Bellenden Primary School

Bellenden Primary School Reedham Street, Peckham, SE15 4PF

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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.  Most children start school with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and achieve well.  The school’s own data indicate that attainment in Key Stage 1 is also improving.  Achievement in Key Stage 2 has improved over the last three years. Pupils are well prepared for the next steps in their education and most pupils leave school with above average attainment.  The stimulating curriculum provides engaging experiences for pupils and, together with the programme of events, visits and the broad range of clubs, promotes the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  The attitudes of pupils to learning and their behaviour during lessons and within school are good. They have a clear understanding of the rules and feel safe. Pupils are polite, respectful and caring towards their peers and adults.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher’s good management is well supported by the governing body and the leadership team as they all work towards their shared vision.  Leaders, managers and governors have adopted a successful approach to raising the standard of teaching throughout the school and this is now good.  Parents value the school and feel it provides their children with a happy, safe, caring environment in which to learn.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Subject leaders do not have enough opportunities to develop their roles by sharing best practice with their colleagues and expanding their experience in management.  Some more-able pupils do not reach the level they should in reading, writing and mathematics as they do not have enough opportunities to reflect on and respond to the written advice that teachers make when marking their books.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 15 lessons, or parts of lessons, taught by 10 teachers. Joint observations were undertaken with members of the leadership team. Inspectors also observed an assembly and heard pupils 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 used by the school to track the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils.  Inspectors analysed 14 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire, as well as talking informally to parents.

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Inspection team

Julie Ritchie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Olson Davis Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs 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.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding provided for children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is above average. This information is available on the school’s website.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  There is a school-run breakfast and after-school club as well as many clubs such as football, netball, basketball, steel pans and crochet.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the achievement of more-able pupils in reading, writing and mathematics by:  giving pupils time to check and edit their work  allowing time to reflect on and respond to marking advice  increasing the level of challenge in lessons.  Improve opportunities for subject leaders to develop their roles across the school by:  working with the senior leadership team to increase their knowledge.  sharing best practice with their colleagues

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make at least good progress across the school. Pupils in all year groups are checked by the assessment system and their progress measured half-termly, resulting in timely programmes of support being introduced when required.  Children join the Nursery with skills and abilities that are below those expected for their age with many children speaking English as an additional language. By the time they enter Key Stage 1 their attainment is average.  Letters and the sounds they make (phonics) are taught well and children use these skills successfully in their initial efforts in reading and writing. As a result, the children are well prepared for the reading check in Year 1 with unvalidated school data showing the children did better than last year’s national average.  Good progress is made from Year 2 to Year 6. Achievement in lessons is good with some outstanding examples. In some lessons there is insufficient challenge for more-able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Nevertheless, attainment is rising, and at the end of Year 6 is above average, preparing pupils well for secondary school. Pupils have high aspirations, talking of becoming architects and scientists.  Pupils are confident readers. Pupils across the school show a genuine interest and enjoyment in reading, with one Year 6 pupil knowledgeably discussing her preference for different authors .  Writing is improving rapidly across the school, a result of teachers’ structured approach to the teaching of writing.  Achievement in mathematics is good. The proportion of pupils exceeding the expected progress in mathematics over the past three years is high compared to schools nationally. Pupils enjoy problem solving and are confident performing calculations.  The pupil premium is allocated effectively in supporting pupils in class and with small-group work. This enables these pupils to make the same or better progress than their peers to the

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The achievement of pupils is good

extent that by Year 6 eligible pupils are one term ahead of the others in English and mathematics. Eligible pupils are encouraged to attend the breakfast club to prepare them for the day ahead.  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 is good with outstanding teaching observed in Year 6. Teaching assistants are deployed well and offer good support, making a significant contribution to pupils’ learning and achievement.  Marking is consistent across the school. Teachers make it very clear to the pupils how well they have done and what they need to do to improve their work but there is little evidence in books to show the pupils act on the comments made.  When planning lessons and activities teachers now take into account all the rich assessment information available to them. Half-termly meetings take place, with a member of the leadership team and special educational needs co-ordinator present, to look at the progress of every pupil in each class and identify pupils needing further support. Regular meetings of parents of the pupils who need extra support are held, at times to suit the parents, so they are kept fully

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The quality of teaching is good

informed of what is going on in school and how to support their child at home.  In the Nursery and Reception unit teaching is good with activities planned to build on children’s interests. Relationships are a real strength and children learn in a positive, respectful atmosphere. Children know the routines well, with one pupil knowing his group colour and which day he was going to make cookies to take home. In preparation for this he was practising his biscuit-making skills in the sand pit.  Expectations of behaviour are high and children behave well in lessons. Relationships are a strong part of school life with one pupil commenting that, ‘Teachers show us respect and we need to treat them in a way that shows our appreciation and gratitude for all they do for us.’  The most effective lessons allow investigation, discussion and problem solving with pupils sharing their conclusions with each other. This was evident in a good English lesson where Year

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The quality of teaching is good

1 pupils were allowed to share their thoughts about a mission they had experienced and prepare for a story they were about to write. Pupils in Year 6 had the chance to discover, within their groups, descriptive language to colour and improve the quality of their writing.  In mathematics, pupils are encouraged to investigate and solve problems and discuss their answers. In Year 2 an assessment activity informed the teacher of where to target the support during the lesson on hundreds, tens and units.  Pupils have very positive attitudes towards reading. Phonics are taught effectively in the Early Years Foundation Stage with younger children enjoying books and persisting when reading difficult words.  Parents are very positive about the quality of teaching across the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils in lessons are keen to learn and listen to the teachers’ explanations and instructions. The new behaviour system is known by the pupils and they respond well to the positive, caring approach shown towards them.  A strong feature of the school is how the pupils from different backgrounds and with different needs work and play well together.  Throughout the school, children are kind and considerate to each other. In the Early Years Foundation Stage they learn what is acceptable behaviour and play well together. The staff provide positive role models for the children.  Pupils are polite and courteous; they will always step aside and open the door for the adults in school. They have a good understanding of the school rules with older pupils providing a good example of acceptable behaviour to the younger pupils.  Pupils feel safe in school and know how to seek help and voice any concerns. They can use a

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

box provided for pupils to post their worries in if they do not feel able to talk to a member of staff. They know that a member of staff will then approach them to talk through their concerns.  Pupils have had lessons on all types of bullying including cyber-bullying. They recognise that bullying is unkind and say that incidents are rare.  Behaviour records are well kept and the school manages behaviour very well.  Behaviour and safety are not outstanding because more-able pupils lose focus when work is not challenging enough for them.  Attendance is average and children are generally on time for school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, where it was recognised that new systems had already brought about ‘significant improvements’, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have consistently driven improvement. Due to their endeavours, the efforts of the wider leadership team and the governors who support them, the school has improved since the previous inspection and is able to sustain this momentum.  The school now has very effective methods for checking teaching and sharing good practice and has received good support from the local authority. As a result, teaching is better than it was at the time of the previous inspection.  There is a new system for checking the progress of individual pupils which is used effectively by the whole school to identify pupils who need additional support. This information is also shared with parents who are eager to support their children.  The whole school is involved in half-termly meetings about pupils’ progress, making teachers

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The leadership and management are good

more responsible for the progress of the pupils in their class. Governors have also been involved in training for the data system so they can check and challenge the progress of the year groups during governors’ meetings.  The setting of teachers’ targets is based on pupils’ progress and holds teachers to account.  Pupils enjoy a variety of trips to various museums and places of interest related to their topics which reinforce and add enjoyment to their learning. Comments from pupils highlight their enthusiasm for pursuits such as football, crochet, basketball and steel-pan music. An assortment of clubs is available to pupils to encourage participation in creative and physical activities. The school has a detailed action plan to further develop sporting opportunities for pupils with the new primary sports funding. The impact of this will be measured by increasing the number of pupils participating in sporting activities and the variety of sports offered.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of their own and other cultures through the study of different religions and projects such as ‘Black History Month’. The school also has many international links including links with two schools in Germany and with a school in Cambodia.  Parents who responded to Parent View were very positive about all aspects of the school with all parents saying they would recommend the school and feel their children are safe and well looked after. A parent at the school gate commented that her children ‘love this school and can’t wait to get here’.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body shares the vision and strategic direction of the school. Governors are very knowledgeable about the school’s strengths and areas for development and work closely with the school to drive improvement. They know the quality of teaching has improved and have a

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The leadership and management are good

good overview of pupils’ progress, comparing the school to the national picture using the information available to them. Governors understand the purpose of the pupil premium funding and know how the funding is spent and the impact it has on pupils’ progress. They take responsibility for the headteacher’s performance management and are well informed about the arrangements to appraise other staff, what the school is doing to tackle underperformance, and about salary progression being linked to pupils’ progress.

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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 100775 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 425511

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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 250 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tessa Brookes Headteacher Stevan Borthwick Date of previous school inspection 7 − 8 February 2012 Telephone number 020 7732 7107 Fax number 020 7732 1351 Email address office@bellenden.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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