Turnham Primary Foundation School

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

p.1

Miss Barbara Aimable Headteacher Turnham Primary Foundation School Turnham Road Brockley London SE4 2HH

p.1

Short inspection of Turnham Primary Foundation School

Following my visit to the school on 28 March 2017, 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 March 2013.

p.1

Short inspection of Turnham Primary Foundation School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since 2013, the school has gone through changes in staffing, including in the leadership team, and commenced a programme of building work. You and the leadership team joined the school in September 2015. Since then, you have wasted no time in raising aspirations for the pupils in your care. You have accurately evaluated the quality of the school’s effectiveness and identified where further improvements are necessary.

p.1

Short inspection of Turnham Primary Foundation School

You and school leaders have addressed many of the issues identified at the time of the previous inspection. The previous inspection found that there was work to do to improve pupils’ writing skills. Leaders have developed the curriculum effectively so that pupils achieve particularly well in writing by the end of Year 6. You are now rightly focused on making sure that pupils’ outcomes in mathematics are as strong as in literacy.

p.1

Short inspection of Turnham Primary Foundation School

In discussions, pupils, parents, carers and staff were positive about the changes you have introduced. You have successfully encouraged pupils to develop a range of skills that help them become effective learners. Pupils are proud of their school and ambitious for themselves. They attend school regularly, want to do well and work hard. They respect and celebrate differences in this diverse and harmonious school. Pupils are enthusiastic to demonstrate ‘Turnham Pride’ qualities, including tolerance, humility and altruism. During my visits to mathematics lessons, pupils showed resilience, another ‘Turnham Pride’ quality, through their determination to stick at the work they were doing until they had solved the problems teachers set. Pupils are courteous, polite and welcoming. They wear their uniform smartly. The school site is graffiti- and litter-free. Pupils show respect towards each other and the adults

p.1

Short inspection of Turnham Primary Foundation School

in the school. Your school is a pleasant and stimulating learning environment, even with the ongoing building works. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strongly encouraged, as is an appreciation of fundamental British values. Pupils’ creative work on display around the school is of high quality.

p.2

Short inspection of Turnham Primary Foundation School

Governors are ambitious for the school and share your high expectations for pupils. They know the school well, including its strengths and areas for development. They provide effective support and challenge and check that the school continues to improve. Governors value your leadership highly.

p.2

Short inspection of Turnham Primary Foundation School

Leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. They have created a strong culture in the school where all staff understand their collective responsibility for safeguarding pupils’ welfare. Your detailed records show that staff work effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils get the support and protection they need. Where necessary, referrals are made in a timely manner and any concerns are followed up quickly. Pupils that I spoke to were unanimously confident that they are safe and well cared for at school. Parents agree that their children are safe. The school has supported parents in helping to keep their children safe.

p.2

Inspection findings

 One of the areas we agreed I would investigate was mathematics. In 2016, pupils’ progress in mathematics by the end of Year 6 was below the national average. You rapidly took action to address shortcomings in mathematics teaching, and trained staff to teach mathematics in a more effective way that secures pupils’ understanding. Although aspects of the mathematics curriculum need to be embedded further, now a greater proportion of pupils acquire the knowledge and skills expected for their age. Assessment information shows that pupils currently at the school are making better progress in mathematics across year groups. Pupils told me how much they enjoy mathematics lessons.  Pupils’ progress in writing is a strength of the school. Teachers ensure that pupils write imaginatively, using fluent and neat handwriting. As a result, assessments at the end of Year 6 in 2016 showed that all groups of pupils made particularly

p.2

Inspection findings

swift progress, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Leaders have successfully developed the curriculum to promote pupils’ strong reading skills and a love of books. Pupils read to me with confidence and enjoyment. At the end of Year 2 in 2016, more boys and girls reached a high standard in reading compared with boys and girls nationally.  You have tackled the decline in attendance rates with clear messages to the whole-school community about the importance of attending school regularly and on time. You and your leadership team are present at the school gates every morning to reinforce your high expectations. Attendance is now improving.  When you joined the school, exclusion rates were well above average. They have now fallen dramatically.  In the online surveys, staff, parents and pupils responded highly positively about the work of the school. In your own surveys, parents have expressed their

p.2

Inspection findings

appreciation for the improvements you have made since the last inspection. One parent typically wrote, ‘I have so much confidence in the school and my son has had fantastic teachers who are passionate about the pupils and the school.’

p.3

Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

p.3

Next steps for the school

 curriculum changes in mathematics are embedded to raise and secure standards even further  leadership of mathematics drives improvements as securely as in reading and writing.

p.3

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 Lewisham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3

Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I met representatives of the school’s governing body and of the local authority. I spoke with you and your leadership team, middle leaders, parents and pupils. I heard a group of Year 2 and Year 5 pupils read and observed mathematics lessons in Years 3, 4 and 6. I scrutinised Ofsted’s online surveys for parents (10 responses), pupils (51 responses) and staff (21 responses) as well as the school’s own surveys for these groups. I looked at pupils’ books. I examined attendance data, the school’s website, and safeguarding and child protection records.

p.3