Stockwell Primary School

Stockwell Primary School Stockwell Road, London, SW9 9TG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 Requires improvement 3

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

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because pupils in Years 1 to 6 do not make consistently rapid progress as they move through the school. This is because teaching is not consistently good.  The quality of teaching is variable from class to class, even within the same year group. Teachers do not always set work that matches the abilities of the pupils in their classes.  In some lessons, teachers take too long to introduce tasks, or do not explain new learning clearly enough. As a result, pupils’ progress is reduced.  Since the previous inspection, leaders including members of the governing body have not always been sufficiently rigorous in evaluating the school’s effectiveness.  Information on the progress pupils make is not always checked effectively enough to inform leaders about their current progress.  Some recently appointed leaders do not play a full part in supporting the school to improve further.

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

 The governing body does not challenge the school over its performance sufficiently to ensure it improves quickly.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children achieve well in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Teachers mark pupils’ work thoughtfully and helpfully. They regularly encourage pupils to take responsibility for responding to their comments and suggestions to improve further.  Effective guidance for parents, including workshops on reading and mathematics, helps them support their children’s learning.  Pupils are polite and confident young people. They behave well and attend school regularly. They know how to keep themselves safe from harm.  The school promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities strongly. This fosters positive relations so that pupils from a wide range of backgrounds get on well together.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups and undertook eight joint observations. They observed 24 teaching sessions.  Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, staff, a representative of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors listened to groups of pupils reading. They looked at work in pupils’ books and the school’s information showing pupils’ progress.  The school website, development plans and records relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.  The inspection took account of 19 responses to the Ofsted on-line survey (Parent View) and the results of a recent survey of parents’ and carers’ views conducted by the school.

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Inspection team

Madeleine Gerard, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Samuel Ofori-Kyereh Additional Inspector Fatiha Maitland Additional Inspector Avtar Sherri Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Stockwell is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above the national average. More pupils than the national average speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action is below the national average. An average proportion is supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the children of service families) is above the national average. There are currently no children of service families at the school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The governing body is responsible for a registered early years provision and runs a children's

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Information about this school

centre on behalf of the local authority. Children's centres and registered early years providers are subject to separate inspection arrangements and were not inspected at the same time as the school.Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in three Nursery and three Reception classes.  The school has been going through a period of expansion. There are three classes in Year 1, and two classes in Years 2 to 6. The school has undergone a very substantial amount of building work over recent years.  There have been a high number of staff changes over recent time.  The school is part of an informal federation, a group of three primary schools that work together. Each school has its own head of school and a separate governing body. The three schools are led overall by an executive headteacher. The two other federation schools are the subject of separate inspection reports.  The school runs breakfast and after-school clubs which are included in this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good and better teaching in order to accelerate pupils’ progress, by:  making sure teachers match work closely to the different learning needs of pupils  making sure teachers do not talk for too long, so that pupils can get on with independent work quickly in lessons  ensuring that explanations of new learning are clearly made so that pupils understand new concepts rapidly.  Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers by:  increasing the rigour with which pupils’ progress is checked to make sure that all pupils fulfil their potential and reach the highest standards  making more frequent checks on the quality of teaching to make sure priorities for improvement are addressed quickly and improvements sustained  developing the roles of leaders of year groups and of other aspects of the school’s work to ensure leaders play a full part in checking and improving the quality of teaching and pupils’

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

progress in their areas of responsibility. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in Years 1 to 6 do not make rapid enough progress through the school which is why achievement requires improvement. Their rates of progress vary between classes because the quality of teaching is uneven. The high turnover of teaching staff that pupils have experienced in some classes has affected the consistency in standards of teaching and rates of progress. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 is broadly average overall.  The progress made by disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs requires improvement. Additional support for these pupils in lessons helps them to make similar progress to other pupils.  The progress of pupils from minority ethnic groups, including pupils who speak English as an additional language, requires improvement because rates of learning for these pupils are variable and not sufficiently linked to the quality of teaching in classes. Additional support

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

outside lessons for pupils at the early stages of English helps them learn key words and phrases in English and other subjects swiftly.  The pupil premium has funded a variety of activities, including Easter revision sessions for Year 6 pupils and additional support for pupils in other year groups. In last summer’s national assessments, the gap in attainment between Year 6 pupils who benefited from the pupil premium and other Year 6 pupils narrowed so that the attainment of these pupils was slightly above the others in writing and mathematics, and over a term above in reading. This is better performance than that found nationally. The achievement of pupils currently at the school known to be eligible for pupil premium funding requires improvement because their progress is variable.  Pupils who join the school during the year settle well because pupils at the school are welcoming. From their starting points these pupils often catch up quickly, because the school

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

makes sure they are well supported.  While pupils generally make expected progress in reading, regular reading aloud to adults in Years 1 and 2 helps pupils develop confidence in using their knowledge of letters and sounds to read unfamiliar words. In last year’s Year 1 phonics screening check (knowledge of letters and the sounds they make), more pupils than the national average reached the expected level. Older pupils talk confidently about the books and authors they enjoy.  Children in Reception and Nursery classes join the school with levels of skills that are below those expected for their age. They make good progress in Nursery and Reception classes where staff plan interesting activities in the inside and outdoor areas. Children are happy and they work, share resources and play well together.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Leaders’ checks on teaching have not always focused on how successfully teaching raises pupils’ achievement or made sure teaching quality is good all the time. Teaching requires improvement because it is not consistently good.  Teachers do not always set tasks that are suitably demanding because lessons are not always planned carefully to make sure all pupils are suitably challenged in their work.  In some lessons, pupils listen to teachers’ introductions to activities for too long, leaving limited time for them to complete independent tasks. When the explanations teachers give to introduce new concepts are not clear enough to help pupils understand easily, they lack confidence to tackle independent work and the pace of learning diminishes.  Teachers do not always check regularly enough how well pupils learn during lessons and tackle any misconceptions swiftly enough to make sure pupils’ understanding of new skills and methods

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

is secure.  Adult-led sessions for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage often help them to develop their skills. For example, children in Reception working with an adult were practising their writing and spelling. They worked hard and used their knowledge of letters and the sound they make to write words for themselves.  Teachers mark work regularly and make clear to pupils what they might do to improve their work further. Pupils often respond to teachers’ helpful feedback and complete additional challenges that teachers set.  Pupils’ social skills were observed developing well in lessons when teachers set pupils tasks to do together. Pupils work well in groups and sensibly discuss their ideas together during paired and group work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships between adults and pupils are good and pupils are motivated to learn. Pupils’ behaviour is typically good and pupils are polite and confident. The school’s records show sometimes a few pupils need reminders about the behaviour that is expected, for example during breaktimes, and this is why behaviour is not yet outstanding.  Initiatives to raise attendance have been effective and attendance is rising and above average. Pupils understand that attending school regularly is a good habit that will serve them well in the future, and will ensure they do not miss valuable learning.  Older pupils are enthusiastic to take on responsibility, for example as peer mediators helping to resolve any problems that may occur in the playground.  Pupils feel safe in school and express confidence that incidents of bullying are rare. They say there is some name calling, but they know that staff will deal with this effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe from harm. Road safety workshops, bicycle training, anti-bullying events and discussions in assemblies help pupils develop a good awareness of risks.  Pupils attending the breakfast and after-school clubs benefit from a healthy and well-organised start and end to the day, choosing food from a varied menu. They make friends with pupils in other classes and appreciate the range of activities and games that are available. Older pupils are helped to complete homework. Younger children enjoy the interesting activities adults organise for them.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders are sometimes over generous in their self-evaluations of the school’s performance. The information from assessments of pupils’ progress has not always been examined effectively enough to make sure the school has a clear view of how well pupils currently at the school make progress. The leaders sometimes miss opportunities to identify where pupils are not doing as well as they should.  Leaders and managers have not always checked that areas for improvement identified during the monitoring of teaching are followed up quickly so that lasting improvements are made. As a result, the quality of teaching is variable and pupils’ progress is not good.  Leaders of year groups and of aspects of the school’s work, some of whom have only recently been appointed, are not always fully involved in regularly checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement within their areas of responsibility to drive further improvements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school demonstrates its capacity to improve. Leaders have successfully made sure teachers’ approaches to marking pupils’ work are consistently making the next steps in pupils’ learning clear. Good provision and outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils’ positive behaviour and attitudes to learning have been maintained since the previous inspection. Through close work with parents, attendance has risen. Some improvements, such as recent enhancements to the teaching of mathematics, have been well selected but have not yet had time to show their effectiveness.  Through charity fundraising, visits to local places of worship, and extra-curricular clubs, the school places a strong emphasis on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities. Pupils are knowledgeable about, and respectful of, one another’s faiths and cultures. Learning musical instruments and singing are a highlight. The school makes sure that

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The leadership and management requires improvement

discrimination is tackled and every pupil has an equal chance to learn and benefit from all the school has to offer.  The school works effectively with parents to involve them in their children’s learning, including guidance on how parents can help their children’s achievement at home and English classes for those speaking English as an additional language. The school makes good provision to support pupils who experience difficult circumstances, and their families.  The local authority works closely with the school to provide additional support and guidance and has given considerable support throughout the building programme. However, it has not challenged the school sufficiently to improve pupils’ achievement.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is supportive and works closely with leaders and staff, but shares their rather over-generous evaluation of pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. The

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The leadership and management requires improvement

governors rely considerably on the school’s leaders for information about some aspects of the school’s performance, quality of teaching and effectiveness. They have not always made sure they have undertaken relevant professional training to support them in their roles and keep up to date with developments in education. As a consequence, they are not confident to compare the school’s performance with that of other schools nationally and challenge the school to do better. Governors understand the uses to which the pupil premium is put, but they do not do enough to check how well groups of pupils, including those eligible for the pupil premium, make progress in their learning throughout the year.  Governors are aware of teachers’ salaries, but procedures to manage the performance of teachers are not always demanding enough to sustain high quality teaching and pupils’ good progress. Governors have supported the school well throughout the extensive programme of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

building works that has taken place. They ensure that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities in safeguarding pupils.

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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 100582 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 424878

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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 500 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul McGlone Executive Headteacher Janet Mulholland Head of School Paula Thomas Date of previous school inspection 16 September 2008 Telephone number 020 72747687 Fax number 020 72749887 Email address clericalofficr2@stockwell-pri.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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