Heathbrook Primary School

Heathbrook Primary School St Rule Street, London, SW8 3EH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Require improvement 3 Leadership and management Require improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 Although most pupils are now making expected progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6, pupils in Years 1 and 2 are still significantly behind other pupils nationally and not yet achieving as well as they should.  The school has made improvements to teaching, but these have not yet resulted in consistently good-quality teaching over time, especially in Years 1 and 2.  Where teaching is less effective, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding and progress sufficiently, and make necessary adjustments to their teaching.  Most pupils behave well. They feel safe. However, there are occasionally instances of poor attitudes and behaviour, which adversely affect pupils’ progress in lessons.  While senior leaders are now well established, changes in staffing have limited the impact of middle leaders in planning to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors have a good understanding of the

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

school’s strengths, but have not sufficiently understood weaknesses, such as pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 over time.  Although attendance has improved, and is broadly average, poor attendance by a few pupils limits their achievement.

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The school has the following strengths:

 The new headteacher has set the school firmly on a course of improvement. He has inspired and raised the expectations of his whole team. Actions to improve achievement and teaching are beginning to show success.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start to their schooling because of consistently good teaching.  Teachers are enthusiastic and have responded well to recent initiatives to raise pupils’ attainment.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 23 lessons, including three joint observations with members of the senior leadership team.  A sample of pupils in Years 1 and 6 was heard reading.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documentation on pupils’ progress and attendance, the school’s self-evaluation and a range of policies and procedures relating to the safety of pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of pupils’ workbooks.  Inspectors took account of the 98 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also analysed the 32 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Meetings were held with senior leaders and managers of the school, three members of the governing body, a group of pupils and a representative of the local authority.

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Inspection team

Gavin Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Theresa Mullane Additional Inspector Elizabeth Cole Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Heathbrook Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding (those eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and those with a parent or carer in the armed forces) is much higher than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is higher than average.  The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above the national average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the last inspection, there have been a large number of changes to the teaching staff.

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Information about this school

 The school runs its own breakfast and after-school clubs, which are managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or better in order to raise pupils’ attainment and accelerate their progress, especially in Years 1 and 2, by:  enabling the middle leaders (those who have responsibility for aspects of the school or subjects) to check on the quality of teaching more frequently, and to provide additional support where teaching needs improvement  extending into Year 1 the good teaching seen in the Early Years Foundation Stage  ensuring that teachers check pupils’ understanding and progress more effectively during lessons and make any necessary adjustments to their teaching.  Improve the impact of middle leaders and governors so that they play a more significant role in bringing about improvements by:  linking leaders’ work closely to the priorities in the school development plan to improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement  creating better opportunities for collaboration between teachers in Year 1 and those in the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Early Years Foundation Stage  ensuring that governors fully understand the implications of national and school information on pupils’ attainment and progress at each key stage, and hold the school to good account for pupils’ achievement.  Enhance the school’s efforts to raise pupils’ attendance, including through improved use of the collaborative arrangements with other local schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In Years 1 and 2, achievement requires improvement because pupils do not often enough make the progress expected of them. As a result, attainment is well below average at the end of Year 2. Pupils make better progress in reading, as seen in the results of the national screening check for phonics (linking letters and sounds) at the end of Year 1. However, some pupils in Year 1 are not ready for work based on the National Curriculum, although they clearly made progress within the Early Years Foundation Stage in their first years in school. So that these pupils make faster progress, their transition to work in Year 1 requires improvement.  Children enter school with skills and knowledge that are well below the expectations for their age. This is particularly the case with their language and literacy development. For a high proportion of children, English is not the language spoken at home. Most of these children make

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

expected progress, and a significant minority make good progress, flourishing with a new curriculum where they make more choices about their work and set themselves more challenges. They have good opportunities to learn both indoors and outdoors.  Weaker teaching in past years has meant that teachers in Years 5 and 6 have had to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge in order to ensure better progress. They have been successful in doing this. In 2013, attainment at the end of Year 6 was broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. In both reading and mathematics, this represented an improvement. Pupils in most ability groups made the progress expected of them, but did not make the more rapid progress that pupils achieved nationally.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the same uneven progress as others across the school. In some, but not all, year groups, they make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils for whom English is an additional language, and others from most minority ethnic groups, do well and make good progress compared with these pupils nationally. However, pupils of Caribbean heritage make slower progress.  The most-able pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress from their low starting points, and the proportion of pupils reaching the high Level 6 in mathematics, reading and writing is in line with national averages.  The school is deeply committed to good achievement by all pupils, and to the development of their talents and the discovery of new interests. Equal opportunities are very well promoted and no pupil is denied access to what the school has to offer. The commitment to good relationships has led to the near complete elimination of racist or bullying behaviour.  Pupil premium funding is used well to provide additional support in literacy and numeracy for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. The school’s own information shows that these

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

pupils are making similar progress to that of their classmates. The gap in performance between eligible pupils and all others has been closing over time. These pupils are now only about a term behind in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because of inconsistencies in quality. It has not been consistently good over time, especially in Years 1 and 2. As a result, pupils in these year groups do not make good progress in all their subjects.  Where teaching is less than good, teachers sometimes let some pupils fall behind. They do not check regularly or carefully enough on their progress to see if pupils understand what they are learning.  Across the school, there is an increasing proportion of good teaching year-on-year. There is a small proportion which is outstanding.  Stronger elements of teaching include teachers’ marking of pupils’ work and their feedback to them. Some pupils use this feedback well to improve their learning.  Teaching assistants work well with a range of pupils. Assistants know the planning for the lessons and work well with teachers to ensure that all pupils make good progress.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are happy and secure because teaching is

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

consistently good. Children are taught in ability groups for phonics (the sounds letters make), and make good progress. When adults speak to children, they provide a good model of the use of English, and help children to extend their vocabulary. For instance, a child who spoke English as an additional language was looking in a sand pit for buried treasure and quickly learned the word ‘dig’ as she searched with her spade.  The school makes good use of specialist teachers for music and physical education. Some of their work is outstanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Where teaching is less effective, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are not as positive as they should be, as they are not kept focused on their work. This is especially the case when teachers set work that is not planned carefully enough to help pupils move on swiftly in their learning. However, in most lessons, pupils are keen to learn and are well motivated.  Around the school, in assemblies, and at lunchtimes and playtimes, pupils behave well, although a very small number occasionally act too boisterously in corridors when out of sight of adults.  Pupils say there is little or no bullying. Pupils from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds get on very well together. The small numbers of pupils who find it difficult to behave consistently well are effectively supported by the school in the Quiet Room and the Learning Room.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Children say they feel safe in school,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

and their parents and carers share the same view. They are well looked after by adults and have a good knowledge of internet safety, which has recently been a school priority.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, behaviour is consistently good. This is the result of the close focus on supporting children’s personal development by all adults.  Those pupils who are members of the school council feel that their views are listened to, and cite instances where routines in the school have been changed as a result; for example, the school has replaced the plastic flight trays used for lunchtime food with plates and bowls.  The small group of pupils who attend the school’s breakfast club are assured of a calm atmosphere and a nourishing meal at the start of the day, while the after-school club provides a good service to working parents and carers.  Although attendance has improved, it remains broadly average. In spite of the school’s good

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

efforts, the rates of attendance by a few pupils remain too low. The school has very effective collaborative arrangements with several local schools, but has not yet explored this issue with them to seek additional solutions for improving attendance.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because the extent of changes in staffing has slowed the pace of improvement. Governance also requires improvement to provide challenge for improved teaching and better performance by pupils at the end of Year 2.  Middle leaders of English and mathematics, some quite new to their posts, have too few opportunities to check the quality of teaching in their areas of concern. It is currently the role of the senior leaders to monitor teaching, although they acknowledge the importance of greater involvement by middle leaders. Year Team leaders, on the other hand, have had opportunities to gather information about the teaching in their year groups.  The headteacher has created a good sense of teamwork among staff, especially in the senior leadership team. He is ambitious for the school’s future achievements and is promoting a strong agenda for improvement. However, not all planned actions have yet had a positive impact.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The support for newly qualified teachers is very effective. Teachers who were newly qualified between 2011/13 were noted teaching well during the inspection. However, elsewhere there is still a significant minority of teaching that is not good enough and requires improvement through similar individual support.  Since the last inspection, key improvements and new arrangements have been put in place. For example, meetings to discuss pupils’ progress are now held six times a year, resulting in improved targets being set for pupils. The use of a new computerised tracking system has radically improved the school’s use of assessment, enabling staff to track pupils’ progress much more easily and to support any underperforming pupils at an early stage.  The school’s own evaluation is accurate. Self-evaluation has led to an effective development plan, though this does not fully involve further improvements to teaching.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The school has developed a curriculum which provides pupils with a range of memorable experiences. A whole-school topic, ‘Be the best that I can’, has given a wide range of pupils opportunities to explore who they are and how they can help in their own personal development. A Victorian topic provides pupils with many opportunities to extend their writing skills. The topic includes producing a play about Victorian life which is performed for pupils and parents and carers.  The school has used its primary sports funding to employ a specialist teacher of physical education who provides opportunities for class teachers to develop their knowledge and skills in teaching physical education alongside him in lessons. Greater opportunity is now provided for participation in sporting competitions, both within the locality and further afield. The school is improving pupils’ physical well-being; pupils are now more active in lessons, and regularly refer

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The leadership and management require improvement

to their health and how their bodies respond to exercise.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils play significant roles in school. The wide range of pupils’ cultural backgrounds is used constructively to share both similarities and differences. This supports their spiritual and moral development particularly well.  The school has been at the forefront of developing successful collaboration with other local schools covering all phases of education. The group of schools has created a range of shared services and support activities with opportunities for staff to share ideas and improve their schools, although this does not yet extend to improving attendance.  Parents and carers are very pleased with the school. The responses to Parent View illustrate how parents’ and carers’ views about the school have improved since the previous inspection. This is

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The leadership and management require improvement

mirrored in the positive responses by members of staff in the school.  The local authority continues to give good support to the school and visits regularly to advise and check on its progress.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well organised. They have a good understanding of how pupil premium funding is spent and that these pupils are catching up the rest of the pupils in their classes. Governors have a good knowledge of performance management and have supported the headteacher in restructuring staffing to ensure best use of skills. The governing body manages the headteacher’s performance well so that targets set reflect the school’s development needs. The appraisal of other staff is closely linked to their professional development and training as well as to pay progression. They know that teaching is improving. Although governors have some understanding of the nationally produced data about how the school has performed,

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The leadership and management require improvement

they have not paid sufficient attention to pupils’ achievement by the end of Year 2. Governors fulfil their duties well with regard to safeguarding, and their work ensures that the school meets statutory requirements.

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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 100566 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 430830

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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 416 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jacqui Dyer Headteacher Ben Roberts Date of previous school inspection 28–29 May 2012 Telephone number 020 7622 4101 Fax number 020 7720 7048 Email address admin@heathbrook.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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