Townsend Primary School

Townsend Primary School Townsend Street, London SE17 1HJ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, the senior team and leaders at all levels in the school have worked successfully to improve the quality of education for pupils.  Governors are ambitious for the school and support and challenge leaders to improve.  Safeguarding is effective. The safeguarding and inclusion teams work together to ensure that pupils are well cared for.  Teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations for pupils, clear class routines and strong subject knowledge.  The assessment system supports teachers well so that they know how to plan activities that meet pupils’ needs.  Pupils’ views are encouraged. There is an active school council. Staff and leaders listen to pupils and act on their feedback.  Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and concentrate well in class.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and are active young citizens. Pupils’ personal development is outstanding.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make consistently good progress across the school, including disadvantaged pupils.  Pupils’ conduct around the school is exemplary. Pupils are self-confident and welcoming to visitors.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make strong progress. However, the effective practice in teaching this group of pupils is not collated and shared across the school.  Pupils make particularly strong progress in writing by the end of ley stage 2. Pupils write confidently, using a wide vocabulary in a range of genres.  Pupils enjoy reading and the whole-class guided reading sessions instil a love of literature. However, pupils are not taught the skills they need to understand new words or the meaning of what they are reading.  The early years provision is outstanding. Leadership is highly effective, and pupils make strong progress from low starting points.  Some management systems are not effective in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

giving leaders and teachers the information they need, for example information about the needs of pupils with SEND.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management to ensure that: – leaders collate information about pupils with SEND in one place so that it is easier for teachers to plan suitable activities and approaches to meet pupils’ needs – leaders capture adults’ strong practice in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND so that it can be shared and developed further – leaders review their management systems to ensure that they are consistently rigorous and evidenced.  Improve teaching, learning, assessment and outcomes by ensuring that pupils are taught the skills they need to understand new words and the meaning of texts.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher’s leadership and vision for the school and its place in the community have successfully brought about improvement in the school. All staff are committed to doing their best for the pupils to support their learning, behaviour and play. This ethos has a positive impact on pupils’ personal development and their academic progress.  The headteacher has built strength in depth in leadership. Leaders at all levels in the school, new appointments and more established members of staff, know how to do their job well. They work well together in teams, for example in safeguarding, inclusion and the school office.  Subject leaders lead by example and are ambitious for their pupils and their subject. Subject leaders have a clear understanding of what they want pupils to understand in their subject and how to support staff to ensure that pupils make good progress.  Some aspects of leadership and management, such as the support for pupils with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

SEND, are not fully coordinated. The information about pupils’ needs and successful teaching strategies for this group of pupils are not collated together in one place. Consequently, it is difficult for teachers to share their practice.  The curriculum meets requirements and enables pupils to experience a diverse range of subjects. Pupils have opportunities to develop their reading, writing and numerical skills in a range of topics in history, geography and science.  The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and has a positive impact on pupils’ personal development.  Almost all parents and carers are positive about the changes and improvement to the school over time. All commented on the improvements in communication between school and home. Parents expressed their view that their child is well equipped academically, emotionally and socially for the transition to secondary school.

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Governance of the school

 Since the previous inspection, governors have been fully focused on improving the school. They provide support and challenge to the headteacher and hold all leaders to account effectively. Governors demonstrate a strong moral purpose in their work. For example, governors and the headteacher have taken decisive action in response to falling rolls in the local area, while preserving the vision and ethos of the school and its role in the community.  Governors monitor the deployment of grant funding effectively. For example, they review and evaluate pupil premium spending termly to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make as much progress as their non-disadvantaged peers. Governors check and audit safeguarding practice and the single central record regularly.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have developed a strong culture of safeguarding in school. The school’s safeguarding team contains a range of skills and expertise. Staff work well together to ensure that pupils are safe and that vulnerable pupils are carefully monitored.  Leaders identify the local risks to pupils and respond appropriately. For example, they have provided workshops for pupils and for parents about the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.  All the appropriate checks on staff and governors are completed and recorded on the single central record. Recruitment processes follow the statutory guidance and are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers have high expectations of pupils. They make sure that pupils understand the classroom routines and apply them consistently. As a result, pupils are clear about what is expected of them. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and take pride in their work.  There are strong relationships between adults and pupils and conversations in class always focus on learning. Adults question pupils skilfully to promote pupils’ progress, developing their vocabulary and deepening their understanding.  Teaching assistants provide strong support in class for pupils with SEND. They are proactive in challenging pupils to learn.  Teachers have strong subject knowledge and learning is well structured and planned to ensure that pupils make progress. Teachers make good use of time and deploy a range of visual resources and teaching approaches in which pupils are active participants in order to engage pupils and capture their interest. Teaching across the curriculum

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

enables pupils to embed knowledge, understanding and skills effectively.  Teachers model reading very effectively. All year groups have timetabled whole-class guided reading of texts. Pupils enjoy listening to adults read and this promotes pupils’ love of and interest in reading well. In a Year 3 class, for example, the teacher read ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ by Roald Dahl with great expression. Pupils listened in rapt attention as they followed the story. However, teachers do not develop pupils’ understanding of texts and their reading comprehension of words so effectively.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Adults interact proactively with pupils. They talk with them and show them how to behave, learn and play. As a result, pupils are socially confident and even quite young children can hold a meaningful conversation with adults and express themselves clearly. Pupils get an excellent start to the day at breakfast club. Pupils enjoy spending time with friends and the range of games and activities on offer.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. In the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum and assemblies, pupils explore the wider world and diversity. They understand what respect means and how to show respect to others. They develop into mature, confident young people.  Pupils say there is almost no bullying in school. They feel safe and know who to go to if they have concerns. Pupils know how to stay safe in the community and on the

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Personal development and welfare

internet.  ‘Pupil voice’ is a strength of the school. For example, during the inspection, school council representatives talked to their class groups and their contributions were treated with respect and valued. Pupils identified sensible ideas and the process was well supported by staff. This enabled all members to participate in identifying agenda items for school council.  Pupils have opportunities to demonstrate citizenship in the community. For example, they participated in a survey with the mayor’s office about pollution on the Old Kent Road. Also, they contributed to a research project on rainwater and solar power in Southwark and the different systems for their storage and use.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Staff have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in class. There are strong relationships between pupils and adults. As a result, pupils are socially confident and have positive attitudes to learning. There is almost no disruption to learning.  Pupils’ conduct around the school is outstanding. Pupils are welcoming to visitors and proud to say ‘Good morning’ and ‘Welcome to Townsend.’ All adults are positive role models for behaviour and take time to explain and reinforce excellent behaviour with pupils. Staff expectations, clear routines and behaviour management strategies enable pupils to modify and understand the impact of their behaviour on others.  Pupils’ attendance is rising again after a slight dip last year. Attendance is broadly in line with national figures. Members of the inclusion team work well together and follow up rigorously on any concerns about attendance. Pupils’ persistent absence is

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils make very strong progress in writing across the school, including the early years. The quality of pupils’ writing is consistently good. Pupils’ books show that they are supported to improve in spelling, grammar and punctuation and in their range of vocabulary. Pupils write in a range of contexts, such as the life story of Harriet Tubman and a report of the London Blitz in 1940. Teachers set interesting tasks, such as a review of the film ‘The Piano’ and examples of letters, diaries, newspaper articles and poems.  Pupils make strong progress in mathematics. As well as number, pupils experience a wide range of topics at an appropriate level of challenge, such as interpreting data and plotting suitable graphs. Problem-solving is a particular focus and teachers set challenging tasks for pupils. For example, pupils applied their knowledge of shape, space, area and perimeter to design a layout for a theme park.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Improvements in the teaching of reading are having a positive impact. Adults throughout the school have good subject knowledge in phonics. Pupils make strong progress in phonics from low starting points. Almost all pupils attain the expected standard in phonics by the end of Year 2. Pupils’ engagement in reading has risen as a result of the whole-class shared reading initiative. Pupils are now reading more frequently. However, pupils have not developed the skills they need to tackle new words or understand the meaning of texts.  By the end of key stage 2, pupils make good progress across the range of abilities. Work in pupils’ books shows that disadvantaged pupils make strong progress in line with their peer groups across the school.  Pupils with SEND make strong progress. This is because of the quality of teaching and support that pupils receive.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 Leadership and management of the early years provision are excellent. Leaders have high expectations of staff and the setting provides a stimulating and rich environment. Children work and play well, whether independently, with each other or with adults. They make strong progress.  Safeguarding is effective. There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Where children make a choice that could lead to a risk, staff are quick to intervene and talk through the choices. Staff follow up any concerns they have about a child appropriately.  Leaders have ensured that assessment is clearly linked to the planning of children’s next steps. Observations are used effectively as part of the assessment process. Activities are well planned and purposeful so that children can achieve their learning objective. All adults model language exceptionally well for children.  Children’s profiles and literacy books indicate exceptionally well-focused assessment,

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Early years provision Outstanding

which drives their strong progress. Every child has a voice throughout and sharply focused activities support pupils in reaching targets.  At lunchtime, adults sit with children and eat lunch together. This creates a positive atmosphere. Children discuss their day with adults and learn to pass items to each other. They clear up for themselves and choose what salad to eat. Children talked to the inspector about their lunch and why they like it, and about healthy eating choices.  Children are confident and make independent choices about activities. They self- manage their behaviour and there is an atmosphere of respect and kindness towards each other.  Parents are involved in their child’s learning. Parents come in at the start of each day and participate in activities with their child. For example, they can sit on the carpet and read with or help their child with writing. Parents identify a next step for children at

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Early years provision Outstanding

home and contribute to their learning profiles.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address sbm@townsend.southwark.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 January 2017

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Information about this school

 Townsend Primary School is a community school in the London Borough of Southwark. It is a mixed school for pupils between the ages of three and 11. The school currently has 197 pupils on roll.  Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average.  The proportions of pupils with SEND and with an education, health and care plan are well above the national averages.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited classes across year groups to observe pupils’ learning and look at their books. Some of these visits were made jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also visited ‘class reflection time’.  Pupils talked to inspectors about their views of the school in classes, at breaktime and at lunchtime. An inspector talked to a group of Year 6 pupils. There were 41 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair and vice-chair of governors and two parent governors. The lead inspector also held a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors met with school leaders to discuss the impact of their work. This included the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, newly qualified teachers and the safeguarding and inclusion teams.  Inspectors scrutinised school documents, including the school’s own self-evaluation,

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Information about this inspection

records of pupils’ progress, behaviour and attendance, and safeguarding records.  Inspectors took account of the 20 responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors considered the 16 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. An inspector talked informally with parents at the start of the day.

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Inspection team

Janet Hallett, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paula Farrow 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

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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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