Allfarthing Primary School

Allfarthing Primary School St Ann’s Crescent, Wandsworth, London, SW18 2LR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  Strong and effective leadership by the headteacher has led to improvements in the quality of teaching and higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils are now making good progress in all year groups.  By the end of Year 6, standards in reading and mathematics are above average.  Much of the teaching is good, with examples of outstanding teaching.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and, at times, exemplary. Pupils have a secure understanding of personal safety.  Senior members of staff are working closely with the headteacher to secure further improvement.  Governors know the school well; they are supportive but at the same time ask questions and set challenging targets to ensure the school continues to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not yet reaching the same standards in mathematics as they do in reading and writing.  A few lessons are not taught well enough.  More able pupils in Years 3 and 4 are not always challenged sufficiently.  Key stage and subject leaders have yet to refine their skills in helping teachers to consistently teach well and to deploy teaching assistants effectively.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors attended two assemblies, observed 23 lessons and made a number of shorter visits to other lessons. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher joined the inspectors for some of the observations. Inspectors heard some pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 read.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, staff, groups of pupils and a local authority representative.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including the data the school has collected on pupils’ attainment and progress, procedures for keeping pupils safe and the school development plan.  In making their judgements, inspectors took account of the 53 responses to the Parent View online questionnaire and 43 questionnaires returned by members of staff.

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Inspection team

David Wynford Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kate Robertson Additional Inspector Peter Thrussell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of the pupils are of White British heritage. A larger-than-average proportion come from a number of different minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is broadly average. Very few are currently at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is broadly average. However, the proportion identified for additional support through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is marginally below average. This is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those who are looked after by the local authority, and other eligible groups.

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Information about this school

 In 2013 the school met the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the last inspection there have been several headteachers. The current headteacher joined the school in September 2012.  Some of the senior leaders have recently taken up their posts.  In September 2013 there were nine teachers new to the school

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Refine the skills of phase and subject leaders in helping teachers and teaching assistants to consistently teach well, so that all pupils make at least good progress.  Ensure pupils make faster progress and reach higher standards in mathematics by:  making certain that tasks are well matched to the needs of pupils working at different levels  providing greater challenge for the more able pupils, particularly in Years 3 and 4  linking problem-solving tasks in mathematics to real-life situations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 School records indicate that the large majority of children start in the Reception classes with skills and knowledge in line with that expected for their age. Approximately half have attended the school nursery where they settled quickly and developed a positive attitude towards school.  In the Reception classes they make good progress and most reach the levels expected of a typical five-year-old by the end of the year. The end of the Reception year assessments show a trend of improving standards.  Children make good progress because they settle quickly and establish good relationships with their teachers and their classmates. They enjoy their learning activities and make appropriate use of the limited outdoor area to consolidate and extend their learning.  By the end of Year 6, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average. However, in mathematics, standards are slightly lower than in reading and writing. Standards in

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The achievement of pupils is good

Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics are rising and are currently above those expected for the age.  Pupils’ progress is accelerating because teaching has improved, expectations are higher and pupils have a more positive attitude to learning. In Key Stage 2, pupils tend to make more rapid progress in Years 5 and 6 where teaching is stronger. In Years 3 and 4, the more able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium now make good progress because the school has used this additional funding to provide additional support staff and further support for literacy and numeracy. In 2013, pupils in Year 6 eligible for the additional funding did not do as well as their classmates. They were about two years behind their peers in mathematics, twelve months in reading and eighteen months in writing. Current data suggest that this gap is closing. Pupils entitled to pupil premium are about twelve months behind their peers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make better progress than their peers nationally. They are given additional support to move their learning on and their individual progress is checked regularly.  Pupils’ skills in reading are developing well. Younger pupils have a secure understanding of phonics (the sounds that letters make) and use this knowledge effectively to help read unfamiliar words. Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics assessments show that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was above the national average in 2013. This is a marked improvement on the 2012 outcomes, when the proportion reaching the expected standard was below the national average. Current data suggest that pupils are on track to match and possibly better the standards achieved in 2013.  Pupils’ reading skills in Year 2 and Year 6 are above those expected for their ages. In Year 6,

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils enjoy reading. They read confidently and with expression. They talk knowledgeably about their favourite authors and can clearly explain why they like certain books and dislike others.  Pupils’ writing skills are developing well. They know about the different styles and purposes of writing and practise these skills regularly, for example, by writing letters, poems, accounts of events and stories. Many, particularly in Years 1 and 2, are using their phonic knowledge to help spell unfamiliar words. Older pupils use dictionaries confidently. Pupils are encouraged to use punctuation correctly and include conjunctions, adjectives and adverbs to bring their writing to life.  The recent changes to the teaching of mathematics groups Years 5 to 6 are going well. Pupils have responded positively to working in groups within their year group and look forward to the daily mathematics sessions. As a result, their rate of progress is accelerating. However, in Years

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The achievement of pupils is good

3 and 4 their progress is not as rapid. This is partly because the work is not always sufficiently well matched to pupils’ ability. Sometimes, the more able pupils are not challenged sufficiently. Some of the problem-solving and investigation activities are not linked closely enough to real-life situations. As a result, pupils do not see the relevance of the task and do not become immersed in finding a solution.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Much of the teaching is good, with some examples of outstanding teaching. As a result, pupils are making good progress, especially in literacy and numeracy.  Teachers strive to ensure that all pupils, including potentially vulnerable pupils, pupils who speak English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, are fully included and have equal access to the same learning opportunities as other pupils.  Most teachers are successfully raising the expectations of pupils, including the more able, to strive to reach higher standards. They manage pupils’ behaviour well and skilfully bring the pupils’ learning in different subjects together through carefully thought-out topics or themes. Joint planning in each year group helps ensure that pupils in parallel classes are given the same access to the curriculum.  Most lessons are well planned, with the work pitched at the right level for pupils across the full

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The quality of teaching is good

ability range. However, in the occasional lesson teachers do not ensure that there is sufficient challenge for some of the more able pupils. As a result, they do not make as rapid progress as their peers, especially in developing their mathematical skills.  Teachers regularly ask pupils how well they think they are doing and use this information appropriately to plan future lessons. The marking of pupils’ work is consistent. There are some good examples of marking in the English books and pupils are given clear guidance to improve their work. This helps pupils to make rapid progress and reach their challenging targets.  Nearly all lessons proceed at a quick pace. Teachers encourage pupils to share their ideas with each other and with the adults. They use questioning strategies to skilfully build on pupils’ earlier learning. Teaching assistants support group work effectively but are not always deployed to

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The quality of teaching is good

maximise pupils’ learning at the start and end of lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ good and sometimes excellent behaviour, together with their positive attitudes to learning, help them to make good progress.  Pupils know about different types of bullying such as name-calling, fighting, racial, religious or cyber-bullying. They say that all the pupils get on well together and that if a bullying incident occurred, it would be dealt with quickly and fairly.  Although there have been four reported incidents of racist behaviour, lessons are very rarely interrupted by incidents of inappropriate behaviour. Pupils are polite and routinely demonstrate good manners as they move around the school. Most respond quickly to instructions.  Pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe and have a good understanding of potential dangers, for example, when using the internet.  Pupils enjoy school. Their attendance has improved steadily and is now above average for primary schools.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ ability to get on well together contributes much to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. She is working well with governors, senior leaders and staff to bring about improvements. Teaching has improved and standards throughout the school are rising steadily.  There is an accurate and shared understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and the strategies needed to continue to improve provision and outcomes for pupils. The expansion of the senior leadership team and the recent appointments of some key stage and subject leaders are helping move the school forward.  The headteacher sets high expectations, to which the staff have responded well. They have attended courses and whole-staff training sessions, and engage in regular discussions with the headteacher to improve their professional skills.  Pupils’ progress in checked regularly and teachers are asked to account half termly for the progress made by pupils in their class. If pupils are not making at least the expected rate of

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The leadership and management are good

progress, additional support is provided.  Effective support has been given to the teachers who joined the school at the beginning of term. This has ensured they settled quickly and are able to help their pupils make good progress.  Key stage and subject leaders are developing their roles well and are increasingly making an effective contribution to the leadership and management of the school. However, they have yet to refine their skills in ensuring that teachers consistently teach well and that teaching assistants are deployed effectively throughout the lesson, in order to make certain that all pupils make good progress.  In all classes, there is a focus on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. All subjects of the National Curriculum are taught and, where possible, brought together through a theme or topic approach. The wide range of activities at school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social

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The leadership and management are good

and cultural development well. Pupils are given many opportunities to enrich their education, for example, by undertaking various responsibilities and taking part in educational visits.  Following a decline in standards and a review of the school in 2011, the local authority has provided good support. Officers have worked closely with the governing body and senior leaders to secure improvements. The local authority has rightly reduced its level of support as the school has progressed.  The governance of the school:  Governors undertake regular training and now undertake their roles well. They are effective in fulfilling their responsibilities. Good use is made of their individual skills and training when allocating responsibilities. Working closely with the headteacher and the local authority, governors have identified the school’s strengths and weaknesses and use this knowledge well to set challenging yet realistic targets. They monitor the school’s progress and pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

achievement against local and national data and the actions identified in the school’s detailed development plan. The school development plan accurately reflects the school’s needs. The headteacher’s termly reports keep governors up to date with how well the pupils are doing. Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching, of how targets are set for teachers to improve and of the process for rewarding good teaching. The governing body makes sure that pupil premium funding is being spent sensibly and that the impact of the expenditure on pupils’ progress is checked. There are suitable plans for the spending of the primary sports funding, which includes the employment of a sports coach and swimming instruction. Processes have been established to check the expenditure and its impact on pupils’ development. The governing body promotes relationships with the wider community well and will not tolerate any discrimination. The school meets requirements for safeguarding

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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 100996 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 427223

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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 454 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jo Moran Headteacher Alison Silke Date of previous school inspection 27 June 2008 Telephone number 020 8874 1301 Fax number 020 8870 2128 Email address info@allfarthing.wandsworth.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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