Allen Edwards Primary School

Allen Edwards Primary School Studley Road, Stockwell, London, SW4 6RP

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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.  The headteacher, together with the head of school and the governing body, has ensured that all staff share their considerable and relentless ambition to improve the school.  Pupils achieve well from low starting points to reach above average standards in mathematics and at least average standards in English at the end of Key Stage 2.  Teaching throughout the school is consistently good.  High quality teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage enables almost half of the cohort to reach a good level of development by the time they leave Reception, from low starting points.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety, both inside and outside the classroom, are good.  New middle leaders are becoming effective in their roles and ensure that the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress in their subject areas are at least good.  The school has successfully closed the gaps in achievement between pupils eligible for

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

support through the pupil premium and other pupils at the school as well as all pupils nationally.  The governing body rigorously holds the school to account for its performance and the management of its finances.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Overall figures for attendance, taken over time, indicate that, until recently, too many pupils have not attended school regularly when compared with other schools nationally.  There is not enough outstanding teaching.  More able pupils are not always given more demanding work as soon as they are ready to work at the next level.  Attainment in reading is on an upward trend by the end of Year 6, but some variability in reading skills remains at Key Stage 1.  There are some missed opportunities for pupils to act on their teachers’ marking and make the necessary improvements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons, six of which were jointly observed with the headteacher and the head of school. Inspectors undertook a series of short visits to other lessons across the school, observed an assembly and listened to children read.  Meetings were held with staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body and two other members, as well as a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 12 responses to the online Parent View survey and a recent school questionnaire, as well as the views of the parents they met. Inspectors also considered the 36 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including national test results and the school’s own information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s self-evaluation, improvement plans, safeguarding policies, and records and documents relating to staff performance.

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Inspection team

Lesley Leak, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kewal Goel Additional Inspector Victoria Turner Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-size primary school which has two forms of entry.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is much higher than the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for certain groups, including children in the care of the local authority, those from service families and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  A very high proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic families.  The proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language is well above the national average. Almost half of these are at an early stage of learning to speak English. The highest proportion of children with little or no English is currently in Nursery and Reception.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well above the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or who have a statement of

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Information about this school

special educational needs is above average.  The school works in partnership with the Clapham and Larkhall Collaborative and the Lambeth Alliance.  As a consequence of the substantive headteacher’s significant absence, due to ill health, during the past year, the school’s senior staffing structure was reorganised for two terms. At this time, the school was led and managed by the former deputy headteacher in a new role as head of school. The former assistant headteacher stepped up to the post of deputy headteacher, and both senior leaders were supported in their new roles by an external interim consultant headteacher for two days a week.  The school meets the government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  further improving the quality of reading to ensure pupils’ achievement is consistently high throughout Key Stage 1  ensuring that the more able pupils are challenged as soon as they are ready for more demanding work, especially in English  making sure that pupils are routinely given opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments in marking and to correct their mistakes.  Further improve attendance.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children in the Early Years Foundation Stage enter Nursery with skills and knowledge lower than expected for their age. Children learn extremely well as a result of the consistently good teaching they receive, and by the end of Reception almost half secure a good level of development. This is a remarkable achievement given the very high proportion of pupils in Nursery and Reception who are in the early stages of speaking English. Over the course of Years 1 and 2, most pupils continue to make good progress in English and mathematics, securing attainment which is broadly in line with that seen nationally.  The strong focus on promoting good language and communication skills from an early age helps pupils, especially those who are learning English as an additional language or who join late, to become confident learners who respond readily to questions and show positive attitudes to the challenges they are set.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils build well on earlier learning and make rapid progress in Key Stage 2. By the time they leave in Year 6, pupils reach standards which are well above national in mathematics and in line with national averages in English.  The phonics checks (checks on letters and sounds) for six-year-olds in 2012 and 2013 demonstrate average reading skills for the majority of pupils. Becoming competent in reading and understanding unfamiliar words has helped most children to become secure readers by the time they leave Year 2. The minority of Year 2 pupils, with below average reading skills, make good progress in reading by the time they leave in Year 6, as a result of the additional support they receive.  Writing standards are improving because pupils are routinely directed to focus on strategies which improve the quality of their writing alongside many additional opportunities to write at length in other subjects for different purposes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards of achievement in mathematics are very high throughout the school because pupils are taught in ability groups and given appropriately challenging work to take them to the next level. Pupils are highly motivated to achieve well in mathematics because of the many opportunities to solve real-life practical mathematical problems.  The attainment of the most able and the middle ability pupils is improving over time and this is reflected in the increasing proportions reaching the highest levels in mathematics and writing at Key Stage 1, as well in mathematics at Key Stage 2. The proportion of pupils achieving mathematics at the highest levels is considerably higher than that seen nationally because the subject is well led and managed. However, in some lessons, particularly in English, the more able are not always given more demanding work as soon as they are ready and this limits the progress they can make.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school actively promotes equal opportunities and tackles discrimination by ensuring pupils who are not making sufficient progress are given extra help to achieve well. Regular checks on pupils’ progress mean that anyone who needs extra help is quickly identified and provided with specific support. Consequently, most pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs and those pupils for whom English is an additional language make at least expected progress.  There is no gap in attainment between pupils supported by the pupil premium funding and other pupils in English and mathematics. Pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium funding initiative are making more progress in English and mathematics when their average point scores are compared with similar pupils nationally. They are also doing better than pupils at the school who are not eligible for the funding. This is because the funding has been effectively spent on

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The achievement of pupils is good

meeting the needs of identified pupils through additional support and other small group activities to accelerate progress in English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and other adults create a positive and welcoming environment which promotes good relationships and high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Wall displays are extremely attractive and classrooms are tidy. Teachers expect high standards of presentation and are excellent role models. There are effective systems to ensure everyone follows the school rules and, as a result, most pupils are highly engaged in learning.  Consistently good teaching has brought about the recent acceleration of pupils’ achievement in mathematics and writing over the past two years, especially at Key Stage 2.  Rapid gains in pupils’ mathematical knowledge and understanding result from applying what pupils have learned to real-life problem solving situations which demand a high level of mathematical understanding and skills. For example, in a highly effective Year 6 mathematics lesson, more able pupils, in pairs, were asked to assess what proportions of ingredients itemised

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The quality of teaching is good

in a recipe for 80 pumpkin pies were required to make only two pies. This not only involved pupils in scaling amounts up and down to reach the solution but also in decisions about whether there were enough ingredients in the larder to make the two pies. Their varied and sometimes ‘over complicated explanations’ showed their enthusiastic determination to rise to the challenge.  In the best writing lessons, the teachers’ subject knowledge is strong and the pace of learning is fast. For example, in an exceptional Year 6 writing lesson, pupils were asked to describe the ghost’s feelings for the spider and the fly in the picture book, The Spider and the Fly. Pretending to be the ghost, the teacher encouraged her pupils to ask pertinent and challenging questions about how the ghost felt at significant points in the story so as to deepen their understanding of the characters. Always insisting that pupils replace their first suggestions with even better

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The quality of teaching is good

adjectives, such as optimistic, vulnerable, comfortable and furious, the teacher secured high quality written responses from every pupil in the class.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff provide a stimulating and caring learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, where children quickly become confident learners and make good progress. Benefiting from a good range of activities designed to extend their language and communication skills, children demonstrate high levels of engagement. Appropriately supported to write, count and read, pupils are well prepared for Year 1.  Teachers’ marking and assessment of pupils’ work are thorough and regular. Teachers frequently provide useful guidance about how pupils can improve their work, but sometimes pupils do not respond.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are friendly and welcoming to visitors. Most pupils behave in a respectful way to each other and other adults, both in class and around school.  The school has recently appointed a behaviour management coordinator to support staff who are new to the school with a range of effective strategies to manage pupils’ behaviour better. As a result, a unified approach to rewarding good behaviour and for managing minor misdemeanours is embedded across the school. The school council has been instrumental in the formulation of the new behaviour policy and, as a consequence, all pupils are keen to make it work.  Good behaviour routines are now well established and any lapses are managed effectively by the teacher and support staff. The school’s code of conduct for good learning, with penalties to be applied when pupils do not meet the school’s expectations, is displayed in every classroom,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

providing teachers and support staff with a clear system for monitoring pupils’ behaviour effectively. As a result, pupils generally respond quickly to staff instructions and settle down to work in lessons right from the start, demonstrating their good attitudes to learning. Occasionally, pupils’ behaviour wanes when work is not quite hard enough or teachers do not move pupils on quickly enough.  Pupils’ attendance has not been good enough for the past two years, with above average numbers of pupils persistently absent from school. Since last September the situation has improved and attendance figures are now in line with those seen nationally because the school’s systems to rectify the situation have been effective.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are fully aware about different forms of bullying and learn about internet safety. They know how to keep themselves safe and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

have been taught about road safety. The school gates are closely monitored and the school’s premises staff undertake regular risk assessments to check that the pupils are kept safe. Pupils who spoke with inspectors confirmed that they feel safe and well cared for.

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The leadership and management are good

 The ambitious leadership of the headteacher, senior leadership team and governing body is shown in their constant drive to secure improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement. Central to this picture of improvement is the school’s clear view of its own strengths and weaknesses and its investment in high quality professional development and training for staff, many of whom are only in their second or third year of teaching and some of whom are newly qualified. As a result, staff are enabled to understand and adopt the school’s expectations and procedures quickly.  Underpinning the school’s success is the robustness of its systems for managing staff performance. During the substantive headteacher’s recent and significant absence, the head of school supported by a consultant headteacher and the school’s highly committed governing body ensured that standards in pupils’ achievement have continued to rise, especially in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders, many of whom are new to the role, have provided valuable guidance to teachers about how best to teach different subjects and this has led to some positive developments in teachers’ planning for a range of abilities. Well trained, through their membership of the Clapham and Larkhall Collaborative Partnership, middle leaders are becoming highly effective in their role for monitoring and evaluating teaching quality.  The themed curriculum is well planned and provides positive experiences with rich opportunities for learning. It is broadened by a variety of enrichment activities and clubs including residential trips and visits, sports, information and communication technology, art and music. New approaches to mathematics and writing are assisting pupils to learn more effectively than previously.  Pupils have many opportunities to participate in activities that promote their social, moral,

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The leadership and management are good

cultural and spiritual development and there is a strong focus on environmental issues and music which is exceptionally well taught. Parents commented on how well the school promotes inclusion, ensuring that pupils understand and respect each other’s faiths.  Many parents from a wide range of cultural backgrounds take advantage of the phonics and curriculum workshops provided by the school to help their children at home.  The school makes good use of the government additional funding for sport by employing a sports coach from a specialist Sports in Education company who has helped to broaden the range of sports available, while training the school’s staff to ensure this provision will continue.  The school works positively with Lambeth local authority which has always been confident in the leadership’s ability to maintain high rates of pupils’ progress through its consistently good provision.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body makes a strong contribution to the quality of education the school provides. The governing body knows how the school performs against national standards and pays close attention to the school’s assessment and pupil performance information. Governors know how the pupil premium funding is allocated and are rightly proud that the achievement gap has narrowed as a result. They have had relevant training about keeping the school under review and rigorously follow up on areas where the school could be doing better, with notable impact. During the substantive headteacher’s absence they were instrumental in ensuring that high educational standards were maintained. The governors hold the headteacher to account for the school’s performance and the management of its finances which are sound. Governors make sure that the system for managing the performance of staff is robust and linked closely

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The leadership and management are good

to pay for teachers and senior leaders. The governing body ensures that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and seeks out parents’ views of important issues.

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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 100598 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 432354

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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 465 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Daryn Mc Combe Headteacher Pauline Turnham Date of previous school inspection 11–12 June 2009 Telephone number 0207 622 3985 Fax number 020 7627 5004 Email address office@allenedwards.lambeth.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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