Monks Orchard School

Monks Orchard Primary School The Glade, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 7UF

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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. They make good progress from starting points that are often low to reach at least average standards at the end of Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics.  Teaching is good because it enables pupils of all abilities to make good progress in lessons. Teachers plan together and share ideas which helps to improve their classroom practice.  Leaders and managers check the quality of teaching carefully. They provide effective training opportunities which help teachers to continually improve their performance.  Governors, leaders and managers have ensured that the quality of teaching has remained strong and pupils’ achievement good since the previous inspection.  Pupils behave well. The school fosters positive relationships and tackles discrimination effectively to create a harmonious environment where adults and pupils from many different backgrounds get on extremely well together.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have developed a range of highly effective strategies to promote good attendance. Figures have therefore risen significantly since the previous inspection and attendance is now in line with national figures.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not yet enough outstanding teaching to ensure pupils make rapid progress across year groups.  Pupils are not always able to begin to work on tasks immediately. This is because teachers’ explanations are sometimes not clear enough, so they have to wait for adult help.  Teachers sometimes tell pupils answers rather than encouraging them to find things out for themselves. This prevents them from making really rapid progress, particularly in developing their thinking and problem solving skills.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 24 lessons or parts of lessons, two of which were conducted jointly with school leaders. They looked at pupils’ work in lessons, as well as the work pupils have completed over time in their books  Meetings were held with staff, pupils and representatives from the governing body and the local authority. Inspectors also attended an assembly and listened to pupils read. They looked at behaviour in lessons, around the school building, in the dinner hall, in the playground and in the breakfast club.  Inspectors took account of the 49 results from the online Parent View survey, as well as the views of parents expressed through informal discussions on both mornings of the inspection, letters and emails received during the course of the inspection and recent surveys conducted by the school. The results of the 57 questionnaires completed by staff were also taken into account.  The inspection team looked at a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding

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Information about this inspection

and child protection, the school’s development plans and self-evaluation, checks on the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings, information about pupils’ academic progress and standards and logs relating to behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Liz Kissane Additional Inspector Michael Elson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is higher than the national average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above national figures.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those entitled to free school meals and children of service families) is higher than the national average.  The school represents a diverse community and two thirds of pupils are from a range of ethnic minority backgrounds. This proportion is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is slightly higher than the national average. A few of these are at the early stages of learning English.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been a number of staff changes since the previous inspection, including the appointment of a new deputy headteacher.  The school has recently undergone extensive building works as it expands to having three classes in each year group by 2018.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club on the premises.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding so that pupils make rapid progress across all year groups by:  ensuring teachers explain tasks clearly so that all pupils can start work without waiting for additional help  giving pupils more opportunities to work out problems or unfamiliar words and concepts themselves, rather than telling them the answer, and so developing their thinking and problem-solving skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are generally below those typical of three- and four-year-olds, especially in speaking, listening, reading and writing. They make good progress because there is a strong focus on learning vocabulary and grammar. For example, children were very keen to explain why sentences start with a capital letter and end with a full stop, when preparing for writing sentences of their own. This means that a good proportion of children are ready to start Year 1 with the expected level of skills and understanding.  Pupils acquire secure skills in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) because these skills are taught well and systematically. This results in higher proportions reaching the expected level in the phonics screening check in Year 1 than is the case nationally. This solid grounding in early reading skills helps pupils develop a love of, and confidence in, reading that serves them well

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The achievement of pupils is good

throughout their time at the school and beyond.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 have risen steadily for the last three years and are now higher than at the time of the previous inspection.  In reading and writing, pupils leave Key Stage 2 with average standards, which represent good progress from their starting points.  In mathematics, pupils make rapid progress and reach above average standards at the end of Year 6. The school provides particularly well for more able pupils. The proportion of those reaching the highest level (Level 6) is double the national figure.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported well in a range of ways. The school works well with specialists and outside agencies. For example, the school has its own speech and language professional who supports key pupils and trains school staff to better understand how to meet specific needs. This means that potential problems are spotted

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The achievement of pupils is good

early and measures put in place to ensure pupils in this group achieve well, as do other groups in school.  The school uses the pupil premium funding well to ensure that gaps in attainment between eligible pupils and their classmates begin to narrow as soon as children join in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means that, by the time pupils leave at the end of Key Stage 2, gaps have either narrowed or closed entirely. For example, last year, the gaps for reading and mathematics were less than a term, a clear improvement on the national gaps which were over two terms. Progress in writing was particularly rapid for those eligible for the additional funding, who were nearly half a term ahead of other groups in school.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well because there is a strong emphasis on developing and using the correct vocabulary, for example saying ‘adjective’ rather

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The achievement of pupils is good

than ‘describing word’ from a very young age.  Pupils from different groups and from different starting points, including the most able, all make good progress because the school is committed to promoting equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan lessons carefully, taking into account the differing levels of ability of the pupils in their classes. They work well in teams, which benefits pupils because there is a high level of consistency in quality from class to class and year to year. Pupils are therefore familiar with routines and expectations and this allows lessons to flow smoothly.  Teachers set pupils helpful targets to ensure they know what they need to do next to improve their work. For example, in Year 1, pupils could talk about how they needed to use more creative words than ‘and’ to join their sentences because they had little target cards in front of them as they wrote.  Teachers mark pupils’ work with helpful comments and then give pupils time to respond. Teachers then check these responses to see how well pupils understand particular concepts. This means that teachers know exactly what individual pupils need to move on in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

For example, in work on decimal places, teachers in Year 6 were quickly able to see which pupils were ready to move on to working with decimal places up to, and including, thousandths, and which needed to consolidate working with tenths and hundredths first.  Work in books and in lessons shows that teachers provide a high level of challenge for the most able which ensures they are engrossed in their learning and drives rapid progress. For example, in a Year 3 mathematics lesson, the more able group was concentrating hard on using an advanced method for adding numbers with three digits. More able pupils in Year 6 have written poems about the coming of autumn and these were of exceptionally high quality.  Teachers are very clear when teaching a new concept and when explaining vocabulary. However, on occasion, they do not explain tasks well enough for all pupils to understand. This means that some pupils get off to a flying start while others simply wait until an adult comes to

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The quality of teaching is good

help before getting started, which slows down their learning.  On occasion, teachers give pupils answers rather than helping them to work things out for themselves. For example, teachers sometimes tell pupils the meaning of new words rather than encouraging them to use a dictionary. This limits pupils’ progress in developing thinking and problem solving skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well in class, following instructions quickly which means no time is wasted during and between lessons. Classrooms are kept tidy and fit for purpose.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their work and take pride in presenting their work well; standards of presentation and handwriting are high. However, attitudes are not exemplary because pupils do not always show initiative in their learning. For example, when pupils are not clear about how to tackle tasks, they wait for help rather than attempt to complete them themselves.  Pupils attend well and arrive on time. Attendance figures have risen since the previous inspection because the school has put a range of successful measures in place. Staff work well with families to develop an understanding of how crucial it is for pupils’ academic success that the children attend regularly.  Teachers manage behaviour well. Pupils appreciate winning merits and other rewards. Because

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the school uses a computerised system, pupils and parents can keep track of any rewards earned from home and this is a strong incentive.  There is a range of provision in place for supporting pupils who have particular behavioural needs. Feedback from pupils on options such as special lunchtime clubs and counselling services has been very positive. There have been no exclusions for at least three years which shows that these measures are effective.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils report they feel safe and most parents agree. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to learn about various ways in which to stay safe. Transport for London recently visited the school to talk about keeping safe when travelling and the school runs a cycling proficiency course for older pupils.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying. For example, they can explain

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

that spreading rumours or ignoring someone can be hurtful in the same way that physical or verbal abuse is. Most pupils report that they have never come across instances of bullying. The few that have say it is rare and that teachers can be relied upon to deal with issues.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, managers and governors are strongly committed to continuing to improve the quality of provision and pupils’ outcomes.  Leaders have put in place a range of key improvements since the previous inspection. They identify the actions needed by evaluating the school’s strengths and weaknesses well and produce clear development plans which are reviewed on a regular basis.  There are very robust systems in place to ensure the quality of teaching continually improves. Leaders set targets for teachers which clearly outline how much progress pupils need to make. By observing lessons and looking at planning and work in books, leaders are able to give teachers helpful and detailed points on how to improve their performance. There is a wide range of training opportunities to support teachers in making those improvements and meeting their targets.  Leaders keep careful checks on how well different groups are achieving. For example, last year,

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The leadership and management are good

they identified that more able pupils were not doing as well in reading and writing as they were in mathematics. Leaders therefore put a range of strategies in place to remedy this. Specialist groups now run, such as the advanced level reading group led by the English subject leader. This group is providing pupils with the opportunity to encounter work that is at the very highest level and become confident in answering more complex and detailed questions on texts. This, in turn, is leading to higher standards.  The school is dealing well with the demands of growing pupil numbers as it expands. A new group of middle leaders contributes effectively to checking and improving the quality of teaching across different subjects and in different year groups. This ensures that the school has the capacity to continue to support teachers and share good practice as it moves to three classes in each year group.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum offers good opportunities for pupils to develop reading, writing and mathematical skills across a range of subjects. For example, pupils in Year 2 learning about The Great Fire of London in history were emulating Samuel Pepys in their own writing.  The sports funding has been well used to increase participation in sporting activities and to provide teachers with training to improve their teaching of physical education and sports.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Assemblies create a strong sense of community spirit and books often have moral messages. Working in pairs and looking after younger pupils develop a sense of social responsibility and links are constantly made to cultural traditions from across the globe.  The local authority offers light touch support to this good school. For example, the school accesses relevant training and support when needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors use a range of sources of information to make sure they know how well the school is performing compared to similar schools nationally. They work closely with leaders to set rigorous targets for performance across a range of indicators and challenge where these could be more ambitious. Governors are very clear about the pay structure and how it is used to reward good performance and drive up the quality of teaching. They support school leaders in awarding pay rises dependent upon performance, and are clear that where targets are not met those rises will not be forthcoming. Governors play a key role in shaping and evaluating development plans in order that the school continues to improve and standards continue to rise. Governors have evaluated their own effectiveness and allocated roles according to members’ existing skills and experience. They talk favourably of the training offered by the

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The leadership and management are good

local authority, which they access to keep their knowledge up to date. They keep a tight rein on finances by, for example, receiving detailed feedback about the impact of key funding streams, such as the pupil premium and the sports funding. Governors ensure that the school meets statutory safeguarding 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 101730 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 431284

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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 522 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Philpotts Headteacher Margaret Misson Date of previous school inspection 8 July 2009 Telephone number 020 8654 2570 Fax number 020 8662 0423 Email address administrator@monksorchard.croydon.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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