Crawford Primary School

Crawford Primary School Crawford Rd, London, SE5 9NF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This is an outstanding school

 The headteacher, executive headteacher and senior leaders, ably supported by the governing body, have secured significant improvements since the last inspection. Their unwavering commitment to raising achievement ensures teaching, learning and the curriculum are of the highest quality.  Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds make outstanding progress. In 2012 standards for all groups of pupils at the end of Year 6, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, were considerably above the national average in all subjects. This represents a significant improvement from previous years.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium and those who speak English as an additional language make outstanding progress from their starting points, because resources are carefully matched to pupils’ needs and extra support is of an exceptional quality.  Teaching is always good and the proportion of outstanding teaching is rising rapidly as a

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This is an outstanding school

result of high-quality training, offered through the federation.  Behaviour is excellent. Pupils want to do well and show high levels of concentration in lessons. Staff and pupils respect each other and are unfailingly polite and courteous. Pupils from different backgrounds play well together creating a friendly, happy atmosphere.  Outstanding provision in the Nursery means pupils get off to an excellent start in their learning.  Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school’s drive for improvements and many parents and carers commented on the rapid progress their children were making.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was part of a coordinated inspection of three schools which form part of a hard federation. The inspection was coordinated by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, executive headteacher, members of the federation governing body, faculty leaders who work across the federation, the federation inclusion team, the special educational needs coordinator, representatives from the local authority and pupils.  A very wide range of documentation was examined, including the school’s own self-evaluation, improvement plans, federation documents for improvement, minutes of governing body meetings, reports on the monitoring of teaching and reviews of the school’s performance by the governing body and local authority.  Inspectors observed 21 lessons, including some small-group sessions. Seven lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or executive headteacher. Inspectors met with the school

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Information about this inspection

council, talked to pupils in the playground and listened to some pupils read. A wide range of pupils’ books was examined both in the classroom and as part of a separate scrutiny.  Parents’ and carers’ views were taken into account through the 15 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire, the school’s own survey and through informal discussions at the start of the day. Inspectors also took account of the views of staff.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils, which was subject to this inspection.  The children’s centre that operates on site was not part of this inspection.

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Inspection team

Penny Spencer, Lead inspector Additional inspector Peter McCarthy Additional inspector Patricia MacLachlan Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools and expanding. There are three classes in Reception, two in Years 1 to 4, a Year 5 class and two mixed classes of Years 5 and 6.  Almost all pupils belong to an ethnic minority and approximately half of these pupils speak English as an additional language, which is above average. Over half of all pupils are of Black African or Caribbean heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides funding for children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who have a parent or carer in the armed forces, is nearly three times higher than the national average.  There are no pupils from armed service families in the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is average, while the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a

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Information about this school

statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is part of the Gipsy Hill Federation, a hard federation of five primary schools which is designated as a National Support School by the National College for School Leadership. The five schools are Crawford, Kingswood, Elm Wood, Paxton and Fenstanton. Each school has a separate headteacher, but overall they are led by an executive headteacher and a single governing body. Crawford, Kingswood and Paxton were inspected at the same time as part of a pilot coordinated inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the excellent practice in the teaching of guided reading, observed in some classes, is shared consistently across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children enter the Nursery with skills and knowledge well below the levels expected for their age. They make outstanding progress as a result of excellent teaching and join the Reception classes ready to move forward in their learning.  Pupils join the three Reception classes from a wide variety of settings. Many children have very poor communication skills and are often at the early stages of learning English. All groups of pupils make extremely good progress and achievement at the end of the Reception Year is broadly in line with the national average.  Attainment at the end of Year 2 has been low for a number of years. However, progress for pupils has improved and the latest assessments for this cohort show a very high proportion of pupils working at or above the expected levels for their age.  Progress in Years 3 to 6 speeds up further and all groups of pupils are making outstanding progress especially in writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 There are no significant differences in the progress of different groups of pupils, reflecting the outstanding commitment by school staff to equality of opportunity for all pupils. Pupils from different ethnic groups, including those of Caribbean and Black African heritage, outperform similar pupils in other schools and achieve in line with all pupils nationally.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make exceptionally good progress because of the excellent support they receive from highly effective specialist teachers and support staff.  The average points scores, in English and mathematics, of pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority are significantly above those of similar pupils nationally and any gaps between these pupils and all other pupils have closed.  The concerted effort by the school to provide an excellent range and selection of books and to

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

increase the number of times pupils read individually to an adult has allowed pupils to develop excellent basic reading habits.  Pupils who read to inspectors showed a good understanding of phonics (the linking of letters to the sounds they make). Younger pupils were confident to use this knowledge to tackle unfamiliar words and older pupils were confident fluent readers with a love of books. Progress in the higher skills in reading is slightly more variable in a few classes and while never less than good, fewer pupils in these classes are making outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers have very high expectations and lessons are planned carefully to enable all pupils to make the best possible progress.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching, especially in the Nursery, is often inspirational and pupils learn in an exceptional environment which is rich in opportunities for the development of language and communication skills. Carefully planned activities and rigorous assessment of their development enable children to become confident, independent learners.  Teachers are extremely skilled in using a range of questioning to probe pupils’ understanding and develop their knowledge. This was observed in a Year 2 mathematics lesson where the teacher steadily built up pupils’ understanding of how to find a fraction of a number, using quick- fire questions to constantly check on their progress.  The teaching of phonics is strong, as shown by the excellent scores achieved by Year 1 pupils in

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

the national phonic screening check in 2012, which were above average.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make excellent progress because the teaching is planned carefully to meet their needs and support is appropriately targeted to each child.  Opportunities for pupils to work together in pairs and groups are built in to all lessons and pupils respond well to this style of learning, collaborating well with each other. This was observed in a Year 5 mathematics lesson where pupils worked together successfully to develop their understanding of how to plot coordinates onto a graph.  The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is of high quality. Specialist teachers and support assistants work with individuals and groups of pupils, using specific programmes to develop numeracy and literacy skills. Their skilled and highly effective approach helps these pupils to quickly catch up with their peers.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Additional adults in the classroom provide excellent support to all pupils. They work as a team with the teacher and are fully involved in the learning and assessment of pupils.  The teaching of reading has been a school focus, and teachers use a wide range of strategies to see that pupils read frequently to an adult. Guided reading sessions in most classes are taught well and enable pupils to develop their skills of comprehension and enjoyment of reading. However, these sessions are not consistent in every class which slows the progress for some pupils in acquiring the higher skills such as skimming and inferring meaning.  Teachers mark books regularly and thoroughly. Pupils respond to this feedback in order to correct their work and improve their learning. Pupils assess their own and others’ progress in lessons and are very clear about the need to be truthful when assessing their own learning to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are polite, considerate and courteous to one another and adults. They have an excellent attitude to learning and want to succeed.  Sensible behaviour in and around the building allows pupils to feel safe and happy. Older pupils take on considerable responsibility in many roles including playground friends, buddy readers and supporting younger pupils.  The school‘s behaviour management system is applied consistently by all members of staff and is directly responsible for the sustained improvement in behaviour. In the very few instances of less than exceptional behaviour observed by inspectors, the calm, consistent approach by teachers and support assistants quickly defused the situation with no noticeable impact on the learning of others.  Parents and carers expressed to inspectors how satisfied they were with the improvements in behaviour and were unreservedly positive about the school’s ability to keep their children safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel safe in school and feel confident that adults will support them if they have problems. Regular opportunities to learn about road safety, cycling proficiency and internet use, mean pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe in the wider community.  Pupils expressed a high level of understanding about the effects of bullying of all kinds and incidents are rare. The school‘s excellent systems for recording any incidents and the thorough way in which events are followed up contribute to the pupils’ feeling of well-being and security.  There is a strong sense of respect for all. Pupils are tolerant and understanding of each other’s faiths and cultures, many of which are celebrated through the school’s excellent displays.  Attendance is improving and is average. The school has rigorous systems for making sure pupils attend regularly and on time, which are followed up to the highest level if necessary.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils who attend the breakfast club get the day off to a good start, with a nutritious breakfast in a safe and secure environment.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders provide exceptional leadership. The partnership between the headteacher and executive headteacher is strong and is focused continually on raising achievement for all pupils. They are highly respected by parents and carers, pupils and staff and have been directly responsible for the school’s rapid improvement.  Leaders and mangers have a thorough awareness of the school’s strengths and areas for development, founded on detailed analysis of accurate progress information and monitoring checks. They are supported by the federation which enables leaders to work across the schools sharing expertise and using common systems and structures that have proven successful. This leads to a rapid response, allowing improvements to be put in place quickly and effectively.  The cross-federation inclusion team is extremely effective in making sure pupils and families who may be vulnerable are supported to attend school regularly and in ensuring that effective

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The leadership and management are outstanding

support quickly allows pupils to succeed in their learning.  An excellent training programme delivered through the federation means teaching is maintained at the highest levels and any inconsistencies are quickly tackled. Newly qualified staff are supported extremely well and as a result make rapid improvements in their teaching.  Teachers are expected to perform to the highest standards and procedures to monitor their effectiveness are strong. Progression up the pay scale is closely linked to pupils’ progress and targets are challenging.  The creative approach to subjects and topics introduced since the last inspection is having a very positive impact on pupils’ learning and enjoyment. Work seen by inspectors on the various topics was interesting and varied. Opportunities for the development of basic skills are excellent. Music is a strength; inspectors heard exceptionally good singing from the upper school during

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The leadership and management are outstanding

assemblies. The school organises many trips and visits, including to the theatre, sporting and musical events and local places of interest to enrich pupils’ experiences. There is a wide range of well-supported clubs and activities.  Communication with parents and carers is strong. Parents and carers appreciate the opportunities to meet informally with senior staff in the playground and the informative website and regular newsletters make sure that important information is clearly communicated. Attendance at parent consultations and workshops is high. Inspectors witnessed the high turnout for consultations during the inspection.  The local authority has a strong relationship with the school and the federation. It was active in supporting the school to join the federation and is delighted with the impact and subsequent success. It now judges the school to need an appropriately light touch.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are outstanding

- The governing body works closely with the senior leaders in their pursuit of excellence to bring about the highest levels of achievement and personal development for pupils. They meet regularly to monitor the school’s performance. Governors review the quality of teaching by visiting lessons with senior leaders and check the information the school gathers about pupils’ progress. They know that the school is highly successful in comparison to other schools locally and nationally, and hold leaders fully to account. They are very aware of the school’s strengths, including the high quality of teaching and improved outcomes for pupils. Continually striving for further improvement, they set ambitious targets to increase the school’s effectiveness further. Through robust procedures to manage performance, senior leaders are challenged to sustain high-quality teaching and pupils’ rapid progress. Governors make sure that salary progression

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and promotion of staff are linked to pupils’ progress and teaching quality. - Governors have considerable financial expertise and use this to set and monitor the budget closely. They supplement the funding available for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium to provide a wide range of provision. Governors check that eligible pupils achieve as highly as other pupils at the school, and do better in average point scores than all pupils nationally. They make sure they receive the professional training they need to become even more effective. Statutory duties are met including those relating to safeguarding pupils. The school site is secure and very well maintained. Governors make sure that the learning environment at the school is consistently as high as at other schools within the federation.

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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 100785 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 411386

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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 Community School category Primary Age range of pupils 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 420 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Parven Sivanathan Headteacher Miranda Gibb Executive Headteacher Craig Tunstall Date of previous school inspection 11–12 January 2012 Telephone number 020 727 41046 Fax number 020 773 83226 Email address admin@crawford.southwark.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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