Telferscot Primary School

Telferscot Road, Balham, London, SW12 0HW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Inspirational leadership and a determined pursuit of excellence are the main reasons why pupils’ achievement has continued to rise over recent years. It is now outstanding in all subjects.  Pupils of all ages, abilities and from different backgrounds achieve exceptionally well.  Attainment in all subjects is much higher than that found in most schools nationally. Since the last inspection, attainment in mathematics has risen to match that in reading, and overtaken writing in both Key Stages 1 and 2.  Most of the teaching over-time is outstanding. Pupils achieve well because teachers have high expectations. Teaching is imaginative and provides effective guidance to meet the needs of the pupils. This makes a significant contribution to the exceptional rates of progress made by pupils.  Children in the early years make rapid progress in their learning and development. They are happy and confident.  Pupils take a great deal of pride in their school

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and their work. They thoroughly enjoy their learning and behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school.  Pupils say they feel safe and secure in and around the school. They demonstrate confidence in their relationships with each other and with adults.  Leaders have sharply focused on improving the quality of teaching since the last inspection. They work as a team to undertake a range of regular checks. Leaders focus on ensuring that teachers have the knowledge and skills that lead to significant gains in learning for all pupils.  Members of the governing body know their school well. Since the previous inspection they have established a shared sense of purpose. This provides an ambition and drive to raise and maintain the highest levels of aspiration and achievement for all pupils and staff.  The school has developed a rich and varied curriculum.Pupils develop interests and life skills that promote their understanding of what it means

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to be a responsible member of the school and wider community. This underpins their academic excellence.  Telferscot School is a harmonious and welcoming community where pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is effectively promoted.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons and part lessons, including seven joint observations with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors heard pupils reading in Year 2. Pupil’s work inbooks across all year groups and a range of subjects were scrutinised.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, as well as informal discussions in the playground and lunch hall. There were also discussions with the Chair of the Governing Body and other members, school staff and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 121 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as informal discussions at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and analysed a large range of documents and policies, including the school’s own evidence about pupils’ current progress, planning, monitoring documentation and records relating to behaviour. Safeguarding documents were also scrutinised.

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Information about this inspection

 The views of staff were analysed through the 26 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Narinder Dohel, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Telferscot School is larger than the average-sized primary school and is undergoing a gradual expansion.  Children start school in the Nursery class and other children joinat the beginning of theReception class. Nursery children attend the school part-time and most of them move into the Reception class.  Since September 2014 the school has appointed a number of new staff due to the school expanding.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is slightly lower than the national average. Pupil premium is additional funding for looked after children and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Currently, there are no looked after children in the school.  Approximately half of pupils are of White British background. The remainder of pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above the national average.

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils whose first language is not English is lower than the national average.  There is a breakfast club and after-school provision which is run by the governing body.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum standards for attainment and progress expected by the government.  The school works in partnership with local primary and secondary schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Embed the recent modifications made to the curriculum and ensure there is a robust analysis of the impact of the changes so that current high quality outcomes are maintained.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is dedicated and passionate about achieving the highest academic and personal outcomes for pupils. She has instilled a strong sense of ambition among all members of the school community.  The relentless drive for excellence, demonstrated by the headteacher, governors and the leadership team, has resulted in improvements in all aspects of the school’s work since the last inspection. Attainment in reading and writing has remained strong and improved in mathematics. This is now also higher than most schools nationally.  Leaders and governors have successfully built on the school’s strengths. They are continuously looking for creative ways to maximise enjoyable learning and realise their high aspirations for teachers and pupils. To this end, a curriculum team structure has recently been introduced to ensure that the requirements of the new curriculum are met.  The work of middle leaders has had a significant impact on raising standards over time. They ensure that

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The leadership and management are outstanding

age group teams focus on what helps pupils make progress. They are also at the forefront of implementing the planned changes to the curriculum.  The quality of teaching is improved through a system of teacher performance management, the monitoring of lessons, on-going dialogue and professional development opportunities. This has ensured that marking and feedback skills have also improved since the previous inspection.  Performance management of all staff, including senior and middle leaders, is closely linked to raising achievement, improving the quality of teaching, developing their skills of leadership and other key school development priorities. As a result, staff are highly motivated. New teachers joining the school are well supported in developing and sharing their own skills and expertise.  Leaders use information about pupils’ progress to identify quickly any additional support where it is

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The leadership and management are outstanding

needed.  The school’s development plans and self-evaluation of its work are accurate, focused and appropriate. These are constructed, reviewed and evaluated by all staff and governors.  Leaders ensure that the basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught effectively across the school through a range of subjects. As a result, pupils are very ready for the next stage in their learning and moving into secondary education.  The strong curriculum provides a host of memorable experiences and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are many opportunities for pupils to engage in sporting and music activities, visit museums and theatres, and engage in fundraising and community projects. Most recently, pupils attended a Rights for Children event in central London. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain and have a strong sense of belonging.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Good use is made of the primary sport funding to increase the range of, and participation in, sports. As part of the drive for raising awareness of the benefits of sports, activities and sporting events specifically for parents and families have been established.  Parents are quite rightly proud of their school and actively look for ways in which they can support the school’s work. Parents who responded to Parent View, the on-line questionnaire, and the school’s own surveys show that they are extremely positive about all aspects of children’s learning and safety.  The school’s policies and procedures for ensuring the protection of its pupils are robust. All policies take into account the most recent requirements. Pupils’ well-being and safety are of high importance to the school. The school promotes equality of opportunity, fosters good relations and tackles discrimination, and is effective in dealing with any forms of discrimination.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority provides light touch support to the school. The school works closely in partnership with local primary schools in comparing standards of work and sharing best practice. A partnership with a local secondary school enables pupils to extend their knowledge and skills in science.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a thorough understanding of the work of the school, of pupils’ performance and of the school’s finances. They bring a range of expertise, knowledge and commitment which they have shared to good effect. Since the time of the last inspection they have used these to build on the school’s strengths and success. They seek and undertake training to make sure they are clear about their roles, standards and keeping children safe. The governing body plays a rigorous role in managing the performance of their headteacher and receive information about the performance of teachers and how they are rewarded and helped to improve. This is demonstrated through the improvements in pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching. Regular and detailed discussion about the performance of all pupils and the quality of teaching takes place and is supported by the headteacher’s report to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

governors. Governors are very aware of the difference additional funding is making for pupils eligible for pupil premium funding and how the money is spent.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is impeccable. Pupils are polite, confident with visitors and keen to talk about all that the school offers them. They can, and do, work extremely well with each other and concentrate well on their own and show consistently good attitudes to learning.  Adults manage pupils’ behaviour very well and are consistent in implementing the school’s policies and values of respect and resilience. Teachers make their expectations clear and learning fun. Consequently, incidents of minor disruption to learning are very rare.  Pupils’ positive behaviour and considerate attitudes make a strong contribution to the harmonious and effective social and learning opportunities during breakfast and after-school clubs.  The school has a range of effective strategies to encourage high attendance. As a result, attendance is currently above the national average, punctuality has improved and persistent absence is very low. There

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils have a very well developed sense of danger and know what to do and how to keep themselves safe. They learn about keeping safe on the internet and mobile devices. They have a strong understanding of potential hazards beyond school such as fire and roads.  Pupils have a clear understanding of what bullying is and the different forms it may take. They report feeling safe and say that bullying is not tolerated. Pupils reported that bullying was extremely rare and know that any incidents will be dealt with effectively.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching over time is outstanding and has improved since the last inspection. This can be seen by the continuing rise in attainment in all subjects and the rapid progress pupils make.  Teachers across the school have high expectations that pupils of all abilities will succeed. They plan sequences of lessons that take into account the different needs and abilities of pupils. They make clear at the beginning of the lesson what pupils are to learn and provide resources and strategies that enable pupils to get on with their work quickly.  Teachers begin their lessons very effectively, checking what pupils know and have understood from previous lessons by using a range of questions. This enables pupils to consolidate their skills, demonstrate their knowledge and enables adults to assess accurately the support and challenge they will need to provide throughout the lesson. As a result, pupils make rapid gains in their learning and achieve well.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Work in books shows that pupils are taught a range of different aspects of writing and mathematics. Reading journals and homework books show good examples of how skills and knowledge learned in these subjects are applied. For example, the Year 2 reading journals show how pupils regularly review books and write about characters and events from the stories read, taking care with their handwriting and spelling. Homework books show how pupils use their number knowledge to solve problems.  Pupils make rapid progress because teachers are secure in what they need to teach and how learning can develop within a lesson. They provide regular feedback and guidance to pupils through marking of all books, including homework. Marking makes clear what pupils have achieved and typically provides a next step to extend or consolidate their learning. Pupils are given time each day to respond to the marking in their books and correct their work.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils with special educational needs make excellent progress. The work of additional adults in the classroom and around the school is of high quality. They work closely with class teachers and share information about pupils’ learning. Those who provide specialist support receive appropriate training to aid the individual pupil.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The achievement of all groups of pupils has improved since the time of the last inspection and is now outstanding.  Close scrutiny of children’s profiles in the early years and of books across the school shows that pupils make rapid progress in their learning from their different starting points.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has been consistently above the national average in reading and writing and continues to rise. In mathematics, attainment has risen steadily and is now also above the national average, with an increasing proportion attaining at the higher Level 6.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 1 is typically significantly above the national average. This is because children make rapid progress in the early years to reach and exceed a good level of development at the end of Reception.  The proportions of pupils making expected progress and exceeding expected progress in reading, writing

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

and mathematics are high compared with all schools nationally.  The attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils are significantly higher than those of other pupils nationally. Although a greater proportion of disadvantaged pupils exceed expected rates of progress, fewer attain at the higher Level 5 and Level 6.  More able pupils are provided with challenge through smaller groups and tasks tailored to their leaning needs. This ensures they also make good or excellent progress. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 in Key Stage 1 is significantly higher than national figures. By the end of Key Stage 2, almost all more able pupils achieve the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics. An increasing proportion is also attaining even higher, at Level 6, in mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make rapid progress. This is because their

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

needs are identified quickly and closely monitored. They receive teaching and support that are best suited to particular needs, both inside and outside the classroom. The school works well with external agencies to provide any specialist support.  The teaching of sounds that letters make (phonics) begins in the early years. The teaching of phonics is effective and enables pupils to make rapid progress in their early reading and writing. In 2014, a higher proportion of pupils than national reached the expected standard in the Year 1 check on pupils’ knowledge of phonics.  Pupils enjoy reading and have access to a wide range of books and opportunities to read in and outside of school and in different subjects. Pupils have a strong sense of what they enjoy and can name their favourite types of reading material and authors.  Additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used highly effectively to provide small

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

group and individual support through wide range of enrichment activities that helps pupils develop their knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  In 2014, any gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 and their peers in school had closed in mathematics and in grammar, punctuation and spelling. In reading, attainment for disadvantaged pupils was one term ahead of their peers in school and two terms behind in writing, where the gap is closing quickly. There are no gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils at Telferscot and all pupils nationally, and attainment is higher in reading by one term.  By the end of Year 6 all pupils made expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. From their starting points, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who made more than the expected rate of progress was greater than their peers in school in mathematics and reading, and similar in writing.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Children in the Telferscot early years are happy and confident. Experienced staff and established routines help them settle into school quickly.  Most children, including those who have special educational needs, make rapid progress from their starting points. As a result, most children leave the early years extremely well prepared for the next stage in their learning.  Since the last inspection, a new leader for the early years has been appointed. He understands the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and has made further improvements. This has led to an increasing proportion of children achieving or exceeding a good level of development from starting points that are average or below age related expectations. This indicates outstanding achievement.  The quality of teaching over time is outstanding and never less than good. Staff have high expectations of all children at all times. Children achieve well across all areas of learning, both indoors and outdoors,

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The early years provision is outstanding

because activities are well thought out and relevant to the children’s needs and interests.  All staff contribute to regular checks on children’s learning. They record what children can do and what will extend their experiences and enjoyment. This ensures that the right support and challenge are provided so that children make rapid progress.  Children behave exceptionally well. They get on well with each other, taking turns and listening to one another. They are encouraged take risks in a safe and supported environment so that they make particularly strong gains in their social, emotional and physical development.  Parents are strongly encouraged to be involved in their child’s learning and this contributes well to children’s achievement.

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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 100586 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 448193

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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 358 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Matthew Green Headteacher Jenny Martin Date of previous school inspection 3 − 4 December 2009 Telephone number 020 867 37362 Fax number 020 867 31580 Email address admin@telferscot.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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