St Matthew's CofE Primary School

St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School Langley Road, Surbiton, KT6 6LW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 There is not enough consistently good teaching to enable pupils to make rapid progress. Lessons do not always provide sufficient challenge for all pupils.  Standards in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 2 are not high enough.  Not enough priority is given to ensuring that pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve their potential in reading.  Although older pupils supported by the pupil premium funding now make better progress, they do not make enough progress lower down the school.  Good practice in the marking of writing in English is not yet as evident in other subjects. The use of individual targets for pupils is inconsistent.  The analysis of data by school leaders is not always thorough enough.  When lessons are monitored, not enough attention is paid to pupils’ progress.  Although the governing body is good in most respects, it has not done enough to challenge the school on pupils’ progress.  There is a lack of external challenge to drive

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The school has the following strengths

 Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and children make good progress in developing their early learning.  Standards rose at the end of Year 6 in 2013 and are now above average.  Provision for pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs is good. They mostly make good progress.  Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. Behaviour and attitudes to learning are good. They feel very proud of their school.  The breakfast and after-school clubs provide good-quality care.  The revised curriculum provides interesting learning opportunities. Extra-curricular provision is extensive.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons,four of which were seen together with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, the school’s senior - leaders, those with responsibility for literacy and numeracy, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 149 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of school documentation, including records of school checks on the quality of teaching, the school improvement plan and records relating to behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and the tracking of pupils’ progress. They also looked closely at pupils’ written work from the current and previous school years, and listened to pupils reading.

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Inspection team

George Logan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kanwaljit Singh Additional Inspector Ramesh Kapadia Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is slightly above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and those from other groups) is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics.  The school offers a breakfast and an after-school club. These are managed by the school and were reviewed as part of this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching across the school so that a greater proportion is good or better by ensuring that:  lessons have a brisk pace and provide a high level of challenge for all pupils  teachers plan work which is appropriately matched to pupils’ needs, and set higher expectations, particularly for more-able pupils in Key Stage 1, so that all pupils can make good progress and achieve well  teachers’ marking in all subjects gives pupils clear advice as to what they should do next to improve  pupils have planned time to respond to teachers’ marking.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and strengthen achievement, so that more pupils make accelerated progress by ensuring that:  standards in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 2 are at least at the level currently achieved in writing  there is a consistent and effective approach to the development of pupils’ skills in reading, particularly in Years 1 and 2  current better practice in supporting the achievement of older pupils supported through the pupil premium is consistently implemented across the school so that their attainment, particularly by the end of Year 2, is improved considerably.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school in order to accelerate the pace of improvement by ensuring that:  the monitoring of lessons is more focused upon the progress pupils are making  school leaders and governors undertake more rigorous analysis of data, so that school self- evaluation is more accurate and incisive.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although above average in writing, standards in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 2 are broadly average. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 is in line with national figures. Overall standards at Year 2 are not as high as in 2009.  Standards at the end of Year 6 rose to be above average in 2013 with an increase in the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 or above. However, progress in the development of pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy in Years 3 to 6 has not, over time, been rapid or sustained enough for achievement to be judged good. Progress in mathematics in 2012 was weak, although current school data show that this has, to some extent, been addressed.  Weaknesses in the attainment of Year 6 pupils supported by pupil premium funding were identified in 2012 and the school took action to reduce the gap in attainment between this group of pupils and their peers. This gap reduced in 2013 so that they were just over one term behind

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the others in English and mathematics, but there is still a substantial gap for similar pupils in Year 2, with almost a year’s gap evident in 2013. Support is now in place to tackle this.  The teaching of phonics (the linking of sounds and letters) is satisfactory, although lessons do not always provide adequate challenge for the full range of pupils. More Year 1 pupils attained the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2013 than in 2012, although still an average proportion. Younger pupils receive a systematic grounding in these skills. However, reading diaries do not always indicate how pupils can improve their reading skills and progress in reading in Years 1 and 2 is not, overall, as good as it could be.  The progress of older able pupils has improved. More pupils are accessing the Level 6 test in mathematics, but the matching of work to the needs of the more-able pupils in Years 1 and 2 is

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

not yet a strong feature.  Although the current cohort is less advanced, children mostly enter Reception with skills at least in line with those found nationally. Good provision ensures that children make good progress and achieve standards that exceed the national average.  Pupils come to lessons keen to learn and ready to settle quickly to work. They make the most progress when teachers build upon this effectively and make lessons exciting and fast-paced.  Provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good, with a range of support programmes which enable these pupils to progress at least at the same pace as others.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although teaching and progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good, there is still not enough consistently good or better teaching in Years 1 to 6 to ensure that pupils make sustained good progress.  Teachers’ expectations are not always high enough and consequently tasks planned do not provide a consistently high level of challenge for all pupils. The planning of work is not sufficiently fine-tuned to ensure that the pace of pupils’ learning is rapid. Time is not always used to best advantage, with some lessons having overlong introductions and a slow pace. This limits the time available to pupils to work independently, practising and extending their skills.  The checking and supporting of pupils’ progress has improved. The marking of writing in English typically identifies what pupils need to do next to improve, but this good practice is not yet consistently evident in other subjects. Pupils have few opportunities to respond to marking.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Pupils have individual targets to focus their efforts to improve. However, they do not yet have sufficient impact on improving pupils’ progress.  While the teaching of reading successfully develops pupils’ reading skills over time, progress in reading for the younger pupils is not rapid enough.  Increased awareness by staff and more effective support are contributing to better provision for older pupils supported by pupil premium funding.  In the better lessons, the pace of learning is brisk. Year 2 pupils were observed in a well-planned science lesson on reversible and irreversible changes. Pupils understood the concept of ‘prediction’ and could suggest what might happen when certain liquids were mixed. Effective questioning extended their understanding well and pupils were really engaged by interesting practical tasks. Good behaviour and collaboration were strong features.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage benefit from good teaching, leading to good

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

progress. Language and social skills are promoted well. Children make effective use of the outdoor area and enjoy learning through practical tasks.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Effective procedures ensure that behaviour is managed consistently. Pupils’ conduct outside the classroom is also good. There have been few recorded incidents and no recent exclusions.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They are enthusiastic, work well independently, show respect for each other and have great pride in their school. In the best lessons, pupils are well motivated leading to high levels of engagement. However, when teachers’ expectations are not high enough or the pace flags, pupils quietly disengage.  Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils feel safe and are confident that adults will resolve any difficulties. Parents and carers who gave their views raised no concerns about behaviour.  Pupils feel that bullying is rare. They understand that bullying may take different forms and are aware, for example, of the risks associated with social networking sites. School records indicate

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

that incidents are rigorously addressed.  Pupils have a good appreciation of everyday risks. Older pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in various circumstances, and are well prepared for secondary school.  The breakfast and after-school clubs are well organised and efficient, and successfully meet the needs of pupils who spend extended periods at school.  Attendance is above average. Persistent absence is low and tackled rigorously.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 While leaders and managers have successfully sustained the positive ethos which is valued by parents and carers, their impact on pupils’ achievement has been less consistent, so that pupils’ progress requires improvement.  Systems for the management of teachers’ performance have been implemented, and are, overall, appropriately linked to teachers’ salaries. However, although the headteacher’s judgements on lessons during the inspection were accurate, the monitoring of teaching is not, over time, sufficiently focused on pupils’ achievement. Consequently, the school considers teaching to be more effective than the progress data, or inspection evidence, suggests. Lesson observations sometimes identify weaknesses in planning to meet pupils’ needs and also suggest that, in some classes, targets for pupils’ progress have not been met. The school does not do enough to respond to these shortcomings.  The school’s evaluation of its own performance is overgenerous. School leaders do not analyse

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The leadership and management requires improvement

data with sufficient rigour, so that underperformance is not identified promptly enough.  Effective leadership of the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs has a positive impact on their progress. The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Key subject leaders are developing their roles well, so enhancing the school’s capacity for further improvement.  The range of subjects taught contributes to pupils’ enjoyment and meets their needs well. Clear policies and procedures support the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum is enhanced by many visits, visitors and events and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. In addition to the after-school care club, there are several activities available every day.  Although it is early to evaluate the impact, the school has a sustainable plan to improve the quality of sports coaching and pupils’ health through the development of staff skills in coaching

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The leadership and management requires improvement

physical education, and to increase participation in after-school sport.  The school has received light-touch support from the local authority. Although identifying weaknesses in the school’s performance, overall evaluations have been too positive, thereby providing insufficient challenge to accelerate improvements.  The impact of pupil premium funding is now monitored more closely. This funding has contributed to gains in learning for older eligible pupils. Focused additional teaching in Year 1 and 2 is beginning to improve pupils’ performance.  Pupils’ good social and moral development permeates school life. Cultural development has been thoughtfully developed. A range of faiths is covered through the religious education syllabus. The Reception classes currently reflect Divali celebrations. Links with parents and carers, particularly those whose children are disabled or who have special educational needs, are good.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are committed, and contribute well in committees and as link governors. They undertake training to improve their skills. However, while very supportive and knowledgeable about the school’s recent priorities, governors do not provide sufficient challenge with regard to pupils’ progress. Although they have an understanding of data and carefully compare pupils’ attainment with national figures, they accept the view of school leaders that progress is good, without rigorously challenging this assumption. Governors ensure equality of opportunity, tackle discrimination and promote good relationships. They have some understanding of the quality of teaching. Pay and promotion are mostly securely linked to teachers’ effectiveness. Governors evaluate the impact of decisions about the use of pupil premium funding to close gaps in pupils’ achievement. This is a recent improvement. Governors ensure, along with

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The leadership and management requires improvement

senior leaders, that safeguarding arrangements meet national requirements. All other statutory duties are met.

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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 102592 Local authority Kingston Upon Thames Inspection number 425619

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 400 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anne Roberts Headteacher Pam Dryden Date of previous school inspection 19 November 2008 Telephone number 020 8399 3909 Fax number 020 8399 3337 Email address admin@stmatthews.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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