Lovelace Primary School

Lovelace Primary School Mansfied Road, Hook, Chessington, KT9 2RN

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Overall effectiveness

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

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Overall effectiveness

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because  There has been a decline in pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.  While pupils are now making faster progress in English and mathematics, their achievement over time has not been fast enough.  Some groups are not performing as well as their peers, such as those who are eligible for the pupil premium, boys in English and girls in mathematics.  There is variation in pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics in some year groups, where there is more ground to catch up.  Children do not make enough progress in the development of their language and writing skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  There are missed opportunities for pupils to reflect and act on their teachers’ marking and guidance to make the necessary improvements.

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Overall effectiveness

The school has the following strengths  The strong partnership between the local authority, the governing body and the strengthened senior leadership team has led to significant improvements in the quality of teaching in the last 18 months.  The school has eradicated any previous variability in the quality of teaching, which is now consistently good.  The teaching of mathematics and English is improving rapidly and this is having a positive effect on pupils’ achievement, especially the boys.  Adults who support pupils in need of additional help are making a strong contribution to pupils’ progress.  Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is higher than average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 25 lessons, three of which were joint lesson observations carried out with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also paid a series of short visits to other lessons across the school, observed two assemblies, talked with children and listened to children read.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors, and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors took account of the 62 responses to the on- line Parent View questionnaire, as well as the views of the parents and carers they met. They also considered the 25 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including national test results and the school’s own information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s self-evaluation, improvement plans, safeguarding policies and records and documents relating to performance management.

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Inspection team

Lesley Leak, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christopher Crouch Additional Inspector Kanwaljit Singh Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 “This is a larger-than-average primary school with two forms of entry and three extra bulge classes in Years 2, 3 and 4.  A significant number of pupils join and leave the school part way through their primary education.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is at the national average. Pupil premium is additional funding for the children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families.  The biggest pupil group is White British, although the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is high, compared with national averages. A small number of these pupils speak little or no English.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus, or who have a statement of special educational needs

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Information about this school

are high compared to national averages.  There is an additional Ofsted-registered pre-school provision on the school site which is subject to a separate inspection.  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?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in English and mathematics to raise attainment by:  enabling girls to do better in mathematics and boys in writing.  developing children’s language skills and writing in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that they make even faster progress to close the gaps with children of the same age so that by the time they go into Year 1 children achieve in line with their age.  eradicating any in-year fluctuations in pupils’ rates of progress, particularly for pupils entitled to the pupil premium in Key Stage 2.  Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by ensuring that all pupils know their next steps and are systematically given opportunities to respond to their teachers’ marking.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because not enough pupils are yet making accelerated progress. There was a sharp decline in pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics following the previous inspection. As a result of strengthened teaching and better leadership and management, progress is improving and standards are rising again.  Most children enter Nursery with skills well below the expected level for their age. They make good progress and, by the end of the Reception Year, they have reached the expected levels for their age. However, their attainment in writing and language skills is slightly below that expected for their age because of their low starting points.  Although the school actively promotes equal opportunities and tackles discrimination by ensuring that pupils who are not making sufficient progress are given appropriate extra help to achieve well, some groups of pupils continue to underachieve, such as boys in English, especially in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

writing, and girls in mathematics, when their performance is compared with similar groups of pupils nationally, particularly at Key Stage 2.  Evidence of the school’s current performance shows that pupils funded through the pupil premium, including those eligible for free school meals, are not making sufficient gains in progress to secure attainment which is either in line with national or with that of their peers in English and mathematics. However, the gap is closing.  Rigorous checks on pupils’ progress means that anyone who needs extra support is quickly identified and provided with small-group support or one-to-one tuition, and consequently, at least two groups of pupils make good progress from their different starting points, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, as well as pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are strong because pupils are given many speaking and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

listening opportunities from a young age. Pupils are confident speakers, because they are regularly asked to discuss their ideas in pairs and small groups, and to present their ideas to others in class or in assembly.  Boys are successfully attaining the higher levels in mathematics and compare well with boys at this level, nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Recent staff changes have eradicated variable teaching which had led to the sharp decline in standards previously. As a result, the quality of teaching is consistently good. This better teaching has led to significant improvement in pupils’ achievement in both English and mathematics over the last 18 months.  Teachers and other adults are accountable for the progress of pupils in their classes and now demonstrate high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Most work is set at the right level so that many more pupils achieve standards expected for their age.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is highly effective. A skilfully planned mixture of play, both inside and outside the classroom, makes a significant contribution to the children’s development in most skills, although children’s language skills and writing are less well developed.  The teaching of mathematics has improved significantly because teachers set work that is

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The quality of teaching is good

better-matched to pupils’ abilities and any pupils who are falling behind are given additional support. As a result, some gaps in achievement are narrowing and, for example, in one excellent Year 4 mathematics lesson, higher-ability pupils were given harder numbers to “chunk” and were confident about presenting their findings to the rest of the class.  Pupils’ progress in reading is accelerating because they read every day and benefit from carefully targeted, small-group coaching to deepen their understanding of the texts. All pupils have individual reading targets and extra support is provided for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Many parents and carers have been trained by the school on how to help their children read at home and staff are better trained to teach reading through phonics (the sounds that letters make).  There have been significant changes to the way writing is taught which have ensured that pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

develop writing skills in a range of different subjects, and this approach has already brought pupils up to standards expected for their age. Now there are many opportunities provided for pupils to write for many purposes and at length, such as when Year 1 pupils wrote diary entries about an imaginary dinosaur’s egg hatching. In this challenging and well-planned lesson, every pupil was eager and able to write out three long sentences to describe his or her feelings.  Adults who support pupils in need of additional help, including pupils who have special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, are making a strong contribution to pupils’ progress because their work is well matched to each individual’s needs.  Marking is regular and supportive. Most marking helps pupils to improve by encouraging them to respond to comments on their work and to address corrections. Sometimes, further challenges

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The quality of teaching is good

to consolidate what has been learned are provided. The best marking makes an explicit link to the pupil’s next steps to achieve his or her targets. As a result, most pupils know how to improve and what they have to do to reach their next targets. However, pupils are not always provided with sufficient opportunities to follow up their teachers’ advice, and teachers do not always use their checking of pupils’ understanding, during lessons or following a marking exercise, to make sure those pupils, who are ready to move on in their learning, progress even more quickly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in lessons and around school is consistently good. Pupils say they are happy and that they feel safe.  Pupils have good social skills. They participate enthusiastically in activities and are confident, articulate speakers. Always respectful and courteous to each other, they learn well together.  Pupils are fully aware of all forms of bullying. They say it is uncommon but, when it does happen, the school deals with it swiftly.  Pupils enjoy school and, as a result, their attendance has improved and is above average.  Pupils throughout the school value the many opportunities to take on important roles and responsibilities, including positions such as prefect and school council member, and they are rightly proud of how their contributions ensure the smooth running of the school.  Any off-task behaviour is appropriately managed by staff in lessons and the playground is well supervised. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe and take responsibility for

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

their own actions. No pupil has been excluded from the school for some considerable time.

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The leadership and management are good

 The ambitious leadership of the headteacher and the governing body is shown in their relentless drive to secure improvement in teaching and pupils’ achievement. The leadership structure has been strengthened through new appointments and restructuring in order to secure greater consistency and accountability.  Leaders at all levels, including members of the governing body, have a clear view of the strengths and areas for development of the school, which they are tackling rigorously and with determination. The school’s focus on improving pupils’ achievement pervades the work of the leadership team, and is understood and embraced by staff at all levels.  Regular lesson observations, ‘learning walks’ and ‘book looks’, alongside monitoring visits from the local authority and members of the governing body, have contributed to the improved quality of teaching. This improvement is further achieved through additional targeted support

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The leadership and management are good

where needed, for example through staff development and training. New staff, including newly qualified teachers, benefit from comprehensive induction which enables them to understand and adopt the school’s expectations and procedures quickly.  The curriculum provides a wide range of opportunities for high-quality learning and is successfully broadened by imaginative topic work. Pupils say how much they enjoy the additional arts and sports classes after school, as well as the many chances to participate in exciting trips and visits.  There are many opportunities for pupils across the school to participate in activities that effectively promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are taught about different faiths in religious education lessons and they have good opportunities for moral and spiritual reflection in assemblies.  The school benefits from a very strong partnership with the local authority and has fully

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The leadership and management are good

welcomed the intensive, high-quality support it has received in the past 18 months. Although this has now lessened, the school is demonstrating good capacity to improve further.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has strengthened its membership since the previous inspection and provides high levels of effective support to the school. It has a strong vision for the development of the school, based on a clear understanding of the school’s needs. The headteacher and the local authority provide the governing body with high-quality, detailed and honest reports about the school’s strengths and areas for development in order to keep the governing body up to date with the school’s progress. In partnership with the local authority, the governing body vigorously holds leaders to account for the school’s progress and ensures strong engagement with parents and carers. Pupil premium funding is used effectively to

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The leadership and management are good

support the pupils it is provided for, to close the gaps in their performance. Governors ensure that the performance management system for staff is robust and linked closely to pay and the teachers’ standards. The governing body manages its finances well so that the budget is balanced. It fulfils its statutory responsibilities and ensures that all requirements are met and effective in relation to the safeguarding of children.

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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 102583 Local authority Kingston Inspection number 413065

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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 532 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Heather Jones Headteacher Linda Howells Date of previous school inspection 9–10 May 2009 Telephone number 020 8397 3265 Fax number 020 8397 0284 Email address office@lovelace.rbksch.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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