Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park

School report Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park Marmont Road, Peckham, London, SE15 5TD

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The academy operates smoothly and there is a strong sense of teamwork. Pupils feel safe and are happy to come to school. They like their teachers and enjoy activities planned for them.  Children get off to a flying start in the Nursery and Reception classes. In the bright, stimulating and caring atmosphere, children settle into academy routines quickly and have good opportunities to play, explore and talk about their ideas.  Pupils make good progress in all subjects across the academy. They do particularly well in writing. Disadvantaged pupils are supported well so they reach standards similar to others in school.  The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now good. Strong relationships have been established with pupils and behaviour management is good. Pupils benefit from consistent feedback on their work and they take notice of the advice they are given to improve.  The academy promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

social and cultural development well. Pupils enjoy an exciting range of topics and subjects, with good opportunities to develop their writing skills.  Academy leaders have a clear focus on continuing to raise standards. They have ensured that teaching has improved and that it meets the wide range of pupils’ needs. The governing body provides good- quality support for the school and has helped leaders to bring about improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The overall quality of teaching is not yet outstanding. Teachers do not always provide enough activities to stretch all of the most able pupils, or to extend pupils’ reading comprehension skills.  Pupils’ achievement in reading and mathematics does not yet match their high achievement in writing.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors, often together with the Principal, observed pupils of all ages engaged in a range of activities in different subjects. They also looked at pupils’ written work in all classes and records of children’s learning in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Meetings were held with the Principal and other school leaders. A telephone discussion took place with the Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors spoke to two groups of pupils and informally with other pupils in lessons and around the school. They listened to pupils reading and talked to them about their reading habits.  Inspectors examined some of the school’s documents. These included: the school’s own evaluation of its performance and its improvement plan; information about pupils’ progress and attainment; evidence about the quality of teaching; and records relating to behaviour, safeguarding and attendance.  Inspectors took account of 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), and the views

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Information about this inspection

expressed by parents as they arrived at school. Forty-one questionnaires returned by staff were analysed.

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Inspection team

Jim McVeigh, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is bigger than the average-sized primary school. There are two classes in each year from the Nursery to Year 6. All children attend full-time in the Reception and part-time in the Nursery.  Around a quarter of pupils, well above the national average, are of Black African heritage. The remainder come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.  There are more pupils than average, around 40%, who speak English as an additional language.  Approximately two fifths of pupils, more than average, are supported by the pupil premium. This is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or children who are looked after by the local authority.  Just over one in 10 pupils, around the national average, are disabled or have special educational needs.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement in mathematics and reading to match that in writing by:  ensuring that pupils’ comprehension skills are checked and developed further during regular reading activities  giving pupils more opportunities to practise the basic skills in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall quality of teaching to outstanding by making sure that activities planned for the most able pupils are suitably challenging.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy is well led by the Principal and other leaders. A culture of high expectations of both teachers and pupils has been established. The governing body provide good support and suitable challenge for academy leaders.  The academy’s improvement plan is based on an accurate evaluation of its own work and sets suitable, measurable targets for continued growth. Senior leaders focus closely on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. Improvements have been made in all areas identified in the previous inspection report. For example, the quality of teaching has improved, marking is consistently good, and the outside area of the Nursery is a much more effective area for learning.  Rigorous systems are securely in place to ensure all aspects of teaching are consistent and effective. For example, the behaviour management and marking policies are applied by all staff.  Senior leaders gather a good range of evidence through lesson observations and by looking at pupils’ work

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The leadership and management are good

and information on achievement to check the quality of teaching. Teachers and teaching assistants are set suitable targets for professional improvement, linked securely to pupils’ progress.  The academy federation provides a wide range of training opportunities. Suitable courses and coaching are made available to both newly qualified teachers and the more experienced teachers. Subject leaders are also trained and supported to make sure the subjects they are responsible for continue to improve and their own leadership skills develop.  The academy promotes equal opportunities for all pupils and discrimination is not tolerated. Pupils’ progress is followed closely. Any who are at risk of falling behind are identified quickly and effective extra help is planned for them so they catch up with their classmates. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit from well-organised programmes of support. Pupil premium funds are

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The leadership and management are good

used well to make sure disadvantaged pupils are also given additional help and achieve well. The academy ensures that disadvantaged pupils experience the full range of activities.  The academy has made good progress in introducing the new National Curriculum and developing a suitable assessment system. The academy provides a broad range of subjects, with an appropriate emphasis on numeracy and literacy. Topics combine several subjects in a creative way that is stimulating and appeals to all pupils. Literacy activities revolve around each topic, giving them a more obvious purpose. For example, in a topic on ‘Chocolate’, pupils experience a visit to a chocolate factory and write about related history, science and geography. Homework projects enhance the learning experience further and help to involve parents in their children’s learning. Regular class assemblies give parents the opportunity to learn about and celebrate pupils’ achievements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy strives to make parents feel part of the school community. For example, some parents are offered help in completing application forms for nursery or secondary school places. Parents say they are happy with the progress and behaviour of their children and that staff are approachable and helpful. Parents are kept well informed and receive good support to help their children at home, for example, through workshops and by seeing teachers at work in the classroom.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. The academy provides many opportunities for such development, including philosophy lessons, assemblies, the code of conduct in classrooms and the way the behaviour policy is applied. Activities such as International Day celebrate the wide range of cultural backgrounds present and promote tolerance and respect for others. Pupils learn about other fundamental British values, such as democracy, when voting in the Pupil Learning Commission

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The leadership and management are good

elections.  The primary sports funding is used effectively to improve the quality of physical education and sports teaching and to extend the range of sporting opportunities and competitions for pupils. More pupils are now involved in regular physical activity such as tag rugby, hockey and athletics.  The breakfast club provides pupils with hot or cold meals and helps to improve punctuality. The club is a safe place for pupils to play educational games and socialise.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a good range of relevant experience, knowledge and understanding of the school’s performance to provide a good balance between support and challenge to senior academy leaders. Governors ensure they are well informed, for example, about the quality of teaching and how well pupils are doing, through regular visits and reports from the Principal and other school leaders.  The governors set robust targets for the Principal. Governors oversee the process of managing the

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The leadership and management are good

performance of all staff and they make sure that any underperformance is tackled swiftly and that pay increases are linked to teaching performance. They make sure that the pupil premium is used wisely and effectively to promote better progress for disadvantaged pupils. They ensure all statutory responsibilities are met and, in particular, that safeguarding procedures are fully in place.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils know the three ‘golden’ rules and try to stick to them. They follow teachers’ instructions promptly. Around the school, pupils are courteous and polite. At play times, pupils behave well and have consideration for others. They have a wide range of activities to interest and engage them, including sports organised by staff.  Parents and pupils say that behaviour is good. Pupils like their teachers. They say teachers are fair and listen to them. Pupils come to school happily to meet their friends and learn new things. Incidents of misbehaviour are well recorded and judicious use is made of exclusions to manage behaviour for more serious incidents. The number of such incidents is reducing.  Pupils know about the different forms of bullying. Pupils in Key Stage 1 gave their rapt attention to a visiting drama group performing an interactive activity illustrating bullying and its effects very well. Pupils

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Behaviour

say that bullying is rare and there is no name-calling, and teachers would stop such behaviour straight away. They all know an adult they can confide in if they are sad or worried.  Pupils readily engage with learning activities. They work well on their own or with a partner or in groups. They present their written work well and take care of the school environment. They are usually very attentive in lessons and behave well. However, on rare occasions when activities drag, a few pupils become restless.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The school site is very secure. All areas of the school are well supervised when pupils are playing or working there. Pupils say they feel safe in any part of the school.  School health and safety procedures are fully documented and adhered to. Evacuation procedures are practised regularly. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of how to stay healthy through diet and exercise. They have learned how to keep themselves safe, for example, when crossing the road or going to the shops. The school has taken effective steps to inform pupils about the dangers of gang culture.  Attendance has improved and is above the national average. The school promotes the need for regular attendance effectively through such things as celebrating and rewarding the best-attending class and following up absences promptly. Punctuality is good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There are good relationships between teachers and pupils. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They manage pupils’ behaviour well. Clear routines have been established that pupils follow with little fuss. Pupils feel valued and cared for and produce a good quantity of completed written work in their well-maintained exercise books.  The approach to teaching is very consistent across the school. Good-quality classroom displays record key learning points and feature clear examples of expected outcomes, and this supports learning well.  Pupils’ written work is marked really well across the academy. Marking is regular and detailed and has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils understand the marking system and respond to the steps for improvement that their teachers give them.  Activities that teachers plan for pupils usually engage them well. In a guided reading session, Year 5

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils carried out a range of activities, such as finding the meanings of technical vocabulary in non-fiction text and studying a book’s title and cover for clues to its content. Pupils understood, enjoyed and stuck to their task. Occasionally, a few of the most able pupils find an activity too easy and their progress slows as a result.  Teachers often refer to the best behaviour for learning. Pupils have a good understanding of what it takes to do well at school. They speak of the need to develop their ‘learning muscles’ to learn effectively. Pupils are developing a strong belief that they can achieve well.  Teachers make good use of homework, weekly learning tasks in English and mathematics, to extend pupils’ learning. Further, half-termly projects involving several subjects help to motivate pupils and involve parents in their children’s learning.  Teaching assistants are appropriately trained and support targeted pupils well. In individual or small group

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The quality of teaching is good

sessions, teaching assistants ensure pupils are fully engaged and skilfully question them so they have to think hard. As a result, pupils make good progress.  Teachers make good use of pupils’ experiences and prior learning to engage them in activities. For example, pupils in Year 6 recalled their trip to the London Dungeon to give them good ideas to improve their descriptive writing in their ghost stories. Good questioning by the teacher extended their understanding further.  Pupils are given many opportunities that help them to improve their writing in a wide range of styles. However, there are too few activities planned for pupils to develop their comprehension skills or to practise the basic skills in mathematics.

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is good

 Pupils’ attainment in all subjects in Key Stage 1 last year improved. Pupils made good progress, particularly in Year 1. Standards in reading and writing by the end of Year 2 were significantly above national averages, while in mathematics, attainment was broadly average.  Pupils from all ethnic backgrounds made good progress in Key Stage 2, particularly in writing. Pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics in Year 6 last year dipped. In part, this was due to several pupils starting later than the normal entry point and not experiencing the whole key stage at the academy. School information and work seen in books show that pupils are continuing to make good progress in all subjects.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates. The school accurately identifies their individual needs and appropriate extra support is provided for them.

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is good

Staff are trained well to implement focused support plans and good use is made of specialised external agencies.  Pupil premium funds are used to ensure disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress in all subjects. For example, they are used to provide extra sessions in reading, writing, mathematics and mentoring. The funds are also used to ensure that disadvantaged pupils can take advantage of trips and clubs. As a result, eligible pupils reach the same standards as others. All attainment gaps between these pupils, their classmates and others nationally have closed.  Overall, the progress made by pupils who have English as an additional language is in line with that of others in school. They are well supported to develop English speaking skills quickly so they can readily access the work in all subjects.  The most able pupils have opportunities to try harder work, for example, working with secondary school

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is good

teachers and studying more demanding topic work. However, a few of them do not make as much progress as they could because not all activities planned for them stretch them enough. Generally, they make similar progress to their classmates.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is accurate and regular and begins in the early years. Pupils learn how to pronounce letters quickly and develop effective strategies to decipher words. The proportion of Year 1 pupils reaching the expected standards in the last two national phonics screening checks was above average.  Pupils achieve particularly well in writing. Good progress has been maintained in the last two years. From early years to Year 6, pupils have good opportunities to develop and practise their writing skills. Although in line with national figures, pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as strong. Pupils have fewer opportunities to practise the basic skills in mathematics.

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is good

 Most pupils read often. Reading has a high profile in school and is promoted well. The school has a large library and each classroom has an attractive reading corner. Parents are encouraged to ‘stay and read’ in the early years, the reading club and competitions encourage regular reading, and pupils visit and enrol in the local library. Guided reading sessions are well organised and pupils have many opportunities to find out the meaning of new words, consequently developing a rich vocabulary. However, pupils have fewer opportunities to develop better comprehension skills and their progress in reading is not as strong as in writing.

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is good

 The early years provision is well led and managed. Children make good progress and their achievement over time has improved. Staff ensure the Nursery and Reception environments are exciting places for children to explore. The outside area has been much improved since the previous inspection.  Home visits and good arrangements to settle children into school, such as parents staying with their children in the first few days, ensure a smooth transition. Children behave well. They follow teachers’ instructions promptly and learn how to do things for themselves. Parents say their children look forward to coming to school.  Staff meet regularly to share information about children’s progress and plan activities that effectively move children on in their learning. The environment of the early years is bright and stimulating and well resourced. Displays support learning well and celebrate children’s achievements. Activities encourage

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is good

children to be curious and to practise speaking, writing and counting. For example, a group of children in the Reception talked animatedly about the numbers of ‘fish’ they were catching. Adults encouraged conversation and harder thinking about numbers.  According to the school’s moderated assessments, children start school with skills and abilities that are generally below the levels typical for their age. Speaking and literacy levels are often particularly low. The school has identified children of Black African heritage as needing the most support and they are given extra effective help in developing speech and language. With good teaching, children make good progress in all areas of learning. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development before they enter Year 1 is above the national average.  Adults are well trained and observant and show great care for their charges. Phonics is taught well and

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is good

children are kept safe. They settle in quickly in the warm atmosphere, learning the routines and expected behaviour quickly. Generally, children learn to play and explore together companionably. Parents find teachers very helpful and approachable. Parents are kept up to date with their children’s progress and are encouraged to share their observations about children’s achievement at home.

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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 137413 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 449067

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 387 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cathy Loxton Principal Anne-Marie Strachan Date of previous school inspection 17 January 2013 Telephone number 020 7639 6091 Fax number 020 7635 7110 Email address info@harrisprimarypeckhampark.org.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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