Beatrix Potter Primary School

School report Beatrix Potter Primary School

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a good school

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle quickly and are taught well. As a result they make good progress and are well prepared for work in Year 1.  Most pupils make good progress throughout the school particularly in reading and mathematics. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards are in line with national averages in writing and above in reading and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive excellent support and make outstanding progress.  Senior and subject leaders support the headteacher well in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors provide excellent support to the school and have been very effective in ensuring the school continues to improve.  Pupils have exemplary behaviour which contributes strongly to the progress they make in lessons. They love learning and enjoy coming to school. They say they feel safe in the school.

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This is a good school

 Procedures and arrangements for safeguarding and keeping pupils safe are excellent.  The school provides a wide range of experiences in the curriculum. This promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development outstandingly well.  Parents and carers are highly positive about all that the school provides.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The achievement of boys in writing is not high enough because teachers do not challenge them sufficiently.  Gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils remain in the school in reading and writing.  Marking does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to respond to the guidance from teachers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed the teaching in 22 lessons or parts of lessons, of which two were jointly observed with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body and with pupils.  Behaviour was observed during morning breaks and at lunchtimes. Inspectors attended two school assemblies.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work and heard pupils in Year 2 and Year 4 read.  The inspection team took account of 76 responses to the online questionnaire for parents and carers, Parent View, as well as 19 responses to the staff questionnaire, an internal school parent questionnaire and a letter from a parent.  Documentation studied included: the school’s self-checks on its work, information on pupils’ performance, reports from the local authority, reports on disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, safeguarding and child protection policies, and documents relating to the management of teachers’

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Inspection team

Peter Nathan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average sized primary school.  The majority of pupils who attend are of White British heritage though the proportion of pupils of minority ethnic heritage is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.  An average proportion of the school’s pupils are disabled or have special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below that found nationally. This is additional government funding to give extra support to those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after.  The school has part-time Nursery provision within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Reception children attend full time.  A larger-than-average proportion of pupils join or leave the school other than at usual times.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum levels expected for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is a breakfast club and after-school club on site but this is managed and inspected separately.  The school holds the International Schools Award awarded by the British Council.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in order to raise the achievement of boys’ writing and to close gaps in attainment between disadvantaged and other pupils in reading and writing by:  ensuring that boys and disadvantaged pupils are effectively challenged so that their academic achievement improves  improving marking so that there are more opportunities for pupils to respond to guidance from teachers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The very experienced headteacher leads the school well. He is well supported by his senior colleagues, staff and governors. The success of each pupil is at the heart of all the school does and there is a strong commitment to make the school even better. As a result, teaching is improving and most pupils are making good progress in their learning.  The school’s self-evaluation is robust and accurate and correctly identifies what the school needs to do to improve further. There are good systems in place to monitor the quality of the school’s work including analysing the progress made of individuals, classes and pupil groups. This provides evidence for reviewing the work of teachers and providing challenging targets for performance management. This also ensures that interventions to improve learning, for example for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is highly effective.  Leaders check the quality of teaching regularly. They observe lessons, review the quality of work in pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

books and check pupils’ progress. They know that boys’ achievement in writing is not as good as it could be and they recognise that high quality teaching is essential to secure higher levels of achievement. There is a close relationship between how well teachers are paid and how well pupils achieve. Teachers are offered good opportunities to develop their skills and newly qualified teachers are inducted well.  Middle leaders including subject leaders have a good understanding of what is expected of them. They lead their subjects well and have good opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through the training offered to them. They develop other teachers’ skills by planning with them and observing them in lessons offering them support and advice.  The leader responsible for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs has an excellent understanding of their individual needs. Support provided is well organised and highly effective and high

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The leadership and management are good

quality training is provided for all teaching staff. Parents and carers are regularly involved in the process of reviewing the progress of their children.  The school’s curriculum is broad and meets the needs of pupils very well. There is a good focus on the development of literacy and numeracy for most pupils in subjects across the curriculum and pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils really enjoy their work with computers and learning about how they work. Provision for subjects like history with its focus on local and London history, geography and science is excellent.  The school has made good preparations for the implementation of the new National Curriculum. The development of a related new assessment system is at an early stage of development.  The school has excellent provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have visited a range of places of worship such as a mosque and synagogue. They have visited their local

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The leadership and management are good

museum, the war graves in the local cemetery and made their own poppy display to reflect on and remember those who had died in wars. This supports their understanding of British history and values and the school promotes in pupils an understanding of equality of opportunity and also that discrimination is not acceptable.  Through assemblies and lessons pupils have opportunities for reflection, and to gain a better understanding of themselves, their community and the wider world, particularly through their work as a United Nations Rights Respecting School. This is supported by the school’s international work with schools in many countries such as Ghana and Georgia. Pupils raise money for good causes and clearly know the difference between right and wrong.  Thorough safeguarding checks, such as the vetting of staff and child protection measures, and dedicated and caring staff who know their pupils well, keep pupils safe. Provision and procedures are excellent.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium funding is carefully allocated and monitored to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make good progress in their learning. School leaders know that they need to do more, however, to close the gap in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils particularly in reading and writing.  The school has used the national primary school sports funding well. This has been used to provide specialist teaching in many sports such as tennis, lacrosse and dance and also to provide training for staff. Links have been established with local sports clubs to give pupils the opportunity to develop sporting skills outside of school.  The school engages with parents and carers very well. Parents and carers responding to the Ofsted Parent View online parent questionnaire and the school survey said that their children were happy, safe and made good progress. The excellent school website provides a lot of information for parents and

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The leadership and management are good

carers on the school through curriculum information, highlighting school events, regular information on the life of the school and school policies and procedures.  The local authority has provided effective support to the school. This has focused on working with the headteacher and the governing body to address some concerns in the previous year after achievement dipped in 2013.  The governance of the school:  The knowledgeable governing body has a wide range of skills and experiences such as in finance and personnel which benefits the school considerably. The appointment of a new Chair has provided a strong impetus for further improvement in the school. Governors have an excellent understanding of the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement and have correctly identified where the school needs to improve further. They have a clear vision for the school and have a succession plan in place if senior

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The leadership and management are good

staff leave.  Detailed information on the school’s performance is provided by the headteacher and this is evaluated in detail at governing body meetings. Governors understand the school’s performance and hold the headteacher to account with considerable rigour.  Governors visit the school regularly and have specific areas of responsibility, on which they report to other governors.  Systems for managing the performance of staff and rewarding them through the pay scales appropriately are in place and understood by governors.  They have ensured that excellent arrangements are in place for safeguarding which meet statutory requirements, and that pupils are well cared for.  Governors are aware of how the school uses additional funding for the pupil premium and primary sports, and know about its impact.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They have excellent attitudes to learning. They show a real keenness to learn in all subjects, are enthusiastic when talking about their work and try hard to do their best. They thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the range of opportunities that the school provides for them.  Pupils, parents and carers and staff are extremely positive about the standards of behaviour both in lessons and around the school. Pupils are very polite, helpful, show very good manners and create a very harmonious atmosphere around the school. Relationships between pupils and the adults that teach them are excellent.  Pupils contribute in an excellent way to the life of the school through the school council and through debates on human rights contributing to the school’s values. Older pupils support younger children with play at lunchtimes to develop cooperation and relationships.  Pupils’ behaviour is managed very well. They understand the system of rewards and sanctions. The school

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Behaviour

maintains accurate records of the few incidents that occur and how they are dealt with. Pupils know about the different kinds of bullying such as cyber-bullying although bullying in any form is rare.  Robust and effective systems are in place to ensure high attendance. The school has improved pupils’ attendance since the last inspection which is now above the national average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils are taught about keeping themselves safe on their scooters and bicycles. They have an excellent knowledge of e-safety and the possible issues surrounding the use of social media. They know about racism and say there is no racist bullying in school.  The school’s safeguarding is outstanding. The school has excellent systems in place for child protection, risk assessments and health and safety which are regularly updated and staff training is kept up to date. The school site is secure and well managed.  All parents and carers responding to the Ofsted online questionnaire said that they felt the school keeps their children safe.  Pupils report feeling really safe and secure in school because adults know them well and they feel valued and fully supported.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching literacy, reading and mathematics is good over time and in all key stages. Consequently, most pupils make good progress and achieve well.  In most cases, teachers provide pupils with the right level of challenge in their work activities. They usually plan their lessons well for pupils of differing abilities. However, on occasions, boys need further challenge in their writing to improve the quality and presentation of their work further. Some disadvantaged pupils also need further challenge to raise their standards in reading and writing.  The marking of work is up to date and is usually of high quality with pupils given the opportunity to assess their own work. Pupils are not always given sufficient time to respond to the comments made by teachers which prevents them from making more progress in their learning.  Staff teach phonics (linking letters and sounds) and develop pupils’ reading skills effectively. These skills

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The quality of teaching is good

enrich the pupils’ ability to read for enjoyment and to support learning in class. Most pupils develop a love of reading and read often particularly more able readers. A few disadvantaged pupils, however, do not always have enough opportunities to develop their reading to achieve higher standards.  Teachers use a wide range of resources to support the curriculum to motivate pupils. Pupils’ enthusiasm for learning, for example when studying the Amazon rainforest or when talking about ‘The Mousehole Cat’, were very evident and contributed very well to good progress and enjoyment in learning.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are assessed well. They receive excellent teaching individually, in small groups and in classes which means they make outstanding progress both socially and in their academic studies. Pupils who arrive in school at the early stages of learning English

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The quality of teaching is good

receive good teaching and make good progress.  Teaching assistants work closely with teachers and have developed a range of skills so that they can support learning well, in both lessons and small-group work. In particular they give good support to pupils at risk of falling behind in their work.  Pupils like and respect their teachers and want to do well. Staff encourage pupils to work cooperatively and listen to and value each other’s contributions.

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is good

 Most pupils achieve well in each key stage in the school particularly in mathematics and reading. Generally, children start in the Nursery displaying knowledge, skills and understanding below that typical for their age. Throughout their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage, most children make good progress and are suitably prepared for entry into Key Stage 1. Some boys do not make sufficient progress in their writing.  The good start that most pupils have made is built upon in Years 1 and 2. By the end of Key Stage 1, attainment is now above average in reading, writing and mathematics and strongly improved in 2014. In 2013, attainment was below average but teaching has improved to ensure raised standards and that pupils make good progress. Despite this, the small number of disadvantaged pupils was nearly a term and a half behind other pupils in the school in reading, mathematics and writing and a term behind other

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is good

pupils nationally.  Achievement in reading across the school is improving because pupils’ reading skills are now built on systematically through daily morning sessions that pupils enjoy. Phonic skills (linking letters and sounds) are well taught in Key Stage 1 and in the last phonics check the attainment of pupils was above the national average.  Pupils continue to make good progress across Key Stage 2. Outcomes are above national averages in mathematics, reading and English grammar, punctuation and spelling and are an improvement on 2013. Writing outcomes are similar to national averages and have improved with the national trend since 2012. The small number of boys who were in Year 6 in 2014 did not make as rapid progress in writing as girls and were a term and a half behind girls in the school in their writing levels.  The number of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium funding is half the national

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is good

average. The gap in attainment between this group and other pupils in the school has been variable over the last three years but in 2014, the gap narrowed considerably. In the 2014 Key Stage 2 results in mathematics, disadvantaged pupils were less than half a term behind other pupils in the school and with this group nationally. For reading, disadvantaged pupils were about a term behind other pupils in the school and half a term behind this group nationally. For writing, outcomes are in line with other pupils in the school and about half a term behind this group nationally.  Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are well supported by all staff. Teaching and support are very well coordinated helping them to make outstanding progress in their learning.  Pupils who are learning English as an additional language perform well across the school and achieve as well as other pupils in the school. Those at the early stages of learning English make good progress in

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is good

mathematics, reading and writing because of good teaching.  The most able pupils make good progress as they move through the school. The progress they make in Key Stage 2 is above average in mathematics and is rapidly improving in reading and writing, as seen by the rise in standards in pupils’ books.

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is good

 Children enter the school with levels of skills and understanding which are below those typical for their age, although levels do fluctuate from year to year. Because of consistently good teaching, children achieve well overall and are carefully prepared for life and work in Year 1. Boys, however, do not make as much progress as girls in writing. The latest outcomes indicate that the proportion of children who had a good level of development by the time they leave Reception is below the national average. This is because boys attained lower than girls in the school in writing and below the national average.  Teachers have secure subject knowledge to support the learning in the Nursery and Reception, with clear records of development which are used to plan further learning. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is now a strength of the provision. Outcomes for the end of Reception show that

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is good

children have a strong understanding of phonics which provides a good platform for developing reading skills further in Year 1.  The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. It is well organised and provides a very safe and secure environment for learning. Leaders and managers are clear about what they need to do to further improve the provision. Parents and carers are pleased how well their children settle into classes and play and learn with each other. Checks on learning are taken soon after children enter classes so that individual needs are identified quickly.  The classrooms and outside areas provide a range of exciting activities to interest and engage the children. Children behave exceptionally well and feel very safe. Staff support children’s learning well through asking questions which extend their learning. The activities provided support most areas of learning well including mathematics although boys do not engage enough with the writing opportunities

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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 100997 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 444140

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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 383 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Costanza de Toma Headteacher Steph Neale Date of previous school inspection 14–15 June 2011 Telephone number 020 88741482 Fax number 020 88879416 Email address info@beatrixpotter.wandsworth.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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