Robert Browning Primary School

Robert Browning Primary School King and Queen Street, London, SE17 1DQ

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well in all key stages. The standards they reach by the time they leave are average in reading and mathematics from low starting points.  The quality of teaching is mostly good, with examples of some outstanding teaching. Teachers’ planning is detailed and takes into account well the skills pupils need to learn and develop.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because of very focused teaching and support to develop their early literacy skills.  The governing body and senior leaders are ambitious for the school. They know the school’s strengths and areas for development very well.  Rigorous systems to check the quality of teaching by senior leaders ensure that all teachers know what they do well and how to improve.  Professional development is closely linked to the school’s priorities and individual staff needs. There is a very strong coaching ethos in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the school, which benefits new member of staff immensely.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are good. Pupils are polite, caring and respectful. They say they feel safe and are well cared for.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in writing at Key Stage 2 is lower than in reading and mathematics.  There is insufficient outstanding teaching to enable pupils’ achievement to be consistently high across the school.  Marking and feedback do not consistently suggest high quality next steps in pupils’ learning and teachers do not closely monitor the effectiveness of pupils’ responses.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of 17 lessons, of which six were seen jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors evaluated pupils’ work and talked to pupils about their learning.  Inspectors held discussions with parents, staff, members of the senior leadership team and other leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors analysed a range of documents including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, development plan, notes from local authority representative visits, documents relating to safeguarding, policies, information about pupils’ progress, minutes of meetings held by the governing body and records of behaviour and incidents. They also looked at the school’s website and data dashboard and records of the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning.  Inspectors examined anonymised documents about the management of staff performance.

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Information about this inspection

 There were no responses to the online Parent View survey. Inspectors took account of the views expressed by parents to inspectors during the inspection. They analysed nine completed staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Kewal Goel, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elaine Hamilton Additional Inspector Michael Buist Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is situated in an inner-city community and is larger than the average-sized primary school. The pupil numbers range from 39 to 45 in Years 1 to 6 and there are 95 children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The school increased the number of children in the Reception class from 45 to 60 in 2012−13 at the local authority’s request. This group is currently in Year 1.  There are plans for a nursery unit for two-year-olds and the school is part of the primary expansion programme enabling it to have two classes in each year.  The school provides a popular and well-attended breakfast club and after-school club to address the needs of working parents as well as more pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable.  Most pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages, with pupils from any other White background, Black African, Caribbean backgrounds and any other ethnic group forming

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Information about this school

the largest groups.  The school has an exceptionally high number of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, from forces families and looked after children) is significantly above average.  The number of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the usual time is much higher than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is lower than average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards in English and mathematics, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the achievement in writing across the school by:  teachers providing quality next steps feedback to pupils and developing the effectiveness of pupils’ responses to their feedback  ensuring that all pupils have frequent high quality opportunities for extended writing at their level.  Increase the amount of outstanding teaching by:  making sure that more-able pupils across the school are appropriately challenged in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of all groups of pupils is good. The proportion of pupils making good progress in reading and mathematics by the end of Year 6 compares favourably with national figures. By the time pupils leave they are well prepared for their time in secondary school.  Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with levels of skills that are well below those typical for their age, many not even toilet trained. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage in their personal development and early literacy skills because of very effective phonics teaching, and careful planning. Although, they make a good level of progress from their starting points, they are still below the levels expected for pupils on entry to Key Stage 1.  As a result of good and targeted teaching in phonics in Key Stage 1, pupils develop a secure understanding of phonics (letters and the sounds they make). In 2013, Year 1 pupils performed

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The achievement of pupils is good

above the national average in the phonics screening check.  In Key Stage 1, attainment has been improving steadily over the last three years and pupils’ attainment is average in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers make sure that pupils build well on this good foundation.  By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is average in reading and mathematics, but still below average in writing. The school’s internal assessments show that there have been steady improvements in writing for the pupils who are present from the start of the key stage.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good, as is the achievement of those who speak English as an additional language (including those at an early stage of learning English). This is because teachers identify pupils’ needs accurately and provide effective and targeted interventions, specific focus on spellings and technical vocabulary.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils make average progress because they are not appropriately challenged and not enough reach the higher levels of attainment.  The school encourages pupils to read widely and often. Pupils are proactive in choosing to read and enjoy reading.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make good progress and attain as well as their peers in the school, both in English and mathematics. The school uses the designated funds well to support these pupils, including developing pupils’ outdoor confidence and skills, one-to-one support in reading and writing, small group sessions in Key Stage 2 and employing a parent partnership adviser.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most of the teaching over time is good across the school, with examples of some outstanding teaching. Many teachers have high expectations.  Teachers make clear at the start of every lesson what pupils are expected to learn and how they can achieve success. They check pupils’ progress against the success criteria, through targeted questioning and pupils’ work in the lesson.  Some teachers use a variety of inspiring and creative approaches to meet and respond to pupils’ different learning needs. Pupils are challenged to explore and develop thinking skills. For example, in one class pupils were writing complex sentences relevant to the Second World War. The teacher’s input was snappy and purposeful. All pupils made outstanding progress in writing and linked the facts together in chronological order and used adverbs and subordinate clauses in the complex sentences. This approach is not consistent across the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Planning is thorough and takes into account the skills pupils need to learn and develop, but sometimes more-able pupils are not appropriately challenged.  Teachers ensure there are strong links with pupils’ prior learning. Teachers plan opportunities for writing but do not give pupils enough chances for extended writing. For example, in one class during a role-play activity, some rich vocabulary and ideas were developed but not written down.  Pupils show high levels of engagement and excitement in their learning. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are strong. Classrooms have a very positive atmosphere in which pupils work together, share their views and ideas with each other very well.  Teachers mark pupils work regularly, but sometimes the feedback is not closely linked to next steps in learning. They give pupils time to consider their comments but do not monitor or check

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The quality of teaching is good

the quality of pupils’ responses.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the quality of teaching and learning is consistently good. There is a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Teachers and teaching assistants work as a team. There is high focus on early literacy and children’s physical development. Children are given a variety of opportunities to explore and interact with other children.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Ethos in school and during unstructured time around the school is very positive and warm. Almost all pupils are focused in lessons and show positive attitudes to learning. They respond quickly and effectively to teachers’ instructions, allowing the lesson to flow smoothly. They are supportive of each other’s views and feelings.  Pupils show respect for staff, their peers and the school. They are polite and courteous. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and adults are very good. Pupils are proud of their school and fully appreciative of the opportunities they are given. In most lessons teachers provide pupils opportunities for independent learning to which they respond well.  The school’s systems and procedures for managing behaviour are robust and effective. All staff use the school’s tiered system for managing behaviour.  Pupils say that behaviour in the school is very good. They have influence in the decision-making

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

process, for example additional resources in the school library. The school’s records of pupils’ views are overwhelmingly positive about behaviour and safety in the school. Parents who the inspectors spoke to during the inspection were very positive about the school and feel that the school provides very well for their child.  Pupils indicate that they have good understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. The school has thorough processes to ensure awareness is maintained and developed. Pupils say that bullying and racism are rare and they trust staff to follow up if they have any concerns. The school’s records also confirm this.  The school’s house and pupil committee systems ensure pupils have an understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the day-to-day life of the school.  Pupils attend regularly and are punctual. Attendance is above average for all groups of pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 All pupils feel safe and secure and school systems are well maintained to ensure the safety of pupils. They know how to keep themselves safe from everyday hazards, including e-safety.

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The leadership and management are good

 Key leaders and managers consistently communicate high aspirations and ambition for the school. They are all striving to improve the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ achievement further.  The school’s checks on how well it is doing are based on clear evidence. They are accurate and comprehensive. The targets and actions in the school’s development plan are clearly focused on improving the quality of teaching and achievement. The school has very effective systems for checking pupils’ progress in all year groups.  The school’s professional development system is very good. It is closely matched to the needs of the school and individual staff. There is a very strong coaching ethos within the school. New members of staff benefit greatly from the coaching provided by the senior leaders.  Teachers’ performance management and salary progression are closely linked to the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s core values (Respect, Purpose, Success) permeate every thing in the school. The school promotes equal opportunities for all pupils and uses well-planned intervention strategies to support any groups of pupils who are doing less well than they could. It is an inclusive school and creates a learning environment where everyone is respected and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The school’s curriculum is topic based and ensures good coverage, continuity and progression. It has been devised by pupils, teachers and staff together and reflects on pupils’ heritage and interests. It develops pupils’ academic knowledge, key skills and sporting achievements and provides exciting learning experiences for pupils. There is a wide range of enrichment activities to develop pupils’ skills and attributes.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has a very high profile and is promoted

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The leadership and management are good

very well throughout the school.  The local authority has provided targeted support, particularly in phonics teaching and language development. In October 2013 the local authority carried out a review focused on the teaching of writing and pupil achievement in writing across the school and judged them as good. In the local authority’s view this as a good school. Inspectors agree.  The school has prepared an action plan on how to use the additional sports funding. It has established a link with a secondary school, which is going to provide sports coaching, coordinator training, team teaching and support for pupils with special educational needs who cannot access sports. The impact will be measured by monitoring the quality of teaching and pupil outcomes. The school has also targeted 30 pupils in Key Stage 2, whose fitness levels will be monitored at the beginning and at the end of the academic year.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding is allocated effectively to raise achievement of eligible pupils through a variety of provision. As a result, the progress made by these pupils is good.  The school works well to engage parents in their children’s learning by inviting them to many different consultation and information events, as well as to the celebrations of achievements and international evenings. Staff who completed the questionnaires are very positive about the school.  Safeguarding meets statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body shares the high aspirations and ambition of the senior leadership team. It has a very clear understanding of the school’s effectiveness, including the quality of teaching and the data relating to pupils’ performance. The governing body has a successful phase-link governor system to provide support and systematic challenge to the phase leaders. Governors

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The leadership and management are good

monitor allocated budgets effectively in each area and have robust procedures for allocating resources, which meet all financial regulations well.  The governing body regularly checks the performance of staff, and its link to salary and progression. It knows what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance. The governing body makes sure that all statutory duties are met and governors attend training regularly.  The governing body is fully aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development. It closely monitors how the pupil premium funding is used in the school and its impact on pupils’ progress. Along with the senior leaders, the governing body has planned the use of the additional sports funding.

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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 100809 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 433153

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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 351 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marianne Breedon Headteacher Karen McBride Date of previous school inspection 16−17 May 2011 Telephone number 020 7708 3456 Fax number 020 7703 9830 Email address headteacher@robertbrowning.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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