Granton Primary School

Granton Primary School Granton Road, Streatham, London, SW16 5AN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The determined leadership of the headteacher backed by a highly dedicated team of extremely hard-working staff has successfully created an inclusive school where pupils want to learn and do well despite their different starting points. As a result pupils make good progress through the school.  The governing body works very closely with all leaders and rigorously holds them to account.  Teaching is typically good with an increasingly higher proportion that is outstanding.  The school is fostering excellent relationships with parents and carers.  The school provides a motivating and meaningful curriculum that incorporates pupils’ interests and provides rich extra-curricular experiences for them.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well through empowering them to take responsibility within the school, having success in different sporting events and participating in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

various activities with other local organisations.  Pupils feel extremely safe and feel incidents of bullying are rare. Their behaviour is excellent and is reflected in their consistent willingness to display good manners and excellent conduct.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 There are not enough pupils, who are capable of doing so, achieving the higher levels in mathematics and English.  The new marking system is not yet consistently used and embedded by all teachers.  Sometimes teachers do not use some of the activities that exist within the school to extend pupils’ thinking skills, particularly for the more- able pupils.  The school is in the early stages of improving the quality of teaching by using coaching, supporting and sharing its best practice and getting teachers to see this in other schools.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 19 parts of lessons. Joint lesson observations were undertaken with the headteacher and the assistant headteacher. The inspection team listened to pupils read and observed an assembly.  The inspection team held meetings with members of the governing body, pupils, key staff and a representative from the local authority.  They looked at many key documents including: governing body minutes, information relating to pupils’ academic performance, pupils’ work, attendance and records relating to behaviour and safety.  They had informal discussions with parents and carers at the start of the school day. They also took into account the views of 62 parents and carers through the online questionnaire (Parents View) and telephone conversations.  Inspectors analysed views expressed in a questionnaire completed by the school staff.

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Inspection team

Sharona Semlali, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector Kanwalijit Singh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Granton Primary is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school is growing and has increased its admission numbers. Reception now has three classes.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language is above average. The two main ethnic groups are Black African and Black Caribbean.  The proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school at other than the usual admission times is well above average.  Since the previous inspection a new headteacher was appointed in December 2011 while the previous headteacher retired at the end of the summer term in 2012. There have been slight changes to the roles and membership of the senior leadership team.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding (additional funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children from service families) is above the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Before- and after-school clubs are managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In order to increase the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in mathematics and English, raise the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  embedding the new marking system so that there is a consistent approach by all teachers  continuing to coach, share and support the best practice within and beyond the school  spreading and building on those activities in the school that will extend their thinking skills particularly for the more-able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children mostly enter the Early Year Foundation Stage with skills that are well below the levels expected for their age, particularly in communication and language. Most leave at the end of Year 6 with attainment that is broadly average. This represents good achievement from their starting points. However, the proportion achieving the higher levels in mathematics and English is not yet high enough.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because there is a good focus on developing their speaking and listening skills.  Pupils make good progress between Years 1 and 6.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 dipped last year. This was influenced by a high proportion of pupils joining the school at various times with very complex needs which skews the data. Those that had joined the school at the usual admission time made good progress.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those from a minority ethnic background

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The achievement of pupils is good

make at least good progress and are on track to attain in line with national expectations. This is because the adults in school are good at role modelling the necessary language for them to use and rehearse.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Case studies within the school show that those that have very complex needs or find themselves in vulnerable circumstances make at least good progress from their starting points even though attainment is below national expectations. The teaching assistants are well trained to give them personalised support and the impact of this support is carefully tracked and monitored.  Those pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium benefit from a range of extra adult support. In last year’s national test results they made the same progress as their peers but attainment was lower. Currently the school’s data show that their attainment is similar to that of others in

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The achievement of pupils is good

the school for mathematics and English, and that the gap is rapidly closing.  Reading is well promoted throughout the school. Pupils who read to the inspectors strongly expressed how much they enjoyed reading and could clearly talk about their favourite authors and books. They are very confident in using phonics (the sounds that letters make) to work out unfamiliar words.  Pupils have good opportunities to write across the curriculum. They spell well using phonics and they beautifully present their work using a cursive script.  Pupils make good progress in mathematics as they have plenty of opportunities to solve real-life mathematical problems, which they enjoy. For example all pupils were given a small budget to fund-raise and decide how to spend the profits made.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good overall with an increasing amount being outstanding.  The quality of marking is good and it gives pupils the chance to assess their own learning and in most cases informs them of their next steps and how to make improvements. A new marking system has recently been introduced where pupils are given quality time to respond to their written feedback in a green coloured pen. However, this system is not yet embedded throughout the school.  Teachers make effective use of questioning and monitoring in their lessons. This was observed in a Year 5 mathematics lesson where the teacher’s excellent use of questioning effectively challenged the pupils to think deeply about what they learned while trying to solve different number problems. However, some teachers do not make enough use of some of the extension activities within their classes to extend pupils’ thinking skills especially for the more-able pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage all adults plan thoroughly together to ensure that the activities in both the outdoor and indoor areas match the children’s learning needs and interests. This was evident when a group of children were highly engaged in investigating different ways of melting the ice to release the trapped toy fish.  Teachers are good at creating imaginative scenarios that ensure that pupils write for a real purpose. For example, in a Year 6 English lesson pupils were highly motivated and engaged in writing persuasive letters of reply to members of their community.  Teaching assistants are fully utilised to support learning. In lessons they are given a very clear remit by the teachers so that they have a good understanding of how to support the different groups of pupils. They effectively take on additional responsibilities around the school such as giving extra support to pupils in small groups, helping them to make good progress so they can

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are outstanding at managing their own behaviour and that of others. The excellent contribution of the ‘Granton Buddies’, which include all of the pupils in Year 6, ensures that behaviour and their attitudes to managing it are exemplary. Every year, all pupils in Year 6 fully support and hand over this responsibility to all of the pupils in Year 5 to become the new buddies. Consequently, these pupils become very proud to take the lead on behaviour.  Pupils have a great deal of opportunities to take on different types of responsibilities around the school. For example the school council participated in the interview selection for one of the senior leader positions, and at lunchtimes others monitor the doors and corridors.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. They are extremely keen, ready and eager to learn. There is a real sense of pride and purpose as pupils make their way to lessons. Transitions from

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

playtime to lessons are always smooth and no time is lost. Pupils show great pride as they talk excitedly about their school.  Children behave exceptionally well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Excellent relationships are established with the adults. They are very good at sharing the resources and in taking turns with the different equipment.  Pupils say they feel extremely safe. They are aware of the different forms of bullying particularly in relation to cyber bullying. They are very well trained and aware of risks and how to manage these risks while using the internet. Excellent refresher courses are available during the year and these help to quickly develop their understanding of the different dangers and how to deal with them.  Responses and discussions with parents, carers and staff show they are highly positive about pupils’ behaviour and safety.  Attendance is average and has improved.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school provides a healthy breakfast club that helps to provide them with a positive and calm start to their school day.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The inspirational leadership of the headteacher alongside a highly ambitious governing body and backed by a team of dedicated and motivated staff has successfully maintained outstanding levels of behaviour and safety, improved teaching and achieved high levels of personal development despite pupils’ starting points and levels of need. The school is in an excellent position to secure further improvements.  Processes for checking the quality of teaching are very rigorous. All leaders are empowered and given quality time to check the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects so that it is not only reliant on the headteacher. All leaders thoroughly use data to check the pupils’ progress in their subjects so that all pupils have an equal chance of being successful and extra support can quickly be provided to those who may need it.  All teachers and teaching assistants have performance objective targets that are closely linked to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

pupils’ achievements and to the new Teachers’ Standards. Where teaching is not consistently good senior leaders have recently started to create an ethos where they coach and support those that need it. They are also given the chance to observe best practice within and beyond the school. As a result the proportion of outstanding and good teaching is increasing which is improving pupils’ achievement.  The school provides a creative and inspiring curriculum that highly engages and motivates its pupils. They are regularly consulted about the topics that they would like to study. Pupils are given a range of opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. For example a group of them have taken part in debates and discussions on the advisory group for the South Bank Centre and have performed at the Lambeth Music Festival. Pupils’ talents in sports have helped them to win many trophies and awards.  The curriculum exceptionally promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and this has created a strong ethos of respect among them. Pupils from different backgrounds play and work happily together. Strong links established with a school in Tanzania have helped to heighten their awareness of other cultures.  Outstanding support is offered and given to parents and carers so they can help their children at home and work in partnership with the school to support their children’s learning. A particular success is the reading café where parents and carers, through a variety of means, are shown different strategies to support their child’s reading.  The local authority has given good support to the school because it is expanding and because the headteacher is relatively new. This has helped to improve the quality of leadership, particularly for the middle leaders, and the quality of teaching.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has an excellent overview of the strengths and areas for development of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the school. All members have received high-quality training in their various roles as governors. They thoroughly understand the information about pupils’ achievement throughout the school. They make regular visits to the school. They receive regular reports and meet with the different leaders. All of this puts them in a strong position to robustly hold senior leaders to account and provide the right balance of support. They are well informed about how the school remunerates teachers for their performance, and the performance management process is firmly in place. The governing body is fully involved in the decision-making process in the allocation of the pupil premium funding. Governors are highly effective in carrying out their statutory duties to ensure that all aspects of safeguarding meet statutory requirements so that pupils are always kept safe.

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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 100564 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 412532

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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 466 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Davies Headteacher Andrew Terrey Date of previous school inspection 19 June 2009 Telephone number 020 87646414 Fax number 020 86793403 Email address admin@grantonprimary.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 .

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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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