The Orchard School

Orchard Primary School Christchurch Road, London, SW2 3ES

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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 rapid progress from low starting points. By the end of Year 6 they reach standards that are above all pupils nationally in reading and mathematics and in line in writing.  Teaching is good because teachers provide stimulating activities which help pupils learn well.  Pupils know what they need to do next to improve their work because teachers set them clear, helpful targets.  Leaders provide well-thought-out training opportunities. This has improved the overall quality of teaching since the previous inspection.  Pupils enjoy school and feel safe, attending regularly and arriving on time.  Governors, leaders and managers have worked effectively to drive sustained improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.  Pupils behave well around the school. In lessons, they are interested and keen to take part.  The school has developed new middle leaders

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

exceptionally well. They now contribute to raising the quality of teaching highly effectively.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Pupils take part in a range of visits that enrich their understanding of the world around them.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to ensure pupils make rapid progress across year groups.  Pupils do not have sufficiently well-developed speaking skills to be able to explain what they are learning. This inhibits the amount of progress they make.  Not all pupils have the opportunity to answer questions targeted at their ability level, and this limits teachers’ ability to check how well they are learning.  Pupils are not given enough time to act upon the helpful comments teachers make when marking, and this restricts how well their work improves.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons, including the teaching of phonics (letter patterns and the sounds they represent) and guided reading. Three of these were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors attended an assembly, heard pupils read and discussed behaviour and learning with groups of pupils. Inspectors looked at behaviour in and around the school, including in lessons, in the playground and as pupils ate their lunch.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils and representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  The inspection team looked closely at pupils’ work in lessons and the work they have completed over time in their books.  Inspectors took account of the 37 responses to the online Parent View survey as well as the views expressed by parents spoken to during the inspection. Questionnaires returned by 18 staff were also considered.  A range of documents were scrutinised, including those relating to safeguarding and child

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Information about this inspection

protection, behaviour and attendance, the school’s evaluation of its own effectiveness, its development planning, checks made on the quality of teaching and pupils’ academic performance.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, Lead inspector Additional inspector Olson Davies Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and/or those with special educational needs supported through school action is higher than national. The proportion supported through school action or with a statement of educational needs is also higher.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in care, known to be eligible for free school meals or with a parent serving in the armed forces) is much higher than nationally. There are currently no pupils in care or from service families on roll.  All the pupils in the school are from minority ethnic backgrounds, which is a much higher proportion than the national average. Over half the pupils are of Black African descent, and nine other groups are represented in varying proportions.  Most pupils in the school speak English as an additional language, with many at the earlier

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Information about this school

stages of learning English. This is far higher than the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is part of the Al Risalah Education Trust.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that pupils make rapid and sustained progress across year groups by:  developing pupils’ speaking skills so that they can explain and talk about what they are learning  ensuring pupils of different abilities have the opportunity to answer targeted questions  giving pupils enough time to act upon helpful comments made in marking.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skill levels that are lower than those of typical four-year-olds across most areas of learning. They begin to make good progress immediately because there is a good range of activities to promote learning.  Pupils enjoy reading and the school makes sure they have a good range of books to choose from. They use their phonics skills well to tackle new words and understand that success in reading supports learning in all other subjects.  There is a strong focus on writing. This has been successful in improving pupils’ progress. In the 2013 National Assessment, Year 6 pupils did better than their peers nationally.  The proportion of pupils who reached the higher Level 5 in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2 last year was significantly above national figures.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because staff

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The achievement of pupils is good

regularly check how well they are learning and amend support accordingly.  Pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium achieve well. The school is using the funding increasingly effectively so gaps in attainment are narrowing. For example, at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2013, eligible pupils were approximately three terms behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. However, in school currently, most gaps are much narrower than this or have been eliminated altogether. For example, in the current Year 6, there are no gaps in reading or writing and the gap in mathematics is only two terms.  More-able pupils make equally good progress in lessons as other groups in school because teachers give them a high level of challenge. Consequently, some pupils achieved the highest level (Level 6) for the first time in mathematics and the new grammar test last year.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language, including those who are at the early stages,

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The achievement of pupils is good

make good progress because there is a very strong focus on developing vocabulary and correct usage of grammar. This has been backed up by bespoke training focused specifically on meeting their needs.  Pupils from Black African backgrounds and different ethnic groups achieve as well as each other because the school is committed to tackling discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide a range of tasks and activities which interest pupils. They base these tasks on a clear understanding of what pupils already know and what they need to move forward in their learning.  Teachers apply what they have learnt in training to good use in the classroom. For example, in a Year 3 mathematics lesson, pupils learnt new information in a step-by-step way which helped them to think about a challenging new concept, and the teacher’s really clear explanation helped their understanding. She then provided a range of activities and appropriate resources which helped pupils learn exceptionally well.  In a Year 6 writing lesson, the teacher noticed that pupils were getting confused when trying to identify the slogan in advertisements they were analysing. He stopped the whole class and clarified the issue, asking pupils to provide examples to make sure they were clear before moving on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is a strong focus on helping pupils develop a broad vocabulary. Teachers provide clear definitions and there are often helpful reminders available which encourage pupils to use new words accurately in their writing.  Pupils use the well-thought-out next steps for learning set by teachers in every lesson to remind them what they need to do to improve. These are effective in supporting pupils to make good progress.  The more able are highly motivated by the challenge provided in lessons. For example, in a Year 1 lesson, pupils were supported to think about what would happen if extra groups were added in a mathematics lesson on dividing. Where other groups used concrete resources such as plastic cubes to help them visualise splitting twelve into three, the more able went on to do this solely in their heads, showing very sophisticated thinking for such young children.  Pupils produce high quality written work. However, pupils do not always have the speaking skills

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The quality of teaching is good

to explain what they have learnt, and this limits their progress to good.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and add useful suggestions to check how well pupils have understood the learning. However, pupils are not always given the time to act upon these comments, which restricts the overall impact on progress.  Teachers ask a range of helpful questions in class that allow pupils to show what they have learnt. However, questions are not always pitched at a level that enables different groups to respond to enable the teacher to be sure they have all understood.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good because pupils respect each other and are polite and courteous. They play well together and show good manners at lunchtime. Adults supervise them well and are also shown respect.  In lessons, pupils are attentive and listen carefully so that they can complete tasks well. They follow instructions immediately so no learning time is lost when moving from one lesson to another.  Attitudes to learning are good rather than outstanding because pupils are not always as involved as they could be in their learning. For example, they do not always respond to comments in marking.  Pupils attend regularly, arrive at school on time and are punctual to lessons. For example, they settle quickly after breaks because they respond well to the routines that have been put in place to ensure this happens.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Almost all parents who responded to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the online survey agreed that their child feels safe, and pupils and staff echoed these feelings.  Pupils know how to stay safe. They talk about their understanding of using the internet safely and are clear about how to cross roads.  Pupils understand the range of behaviours that constitute bullying. However, the school’s work to keep pupils safe is not outstanding because not all pupils are clear about the difference between bullying and one-off incidents.  Behaviour is managed well. A range of rewards motivate pupils. Clear explanations about the need for good behaviour provide a moral incentive. A strong focus on respect is another factor that influences how well pupils behave. These, and more specialist approaches where necessary, ensure that pupils with particular behavioural needs are helped to manage their behaviour so that incidences of unacceptable behaviour become increasingly infrequent.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have a clear vision of what they want to achieve for their pupils. In addition to striving for academic excellence, the school is outward looking and works well with other local schools and the community to ensure pupils have the range of experiences they need to be ready for moving on to secondary school.  The school has built an increasingly effective leadership team by recruiting and training middle leaders, who now contribute significantly to improving the quality of teaching. There is a shared understanding of what good learning is and middle leaders support their colleagues in a range of ways. For example, they look at work in pupils’ books and give valuable feedback on strengths and areas for development. They also demonstrate teaching strategies which colleagues watch and discuss to then incorporate into their own classroom practice.  Senior leaders have developed extremely effective systems to continually improve the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching. They identify training needs based on a deep understanding of their school’s strengths and areas for development. This leads to providing carefully targeted training, for example focusing on the needs of learners who speak English as an additional language. Leaders then expect to see these ideas being incorporated into classroom practice. Discussions with teachers during the inspection acknowledged the positive impact of this approach.  Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because teaching is good rather than outstanding so pupils do not yet make rapid and sustained progress across all year groups.  Leaders’ plans and priorities for development are effective. This is shown by the rise in the quality of teaching, the fact that the recommendations from the previous inspection report have been met and the narrowing of gaps in school for pupils eligible for the pupil premium.  Leaders ensure the primary sports funding is used to provide opportunities for increased

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The leadership and management are good

participation and to enhance teachers’ skills in providing high quality physical education. The impact is being checked to ensure money spent improves the physical well-being of as many pupils as possible.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils make a range of visits which broaden their horizons, including to a local Jewish care home for the elderly and places of worship in the local area. They have visited a school in rural England to gain an understanding of how people live in other parts of the country. Links to a school in Kenya provide a different perspective as well as opportunities for writing letters.  Links across different areas of learning, and using high quality texts as a springboard into various subjects, deepen pupils’ understanding. For example, a book about a man who works on the moon clearly linked to work on space in science. Less obviously, teachers were adept at

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The leadership and management are good

creating a range of motivating writing opportunities such as postcards to aliens, book reviews and diary entries.  The local authority works well with the school, offering support when asked but equally using the expertise of the headteacher and the assistant headteacher to support other schools and contribute to local forums.  The governance of the school:  Governors are highly knowledgeable about the school. They know how it compares to other schools both nationally and locally and use a range of sources of information to ensure their views are accurate. Governors have, by dint of their determination and acuity, been an intrinsic part of driving the improvements that have seen the quality of teaching rise from satisfactory to good. The governing body both supports and challenges the school as appropriate. For example, they challenged the leadership team to improve the performance of individual teachers and supported where this led to difficult conversations over less than

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The leadership and management are good

acceptable standards. Governors have supported leaders in devising a recruitment programme that has attracted high quality staff. Governors know how good the quality of teaching is overall and understand that teachers have to meet targets to ensure a pay rise and support the school in implementing this approach, especially where pay rises are not awarded. The governors are astute in their evaluation of where their skills lie and how best to use them to support the school. They identify their own training needs well and attend courses to ensure they remain up to date in relevant skills and knowledge. Governors are committed to ensuring that financial resources are used for maximum impact. For example, they know the pupil premium funding is used well because gaps in school are much narrower than nationally. The governing body ensure safeguarding requirements are tightly adhered to.

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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 134507 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 441091

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 172 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Maksud Gangat Headteacher Iffat Fariduddin Date of previous school inspection 29–30 September 2010 Telephone number 020 8671 4400 Fax number 020 8674 6239 Email address headteacher@orchard.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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