Herbert Morrison Primary School

Herbert Morrison Primary School Hartington Road, London, SW8 2HP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Achievement is not good because rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics are uneven across the school. As a result, by the end of Year 6 most pupils make expected progress during their time at this school, but not enough do better.  Children in the early years are not prepared well enough to start Year 1. Activities in the Nursery and Reception do not provide enough opportunities for children to develop their spoken and written English and mathematical skills.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics reached by the end of Key Stage 1 are below the national average.  Standards in spelling, grammar and punctuation and mathematics are below the national average at the end of Key Stage 2.  Too few pupils, including the more-able and those that are disadvantaged, attain the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils do not always use what they know about number and calculations to solve mathematical

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

problems accurately and speedily.  Teaching is variable across the school. Expectations of what pupils can do are not high enough. Too often there is not the right amount of challenge to ensure that all pupils make at least good progress.  Marking does not always ensure that pupils know how to improve their work. Where teachers make useful comments, pupils are not consistently responding.  Senior leaders do not always pursue improvements robustly enough to accelerate the pace of learning.  The monitoring of teaching and learning has not brought about swift enough improvements because it has been too focused on what the teacher is doing rather on what the pupils are learning.  Leaders at all levels, including governors, have started to bring about change. However, these improvements are at an early stage and have not had time to make their full impact.

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The school has the following strengths:

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They feel safe and are looked after well.  The proportion of pupils reaching the levels expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics is rising.  Attendance has improved since the previous inspection and is now broadly average.  Pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs usually make good progress because they are well supported.  The school makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It ensures that all pupils have opportunities to participate regularly in a good variety of activities.  Parents and carers are positive about the school and there are close links with families and the local community.  The governors have a good understanding of the school’s performance and are increasingly holding the school to account. They are determined to secure further improvements rapidly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 lessons or parts of lessons. Seven of these were jointly observed with senior leaders.  Inspectors talked to pupils both informally and formally. They heard pupils read and talked to them about their reading habits.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers, including the 39 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire, the school’s own parental survey and the individual communications made during the inspection. They also talked to several parents and carers before school and considered the views of staff expressed in 22 inspection questionnaires.  Discussions were held with representatives from the local authority’s advisory service and members of the governing body including the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspectors held discussions with members of the senior and extended leadership teams and other staff.  Inspectors examined pupils’ progress information and the work of a randomly selected group of pupils

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Information about this inspection

including those who are supported by additional funding. Other school documentation, including the minutes of governors’ meetings, the school’s development planning, behaviour logs, school information on pupils’ achievement, policies and information relating to targets set for teachers and child protection and safeguarding, was scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Barbara Firth, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Herbert Morrison Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils belong to minority ethnic groups and just over two fifths speak English as an additional language.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are below the national average.  The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of a Reception and a Nursery. Half of the children attend the Nursery part time.  Just over half of pupils are eligible for support through pupil premium funding. This is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding given to schools for pupils who are disadvantaged.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  The leadership of the school has been through a period of change. The headteacher was in post at the

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Information about this school

time of the previous inspection and has recently reduced her hours to work four days per week as part of a planned retirement. In preparation for future headship, the deputy headteacher, who has the national professional qualification for headship (NPQH), has extended her duties as the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to take on some of those of the headteacher. After the retirement of a senior leader in the summer term 2014, the school increased the capacity of the leadership team by employing two non-class-based key stage leaders.  The school works closely with a cluster of schools which includes those that have been judged as outstanding by Ofsted. There is one newly qualified teacher (NQT) in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching across the school to become consistently good or better so that all pupils make the best possible progress and more attain the higher levels in all subjects by ensuring that:  work always effectively challenges pupils, especially the more able learners  staff have high expectations of all pupils’ achievement including those that are disadvantaged  teachers’ comments in exercise books consistently provide appropriate advice that helps pupils make progress with their learning and that pupils consistently read and respond to this advice  pupils develop the ability to use the information they have to solve mathematical problems speedily and accurately.  Raise achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that children are better prepared for Year 1 by ensuring that:  shared activities in the outdoor area are suitably challenging for reception-age children  every opportunity is taken to develop children’s early number and spoken and written English skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  increasing the opportunities to check the progress made by pupils so that response to any underachievement is swift  increasing the focus on the achievement of groups of pupils, and in particular of the more able and those that are disadvantaged, when monitoring the quality of teaching and learning  rigorously and robustly evaluating the impact of actions taken to bring about improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management currently require improvement because the school does not yet provide consistently good teaching. Some groups of pupils do not make enough progress as they move through the school and the promotion of equal opportunities is not yet fully effective.  Senior leaders have started to address identified issues but have not driven school improvement forward fast enough. This is, in part, because leaders do not robustly evaluate the impact of actions taken to bring about improvement. The monitoring of the progress pupils are making has not been regular enough to ensure that timely intervention can take place to prevent underachievement.  Over time, the school’s procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning have not brought about swift improvements in achievement. Leaders have focused too much on what the teacher is doing rather on what the pupils are learning. Consequently groups of pupils, especially the more able and those

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The leadership and management requires improvement

that are disadvantaged, have not made the progress they could make and achieved the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and the staff of the school. The school’s leadership has recently been strengthened by the appointment of two experienced non-class-based key stage leaders. In a short period of time they have secured improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Subject and key stage leaders are highly motivated to bring about changes in the teaching of their areas of responsibility. Increased opportunities for pupils to read across the school, discrete lessons in spelling, punctuation and grammar, an increase in the number of mathematicss sessions each week and a daily focus on number and basic skills are strengthening pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills. The impact on pupils’ progress is starting to be seen, but the attainment of pupils has not yet improved for all,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

especially the more able and the disadvantaged.  Targets for the management of teachers’ performance are linked to school priorities and based on the progress of pupils. There is a sound programme of professional development for teachers and support staff that has resulted in recent improvements in teaching. Newly qualified teachers are equally well supported.  Additional funding, such as the pupil premium, is used to support pupils and ensure that they have equal access to activities. This includes the provision of additional teachers and support staff. However, the school does not check the impact of this expenditure well enough. As a result achievement for this group of pupils is not yet consistently good.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported well through the work of the special educational needs leader and support staff. Consequently, they make at least expected progress

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and often better than expected from their individual starting points.  The primary school physical education and sports funding is used effectively to employ a sports coach to work with both staff and pupils. This is helping to increase staff confidence and extend the range of sports taught at the school. Additional extra-curricular activities have had a good take-up and the school’s participation and success in local competitive sporting events have increased.  The range of subjects taught is broad and balanced and meets the needs of the National Curriculum. Information is shared about the subjects covered with parents and carers both on the website and at ‘subject open mornings’. There is a good range of visits and visitors and opportunities for sport, art and music which further enrich pupils’ experiences. Pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development are well promoted. The school ensures that British values of democracy and responsibility are encouraged well

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The leadership and management requires improvement

through, for example, the school’s democratically elected school council and visits to Parliament.  The school has well-established strategies for engaging with parents and carers including those that may be hard to reach. As well as the regular newsletter and the school website there are good opportunities for parents and carers to spend time in school and learn alongside their children. This has contributed to a regular rise in attendance, which has improved since the last inspection.  The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.  Until recently, the local authority has given the school light touch support, which has mainly been confined to termly discussions about pupils’ achievement and a check on the quality of teaching. The level of support is set to increase both at the request of the headteacher and the local authority’s response to the most up-to-date information on pupils’ achievement. In addition there are plans to establish closer links

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is committed to supporting the further improvements of the school and ambitious for all pupils to achieve their potential. Governors bring a good range of relevant skills, which strengthens the leadership of the school. They regularly undertake training to increase their skills to carry out their duties. They are gaining in confidence in analysing information about how well pupils achieve and ask searching questions to challenge the school further.  Governors hold the headteacher to account through a rigorous system to manage her performance, supported by the local authority. They ensure that teachers are awarded appropriately for their work. They are increasingly visiting the school on a regular basis so that they have an informed understanding of the quality of the work of the school.  Training for safer recruitment and safeguarding have been undertaken and governors ensure that the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school does all it can to keep pupils safe. They have good links with parents, carers and the local community.  Governors are aware of the additional funding that the school receives including the pupil premium and primary school sports funding. They know how it is used to support pupils and the impact on the social and physical development of pupils. However, governors have not been successful in ensuring that all gaps in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school are effectively closed.  Governors ensure that financial management is secure.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good and parents and carers, pupils and staff at the school agree.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and their attitudes towards learning are typically good, which is beginning to contribute towards their improving achievement. However, when tasks are not challenging some pupils do not work as hard as they could and do not make quick enough progress.  Pupils appreciate the clear system for rewards and sanctions implemented consistently by all staff. They like the recognition they get for trying their best and behaving well. Equally, they understand the consequences of any inappropriate behaviour. The number of incidents of unacceptable behaviour is small but when one occurs, pupils respond promptly and positively when adults remind them of the school’s behaviour policy.  There have been no exclusions from the school for a number of years. Pupils are respectful and kind to

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Behaviour

others. They listen and cooperate well together, both inside and outside the classroom. Pupils take good care of their school, keeping it litter free. They wear their uniform with pride and the majority of pupils take a pride in their work and take good care with its presentation.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and the vast majority of parents and carers think that their children are happy and well looked after. Attendance is broadly average and improving because school systems to follow up lateness and absence are rigorous.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good and parents and carers, pupils and staff agree.  Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils have the confidence that adults will sort out their concerns. There are very few incidents of bullying and school records show that any that occur are effectively and rigorously resolved. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including racism and cyber and homophobic bullying. They also know the difference between falling-out with friends and bullying.  Pupils are able to demonstrate maturity in keeping themselves safe, including when using the internet. They are well informed as to how to keep safe, including about road safety, the use of drugs and e-safety.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is not consistently good. Over time expectations have not been high enough to accelerate pupils’ progress so that a greater proportion reach the higher levels in all subjects across the school.  Teachers generally demonstrate secure subject knowledge and, by and large, activities engage pupils and make them keen to learn. However, the work is not always matched to the right levels. In particular, teachers do not always expect enough of the more-able pupils or those that are disadvantaged who are capable of achieving more. Too often, they have to wait for the teacher to explain a task to the whole class when they already know what to do and could be working.  Where teaching is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress, teachers’ expectations of what different groups of pupils will have learnt by the end of the lesson are patently clear. Activities are presented in an interesting way that enthuses pupils and pupils are encouraged to try to do work that they

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

will find hard. Where pupils do not make sufficient progress, learning is not pushed on at a fast enough pace, especially for more-able pupils.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and relationships are positive so pupils want to learn well for their teachers.  Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that teachers mark work regularly. However, pupils do not make the progress they are capable of because they are not consistently given useful and clear pointers of what to do next to improve. Time is allowed for pupils to follow up any comments made but pupils are not consistently being expected to do so.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make at least expected progress in small-group work, one-to-one support and in class. Teaching assistants and other adults know the pupils’ needs well and provide effective support with their learning.

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requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because progress as pupils move through the school is not fast enough. Expectations have not been sufficiently high or the quality of teaching consistently good enough to ensure pupils achieve well.  Children enter the early years with skills and knowledge at levels lower than those typical for their age. Although standards at the end of Reception improved in 2014, they remain below the national average and have been over time in all areas of learning. Children therefore are not prepared for learning in Year 1.  Although there was an improvement in attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2014, progress was slow across the key stage. Standards remained below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion attaining the higher levels in mathematics was below the national average but an improvement on 2013.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2014 was broadly average in reading and writing but below in

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requires improvement

mathematics and well below in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Fewer pupils than nationally attained the higher levels in all subjects.  The proportion of pupils making expected progress across Key Stage 2 was above the national average in reading and writing but below in mathematics. A smaller proportion of pupils than the national average made better than expected progress in mathematics and writing.  School information and samples of pupils’ work show that pupils are making currently better progress across the school. This is as a result of higher expectations and improved teaching. This level of progress has yet to be sustained over time.  In 2014 the proportion of pupils that reached the expected standard in the Year 1 check on their knowledge of the sounds letters make (phonics) was in line with the national average. Pupils’ attainment in reading by the end of Year 2 was just above the national average at the expected level for their age.

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requires improvement

However, no pupils attained the highest level in the Key Stage 1 tests.  Progress in reading across Key Stage 2 is faster. An increased proportion make better than expected progress to reach standards that are broadly in line with the national average. However, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels was below the national average. Leaders have responded by ensuring that there are increased opportunities to read daily to an adult across the year groups. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoyed reading and it was better now that they were expected to read more. They particularly enjoyed their weekly trip to the local library. School information indicates that currently progress across the school in reading is now faster. Targeted reading support is having a good impact on the progress of those pupils with the most need.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is slow across the school. This is currently a key priority for the school.

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requires improvement

While most pupils have a reasonable understanding of numbers and calculations, they are not confident in their skills and do not solve mathematical problems speedily and accurately.  The school’s work to ensure disadvantaged pupils achieve well requires improvement because too few achieve as well as they are able. It uses additional funding to provide extra staff and a range of support and extra activities. In 2014, overall, disadvantaged pupils attained in line with other pupils nationally. However in school they were three terms behind in mathematics, one and half terms in reading and two terms in writing. Disadvantaged pupils were also less likely to attain a higher level in any subject or make better than expected progress across the key stage. This represented a widened gap in attainment on previous years.  Most disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make at least expected and often good

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requires improvement

progress because they are effectively supported. Similarly pupils with English as an additional language and of differing ethnic backgrounds make at least the same progress as their peers across the school.  Across the school there are missed opportunities to fully extend the potential of the more-able pupils and consequently too few pupils are making rapid progress. This is because teachers do not provide tasks that are challenging enough to extend their learning.

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requires improvement

 The Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement because progress across the setting is not rapid enough to ensure that enough children reach the expected level of development for their age by the end of Reception. As a consequence they are not well prepared for Year 1.  The effectiveness of the early years is improving. Although attainment at the end of Reception in 2014 was below the national average, it was an improvement on 2013.  The new leader has made a positive start. He is well aware of the aspects that require further improvement and has appropriate plans to develop these further. Already he has established groups for focused teaching of literacy and numeracy. Early assessments indicate that this is having a positive effect on children’s progress. He provides good support for all of the staff and is able to model excellent practice.  Children behave well and are happy to take risks with their learning, which indicates that they feel safe.

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requires improvement

They get on well together and are beginning to take turns and to share. Most settle well and want to learn.  Although there is a good range of activities which cover all areas of learning there are missed opportunities to extend and challenge those children who are progressing at a faster rate. This is particularly the case in the outdoor area which is shared by both nursery and reception children. Not enough thought goes into planning how the shared activities challenge the older children.  Sometimes adults miss the chance to develop spoken English, writing and numeracy skills. Some skilfully encourage children to develop their language skills. However, this is not consistently so and some adults speak too much for the children and do not expect them to repeat a word or speak in full sentences. Too few activities promote early writing and numeracy skills in the outdoor area.  Most children with special educational needs make expected progress from their individual starting points

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requires improvement

because they are effectively supported and there are good links with external agencies.  Relationships with parents and carers is a strength and the school seeks every opportunity to engage parents and carers in their children’s learning. For example, during the inspection, there was a good turnout of parents and carers for the school’s open science morning and volunteer parents and carers were evident in both settings. The new web-based system for making observations of children’s learning further strengthens the involvement of parents and carers in their children’s learning and development.  Staff have appropriate training and safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 100604 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 449129

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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 215 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Owain Thomas Headteacher Eileen Ross Date of previous school inspection 25–26 January 2011 Telephone number 020 7720 3439 Fax number 020 7627 8488 Email address admin@herbertmorrison.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 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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