Setting

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

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Ms Juanita Gittens Headteacher Vauxhall Primary School Vauxhall Street London SE11 5LG

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No formal designation inspection of Vauxhall Primary School

Following my visit with Anna Sutton, Ofsted Inspector, to your school on 2 October 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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No formal designation inspection of Vauxhall Primary School

This inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about outcomes for pupils at the school.

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Evidence

We scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. We met with you, the executive headteacher, groups of pupils, parents, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.

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Evidence

We also looked at other relevant evidence, such as recent monitoring records, reports from the local authority, assessment information held by the school and minutes of governing body meetings. We held meetings with groups of teachers with leadership positions at the school. In addition, we spoke to parents at the start of the school day, and we talked to pupils as they worked and during their lunchtime. We made a number of visits to lessons to observe learning and we also looked at samples of pupils’ books. We listened to pupils reading.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Context

Vauxhall Primary School is an average-sized maintained school with 244 pupils on roll. It is part of the Wyvern Federation and is a lead school in the Lambeth Teaching Schools Alliance. The majority of pupils at the school are from minority ethnic backgrounds, and over two thirds speak English as an additional language. Approximately two thirds of pupils are eligible for free school meals. About one fifth of the school is included on the register of special educational needs, of which a greater proportion than average has an education, health and care plan. The number of pupils who join or leave the school mid-year is high. This mostly occurs in key stage 2. The headteacher joined the school one year ago. She works in partnership with the executive headteacher, who maintains an overview of all schools in the Wyvern Federation. The school has recently opened provision for two-year-olds called Tiny Tigers, which caters for 16 children in two groups.

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Context

Leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. All checks on the suitability of staff to work at the school are in place. Clear systems exist for staff to make referrals when concerns arise, and subsequent actions are followed up effectively. Leaders work very well with families and external agencies to ensure that pupils receive well-targeted support when required. Staff training, including that related to the ‘Prevent’ duty, is up to date. Staff have a good knowledge of potential concerns within the local area. This increases their vigilance in spotting and reporting concerns about pupils’ well-being.

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Context

The school has a friendly atmosphere and pupils appreciate this. In conversation, pupils were relaxed and happy. They told us that they feel very safe in school, and that bullying is rare. They enjoy coming to school, finding the staff helpful and respectful. As a result, pupils behave extremely well and have positive attitudes towards school.

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Context

The leadership team has maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The great majority of pupils, including those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, more pupils achieve standards at, or above, those expected for their age. Unvalidated results for 2018 show that the standards attained by Year 6 pupils were much higher than in the previous year, including for disadvantaged pupils. This improvement is evident in pupils’ books.

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Context

Pupils work hard and demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to their work. They listen carefully to each other’s ideas and work well together. They take considerable pride in their work, which is well presented. This is shown in their written work and in the meticulous work they produce in mathematics.

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Context

This is a very happy, purposeful school. Staff, parents and carers, pupils and governors are all highly appreciative of your inclusive approach, and they hold leaders in high regard. Parents feel that their views are respected and said that you are always willing to ‘go the extra mile’ for them and their children. As one parent typically commented, ‘This is a listening school’.

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Context

You have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas that should be further developed. Improving progress in reading is a priority, and you have sought to make swift improvements. This has included making significant staff changes when the teaching quality fell short of your high expectations. You and the leadership team have overhauled the way reading is taught, so that it is now more effective for the pupils in your school.

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Context

The latest set of published results for key stage 2 showed improvement and pupils currently make extremely strong progress from their starting points. They also have a love of reading. Pupils spoke to us animatedly about their favourite authors, and were able to describe key features of the plots and characters. Middle-attaining pupils are well supported to become capable readers who can demonstrate skills in inference and deduction. These skills further help their enjoyment of texts they choose.

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Context

Leaders and governors are involved in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning and so can see the link between teaching quality and outcomes for pupils. Everyone is clear about how the high quality of teaching is to be maintained so that all groups of pupils achieve well. You encourage staff to reflect on their teaching and refine their practice even further. As well as improvements to reading, success in the teaching of mathematics has been noteworthy.

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Context

Teachers ensure that work is pitched at the right level, so that all pupils attain very well. In mathematics, for example, pupils have a deep understanding of the number system, which they apply successfully to solve complex problems. Subject leaders support teachers, ensuring they receive bespoke and relevant training to keep their knowledge up to date.

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Context

You have developed a rich and carefully planned curriculum where time is used effectively, and pupils achieve highly. The curriculum inspires pupils to learn with interest and enthusiasm. The range of subjects studied helps them to acquire a good range of knowledge, understanding and skills, including, for example, in science, humanities and the arts. Curricular opportunities available to pupils are wide reaching, and leaders make excellent use of the school’s proximity to several London venues such as The Oval cricket ground and the South Bank.

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Context

The strong personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme greatly enhances life at the school. This includes embracing the Unicef Rights Respecting Schools Award ethos, which permeates all aspects of school life. This relates well to the school’s inclusive culture and contributes to preparing pupils effectively for life in modern Britain. We saw some truly inspiring work on gender equality, undertaken by all year groups, under the banner of ‘Deeds not Words’. Children in early years benefit from excellent facilities, which include a gardening area. This is used effectively to promote their learning. Thanks to careful curriculum planning, no opportunity is wasted. For example, children are encouraged to re- plant the seeds of their home-grown vegetables to harvest again the following season. This shows how teachers make excellent use of the facilities to cover many crucial aspects of children’s learning.

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External support

The local authority has provided useful support to the school, including a detailed analysis of end-of-key-stage results. Your attached adviser has good knowledge of the school and pays frequent visits to advise leaders, including the governing body.

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External support

The school is an active member of the Lambeth Teaching Schools’ Alliance and has been instrumental in writing several curriculum support documents that are used across the authority.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Maintain the school’s focus on strengthening pupils’ progress in reading, so that all pupils build on their love of reading to become astute readers.

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Priorities for further improvement

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

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