics in most classes.  Most groups, including pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, achieve equally well. However, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress throughout the school as a result of well-planned extra help from teachers and other adults.  National tests, and school records of progress using average point scores, show that currently by the end of Year 6 those eligible for pupil premium funding underachieve compared with all pupils nationally. However, the gap is narrowing rapidly when taking account of their rate of progress in other year groups.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it is not consistently good across the school. In particular there are weaknesses in the teaching in one Year 4 class, and in Year 1, which are resulting in pupils making less progress than they could.  In one Year 4 class, planning does not take sufficient account of pupils’ previous learning and, consequently, work in lessons does not fully meet individual needs. In Year 1, in two of the three classes, too much time is wasted on activities that lack sufficient challenge and do not result in pupils making enough gains in their learning.  Also, teachers’ expectations are not always high enough, particularly in Years 1 to 3, for more able pupils.  Teachers do not always make the best use of other adults by explaining what they are to do before the lesson starts. This leads to wasted time and their impact on pupils’ learning is then less than it could be.  Almost all teachers make regular, accurate checks on pupils’ work. However, they do not always

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

make clear what the pupils should do to improve their work or what to do to get to the next level.  Teaching is particularly strong in the Nursery, Reception and in Years 5 and 6. This is because the pupils are encouraged to think hard about their work and to give of their best. In one good Year 6 mathematics lesson, a pupil was heard to remark to another, ‘Don’t tell me, I can work it out myself.’ In a Reception class, pupils were heard discussing the number of moons that the planet Saturn had. One took great delight in correcting her teacher that Saturn has 60 moons not 62.  The teaching of reading has improved throughout the school. This was as a result of teachers adopting a new and exciting approach that develops reading skills through different subjects. The teaching of mathematics has also improved in nearly all classes because teachers are now planning for lessons to take more account of the need to match the level of work to pupils’

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

individual needs.  Learning experiences planned for pupils in most classes are engaging, and as a result pupils are typically keen to learn. Extra support is provided for those who find the work too hard and enables them to progress well.  The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in many ways, for example through assemblies, encouraging pupils to work together in lessons, and through teaching about the school’s values.  Special emphasis has been given to improving the quality of teaching. School records, and observations by inspectors, indicate that it has improved greatly since the previous inspection, especially during the past year. The great majority of parents and carers say, through Parent View, that teaching is mostly good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they love coming to school. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. They are keen to learn and enjoy doing so. Parents agree that behaviour is good.  Pupils are courteous to, and respectful of, each other and adults. Almost all are well mannered and confident when being asked, or answering, questions. They are caring of those less fortunate than themselves and very supportive of pupils new to the school or who find difficulty speaking English. This is because the school’s values encourage such behaviour, foster good relationships, and tackle discrimination strongly.  School records indicate this has not always been so and that great improvements have taken place in pupils’ behaviour since the new behaviour policy was introduced last year.  Pupils are typically keen to learn and enjoy the lesson activities provided, although some are less engaged and motivated in the particular classes where teaching is not strong enough.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides a safe learning environment and pupils say they feel safe in school. They told inspectors that there are very few cases of bullying, mostly name calling among girls, and that this was dealt with immediately and effectively by teachers. The great majority of parents using Parent View agree. Pupils have a good understanding and knowledge of how to keep safe, for example in road safety and e-safety.  The school provides training on e-safety for parents and their children that is well attended. On the first day of the inspection a group of Year 6 pupils went to a meeting with Microsoft to learn more about e-safety and to give their views. The school received a very complimentary letter about their behaviour, and their knowledge and understanding of using the internet safely.

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The leadership and management are good

 The relatively new senior leadership team, with the support from the governors and the local authority, has taken strong and effective action to improve teaching, attendance, and pupils’ achievement in reading.  The school’s values are clear, strongly supported by the governing body, and well known by staff and pupils. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated and the school is committed to providing equal opportunities.  Since the previous inspection, and particularly in the past year, emphasis has been given to the teaching of reading and, more recently, to mathematics. Checks on school records and pupils’ work indicate these are having a good effect.  The local authority has provided effective support to the school; this helped to improve the quality of teaching. Leaders and the local authority work together each term with senior staff from an outstanding secondary school partner to review the quality of teaching and pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

progress. Teaching and learning are monitored regularly, with staff given targets for improvement. Records indicate that the improvement in teaching over the past year has been substantial, although particular weaknesses remain, especially in a small minority of the teaching, that have yet to be fully addressed. The checks by the school on how it is performing are sometimes not focused enough, for example information on pupils’ progress is not always analysed thoroughly enough. The learning opportunities planned for all pupils ensure they make progress without gaps in their learning. Well-planned and good quality additional support is given to pupils who find the work too hard, who have missed schooling, or have fallen behind for any reason. More able Year 5 and 6 pupils attend the partner secondary school for Level 6 work. A range of well-attended after-school clubs and support groups further enriches learning.

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The leadership and management are good

The breakfast club and children’s centre also provide additional opportunities for primary age children to learn and play both before and after school. Large numbers of parents attend the school’s workshops that help them help their children with reading and with mathematics.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide additional literacy and numeracy booster sessions and to support eligible pupils when they take part in school visits and other activities.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well trained and very active in the life and work of the school. They are involved in planning for improvements, policy making, and decision making about improvements in pupils’ achievements. They know how the school compares with similar schools and use national information to hold the school to account. They have been much involved in improving the quality of teaching through participating in checks on how well

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The leadership and management are good

pupils are improving in their learning, and in observing lessons. They use safe recruiting procedures and ensure that teachers deserve any increases in salary, or the promotion they apply for, before releasing funds. They use funds wisely to support the learning of those pupils eligible for pupil premium and question the impact of this on improving their achievement. They give emphasis to the safeguarding of pupils, meet all their statutory requirements, and have good capacity to secure the required school improvements.

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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 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 school 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 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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 101733 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 400499

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 500 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Miss Eileen Pears Headteacher Mrs Jan Kennard Date of previous school inspection 26–27 May 2010 Telephone number 020 86884268 Fax number 020 86884210 Email address admin@purleyoaks.croydon.sch.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 .

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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, please

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School 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 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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