Setting

Mrs E Maxted The Headteacher St Saviour's Church of England Primary School Herne Hill Road London SE24 0AY

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 9 and 10 December 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Primary School

The inspection was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in September 2013. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Primary School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Primary School

The school is making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures.

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Primary School

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring

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Primary School

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be published on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Lambeth and the Diocese of Southwark.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

Tribal Kings Orchard One Queen Street Bristol BS2 0HQ T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 311 5359 Email : christina.bannerman@tribalgroup.com

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place in September 2013

 Improve the quality and effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels by: - establishing effective systems for rigorously checking how well the school is doing, which include the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning and progress - ensuring that the outcomes of these checks are analysed, and strengths and areas for improvement identified and acted upon through incisive improvement planning - using pupil achievement information more effectively to track and analyse the progress of the different groups of pupils, particularly boys - assessing the impact of the various types of support given to pupils - providing teachers with clear steps for developing their skills and checking that they are followed up to make sure they work - strengthening the contribution of subject leaders to improving teaching and learning.  Develop the skills of the governing body, especially in understanding information

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place in September 2013

about pupils’ attainment and progress and the quality of teaching, so that it can hold school leaders more effectively to account for the impact of their work. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.  Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by making sure that: - all teachers have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve - activities are carefully matched to pupils’ individual needs so that they are always challenging and involve pupils actively in learning - all staff ask pupils challenging and probing questions - all staff use teaching assistants fully to support pupils’ learning.

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Evidence

The inspector observed the school’s work, talked to pupils during lessons and at play, and scrutinised a range of documents. He conducted a scrutiny of a sample of pupils’ work books. He met with the headteacher, the Chief Executive Officer of the Loughborough Federation of Schools and a number of senior and middle leaders. He also held meetings with representatives of the governing Body, the local authority and Southwark Diocesan Board of Education.

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Context

Since the last monitoring inspection an assistant headteacher has been appointed to strengthen the senior leadership team of the school. During her imminent maternity leave she will be replaced by a suitably qualified senior leader from the federation. The Reception year teacher, who is also the leader for pupils with disabilities and special educational needs, has been given additional non-teaching time to fulfil her leadership duties. A new teacher has been appointed to Year 1 and a long-term supply teacher is teaching Year 2. Pupils in Year 6 are now grouped by ability for literacy lessons as well as for mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

In the Reception year, learning and work seen during the inspection, and school leaders’ evidence of achievement, indicate recent improvements are being sustained. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected level in the Year 1 phonic screening check was higher than the national average in 2014. The majority of disadvantaged pupils entitled to additional funding did not meet the expected level. Leaders have picked this up and have well considered plans to help these pupils catch up.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Achievement by the end of Key Stage 1 has continued to improve. Attainment in all subjects was broadly the same as the national average in 2014. The school’s own records and pupils’ work seen on inspection reflect this improving overall achievement. Girls continue to achieve better than boys. Leaders know where the gaps are widest and have acted on this. For example, they have introduced new resources with the aim of securing boys’ greater interest in reading. The gap between the achievement of pupils entitled to additional funding and others has narrowed in 2014, but still remains. However, only two pupils assessed in Year 2 in 2014 were entitled to this funding.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Pupils’ achievement by the end of Key Stage 2 also improved in 2014. Attainment is above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Boys achieve better than girls in mathematics, nearly as well in reading, but not as well in writing. School leaders are tracking the progress of all pupils rigorously and regularly. They use the outcome of this to ensure teachers have the necessary information to make a positive difference to learning in lessons. Pupil progress meetings provide opportunities to enable the needs of individual pupils to be considered.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Leaders have also identified correctly that the small number of pupils who have a Black Caribbean heritage made significantly less progress during their time in Key Stage 2. Senior leaders have gone on to check closely on the progress of similar pupils in the current Year 6 class. The school’s own evidence suggests that progress for this group of pupils is improving as a result.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Children with disabilities and special educational needs are not making the same rate of progress as other pupils. Leaders have responded by ensuring interventions are provided for these pupils. However, the impact of this work on progress is not analysed sharply enough. There is a significant crossover between pupils who are entitled to additional funding and those with special educational needs. It is therefore even more important that a close eye is kept on the impact of interventions.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Assessments at all key stages have been externally moderated by the local authority in 2014. These have confirmed that judgements made by teachers are consistent and accurate.

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The quality of teaching

The quality of teaching has continued to improve, even though there have been a number of changes to teaching staff. This is because of clearly communicated policies for teaching which leaders have established and monitored well. Teachers’ planning includes specific reference to the pupils who have been the subject of consideration in progress meetings. As a result, work matches their needs more closely. Pupils understand what they need to do to improve their work more precisely. This development is also improving pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning.

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The quality of teaching

Children in the Reception year benefit from a wide range of well-focused activities, coupled with skilful use of dialogue.

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The quality of teaching

The quality of marking has improved further since the last monitoring visit, although variations still exist between classes and subjects. For instance, marking of work in religious education books is consistently incisive, inspiring and subject specific. Marking in topic books is not marked well enough yet in some classes. Most pupils are responding to marked comments more fully and confidently. This contributes well to their understanding of targets set, which has improved since the past monitoring visit.

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The quality of teaching

The recent adoption of a new scheme of work for mathematics is proving beneficial to the quality of teaching. At times, though, the way this is being used is limiting opportunities for younger pupils to gain confidence in recording their work independently.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils behave very well in and around school. In the Reception class, children who are not directly interacting with adults still continue to demonstrate positive attitudes, showing enthusiasm and curiosity for their learning.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

In the playground there is lots of evidence of collaborative play. Pupils demonstrate an understanding of, and empathy for, the needs of others. They say that they enjoy the additional responsibilities they are being given. They also enjoy the wide range of playtime activities on offer.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

There has been a very small number of racist incidents and unacceptable behaviour involving alleged bullying among pupils since the last monitoring visit. These have been recorded in detail. Leaders believe that these matters have been resolved or are being monitored carefully.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The improving teaching is leading to better behaviour in classrooms. There is a high level of cooperation between pupils during learning and increasing opportunities for children to demonstrate independence.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The designated person for child protection and safeguarding has been responsible for leading child protection training to new staff in September 2014. Other staff members last received this training in the autumn of 2013. However, the necessary training related to her role as the designated person for safeguarding was last completed in 2010. Therefore, although there are established plans for her to renew this training in the very near future, this has lapsed. Safer recruitment training was completed by the headteacher in 2007. There are plans for governors to complete safer recruitment training in the near future. This is a very desirable move.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupil attendance is well above the national average for the current school year and all groups of pupils attend well. An increase in the levels of persistent absence seen in the previous academic year has been reversed.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Leaders have given appropriate priority to developing the quality of teaching and learning. Senior leaders are analysing strengths and weaknesses in teaching accurately. They are making sure that new staff learn and implement agreed teaching policies and are holding teachers closely to account. There is more variation in the quality of monitoring of the impact of teaching and learning across the wider curriculum. The tracking of pupil achievement in other subjects is not as well established as in core areas. Middle leaders are still developing their skills in checking on the impact of their work. Pupil progress meetings lead to direct refinements in teachers’ planning. Interventions are well aligned with pupils’ needs. The evaluation of some of these interventions, especially for those pupils with special educational needs, is not yet precise enough to ensure that pupils make the best progress.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The partnership with the Loughborough Federation of Schools continues to be a crucial source of expertise and resources. The Chief Executive Officer of the federation provides effective challenge and support to leaders. His detailed knowledge of the pupils in the school is helping to maintain the pace of school improvement. The partnership allows the exchange of expertise and knowledge, opportunities to check and moderate judgements and initiatives. The resources of the federation are enabling continuity of leadership to continue despite unexpected challenges.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Governors are confident about their roles and know they have come a long way in a short period of time. They speak as a single voice, complement one another in their range of skills, and have been robust in continuing the process of self-evaluation. They play an active and purposeful part in the life of the school. Governors know about their responsibilities more accurately. For example, they can identify suitable questions to ask leaders about the provision for pupils in public care. They are becoming increasingly proficient at using a range of evidence to determine the school’s strengths and weaknesses. For instance, governors appreciate and check upon the impact of spending pupil premium funding on the engagement of the parents of these pupils with the school’s work.

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External support

A productive, collaborative approach exists between the local authority, the school and the diocese. Governors and school leaders understand and appreciate this support and welcome the challenge it provides openly and professionally.

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External support

The diocesan representative has begun the process of reviewing faith-based learning with the leader for religious education. She also provides valuable pastoral support to the school. The local authority has a very well informed view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Its representatives use this to provide effective challenge in regular review meetings with senior leaders and governors. The local authority has also been an important factor in developing governance to the much improved standards now evident.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Ensure that the designated person for safeguarding completes training appropriate to her role at the earliest opportunity.

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