Harris Primary Academy Purley Way

Harris Primary Academy Purley Way 47 Propeller Crescent, Croydon, Surrey CR0 4FE

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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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since opening in 2016, leaders, including governors, have been highly effective at establishing an outstanding school where pupils excel.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding. Pupils successfully grapple with hard learning across the curriculum. Staff ensure that pupils keep trying. For example, pupils say, ‘If you get challenged it’s okay, because hard work makes you smarter’.  Leaders ensure that pupils are resilient to peer pressure. As a result, pupils are confident to make their own decisions. This prepares pupils to be aware of the potential risks outside school, such as gangs.  Pupils know and understand the school’s golden rules. They speak of the importance of taking responsibility. They know the meaning of respect and give examples of respecting their parents and teachers. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.  Leaders ensure that the curriculum is well planned to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

across a range of subjects.  Pupils read fluently and quickly, because they systematically learn the sounds that letters make. Parents value the training and books the school provides to enable them to support reading at home. Because pupils are quickly able to read well, they are well primed to gain the wide body of knowledge they need.  The quality of the early years provision is outstanding. Children make very strong progress in the early years. They show a strong love for learning. They order and sort items, calculate, write, draw, read, and solve problems with enthusiasm.  Pupils speak passionately when they recall their previous learning. For example, some pupils remembered the ‘30 days wild’ project and that their planted seeds need sun and water to grow well. Due to retaining their knowledge, they are able to accrue further learning quickly and securely.  Occasionally, teachers do not make the most of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

opportunities to support pupils’ vocabulary acquisition and their understanding of words.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make the most of opportunities to develop pupils’ vocabulary and strengthen their understanding of the meanings of words.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The principal, supported by other leaders, is extremely determined to ensure that pupils experience the highest quality teaching and learning. For example, leaders’ checks on learning comprise of close work with pupils and ‘in the moment’ support and coaching for staff. This approach, which puts pupils’ learning at the centre of all work, drives the aspirations of staff.  Staff appreciate the support that leaders give them and feel supported to develop their practice. For example, through ‘a week in learning’, staff and leaders discuss the impact of teaching and how to maximise learning during the following week. Teachers say this enables continuous professional development, a clear understanding of pupils’ next steps in learning and has a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. Training for staff is systematic so that pupils receive consistently strong teaching. For example, staff who deliver phonics sessions receive the same initial training. Subsequently, they have the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

necessary subject knowledge to teach early reading effectively.  The school’s approach to safeguarding is highly effective. It enables pupils to incrementally develop the social and moral understanding they need to manage risks in later life.  Pupils have a clear age-appropriate understanding of British values. For example, they understand that the British government and their student council were elected by a democratic process.  The spending of pupil premium has had an extremely positive impact on pupils. For example, advice and guidance to support reading and phonics at home have been accessed by two thirds of parents. The vast majority of pupils attend after-school clubs. Pupils, including those that are disadvantaged, read very well and their progress across the curriculum is strong. Indeed, one parent commented, ‘I am very happy with the progress my child has made in such little time.’  The physical education and sport premium is used effectively. Teachers refine their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

skills through teaching alongside sports coaches.  Leaders have a clear and ambitious curriculum plan for the first pupils to move into key stage 2 next year. It draws skilfully and systematically on pupils’ previous, well- embedded learning experiences.  In the previous academic year, additional experienced teachers worked alongside temporary teachers to enable pupils to continue to make strong progress during a time of teacher change. There has been more stability among the teaching staff this year.  Leaders and governors ensure that the curriculum is very well planned to enable pupils to acquire knowledge and skills across a range of subjects. Leaders ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of each cohort of pupils.

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Governance of the school

 Governors know the school well. Governors consider the outcomes of pupils and groups of pupils when holding leaders to account for the quality of teaching and learning.  Governors ensure that safeguarding and health and safety arrangements are robust and checked regularly. They are able to state why pupils are safe, evidencing positive pupil voice, staff recruitment suitability checks, and building pupils’ resilience to peer pressure.  Governors are ambitious for pupils’ achievement. They have a clear vision for the school. For example, they speak of the vital importance of reading to reduce the impact of disadvantage.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff are clear about the signs of abuse, the ‘dos and don’ts’ when receiving a disclosure and how to report a concern. They receive regular safeguarding training. The curriculum incorporates a range of opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe, including the risks associated with gangs.  Leaders’ actions to keep pupils safe when concerns arise are speedy and effective. The school works effectively with social care professionals to ensure that vulnerable families receive the support they need.  Leaders monitor trends in safeguarding disclosures and respond with changes to the curriculum when required. For example, pupils have received additional support to understand the difference between the terms ‘public’ and ‘private’.  The school’s single central record of staff recruitment checks is compliant. Leaders ensure that all the required checks are undertaken.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Teaching is of a very high quality across year groups and subjects. Staff take pride in all aspects of their practice. For example, their interventions to support pupils’ learning are precise and followed by checks that pupils have fully grasped different concepts. They are joyful when pupils achieve the ambitious learning they provide, which is often. Accordingly, pupils of all abilities learn very well.  Leaders have kindled pupils’ fascination with books. As a result, pupils are exposed to a host of concepts that widen their vocabulary. For instance, when hearing the story of ‘The Snail and the Whale,’ pupils were asked how the whale felt when it was beached. Pupils empathised with the whale, suggesting that it was ‘furious’ and ‘grumpy’. Pupils comment that reading is ‘funny’, ‘interesting’, and that they enjoy learning new words.  Leaders ensure that the substance of the phonics programme is well structured and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

sequenced and therefore supports pupils’ excellent progress in reading. As a result, pupils learn how to decode words before they enhance their reading fluency. Occasionally, the teaching of the meaning of new words is not wholly effective. For instance, a small number of pupils are sometimes given books to read which contain too many words that they do not understand.  Pupils gain mathematical knowledge quickly because they are well supported to grapple with hard but achievable learning. Pupils correctly identified the pattern between the increasing number of pencils on one side of weighing scales and the corresponding rise in the number of cubes on the other. As pupils are deeply considering pattern and connections in mathematics, they gain essential skills for problem solving and reasoning.  High expectations of learning are maintained across the curriculum. Pupils develop deep subject knowledge in history, geography, and science, while also developing their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

writing and mathematics skills. The work in pupils’ books provides examples of strong progress. For example, some pupils made solid progress from writing between three- and five-word phases to composing sentences such as, ‘The shining glistening stars are bright like electric.’

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils speak confidently about themselves, their views and their learning. For example, they are ‘proud of long pieces of writing on the wall’. When offered a choice between hard and easy work, pupils choose hard work, because they understand the value of challenging themselves.  Pupils know how to stay safe because they know what actions might put them at risk. Pupils say that they stay healthy by eating healthily. They know which foods to eat less of and say, ‘exercise stops obesity’. Pupils have confidence in their teachers to keep them safe and said they would tell them if they were worried. Pupils spoke confidently about times when teachers have helped reduce their anxiety.  There have been no incidents of prejudice-based bullying at the school. The small number of incidents of bullying have been managed very effectively. Pupils report to

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils follow instructions and interact in a polite manner. They behave impeccably at breaktime and lunchtime, as well as in classes.  Pupils receive rewards, such as principal’s stickers. They know that their good work and good behaviour leads to rewards. Learning is not disrupted by poor behaviour.  Pupils attend well, no group is disadvantaged by poor attendance and the school’s determined and broad actions to improve attendance are effective. High expectations of attendance are consistently promoted. For instance, rewards are given for 100% attendance and motivating prizes provided for those pupils that improve their attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 As a result of strong and ambitious leadership coupled with highly effective teaching, pupils make exceptional progress and attain very well. In 2018, all Year 1 pupils achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check.  Most of the Year 2 pupils have been at the school since they joined in Reception. A high proportion of these pupils attained well at the end of Reception. Scrutiny of pupils’ work, including that of disadvantaged pupils, demonstrates excellent progress across the curriculum. Skilful use of the pupil premium funding has supported these excellent outcomes. Unvalidated assessment information for 2019 indicates that pupils’ progress has been equally strong in the current academic year. It shows that an above-average proportion of pupils reached at least the expected standard and greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics.  Conversations with pupils across year groups show that their knowledge is retained,

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

broad and clear. For instance, they identify what they have learned in mathematics, English, and about helping others and religious festivals.  Pupils are superbly prepared for the next stage of their education. This is because their reading enjoyment and fluency, academic attainment, and sense of respect, responsibility and good choices are so strong.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 A wonderfully vibrant and stimulating environment promotes children’s enjoyment of learning. For instance, during the inspection children chose to travel through a sequence of numbered mats by jumping from two, to four, to six, and so on. They wrote down the sequence correctly.  When children leave the Reception Year, they are ready to start Year 1. High expectations and accessible resources equip children to find what they need themselves, promoting their independence from an early age. Parents say that the school has given them helpful information about Year 1. Therefore, parents feel well prepared to help their child continue to thrive as they leave the early years.  Children in Reception receive philosophy lessons. They have discussed what they might put in ‘good land’ and ‘bad land’ and why. For instance, one child said their cat should go in good land because they like it, another that cats belong in bad land because they

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Early years provision Outstanding

scratch. Children consequently enhance both their ability to justify their thoughts and to accept that others may have different opinions. Leaders enable the youngest children to build resilience to local risks and achieve outstanding personal development.  Children’s behaviour is exemplary. Children respond very well to the very high expectations of staff and the well-embedded routines. Staff ensure that children are safe and very well cared for.  Pupil premium funding has a positive impact on the progress of disadvantaged children. For instance, children’s mathematics work shows they have progressed from subtracting using fingerprints, to building subtraction number sentences. In 2018, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was above the national average. Children attained particularly well in mathematics and literacy.  Partnerships with parents are strong and have a positive impact on children’s learning.

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Early years provision Outstanding

For instance, learning is provided at home in the form of reading and ‘dip and do’ projects. The work seen in children’s learning journeys and books demonstrates very strong progress across all areas of learning. For example, in September some children were able to write single letters. By February the same children were writing phonetically spelled and readable phrases and sentences such as, ‘I think it will grow into a big flower.’  Although the learning environment promotes children’s language development well, occasionally staff do not make the most of all opportunities to help broaden children’s vocabulary.

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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

Website www.harrisprimarypurleyway.org.uk

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School details

Email address info@harrisprimarypurleyway.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened in September 2016, sponsored by the Harris Federation. Currently there are two Reception classes, one Year 1 class, and one Year 2 class.  The school is a member of the Harris Federation. Ultimate responsibility for the school sits with federation trustees, but much of trustees’ work is delegated to the school’s governing body.  The principal is supported by a Harris Federation executive principal.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English an additional language is above average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in all classes and examined work in pupils’ books. All observations were conducted jointly with the principal.  The inspector met with groups of pupils, talked to pupils about their learning, and listened to some pupils read. He observed pupils in the playground at breaktime and lunchtime.  Discussions were held with the principal and executive principal.  The inspector met with the chief executive officer and director of primary education of the Harris Federation.  A wide range of documents, including information on pupils’ attainment and progress and records related to attendance, safeguarding, and governance were examined by the inspector.  The inspector considered the 40 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The inspector spoke to some parents at the start of the day.  The inspector reviewed the checks made on staff and volunteers about their suitability

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Information about this inspection

to work with pupils.  There were no responses to the pupil survey. There were 14 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Barney Geen, lead inspector 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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