Adamsrill Primary School

Adamsrill Primary School Adamsrill Road, Sydenham, London SE26 4AQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Senior leaders have communicated clear expectations and values to the whole school community. They have taken the steps necessary to improve teaching so that it is good.  Pupils are making consistently rapid progress so that outcomes for pupils have improved and are now good.  Teachers provide consistently effective guidance and are quick to notice when pupils need more challenge or extra support in lessons.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disabilities make typically better progress than other pupils.  Middle leaders have developed their roles well so that they make effective contributions to school improvement.  External support from the local authority and other schools has been used effectively to help raise standards.  The curriculum engages the interests of pupils and helps them understand the importance of learning.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and

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This is a good school

cultural education is good. This prepares them well for their future lives.  Pupils behave well. They understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  Children make outstanding progress in the early years so that they are well prepared for Year 1.  Safeguarding is effective. Senior leaders and governors ensure that procedures are well understood and concerns dealt with promptly.  Governors have reviewed their work thoroughly so that they now provide good challenge and support to school leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some pupils, particularly the most able, still need to make up ground lost in their learning when teaching was not good.  Objectives for learning are not linked closely enough to subjects in some lessons.  Leaders do not use information sharply enough on occasion when evaluating the impact of their plans for improvement.  Attendance rates are improving but some pupils continue to miss too much school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders select information even more effectively when evaluating the impact of their plans for improvement and making strategic plans.  Sustain the drive to ensure that rates of persistent absence continue to decline.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, so that it is outstanding, by continuing to develop teachers’ skills in identifying how to promote the rapid progress of pupils in lessons, especially the most able pupils ensuring that the objectives of lessons across the curriculum focus sharply on the subject being taught.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The executive headteacher and head of school have provided the resolute and inspirational leadership necessary to make rapid improvements since the last inspection. They immediately made clear their expectations about the standards of teaching required. They conveyed a compelling vision for the school’s values and approach to the curriculum. This has ensured that the many new members of staff have quickly understood what is expected of them and how to obtain the training and support to suit their personal needs.  The structure of the senior leadership team has been developed further. An additional deputy headteacher has now been appointed to complete the team. They work effectively together to check on the impact of their well-organised plans for improvement. Monitoring arrangements are rigorous and carried out very frequently. Leaders expect teachers to put training into practice promptly and effectively.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

There is a weekly review of outcomes which provides detailed evidence to inform the process of managing the performance of teachers. Leaders also insist that the policies on teaching are implemented consistently. The result is a striking coherence to learning and teaching across the whole school. All of this has driven up standards rapidly in the current school year.  Senior leaders have also understood the importance of ensuring that their most effective teachers are able to exemplify their skills to colleagues and support those who are less experienced. Links with nearby successful schools have been used to provide teachers with further reference to what constitutes effective teaching. These links also enable senior leaders to check that their information about pupils’ learning outcomes is accurate.  The executive headteacher has introduced a comprehensive and detailed system to collect, organise and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

analyse information about the progress of pupils. The outcomes for groups of pupils are considered in detail with teachers in order to decide on how to plan next steps in learning. This is enabling teachers to plan lessons which more closely match the needs of pupils and quickly identify pupils whose pace of learning is slowing. The large volume of information now available means that there is a need for leaders to further refine their use of it to summarise the impact of their plans for improvement.  Middle leaders are making effective contributions to school improvement. They use information and evidence well to decide on priorities for training and support. For example, the mathematics leader has ensured that specialist advice from the local authority has brought about necessary improvements in teaching. They also have a detailed knowledge of standards in the aspects of provision they are responsible for.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The distinctive curriculum is well matched to the needs of this school’s pupils. It is at the heart of the changes introduced by the executive headteacher. Pupils have the opportunity to understand the importance of learning in their everyday lives.  The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good. It promotes pupils’ understanding of British values very well. It enables pupils to obtain a deep understanding of diversity, respect and tolerance. Leaders encourage pupils to view the school as a ‘microcosm of the world’. They expect pupils to be curious about, and respectful of, the beliefs and opinions of others. For example, pupils have written to the President of the United States on the subject of children’s rights, making the connection with the school’s own rules and expectations.  Senior leaders have ensured that the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is monitored more

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

effectively for impact and plans for its use are kept under regular review. This has led to rapid improvement in progress for these pupils and significantly higher attendance.  Leaders and governors have augmented the primary sports funding to provide specialist coaching for pupils and professional development for teachers. They see sport as a cornerstone of the work of the school to motivate pupils and educate them about healthy lifestyles.  Leaders discovered on their arrival that the school’s reputation had significantly diminished with some parents. Senior leaders and governors have been successful in regaining the confidence and trust of the majority who expressed their views. However, a number of parents continue to raise concerns about issues which they feel leaders have not resolved to their satisfaction.  External support from the local authority has been used well by governors and school leaders to ensure

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the right people, training and advice are available to drive improvement. The local authority provides valuable support for the school’s evaluation of its work and procedures.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school Since the last inspection the governing body has reconsidered its structure. It has acted on recommendations from an external review conducted after the last inspection. Governors’ roles and meetings have been reorganised to make more effective use of their individual skills and interests. Governors are well known to parents and staff because they regularly attend events and participate alongside teachers in training. They have a sharper, more extensive knowledge of outcomes for pupils. This enables governors to hold leaders to account better for the use of additional funding. Governors have ensured that leaders have received the necessary support to make effective staff appointments. They have been effective partners in helping leaders tackle difficult issues as they have navigated the school community through a time of significant change. Governors play close attention to the work of the school to safeguard pupils. They systematically

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

check on training, policies and procedures. Governors receive detailed, regular information from school leaders about informal complaints and the outcomes of leaders’ analysis of safeguarding information.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The head of school works with the lead for inclusion to ensure the procedures for responding to concerns are implemented promptly and any concerns are acted on quickly. Leaders speak of a culture of ‘professional curiosity’, which enables them to identify potential risks and issues at an early stage.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers make sure pupils of all abilities are provided with work which makes them think and allows them to build on their previous learning. As a result, pupils now make consistently good progress. Variations between subjects and year groups evident at the last inspection have been eradicated.  The most effective teachers spot when pupils become stuck with work or show signs that they are finding it too easy. They reconsider the organisation of lessons so that pupils’ learning is not unduly held up. These teachers are able to share their expertise with less experienced colleagues or those new to the school. This is ensuring that teaching is typically good despite the recent large number of staff changes. This support is necessary to ensure that most pupils make the accelerated progress necessary to reach their potential.  Teachers evaluate pupils’ learning at the end of each week and in regular meetings with senior leaders.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

This is helping them to become even more effective at setting work and providing guidance for different groups of pupils. Teachers are becoming more skilful at enabling the most able pupils to master skills and deepen their understanding sooner. However, leaders have rightly identified this as an ongoing priority in their plans for improvement.  Pupils’ work demonstrates the consistent effectiveness of teachers’ guidance and advice for pupils. Teachers help pupils apply mathematical skills to problem solving effectively. Training provided by a mathematics consultant has helped them to ensure pupils’ mental mathematical strategies are more secure. The most able pupils are given intriguing and meaningful tasks which enable them to master skills. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, pupils were working out a budget for a family trip to the carnival in Rio de Janeiro.  When pupils attempt longer pieces of writing, teachers remind them to look back at advice and previous

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

work to help them avoid repeating mistakes. Classrooms throughout the school are organised so pupils can refer to examples of effective writing and prompts about features of different genres. This helps less confident pupils to keep writing well instead of waiting until their teacher can help them.  Pupils emerge from the early years with secure early reading skills. The teaching of reading continues to be typically good. Pupils develop positive attitudes to books. Teachers and support staff ask effective questions to help pupils think more deeply about characters and plots in fiction texts.  Teachers take full responsibility for making sure pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities are set appropriate work and provided with effective support.  Specialist teaching of art enables pupils to create work of a high standard using skills typically mastered at an older age. However, some work across the curriculum indicates that the objectives of lessons need

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

to be more sharply focused on the subject being taught.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. School leaders ensure pupils learn to look after their physical and mental well-being from an early age. For example, pupils are expected to fit in a daily mile of walking each day at school.  The curriculum provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of the use of learning in their daily lives. For example, older pupils are challenged to develop an enterprise project to make the most of limited resources.  Pupils are provided with the necessary guidance and information to help keep themselves safe, including when using the internet.  Pupils are expected to carry out responsible tasks in school. They learn to appreciate the importance of contributing to the wider community. For example, pupils recently raised money to help a local athlete compete in the forthcoming Olympic Games.  Senior leaders have engendered a culture of open discussion which enables pupils to voice their views

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils become absorbed in learning during lessons. They say that there are very few disruptions due to poor behaviour. Teachers ensure that pupils understand the importance of cooperation and respect.  Pupils understand why behaving well is important. This enables them to choose to behave well in all parts of the school day. They are unerringly polite and pleasant to visitors and enjoy sharing their views of the school and their work.  Pupils say that irresponsible or unsafe behaviour rarely affects their school day. Most parents agree, though some expressed concerns about the impact of poor behaviour on their children. School records indicate that discriminatory behaviour is a rare occurrence.  Leaders have ensured that rates of attendance have improved in the current school year so that they are close to national averages. Disadvantaged pupils, whose attendance was much poorer than that of other

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Behaviour

pupils in 2015, now attend much more regularly. These improvements are due to effective partnerships with the local authority and public recognition for improvements in attendance. Leaders realise they must continue to pursue improvements in attendance for some pupils who remain persistently absent.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make excellent progress from low starting points in the early years. In the rest of the school, accelerated progress has become the norm in the current school year. Pupils are rapidly making up for previous underachievement when teaching was less effective.  The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is above the national average. By the end of key stage 1, a similar proportion of pupils reach the expected standard as seen nationally. The proportion exceeding this is improving rapidly, as teachers become more skilled at providing effective challenge for the most able pupils.  The proportion of pupils reaching the standards expected of them in the new curriculum is rising rapidly as a result of the consistent good progress in the current year. Pupils make similarly good progress in mathematics as in reading and writing as a result of improvements in the teaching of this subject. The

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Outcomes for pupils are good

proportion of the most able pupils capable of mastering age-related skills is increasing.  Disadvantaged pupils entitled to additional funding make better progress than others in the school as a result of more effective and regular evaluation of the additional support they receive. This is ensuring that gaps between their attainment and that of other pupils in the school are closing rapidly.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities are making excellent progress in the current school year. This is typically more rapid than the good progress of their peers.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 School leaders ensure that the proportion of children attaining a good level of development and ready for Year 1 is well above the national average. This represents outstanding progress from starting points which are accurately assessed as very low for most children.  Teachers provide consistently skilful, accurate modelling of early reading and speaking skills which ensure that children learn the sounds that letters make very securely.  The indoor and outdoor environment of the newly developed early years setting is adapted to provide interesting and stimulating activities for children. Adults make sure children are making the most of the resources. They set up opportunities to enable pupils to develop skills further when their observations reveal gaps in learning.  The leader for the early years uses information about pupils’ progress and observations in lessons to ensure that the quality of teaching is typically outstanding. Personalised programmes of learning for

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Early years provision is outstanding

children with talents or skills in particular areas of learning ensure that they make rapid progress to exceed the attainment typical for their age.  Children in the Nursery benefit from effective teaching of personal and social skills. The school expects and encourages parents to continue this work at home and contribute to the assessment of children’s progress.  The setting is safe and secure. Children develop positive attitudes quickly. They learn to persevere and concentrate on tasks, even when adults are not close by them.

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School details

Unique reference number 100671 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 10011885 This inspection 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 514 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Susan Bateson Executive headteacher Cynthia Eubank Telephone number 0208 699 8548 Website www.adamsrill.lewisham.sch.uk Email address admin@adamsrill.lewisham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 21–22 May 2014

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Information about this school

 Adamsrill Primary School is much larger than the average primary school.  About eight in 10 pupils are from minority ethnic groups. The main groups are pupils from a Black heritage.  Approximately one in three pupils speaks English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding which is provided for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities is above average.  The Nursery admits children on a part-time basis. Children attend the Reception classes full-time.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school’s website meets the statutory requirements for provision of information.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out observations in 17 lessons. Some of these were conducted jointly with senior leaders. A scrutiny of pupils’ work in mathematics was conducted with the leader responsible for this subject. Inspectors heard pupils read. They met with pupils to talk about their learning and their opinions.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, middle leaders and representatives of the governing body. A telephone discussion was held with an officer of the local authority.  Inspectors considered 37 responses from parents to the online Parent View survey along with 30 written responses received during the inspection. Inspectors also met with a number of parents informally during the inspection. No responses to the staff questionnaire were received.  Inspectors looked at documents related to safeguarding, the development of teaching, performance management and pupils’ progress. Records relating to the behaviour and attendance of pupils were also

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Information about this inspection

inspected, along with the school’s written plans for improvement.

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Inspection team

Andrew Wright, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Joanna Jones Ofsted Inspector David Milligan Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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