Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace

Inspection of good school: Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace Malcolm Road, Penge, London SE20 8RH

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Outcome

Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe here. They work hard in lessons and get along happily at play time. They said that behaviour has improved. Pupils told me that bullying was a problem in the recent past. They do not feel worried about it anymore because leaders and staff put a stop to any problems that may arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers share high expectations for all pupils. They are determined that the curriculum is adapted for everyone. Teachers teach subject content in ways which make sure that every pupil can take part. They know what pupils should understand and remember by the end of each school year. These aspirations are ambitious for all pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers said that they understand what the school wants their child to know, and how well they are achieving. They appreciate the rich range of clubs and cultural activities on offer. Teachers introduce pupils to different cultures in a wide variety of ways. This is a special feature of this school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders make sure that children start learning to read as soon as they enter the Reception Year. Selected children start learning phonics in the Nursery, if they are ready to do so. In the early years and right through Years 1 and 2, pupils learn to read accurately. I saw how much children enjoy books here. For example, some pupils re-read favourite stories for pleasure. Teachers attend regular training so that they teach early reading effectively.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers guide parents to help their children to practise reading at home. Comments that parents have written in pupils’ reading log books show the success of this work. Older pupils continue to develop their love of reading as they progress through the years. For example, pupils told me that they enjoy learning about a variety of traditions and cultures from the school’s extensive library of books. They make connections between the books they have read in the past and their current reading. Nearly all pupils learn to read by the 11–12 September 2019

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end of Year 2. Those who find reading hard get lots of help to catch up. Pupils remember securely the phonics that they have learned.

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When children start in the Reception Year, teachers identify quickly what children know already. They use this information to set up activities which catch children’s interest and build their knowledge further. Teachers and staff in the early years follow the order in which leaders expect them to teach new content.

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Leaders have made sure that subject planning sets out what pupils should learn, and when, so that pupils build their knowledge. In mathematics, subject planning is particularly ambitious for what pupils should be able to know, remember and do off by heart. Teachers follow subject plans and teach pupils what they need to do so that they build secure mathematical knowledge.

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Across the whole school, there are some differences in how well teachers follow the planned order of teaching new content. Working together with the multi-academy trust, leaders have redesigned the subject planning for what pupils should learn in history. Teachers have received training to deepen their subject knowledge. However, sometimes teachers do not make sure that pupils cover the planned content so that they know more and remember more. For example, sometimes pupils practise writing rather than building historical knowledge and skills. Older pupils have gaps in their knowledge in history because leaders have only recently put the new subject plans in place.

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Pupils and parents told me that in the past, pupils were sometimes unkind, and behaviour sometimes disrupted learning. They also told me that the principal has been hugely influential in making sure that the behaviour of pupils has improved in recent time. Pupils positive attitudes to learning help lessons to run smoothly. They said that behaviour in class is not always as perfect as the conduct that I saw during the inspection, but learning is rarely interrupted.

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Leaders are determined that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils achieve well. They make sure that the curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of all pupils.

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Leaders also listen to pupils’ opinions about what interests them. They provide lots of clubs and activities which deepen pupils’ interests and skills. These include a board games club and opportunities for pupils to take part in competitive sports.

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Senior leaders are good role models for less experienced teachers, particularly when managing their own workload. Team spirit among the staff is strong. Staff told me that they all join forces when lots of work needs to be done in a short time. For example, when teachers need to organise special weeks to help pupils learn about celebrations they share the additional workload. Senior leaders ensure that teachers who have subject responsibilities have time to check how well their subjects are taught. This helps to make sure that their plans for improvement are helping pupils to achieve well. 11–12 September 2019

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Trustees and governors are very demanding of those responsible for checking the suitability of staff. They make sure all pre-employment checks are recorded promptly and thoroughly. Staff know what to do should they have any safeguarding concerns about a pupil. Leaders take swift action and work with outside agencies to safeguard pupils’ well- being. Leaders make sure that staff have regular safeguarding training and understand changes to current safeguarding guidance. Leaders check that staff have understood this.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make decisions that are informed by an understanding of the risks that they have identified in the local area. They also help pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe from harm. For example, older pupils told me how to avoid being drawn into gang culture.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not consistently put recent improvements to subject planning and staff training into practice so that pupils gain the knowledge and skills that leaders intend. Therefore, leaders should ensure that subjects are taught consistently effectively so that pupils learn and remember more.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace to be good on 1 May 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 11–12 September 2019

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 11–12 September 2019

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School details

Website www.harrisprimarycrystalpalace.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 April – 1 May 2015

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Harris Federation of schools. It includes a Nursery which offers part time places. There are no two-year-olds on the school roll.  There is no additional resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The school does not use any alternative provision off site.  Three members of staff have wider roles in the federation as well as working in the school.

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Information about this inspection

 I held discussions with school leaders, governors and represented of the federation of which the school is a part.  I visited lessons in all parts of the school with leaders, including the early years. I spoke with pupils and looked at examples of their work. It was agreed to focus particularly on reading, mathematics and history during this inspection.  A scrutiny of work was conducted with leaders which included examples of pupils’ work from the previous school year.  I observed pupils at play and in the dining hall. I spoke to a number of parents at the 11–12 September 2019

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start of the school day.  I considered 15 responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey. I also considered 91 responses to the online Parent View survey and the 50 written responses to the parent survey.

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Inspection team

Andrew Wright, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11–12 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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