Broadwater Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Susan Adams Headteacher Broadwater Primary School Broadwater Road Tooting London SW17 0DZ

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 24 May 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in October 2010.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

You and the leadership team, including the governing body, have maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

Your leadership has created a strong culture of making sure that everybody is included. Parents and pupils alike told me how exceptionally inclusive the school is. One parent wrote in Parent View: ‘Broadwater Primary School is a very inclusive school where differences between race, culture, ethnicity, etc. are celebrated.’ A Year 5 pupil told me how she was pleased to be at the school because ‘we all get on really well. It doesn’t matter what our religions are or where we have come from.’ I would strongly agree with these comments. You and your passionate leadership team have made sure that the much higher than average ethnic diversity of the school has been embraced by staff and used to great advantage. There are many examples of how the school celebrates different cultures, fully preparing pupils for life in modern Britain.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

Another demonstration of the school’s very strong inclusive culture is the highly effective work carried out to support pupils who have special educational needs or disability. They make rapid progress, often from very low starting points. There are pupils with very challenging and complex needs who take part in everyday school life and are included in all class activities. Learning assistants and teachers are well supported and trained to ensure that pupils’ needs are met very well.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

The school has developed highly effective working relationships with a range of outside agencies, including a family counselling charity. In addition to being on call informally, this charity regularly holds a range of different workshops and sessions for adults and children to help them deal with any emotional or social difficulties.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

In addition, the school has a much higher than average proportion of pupils who arrive and leave the school at different times during the school year. These pupils are warmly welcomed, settle in quickly and develop good learning habits and behaviours alongside their schoolmates.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

You and your team of senior and middle leaders have made sure that although there are a significant range of challenges, you have remained focused on ensuring that educational provision is of a high quality. The areas for improvement at the time of the previous inspection have been dealt with in full. All staff, including the learning assistants, receive accurate, peer-led feedback on their work. Information, communication and technology (ICT) facilities have been improved throughout the school, including the use by pupils of tablets and laptops during lessons. The early years is now a strength of the school. The setting is very well led and managed. Children are able to move freely between the classrooms and the equally vibrant and exciting outside learning environment.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

During key stage 1, pupils continue to make strong progress. By the time pupils leave Year 2, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with or above the national average and has been so for five years.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

Senior leaders are aware that the proportion of pupils making expected progress from Year 3 to Year 6 in 2015 was in line with average for reading, better than average for mathematics but below average for writing. A priority for the school since September 2015 has been the improvement of pupils’ writing, especially of boys. The school’s assessment information and pupils’ work demonstrate that pupils currently in the school are making better progress in their writing. The quality of writing seen in Year 6 pupils’ books demonstrates secure progress over the school year.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

The proportion of pupils making more than expected progress in key stage 2 in writing and mathematics was below average in 2015. Leaders have worked closely with teachers to make sure that the most able pupils are making more progress. During the inspection, most-able pupils were seen making strong progress. However, you and your team acknowledge that there are still a few pockets of inconsistency in providing challenging work for the most able pupils quickly enough.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

Arrangements for keeping children safe are extremely well led and managed. The work with outside agencies, such as the educational welfare officer, social care and a national family counselling service, is exemplary.

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Short inspection of Broadwater Primary School

The governing body is well informed about staff training, the checking of the single central register and the effectiveness of the school’s work with children and families with very complex needs. Parents who spoke to me informally at the start of the day told me that they were delighted with the school’s approach to including them in solving any difficulties their children had.

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Inspection findings

 The highly effective leadership team of headteacher, deputy and assistant headteacher knows the school and all the pupils very well. Leaders are clear about the school’s successes and the actions required for further improvements.  The governing body is knowledgeable and able to provide effective challenge and support to school leaders and managers. Governors have a strong understanding of how to interpret published assessment and test information and use it to good effect when asking questions during meetings.  Senior leaders are aware that, in 2015, the proportion of Year 6 pupils making more than expected progress in writing and mathematics was lower than average. The school’s analysis of current pupils’ progress indicates that there is a higher proportion making better than expected progress than in previous years. Gaps in attainment and progress between those pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding and their peers are narrowing. In many

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Inspection findings

cases, the gaps are smaller than those seen nationally.  The narrowing of gaps in attainment starts in the early years provision, where children make up ground quickly from their exceptionally low starting points. By the time pupils leave Year 2 the gaps have almost disappeared.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make secure progress throughout the school. Pupils with complex needs are supported by a well-trained team of learning assistants alongside the teachers in the classrooms. The assistant headteacher is highly adept and diligent in his monitoring of pupils’ progress. He fine-tunes and makes adjustments to the support required to meet the needs of pupils.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has many consistent and secure features. Pupils are able to use a range of resources to help with their spelling, grammar and mathematical calculations. Their written work is

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Inspection findings

well presented and at a standard expected for their age. Pupils can demonstrate a confidence and competence in using a range of calculation strategies in mathematics. Teachers have strong subject knowledge, are well organised and provide pupils with appropriately challenging activities for their ability. Senior leaders recognise that on some occasions, although the work prepared for the most able pupils is ready, they have to complete the same work as their classmates before they can start it. Consequently, their learning slows down.  Pupils form very positive relationships with each other and adults. They were keen to tell me how much they enjoy school. Attendance has risen since the previous inspection. The school is successfully reducing the number of pupils who are late for school. This is due to the highly effective work of the attendance manager.  The enthusiastic and highly motivated team of subject leaders has

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Inspection findings

developed a rich and interesting curriculum matching the needs of all the pupils very well. The different subjects are planned together to provide pupils with topics of interest including ‘Rivers and Mountains’ and ‘London Life’. Science is taught throughout the school. For example, Year 1 pupils practised their writing skills in their ‘Tadpole Diaries’. Pupils told me about their French lessons, when they speak, write and read in French, translate phrases from French to English and watch French animated films.  To enhance the curriculum further, there is a very wide range of clubs, visits and visitors. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about visits to a wetlands centre and the local church. During the week of the inspection, Year 6 pupils were on the Isle of Wight for a residential visit.  Physical education and sports are another strength of the school. The additional funding for sports activities is well used; activities are enjoyed by

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Inspection findings

a high proportion of the pupils. Qualified instructors teach activities which include archery, table tennis and cricket.  Pupils’ understanding of what it is like to live in modern Britain is developed through opportunities such as electing their peers to the school council. The school’s religious education syllabus introduces pupils to different faiths and religions. The above-average proportion of pupils from different ethnic minority groups is used to good advantage in the teaching of tolerance, harmony and understanding. Many pupils spoke of their friendships with others from different backgrounds. Parents also valued this strongly inclusive approach.  In the early years, children enjoy moving freely between the inside and outside activities. They are learning how to grow strawberries in the garden, helped by a parent volunteer. Inside, electronic ‘turtles’ help children learn to count. The school’s information about the children’s progress and the

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Inspection findings

work seen indicate that pupils make rapid progress from exceptionally low starting points. By the time they leave Reception, they are ready to start Year 1.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the most able pupils are provided with appropriately challenging work promptly.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wandsworth. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, the senior leadership team and a large number of the subject leaders. Meetings were also held with representatives of the governing body and the school’s local authority link inspector. I met with your safeguarding team and looked at the school’s safeguarding records, policies and procedures and the single central register. We discussed your assessment of the school’s performance and information about pupils’ progress. A group of pupils was interviewed and I spoke informally to many pupils during lessons and around the school. I met informally with parents before school started. Lessons visited included phonics (letters and the sounds that they make), writing and mathematics. I took into account the 74 responses to Parent View, the 45 responses to the staff survey and the three responses to the pupil survey.

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