Lime Tree Primary School

School report Lime Tree Primary School South Bank Terrace, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 6DG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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, supported by an effective governing body and committed staff, has ensured that pupils’ achievement at this new school is good.  High quality teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage enables many children to reach good levels of development by the time they leave Reception.  Pupils develop good skills in reading, writing and mathematics and achieve well across the school.  Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils behave well and are safety conscious. They feel safe and very well cared for.  Pupils who attend the Specialist Resource Provision achieve well because teaching in the specialist unit is strong and tasks are well suited to their needs.  Pupils’ personal well-being and physical development are already well established strengths of the school.  The wide variety of themes and activities provided by the school ensures that pupils develop skills in a broad range of subjects.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and pupils who speak English an additional language make good progress.  The governing body holds the school to account effectively for its performance and the management of its finances.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding, so not all pupils achieve as well as they could. Occasionally pupils, and especially the most able, are not given more demanding work as soon as they are ready. Pupils’ presentation, handwriting and spelling skills at times hinder their achievement in writing.  Pupils who benefit from teaching in the Specialist Resource Provision are not always prepared for activities within their classes in the rest of the school.  Subject leaders have yet to develop their skills in identifying precise actions that will increase pupils’ progress in their subject areas.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in 14 lessons, two of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. Inspectors carried out a series of short visits to other lessons across the school and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body and one other governor, as well as a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 88 responses to the online Parent View survey, the three additional letters they received, as well as the views of the parents they met. Inspectors also considered the 20 responses to the school’s own staff questionnaire.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s own information about pupils’ achievement. Inspectors also took into account the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plans, safeguarding policies, and records and documents relating to staff

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Inspection team

Lesley Leak, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Westall Additional Inspector Clementina Olufunke Aina Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a new primary school which opened in September 2012, and currently has two classes in Reception and three classes in Year 1. There is a separate morning and afternoon nursery class. From September 2014, an additional Year 3 class will join the school at the start of Key Stage 2.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through the pupil premium is lower than the national average. This additional government funding is for children who are looked after and for pupils known to be eligible free school meals.  Approximately half of the pupils are from minority ethnic heritages.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average. Less than 10% of these children are at an early stage of learning to speak English.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is at the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or who have a

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Information about this school

statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  Six pupils on the school’s roll are taught in the Einstein Class, a Specialist Resources Provision for autistic pupils.  The school is overseen by Surbiton Education Health Trust and shares its site with the National Health Service Surbiton Health Centre.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching from good to outstanding so that all pupils make rapid and sustained progress by ensuring that:  all pupils, especially the most able, are given work that extends their skills as soon as they are ready  greater emphasis is given to pupils’ presentation, handwriting and spelling skills  pupils who benefit from the specialist provision in the Einstein Centre are better prepared for learning in the rest of the school.  Develop the skills of subject leaders in analysing information and improve their ability to take precise actions to raise pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Nursery with skills which are expected for their age. Good teaching ensures that many children achieve well to reach good levels by the time they leave Reception.  Over the course of Year 1, many pupils continue to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils are working at higher levels than might be expected for their age.  The school’s structured approach to developing reading, through phonics (letters and the sounds they make), is having a positive impact on pupils’ reading, which is secure across the school. Volunteers support children’s good reading, ensuring they read widely and often.  Writing is improving and pupils enjoy presenting their ideas in different ways and for different audiences, in a range of subjects in Year 1. However, not enough attention is always paid to pupils’ neat presentation, spelling and handwriting skills across all subjects. In addition, in some

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The achievement of pupils is good

classes, teachers do not enable the most able pupils to extend their ideas and reach the levels they are capable of. This hinders pupils’ progress.  Achievement in mathematics is generally good because of the increased emphasis on basic number skills.  The school actively promotes equal opportunities and tackles discrimination. It ensures disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and pupils who speak English is an additional language, benefit from additional support and make good progress from their different starting points.  Pupils who attend the specialist provision for autistic pupils achieve well as a result of the good teaching and additional support they receive.  Pupils supported through additional funding make similar progress to other pupils at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching is enabling successful learning in reading, writing and mathematics. However, not enough is outstanding in order to maximise all pupils’ achievement in every class across the school.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff provide a stimulating, happy classroom, both indoors and outdoors. Here, children quickly learn to work well with each other and make good progress. For example, the teaching of phonics is having a strong impact on pupils’ early reading and love of books.  Most work is set at the right level in Year 1, ensuring that pupils make good progress, for example in Year 1 literacy lesson based on the picture book Jim and the Beanstalk. Pupils were required to describe the characters’ feelings in a variety of creative ways, such as through role play or by writing their interpretations on paper leaves that were subsequently stuck to Jim’s pretend ‘beanstalk’. In this way, all of the pupils were enabled to develop their own ideas and

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The quality of teaching is good

time was made to celebrate what they had learned.  Occasionally, activities do not extend pupils’ skills or allow pupils to take on more demanding work when they are ready, for example in a Year 1 mathematics lesson. Pupils were taught how to measure and compare the lengths of a range of beanstalks in centimetres. More able pupils were not challenged soon enough to identify which beanstalks were longer or shorter. Instead, they ‘marked time’, while they heard at length how to do the basic measuring task of which they were already capable.  Adults who support pupils in need of additional help, including those with special educational needs and for those who speak English as an additional language, play a significant part in pupils’ successful learning. This is because they are well briefed to support selected pupils.  The very few pupils who attend the specialist provision in the Einstein Centre benefit from a

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The quality of teaching is good

wide range of stimulating visual and practical resources. Teachers’ expectations are high and the pupils are well supported. However, some instances of change, such as when pupils go out to lunch or return to conventional lessons, are not always managed effectively enough. At these times, children can be unsettled and slow to focus on their work because staff have not prepared for their return carefully enough.  Teachers’ marking provides clear guidance for pupils about how they can improve their work and achieve their next steps. Most pupils act upon the advice they are given to make their work better.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Teachers and other adults create a calm and welcoming atmosphere which promotes the school’s core values of a ‘healthy body, healthy brain and a healthy heart’. As a result, pupils value their excellent relationships with teachers and other adults, all of whom ensure their good personal development and well-being. As a result, the behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils have strong social skills. They are eager to learn and are highly motivated. They get on well together and respond positively to adults, and this contributes to their successful learning.  Pupils value the many opportunities to take on important roles and responsibilities, such as giving out equipment, deciding playground rules or helping to look after the caterpillars.  Occasionally, pupils take less pride in their presentation or become inattentive when teachers do not set high enough expectations of what pupils can do. Pupils generally respond to staff

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

instructions quickly and, as a result, any inattention or lack of focus is managed well. They fully understand the consequences of unacceptable behaviour and try hard to abide by the school rules.  The playground is well organised and supervised, with a good range of equipment, and pupils are fully aware of potential risks.  Time is made for rewarding pupils’ effort and good work in praise assemblies.  Pupils have a good awareness of different forms of bullying and learn about internet safety. They say that bullying is extremely rare and are confident in the school’s ability to deal with it swiftly, were it ever to happen.  Staff are tenacious about ensuring that all pupils attend school every day and, consequently, attendance is broadly average and improving.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Staff and the governing body undertake regular, high-quality risk assessments of the site to check that pupils are kept safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Pupils who spoke with inspectors confirmed that they feel safe and very well cared for.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, backed by the governing body and a committed staff, has prioritised successfully children’s emotional and physical well-being. As a result, most pupils are enabled to achieve as well as they can.  Senior leaders have a broadly accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This has led to some improvements in teachers’ marking and aspects of pupils’ writing.  Underpinning the positive picture of good pupil achievement is the strength of systems for checking pupils’ progress. These are aligned effectively to the management of staff performance. Teachers and support staff have benefited from high quality training, particularly on phonics and number work. This has led to improved teaching, across the school, in these areas.  Subject leaders, who are new to their roles, are developing well as middle leaders and have successfully played a part in evaluating the quality of teaching. This has led to a unified

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The leadership and management are good

approach to checking pupils’ progress and lesson planning, especially in Year 1. However, middle leaders have yet to use the school’s own checks and progress information rigorously enough, to raise standards even further in their subject areas.  The subjects taught meet pupils’ needs and interests. Activities to promote pupils’ personal development and well-being have ensured that these are established strengths of the school. The school offers a variety of popular enrichment activities, such as cookery, film, tennis and football clubs. The school organises educational visits to other places that link with the class topic every half term, such as the London Eye or the Natural History Museum.  The development of pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is good. Pupils are encouraged to celebrate the diversity of different cultures through their ‘This is me’ boxes in the Foundation Stage and time is made for reflection. Assemblies successfully promote pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

understanding of moral issues.  The school engages well with parents. Parents from a wide range of cultural backgrounds take full advantage of reading and mathematics workshops provided by the school to help their children at home.  The school actively promotes physical education and sports. It ensures that pupils are given ample opportunities to be physically fit and to learn to play a range of sports.  The school is appreciative of the valuable support which the local authority provides.  The governance of the school: − The governing body makes an effective contribution to the quality of education the school provides. Governors pay close attention to the school’s information about pupils’ progress and performance. They know where the school is doing well and where it needs to improve. They know how additional funding is allocated and are aware that achievement for those receiving it is good. Governors have had relevant training about keeping the school under review. As a

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The leadership and management are good

result, they have a clear awareness of the main strengths within teaching and how well pupils achieve. They hold the headteacher to account for the school’s performance and the sound management of its finances. Governors have overseen the pay policy for staff and have clear procedures for checking the link between how well staff perform and the salaries they receive. Governors seek out opportunities to engage with parents to find out their views about the school. They make sure that safeguarding arrangements meet 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 137575 Local authority Kingston upon Thames Inspection number 430669

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 206 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Heyes Headteacher Clinton Pascoe Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 020 8390 9544 Fax number 020 8390 3694 Email address admin@limetree.rbk.sch.org 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 and 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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