St Mary's Lewisham Church of England Primary School

St Mary’s Lewisham Church of England Primary School 329 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6NX

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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

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good because teachers make good use of information on how well the pupils are doing to plan future learning.  Teachers form good relationships with the pupils and provide them with clear guidance on how they can improve their work.  Pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare are good. Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They are respectful and work together well in lessons.  Pupils are kept safe and feel safe because staff are rigorous in their approach towards safeguarding.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted strongly. The school’s 22 values support positive learning.  Pupils are making good progress across the school and outcomes are rising, including in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children do well in the effective early years provision. They make good progress because work is tailored to capture their interests and members

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This is a good school

of staff are skilled in asking them probing questions.  Leadership and management are effective. Leaders have a clear vision for the school and high expectations for the staff and pupils.  Leaders and governors have a good impact on improving teaching and pupils’ outcomes. They check up on how well pupils are doing and take effective action if they are not doing well enough.  The school has improved rapidly since the previous inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all teachers consistently expect enough from pupils, especially the most able, to move their learning forward quickly within each lesson.  Teaching assistants are not always used effectively or given clear guidance about how they are to support the pupils in their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and strengthen teaching by: ensuring that all teachers consistently expect enough from all pupils, especially the most able making sure that teaching assistants are used effectively and are always clear about how they are to support the pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders have high expectations for the school and a clear understanding about how well the school is doing. Their self-evaluation is thorough and accurate, and supports them in planning the next stage of development.  Leaders, across the partnership of the two schools, have established a culture in which pupils and teachers can flourish. The performance management of all staff is thorough, which has led to a rapid improvement in teaching over the last two years. Teachers have good opportunities to attend training and other professional development relevant to their needs. Leaders at all levels are monitoring teaching and pupils’ progress rigorously, and motivating staff and pupils to want to succeed.  The curriculum is designed to be rich and varied and provides a wealth of additional learning opportunities through clubs, visits and visitors. For example, pupils take part in additional activities such

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

as basketball and chess. Leaders are constantly reviewing provision so that it best meets the needs of all pupils.  The local authority and diocesan board have provided effective challenge in the school’s development since the previous inspection. They have provided opportunities for training and worked with leaders to review teaching and learning.  The special funding to support disadvantaged pupils is being used effectively following a whole-school review last year. These pupils are now making good progress across the school with funding being focused more tightly on areas of greatest need. Support is focused on areas of the curriculum that individuals find particularly challenging.  The sports funding is used well to provide additional clubs and lunchtime games. As a result, more pupils are taking part in sport in addition to physical education lessons. The school is starting to take part in competitions with its partner school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Parents are positive about the school and typically make comments such as, ‘Everyone works together’ and ‘I really love the atmosphere and welcome.’  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development underpin the pupils’ learning. Pupils have a strong sense of belonging to a community and know the values that are preparing them well for life in modern Britain. For example, in assembly, they talked about the importance of teamwork and how it helped Portugal to win the European Championship for football.  Leaders are aware that the few remaining inconsistencies in teaching and learning need to be tackled robustly by making sure that all teachers follow the agreed school policies such as on marking.  The governance of the school Governance is effective and has improved since the previous inspection. Governors are knowledgeable about all aspects of the school’s work, and provide the right level of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

challenge and support to help other leaders bring about any necessary improvements. There is a clear understanding and agreement among governors that they are prioritising ‘outcomes, outcomes, outcomes’ and consistency in teaching. They are rigorous in checking that the school is doing what it has outlined in its school development planning. For example, they have looked at examples of the pupils’ work to check that they are making enough progress.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are fully trained in keeping the pupils safe and are checked for suitability before joining the school. School values such as honesty, fairness and caring help the pupils to become involved in the safety and welfare of each other. The school works closely with its parents to ensure that the pupils are kept safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and use praise to motivate them to want to learn. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, the teacher gained pupils’ attention quickly by counting back from five and praised pupils who gave clear explanations for the methods used in their problem solving when converting units of time.  Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach. They ask effective questions to stimulate discussion and to help pupils think about their learning. For example, in Year 6, the teacher asked good questions to help pupils to identify grammatical features of an old school report.  A wide range of resources are used well to support learning and to make lessons interesting. For instance, in Year 4, pupils were fascinated when they used mirrors to look at the shapes of their teeth and slices of bread to test how effective the shapes were at breaking up food.  Teachers make good use of the information on how well the pupils are doing to plan future lessons and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

provide pupils with clear guidance about their next steps in learning. Pupils are keen to respond through the ‘pink cloud’ marking, where pupils are posed an additional question to answer about their learning. Pupils use the special assessment sheets at the back of their books to check up on what they still need to learn in English and mathematics.  While teachers plan work for various ability groups within their class, they do not always make sure that pupils, especially the most able, move on to harder work as soon as possible within a lesson.  Teaching assistants often make a valuable contribution towards the pupils’ learning by asking the pupils questions to clarify their understanding. However, in a few classes, they are less clear about their roles and teachers do not make as much use of their skills as they should.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are confident. They are very aware of the school’s 22 values and how they help them to be good learners. For example, they learn the importance of enthusiasm and perseverance in succeeding.  The pupils have good opportunities to improve their physical fitness when working with a sports coach at lunchtime and in lessons.  Positive attitudes such as caring, sharing and respect are promoted well, enabling the pupils to develop well emotionally. Pupils appreciate the opportunities they have for helping others. For example, pupils help to set up the hall for worship and help each other when responding to the teachers’ ‘pink cloud’ questions on their work.  Pupils know how to stay safe, including when using the internet, and feel safe and free from bullying. As one pupil mentioned, ‘The school is very hot on safety’ and another added, ‘Words are not to hurt people

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Personal development and welfare

with.’  Pupils respond positively to the school’s 22 values, although not all pupils remember the school’s value ‘excellence’ in their written work and, as a result, they do not always try their best in all lessons.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They enjoy school and work well with each other. They are keen to follow the school’s policy by ‘going for gold’.  Pupils and their parents agree that behaviour at the school is good and has improved since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils are polite and friendly. They behave well in class and around the school.  Rates of attendance have improved significantly this year and are now above the national average.  Disruption in lessons is rare and exclusions are used sparingly for a very small number of pupils with specific behavioural issues. Exclusions are handled appropriately to ensure that all staff and pupils are kept safe.  Occasionally pupils lose concentration when the work they have been given is too easy.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Most children are working below the levels expected for their age when they join the school in the early years provision. Pupils’ work and school information show that the progress of the pupils currently in the school is now good. As a result, attainment is rising, including in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment has been below average in the past, but this year attainment is in line with age-related expectations in most year groups.  Pupils’ good progress and good personal development and behaviour prepare them well for the next stage of their education and later life.  Pupils in Year 1 do well in the phonics (sounds that letters make) screening check. They make good use of this knowledge in their reading and spelling.  Disadvantaged pupils are making the same or better progress than their peers in most classes and gaps in performance have closed, or are closing rapidly, because specific areas of weakness in their learning

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Outcomes for pupils are good

are being targeted. Some gaps in attainment remain for pupils in Years 5 and 6. Despite progressing well since the previous inspection, a few of these pupils have either not caught up fully or have only recently joined the school.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are now making rapid progress from their starting points. Sharper systems for identifying their needs and directing support are moving learning forward more quickly than in the past.  Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to speak English do so quickly. Most of these pupils are in the early years provision where there is a strong emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills.  The most able pupils are now doing well over time, and more pupils this year are working beyond the age-expected levels than in the past. However, there are occasions in some classes where opportunities are missed for these pupils to move on in their learning when it is clear that they are ready for a greater

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Early years provision is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants provide exciting activities for children indoors and outside. As a result, children are keen to learn and make rapid progress. For example, in the Reception class, children were very excited about hiding their pirate treasure and putting their treasure maps in a bottle.  Members of staff are skilled in supporting the children as they work and in asking questions that will extend their knowledge and understanding. For example, in the Nursery, one member of staff asked effective questions to help children find out how to make a car travel further down a ramp. Staff also make sure that children have enough time to learn by exploring and finding things out for themselves. This was observed when one child spent time carefully observing the swirling colours in the bubbles in the water tray.  Careful records are kept to show what children have learned. These are shared with the children and

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Early years provision is good

their parents. Parents also contribute to the children’s learning records by filling out ‘wow’ cards to show what children have learned at home.  A strong emphasis on the ‘golden values’ of caring, sharing, teamwork, friendship and respect is evident. Consequently, children are clear about what is expected of them and behave well. They feel safe at school and know how to stay safe. For example, three boys in the Reception class knew why they needed to move away from the climbing frame to play tennis safely.  In the recent past, girls have not done as well as boys. This year, girls are doing equally well. Planned activities are based on all the children’s particular interests. As a result, children are highly motivated and use their imaginations well to help build their learning.  Good leadership has ensured that the right developments have taken place to improve provision and the children’s progress. Additional funding for disadvantaged children is used well to support their learning.

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Early years provision is good

Good partnerships with the parents and external agencies enable all children to learn quickly and to flourish.  Attainment is rising year on year and is now above average by the end of the Reception Year. Children settle into routines quickly in the Nursery class and become independent and enthusiastic learners. All children, including the disadvantaged, are prepared well for joining Year 1.  Occasionally, equipment outside in the Nursery lacks appeal and does not encourage the children to take part in an activity. In particular, the reading area provides limited resources to support and move on the children’s learning.

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School details

Unique reference number 100730 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 10011893

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School details

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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 244 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kate Ward Headteacher John Goodey (Executive Headteacher) Mark Hewitt (Head of School) Telephone number 020 8690 2613 Website www.st-marys.lewisham.sch.uk Email address admin@st-marys.lewisham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 April 2014

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Information about this school

 St Mary’s Lewisham is an average-sized primary school.  The executive headteacher also leads and manages an outstanding primary school in the area. The other primary school is subject to a separate inspection.  The day-to-day running of the school is led and managed by the head of school.  There is a part-time Nursery class morning and afternoon, and a Reception Year class in the early years provision.  A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. Pupils come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and speak a wide range of languages.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium grant is above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils who are looked after.  The proportion of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 14 lessons, all jointly with the executive headteacher, head of school or assistant head.  Meetings were held with leaders, other members of staff, members of the local authority and diocesan board, and members of the governing body.  There were too few responses from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, to be scrutinised but inspectors held informal discussions with a number of parents and scrutinised the school’s own questionnaire completed by 106 parents.  A range of information supplied by the school was scrutinised, including the school’s own information about how well pupils are doing, planning documents and checks on the quality of teaching. The inspectors also looked at the school development plan and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection team

Alison Cartlidge, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector David Daniels 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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