Judith Kerr Primary School

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

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Marta Correia Headteacher Judith Kerr Primary School 62–68 Half Moon Lane Herne Hill London SE24 9JE

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 25 April 2019, 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 May 2015.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

Leaders, governors and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have successfully addressed the key issues identified at the time of the previous inspection. Under your determined and resourceful leadership, school improvement planning continues to focus on the right priorities. Teachers share your high expectations pf pupils’ achievements, including those who are disadvantaged, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are tenacious in holding teachers to account for pupils’ progress. Leaders ensure that teachers have the necessary skills and knowledge to do their job well. Pupils’ outcomes at the end of all key stages are typically better than national averages.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

Pupils that I spoke to were confident, friendly and polite. They spoke positively about the help they receive from staff, as well as the many opportunities the school organises for them. They enjoy attending clubs and taking part in school visits, including such as performing at the Royal Festival Hall. Some pupils told me proudly about being part of the editorial team for the termly magazine. Pupils wanted me to know that ‘everyone is nice to each other’ and ‘teachers are kind’. Staff appreciate the support and guidance that you and your leadership team provide. One member of staff commented that ‘since the last inspection, there is a lot more collaboration.’ Middle leaders are positively energised by the opportunities you give them to develop their leadership skills. They told me how much they value the opportunities to learn from colleagues across the trust and in the teaching school alliance. Their curriculum leadership is strong and improving. As a result,

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

pupils develop good skills, knowledge and understanding across most subjects.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

The majority of parents and carers who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, would recommend the school to others. They said that their children are happy, safe, well cared for and make good progress. Typically, parents appreciate the school’s welcoming ethos and the quality of teaching. A small number of parents expressed concern about the diminishing value leaders place on the teaching of German. The inspection found that leaders have remained true to the school’s founding principles to provide a bilingual education, while ensuring that pupils’ progress is sustained.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

The strengths and experience of trustees and members of the local governing board contribute to their effectiveness. The recent introduction of a revised scheme of delegation has resulted in changes to the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of governors and trustees, respectively. The scheme is clear in its intent. However, it is early days in its implementation, and there are still a few duplications in practice.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

You and your leaders have worked to establish a culture of vigilance. There is a well-understood expectation that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff value the weekly challenges you set to test their knowledge of best practice and legislation. Staff and governors are very clear about their safeguarding duties.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

Parents and pupils said that the school is a safe place. Pupils know what to do if they have a concern, and some said that they make use of the worry box. They told me that they always get a response. Pupils said that bullying is rare, and that they know and understand the difference between ‘teasing’ and ‘bullying’. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online.

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Short inspection of Judith Kerr Primary School

Leaders make effective use of partnerships with external agencies to help them maintain oversight of pupils who are particularly vulnerable. Regular training and robust monitoring provided by the trust enhance the quality and strengthen the impact of safeguarding practice.

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Inspection findings

 At the start of the inspection, we agreed three lines of enquiry. First, we agreed to explore the actions leaders have taken to improve the progress made by pupils eligible for pupil premium funding. Pupils who are disadvantaged now make good progress overall. We agreed to look at the reasons for this.  Leaders know eligible pupils well. They provide effective intervention for pupils who require additional help. Planning is personalised for each pupil. In lessons, teachers and support staff work together. They provide model answers, give helpful information, and provide pupils with additional opportunities, as needed, to reflect on their learning.  In one lesson, pupils were beginning a programme of work focused on the text ‘Sleeping Beauty’. The teacher’s clear annotation and explanation of the text helped eligible pupils to read with greater expression and understanding. In Reception and Year 1, phonics teaching is adapted to support pupils who need

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Inspection findings

additional help to the identify letters and sounds. The quality of pupils’ written work is of a high quality. All pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, write accurately and present it well.  In the 2018 key stage 2 tests, most disadvantaged pupils who achieved the expected level at key stage 1 subsequently achieved at greater depth.  The second line of enquiry focused on the effectiveness of leaders’ actions to improve progress in writing across the school. This was because pupils’ progress in writing is not as strong as in reading and mathematics.  Leaders prioritise high-quality professional development to support school improvement. This supports teachers to become skilled teachers of writing. Well- planned training develops their knowledge of texts and how to teach technical and creative writing skills effectively.  As a result, the quality of teaching writing is strong. Teachers make good use of

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Inspection findings

high-quality texts to stimulate pupils’ ideas, and they provide examples for pupils to reflect in their own work.  In Reception, children explore mark making and letter and word formation using a range of resources. Using large sheets of paper and chunky felt-tip pens, children wrote about ‘Jack the Giant Killer’. They enjoyed emphasising the words ‘fee fi fo fum’, which reinforced their understanding of letters and the sounds they make. In Year 2, pupils wrote using new and interesting adjectives to improve their sentences. ‘A jumper’ became ‘a hairy, green and starry jumper’, and ‘trousers’ became ‘trousers as blue as a sapphire’. In Year 5, using the text ‘Hidden Figures’, pupils confidently expanded their choice of vocabulary with words that were pertinent to the story.  Writing across the curriculum is a strength. Teachers give pupils many well- planned opportunities to write in a range of genres, relevant to different subjects.

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Inspection findings

Their writing is routinely strong in both their topic and writing books.  Pupils are motivated and enjoy writing. As pupils become older, they write with increasing fluency, technical accuracy and maturity. Pupils’ presentation is very strong; they have books of which they can be rightly proud.  The final line of enquiry focused on the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ outcomes. This was because you identified the curriculum as a particular strength.  Learning walks, pupils’ work and discussions with leaders all reflect that leaders provide pupils with a broad, balanced and exciting curriculum.  Pupils benefit from a range of experiences, which serve to enhance their learning and improve their academic and social outcomes. Pupils’ levels of concentration, their exemplary behaviour and high standard of written work reflect their positive and mature attitudes to their learning.  Leaders are firm and clear about the school’s curriculum entitlement for all pupils.

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Inspection findings

This includes learning German with the support of native speakers. Additionally, pupils learn to play an impressive number of musical instruments; they learn outdoors and participate in the many clubs and activities provided.  Leaders’ work to develop the curriculum has resulted in most subjects, notably history, science, religious education and music, having effective plans to support pupils’ progression. Written work shows that, over time in these subjects, pupils make strong progress. Work in other subjects, for example, geography, is not quite as advanced.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the development of the curriculum, including in geography, ensures that all subjects have a framework to support pupils’ progress in their knowledge, skills and understanding  the scheme of delegation for governance is fully embedded and supports governance arrangements within the trust and across the school.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the chief executive officer of the multi academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the Director of Children’s Services for Southwark. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

The inspection began with a discussion about leaders’ self-evaluation. We then agreed three key lines of enquiry. We visited all lessons to observe teaching and learning. During these learning walks, I spoke to pupils, looked at pupils’ work and checked the resources available to support their learning. I spoke formally to a group of 10 pupils, representing Years 1 to 6. During that meeting, I asked them about their learning, about the school and the opportunities they have here. I also asked them how they are helped to keep safe. I spoke to the director of education for the trust about her role in supporting and challenging school leaders. I also spoke to a representative from the local authority about the school’s wider engagement, locally. I met with governors, senior and middle leaders, and with a group of staff. I reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, school development plan, safeguarding audit and the single central

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Information about the inspection

record of employment checks. I considered responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents and carers.

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