St Leonard's Church of England Primary School

St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School 42 Mitcham Lane, Streatham, London SW16 6NP

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher has developed a highly effective team of leaders who have clear responsibilities. They work as a cohesive unit to maximise outcomes for all groups of pupils.  The headteacher and governors invest in developing the staff team. As a result, teachers and other adults are well trained, effective and motivated in their work to support pupils.  Pupils make excellent progress from their varied starting points. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 in 2016 was above average.  Disadvantaged pupils attain well. Their average scores in reading and mathematics tests at the end of Year 6 in 2016 were above those for other pupils nationally.  Pupils in key stage 1 make very strong progress. A high proportion of those in Years 1 and 2 in 2016 made expected and more than expected progress over time.  Teachers have very high expectations of what

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils can achieve. They set challenging tasks that deepen and extend pupils’ learning.  Pupils have fewer opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge in science than in other subjects.  Governors play an active part in the life of the school. They have a thorough understanding of pupils’ progress which enables them to ask probing questions of leaders.  Pupils experience a wide range of opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain because they learn about different faiths and cultures.  Children in the early years make outstanding progress because they have clear routines and are motivated to engage in learning from the beginning of their education.  Leaders have ensured that the rapid expansion of the early years provision has resulted in an enrichment of the curriculum offer. Standards have not been compromised.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils behave extremely well. They are proud to be pupils at St Leonard’s and demonstrate this through their exceptional attendance.  Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They develop resilience and emotional security.  Parents are very supportive of the school and, in particular, its leaders. They welcome the approachable and caring stance taken where every pupil is known and understood.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the breadth and depth of the science curriculum so that pupils develop the scientific skills and knowledge that will prepare them well for the next stage of their education.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 Led by a highly competent and energetic headteacher, leaders work as a cohesive team making sure that pupils achieve the best they can at this school. Leaders work well together because their individual roles are clearly identified.  The headteacher makes sure that the staff team are well trained and supported. He provides opportunities for them to develop their skills further. When changes in staffing occur, senior leaders implement highly effective strategies to develop emerging leaders and utilise the strengths of existing members of the team. As a result, there is considerable capacity in leadership to maintain the high standards achieved.  Middle leaders are involved in checking aspects of the school’s work. They scrutinise pupils’ work to check that high standards are maintained. The leader for mathematics, for example, described her work to accelerate the achievement of Black Caribbean pupils when leaders identified a slight dip in their performance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 Pupil premium funding is spent well and, as a result, disadvantaged pupils make strong progress. Leaders take account of pupils’ varied starting points and make sure that most-able disadvantaged pupils are challenged to excel while those with low prior attainment receive the support they need in order to catch up.  The physical education (PE) and sport funding is also spent wisely. Pupils have more physical education lessons and participate in a wider range of physical activities, such as dance, both during and after school hours.  Development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils learn about their own and other faiths, such as Hinduism. Older pupils, trained as peer mediators, work on the playground to sort out any minor disputes. Pupils learn about the diverse range of cultures and traditions represented in the school. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The curriculum on offer is broad and balanced. It reflects the school’s ethos and high ambitions. However, in some cohorts pupils do not make as much progress in science as they do in other subjects. This is because some teachers do not teach science in sufficient depth or equip pupils with the necessary scientific skills to move them on to the next stage in their learning.  The local authority provides ‘light touch’ support to this successful school. Leaders and governors commission support from the local authority appropriately. Parents who responded to the online questionnaire are overwhelmingly positive in their praise for the school and its leaders.

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Governance of the school

 Governance of the school is strong. Governors ask probing questions of leaders to hold them to account for their work. Governors have been trained well, and understand the performance of different groups of pupils in the school. They use this information to focus their support for the school and their challenge to leaders.  Governors take their statutory responsibilities seriously and make sure that these are fulfilled. They are acutely aware of matters relating to safeguarding and take practical steps to ensure that safeguarding remains effective. For example, they have received regular reports from the site manager and undertaken site walks to check on safety during the recent building works.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders make sure that they stay abreast of any changes in legislation and guidance. As the school is growing, they have reviewed and amended their processes to be more suited to a larger organisation. This ensures that, despite a growing number of adults and pupils being involved, the systems and procedures remain robust.  Leaders are aware of particular safeguarding issues that are more prevalent in the local community. They provide tailored training for staff, and workshops to develop pupils’ resilience to these risks.  Leaders’ knowledge of individual cases is detailed and systematically recorded. They work effectively with other agencies, such as housing officers, health professionals and social care teams, when needed.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do, and pupils live up to these. Consequently, pupils achieve high standards.  Teachers target their questioning carefully for individual pupils, making sure that pupils have to think hard about their answers. Pupils explain their thinking with clarity.  Work in books demonstrates that pupils make strong progress over time in writing. Older pupils have more opportunities to write at length and recognise that this helps them to practise their skills in preparation for secondary education. Activities to develop pupils’ reading inform teachers’ planning of writing activities and hence support pupils’ grammatical skills. Consequently, pupils make links between their different literacy activities and make swift progress.  The teaching of mathematics develops pupils’ fluency in number skills. Adults use precise mathematical language when talking to pupils to make sure they understand

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

concepts accurately. Teachers make sure that pupils have regular opportunities to solve extended problems, developing both their mathematical skills and their perseverance.  Teachers provide work that challenges pupils of differing abilities. Pupils recognise that they can learn from their mistakes. One told an inspector that ‘Sometimes, learning is quite hard – it is a good thing because the things you get wrong can help you next time.’  The teaching of phonics is highly effective because adults are skilled role models. Pupils are highly motivated during these sessions and maintain their focus extremely well.  Homework is effective in supporting pupils’ progress because it is linked closely to the work completed in class.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are self-confident and assured.  Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and the positive impact of exercise. In Year 1, for example, pupils learned about the changes to their heart rate during exercise, with one exclaiming, ‘My heart’s going really fast!’  Pupils report that there is no bullying but are confident that any unpleasant behaviour would be dealt with quickly by leaders. Reported incidents are extremely rare, and are carefully recorded and followed up. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe on the internet and in the local community.  Pupils are involved in expansion of the school’s provision through the school council. They have influenced the choice of new playground equipment and the development of the school vegetable garden.  Pupils’ emotional development is very well supported because adults know the pupils

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Personal development and welfare

so well. As a result, staff identify pupils who need additional professional support from therapists or learning mentors at an early stage. The school nurse works with staff to make sure pupils’ medical needs are met in school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Behaviour in lessons, around the school and outdoors is excellent. Pupils are proud of their school. This is demonstrated in the high response rate to the pupil questionnaire. Over four fifths of pupils who responded said they enjoyed school all or most of the time.  Pupils get on well together. Older pupils look after younger ones on the playground where no one is isolated because of the friendly atmosphere. Incidents of poor behaviour are extremely rare, and when they do occur, the headteacher deals with them fairly.  During teaching, pupils are focused, on task and sensible as a result of teachers’ high expectations. In the early years, pupils behave very well because established routines are in place to support them.  Pupils attend very well. Overall attendance is above average and the number of pupils who are persistently absent is very small. This reflects pupils’ positive attitudes to

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Behaviour

learning and their desire to be at school.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 The proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 in 2016 was above the national average. Pupils made excellent progress to reach these standards, particularly in mathematics and reading.  Most-able pupils are challenged to excel. The small cohort of most-able pupils who sat Year 6 national tests in 2016 made excellent progress from their high starting points, particularly in reading.  Following the dip in attainment at the end of Reception in 2016, leaders took swift and effective action. As a result, these pupils, now in Year 1, are making rapid progress, particularly in reading. They use their phonics skills confidently to sound out unfamiliar words and read fluently.  Disadvantaged pupils are not left behind. In each year group, disadvantaged pupils make similar strong progress to their classmates because leaders use the pupil

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

premium funding effectively to support their learning. In 2016, disadvantaged pupils in this school attained standards above those of all pupils nationally in reading and mathematics.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also make excellent progress because of the personalised programmes that are put in place to support them. Leaders know each pupil’s needs very well and pinpoint exactly what they need in order to move on in their learning.  Leaders analyse the performance of groups and cohorts carefully. They identify any early signs of underperformance and act quickly to make sure that all groups of pupils achieve well. In most year groups, almost all pupils are making the progress expected of them, and a significant proportion is exceeding this.  Pupils are well prepared for secondary school because they achieve high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. They use these skills to develop their understanding

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

of humanities subjects. They have fewer opportunities to study scientific concepts in depth.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 Leaders have ensured that the high quality of provision in the early years has not been compromised by the expansion from one class to three in September 2016. They strengthened leadership of the early years by commissioning a specialist leader in education (SLE) to support the newly appointed early years leader and other adults in the provision. The SLE and the early years leader work very well together and have rapidly established highly effective provision for children in both the Nursery class and the two Reception classes.  Children settle quickly and make excellent progress as a result of positive relationships with adults, high expectations and clear routines. They are enthusiastic about their learning and choose from the enticing activities independently. As a result, they are well prepared for Year 1.  Children behave well and develop confidence because they feel safe and secure in the early years environment. Transitions from work to play are smooth. Children take some

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Early years provision Outstanding

responsibility for this as they are nominated as ‘lining-up detectives’, making sure that everyone is looking the right way and waiting patiently.  Teachers and other adults use carefully chosen questions to make children think about their learning. Adults are excellent role models, particularly in their use of language, which extends children’s skills. For example, in a writing activity about animals, the teacher used precise questioning and novel vocabulary which motivated children to write more interesting sentences.  Over time, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception has been above average. In 2016 this proportion dipped. Leaders are absolutely clear about the reasons for this which relate to a very small number of individual cases. Leaders expect a high proportion of children in Reception to reach a good level of development in 2017 and evidence gathered during the inspection

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Early years provision Outstanding

supports this view.  Parents are involved in their child’s education through regular newsletters and text messages. They can access their child’s learning diary online and are able to add comments and observations. Consequently, they are kept up to date with their child’s progress. Parents who spoke to inspectors are very happy with the school’s provision and the communication they receive.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address headteacher@st-leonards.lambeth.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20–21 September 2011

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  Since the last inspection, the school building has been extended to enable the admission of two classes in each year group. There are currently two classes in Reception and one in each other year group. The school opened a part-time Nursery class in September 2016.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.  Around half of those on roll speak English as an additional language. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds with the main groups being White British and Black African.  The school meets the current government floor standards.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in all year groups and across a range of subjects. They looked at pupils’ books and spoke to them about their work. Most observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders.  A wide range of documentation was scrutinised, including information about pupils’ progress, governing body minutes, policies and the procedures for safeguarding.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, a group of governors, a local authority representative, and groups of staff and pupils.  Inspectors heard pupils from key stages 1 and 2 read.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day and took into consideration 50 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also looked at the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Gaynor Roberts, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Denise James-Mason 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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