Muschamp Primary School and Language Opportunity Base

Muschamp Primary School and Language Opportunity Base Muschamp Road, Carshalton, SM5 2SE

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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.  Achievement has improved over the last three years showing an upward trend, with most pupils achieving well. Pupils are prepared well for the next steps in their education.  Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make particularly rapid progress in reading, with all reaching the nationally expected level by the end of Year 6.  The quality of teaching is good overall with some of an outstanding standard.  The curriculum provides enrichment, with well-organised and effective opportunities for learning.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour are good. Pupils have a clear understanding of the school’s rules and say they feel safe. They are polite, courteous and caring towards their peers and adults.  The headteacher’s robust approach, which is effectively supported by the governing body and the leadership team, is ensuring the school is on the road to continuous improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school has established a successful method for raising the standard of performance of all staff.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not yet enough outstanding teaching across the school. Teachers do not always give clear guidance to pupils about how to improve their work.  Not all pupils reach the level they should in writing and need more opportunities to write for different purposes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons, or parts of lessons, taught by 20 teachers. Joint observations were undertaken with the headteacher. Inspectors also heard children read.  Discussions were held with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, senior leaders, subject leaders and other staff and pupils.  Inspectors examined school documentation, including school performance checks, safeguarding information, the school’s development plan, minutes of meetings of the governing body, pupils’ books and displays exhibited around the school.  Inspectors observed the methods employed by the school to check the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils.  Inspectors analysed 15 responses to the on-line Parent View survey, as well as talking informally to parents and checking staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Julie Ritchie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kanwaljit Singh Additional Inspector Marie Cahill Additional Inspector Maura Docherty Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below the national average. However, the proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding provided for looked after children, children of services families and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals) is above the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has a language opportunity base, and most of the pupils are integrated into the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good and more is outstanding by:  giving all pupils clear guidance, through marking, to show them what they can do to improve their work  using teaching assistants, who have received suitable training, consistently well to support whole-class lessons.  Improve achievement in writing by:  sharing existing good practice  giving pupils more opportunities to write for different purposes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are welcomed into a colourful, exciting learning environment where they make good progress; but, because of their low starting points, they leave the Reception Year below the level expected for their ages. Home visits ensure the children settle quickly and rapidly become self-assured learners.  Letters and sounds are taught well and children use these skills successfully in their initial efforts in reading and writing.  This strong foundation in reading in the early years is built on well in Year 1. The national phonic screening check in Year 1 showed that pupils did better than the national picture in their knowledge of letters and sounds.  Children make good progress in Key Stage 1 and are now meeting the nationally expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils make rapid and sustained progress in Year 3 to Year 6 because of good, and sometimes

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The achievement of pupils is good

outstanding, teaching. As a result, they achieve well by the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics. In a few lessons, teaching does not challenge the pupils enough but, in spite of this, attainment is rising and is above average at the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics. This means pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Pupils are confident readers, with all pupils reaching the expected levels in reading by the end of Year 6. Their progress is not as rapid in writing because they are given insufficient opportunities to write for different purposes. The school has rightly identified writing as an area of focus.  Achievement in mathematics is good, with pupils making rapid progress to attain above average standards by the end of Year 6.  Pupils who receive support through the pupil premium, together with disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make as good and sometimes better progress than their peers,

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The achievement of pupils is good

showing that the funding is allocated effectively in supporting pupils in class and with small group work. Based on their average point scores, the gap between pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and their peers is closing.  Parents are very positive about the education of their children and the progress they make.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching over time is good overall, with occasional examples of outstanding teaching in some year groups. The outstanding teachers have a programme of working with other members of staff to improve teaching overall.  In most lessons, there is the appropriate level of challenge but this is not yet consistent in them all and, as a result, in some lessons not all pupils are sufficiently engaged in their learning.  Teachers fully include all pupils in their lessons, and plan suitable activities to meet the needs of all groups, including pupils from the language opportunity base.  The new behaviour management system is rapidly improving behaviour in the lessons, with children eager to earn points by listening, being active in their learning and answering questions.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching is good and sometimes better than this, with activities planned to build on children’s interests. The outdoor area is well developed.

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The quality of teaching is good

Relationships are strong and children are respectful of one another and support each other’s learning.  In the most effective lessons, teachers use their good subject knowledge to excite the pupils through offering opportunities for them to solve problems. In such lessons, teachers allow children to plan their learning, ensuring they carry out an assessment at the start of the lesson and then reflect on their achievement, excited by their new-found knowledge.  Teaching assistants are used well to promote learning in the more effective lessons, but practice is not uniform across the school.  The quality of teachers’ marking is not always consistent across the school. The best examples of marking make it very clear to the pupil how well they have done and what they need to do to improve their work. Evidence in books shows that pupils act on the comments made, answering the questions posed by the teacher.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils have positive attitudes towards reading. The linking of letters and sounds (phonics) is taught effectively in the Early Years Foundation Stage, with younger pupils showing enjoyment of books, including a resilience and persistence when reading difficult words.  Parents express positive views about the quality of teaching across the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in and around the school is good, and children know the rules and abide by them.  Pupils generally behave well in lessons. They demonstrate good attitudes to learning and communicate effectively with each other.  Throughout the school, children are kind and considerate to each other. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children learn what is acceptable behaviour which ensures they play well together. Staff provide positive role models for the children.  Pupils are polite and courteous within school and there is an expectation that this is carried through into the local community. The children are very proud of their environment and look after trees planted outside their school as part of the local initiative to improve the area for all. Children meet with local council officials to discuss local issues that are of concern to them.  Pupils feel the behaviour in school is good. They are enthusiastic and motivated by the range of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

school initiatives designed to improve their behaviour, for example Behaviour Bees and Mini Mentors.  Children feel safe in school, and know how to seek help and voice any concerns. They understand the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. They recognise that bullying is unkind and say that incidents are rare. Parents feel their children are happy to come to school because the behaviour is good and they feel safe.  Behaviour records are well kept and the school uses effective strategies to ensure good behaviour.  Attendance is good, and parents are aware that absence for holidays will not be authorised. There is an excellent system in place for monitoring school attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has established a robust approach in her drive for improvement. Because of her endeavours, together with the efforts of her leadership team and the governors who support her, the school has improved since the last inspection and is clearly able to sustain this improvement.  The few weaknesses that remain in teaching are being addressed through support from the more effective teachers in the school and the local authority, and close monitoring by senior staff. Regular meetings to review progress are encouraging improvement. The school has an effective method for checking teaching and, as a result, the quality of teaching is improving.  The school’s leaders have produced a detailed self-evaluation and identified areas of development, which are monitored closely. These areas are reflected in the school development plan and the performance management arrangements. The teachers’ targets are based on

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ progress, which ensure the accountability of all staff.  Regular meetings are held to review pupils’ progress, resulting in rapid progress being made by pupils in Years 3 to 6.  Pupils enjoy a creative curriculum which offers opportunities to take part in national and international celebrations, religions and cultures, including celebrating the Chinese New Year and visiting a Sikh temple. They also enjoy the input from the local emergency services, with the local police running a ‘Police Academy’ club.  The school promotes equality of opportunity well, enabling all to succeed. Pupils are encouraged to take an active role in school activities and clubs.  Parents who responded to Parent View were positive about all aspects of the school’s work. Parents consider their children are safe and well looked after. A parent at the school gate commented that her children ‘couldn’t wait to bring in their magic moments to share with their

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The leadership and management are good

friends’.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.  The school receives a high level of support from the local authority, including carrying out joint observations with the school to improve the quality of teaching and arranging peer-to-peer support with other schools.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is recently reconstituted. The Chair of the Governing Body is very knowledgeable and is ensuring all governors are well equipped to cope with their role. Governors are eager to undertake professional development to increase their ability to govern and manage effectively a successful school. They support the school and the headteacher extremely well and understand the school’s strengths and areas for development. They share the school’s vision and strategic direction. They realise that the quality of teaching, through the performance management arrangements, has to continue to be a focus for the school in

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The leadership and management are good

order to realise their vision. The budget is managed well. Governors know how the pupil premium funding is used and the impact it has on the pupils’ outcomes. They challenge the headteacher and hold her to account for the school’s performance. Governors are well placed to make informed decisions, which give the school’s leaders a high level of support.

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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 130934 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 406393

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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 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 472 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dorothy Middlemass Headteacher Heidi Westley Date of previous school inspection 28−29 June 2011 Telephone number 020 8669 2514 Fax number 020 8669 5764 Email address hwestley@suttonlea.org 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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