Melcombe Primary School

Inspection of Melcombe Primary School Fulham Palace Road, London W6 9ER

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding 4–5 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like their school very much. They have many opportunities to take on roles and responsibilities. They are keen to help others. Pupils are rightly proud of the work they do, such as organising charity events. Pupils also enjoy a wide programme of clubs and outings, including visits to local museums.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They like how teachers make sure that all pupils share their ideas in lessons. Pupils know that it is important to be respectful of others and different views and beliefs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are considerate of adults and their peers. Staff deal quickly with any unkind behaviour, including bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils know that they can speak up if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well in mathematics, art and science. Leaders and teachers have high expectations for all pupils in these subjects. However, pupils could do much better in reading. Leaders do not make sure that younger pupils get off to a strong start in learning to read. Many fall behind in their phonics knowledge. In Years 3 to 6 pupils told us that they rarely read outside of lessons. Teachers do not ensure that all pupils read widely and often in order to practise their reading.

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better?

Leaders have not made reading a priority here. They do not check how well phonics is taught. Governors do not challenge leaders enough on whether all pupils learn to read successfully.

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better?

The phonics programme is ambitious. From Reception through to Year 2, leaders have clear expectations for what pupils should learn term by term. However, staff lack the expertise to teach early reading effectively. As a result, many pupils struggle to keep up with the school’s programme. Leaders know which pupils need extra help. However, the additional help provided is not routinely effective in ensuring that pupils catch up quickly. Staff are sometimes unsure which phonics sounds pupils do and do not know.

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better?

Pupils take reading books home regularly. Staff do not check that these books are suitable to help pupils to practise their reading. These reading books often contain phonics sounds that pupils have not already learned. Teaching gives too little emphasis to words that do not follow typical spelling patterns. These shortcomings hold pupils back from learning to read confidently.

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better?

Leaders want to improve pupils’ reading. They make sure that teachers read stories, rhymes and poems aloud to pupils. Nevertheless, leaders have overlooked the importance of encouraging pupils to read often and for pleasure. Few read widely and regularly outside of lessons, particularly in Years 3 to 6. This prevents pupils 4–5 December 2019

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In contrast to reading, leaders ensure that mathematics is planned and taught very well. From the Nursery class through to Year 6, pupils’ work is of good quality. Teachers have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt tasks skilfully and ensure that pupils with SEND achieve as well as their classmates.

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Leaders’ subject planning for writing contains ambitious goals for all pupils. In Years 3 to 6 teachers use this planning effectively. They make careful decisions about what to teach pupils and when. This is not the case in key stage 1. Teaching is not sharply focused on ensuring that pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop the knowledge set out in subject plans for writing.

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Leaders make sure that pupils study all the subjects set out in the national curriculum. Pupils enjoy doing so. In subjects such as science and art teachers introduce new subject matter in a logical order. They plan learning so that pupils remember and apply essential knowledge. Pupils’ learning in computing and music is not as well structured. In computing, for instance, pupils in Years 5 and 6 study similar topics. Leaders are unclear how the repetition of these topics will deepen pupils’ understanding.

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Children in early years are not prepared well enough for the start of Year 1. Leaders do not view the early years as the starting point for children’s learning in all subjects. Apart from in mathematics, planning does not identify clearly what children need to know for their future learning.

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Leaders expect all pupils to behave well. They provide effective support for pupils who find it hard to meet the school’s high expectations. Lessons are free from disruption and pupils try hard with their work.

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Leaders plan effectively for pupils’ wider development. Pupils study helpful topics such as healthy lifestyles and how to be a good friend. Leaders also make sure that pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. Pupils’ attitudes are mature and highly respectful. They know that everyone has the right to their own beliefs, including that some people choose not to follow a faith.

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Senior leaders have provided stability for the school community during the headteacher’s absence from school. Staff value the support that leaders provide.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know what to do if they are worried about a pupil. They are alert to signs that a pupil’s welfare may be at risk and report concerns promptly. Leaders work well with families and external professionals to safeguard pupils’ welfare. They ensure that pupils receive additional support when they need it. 4–5 December 2019

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Pupils are taught how to use the internet and social media safely. Pupils know it is important to report anything that upsets them. Staff also ensure that older pupils are aware of the risks that they might face when they travel to and from school on their own.

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Most parents and carers agree that their children are safe. They know that leaders make pupils’ welfare a priority.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Many pupils have gaps in their phonics knowledge and struggle to decode simple words. Leaders must focus on ensuring that all pupils learn to read as soon as possible. They should make sure that staff have the necessary expertise to teach early reading and support pupils who have fallen behind.  Leaders work to improve phonics has been mainly focused on developing teaching strategies. Leaders should look closely at whether pupils are taught the right content at the right time, as set out in their phonics programme. Leaders should take prompt and effective action to address any weaknesses that they find.  Leaders check pupils’ phonics knowledge and identify pupils who are finding it hard to learn to read. However, leaders’ information does not systematically identify the sounds pupils do not remember securely. Leaders and staff should ensure that they have sufficient information on the gaps pupils have in their

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

phonics knowledge. This will support leaders and staff to tailor extra support to pupils’ individual needs. Leaders should also ensure that when pupils are learning to read they practise with texts that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge.  Too many pupils do not read for pleasure. Leaders and staff should put in place effective strategies to encourage this as much as possible. Teachers should help pupils to select books that are both appropriately demanding and appeal to their interests.  By the end of the Reception Year, children are not well prepared for the start of Year 1. In the early years, leaders should make sure subject planning is ambitious and prepares children for their learning in key stage 1, including giving due emphasis to the development of early reading and writing.  Leaders should ensure that subjects such as computing and music are as well planned and taught as mathematics. They should make sure that pupils study

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

content in a coherent order and that teaching enables pupils to develop and deepen their understanding progressively.  Writing is planned well. However, teachers’ expectations for pupils in key stage 1 are not high enough. Leaders should ensure that teachers set work that matches the ambitions of the school’s subject planning. 4–5 December 2019

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 Leaders, including governors, are focused on whether teachers adhere to whole- school pedagogical approaches. They do not check the impact of their work on improving pupils’ achievement in all subjects. Therefore, they should consider whether all pupils successfully learn the knowledge identified in subject planning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 4–5 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10128893 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Dennis Charman (acting chair)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25–26 September 2013

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was absent from school during this inspection.  In September 2019, Melcombe Primary School became part of a federation with two local nursery schools, Bayonne Nursery and James Lee Nursery. Schools within the federation share one governing body.  Many governors joined the governing body at the start of this academic year. Governors are in the process of appointing a new chair of the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with senior leaders and two members of the governing body, including the acting chair. We also spoke with two representatives from the local authority.  We looked at the following subjects in-depth during this inspection: reading, writing, mathematics, computing and history. We visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning. We met with subject leaders and teachers. We listened to pupils read from Years 1 to 4 as well as in Year 6. We 4–5 December 2019

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also spoke to pupils about their reading and looked at their reading records.  We considered pupils’ learning in other subjects, including music, art, science and physical education. This included visits to lessons, discussions with pupils and subject leaders and looking at curriculum plans.  Through discussions with leaders, staff, pupils and parents, we considered how effectively pupils are safeguarded. We also looked at records related to safeguarding, including records of pre-employment checks carried out before staff are appointed.  We met with groups of pupils and spoke to pupils informally during lesson visits. We observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and at playtimes. We also spoke to staff about pupils’ behaviour and looked at records related to behaviour, bullying and attendance. There were no responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.  We spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day. We also considered

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the 14 responses to Ofsted’s survey for parents (Parent View), including written comments.

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Inspection team

Sarah Murphy, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Smith Her Majesty’s Inspector 4–5 December 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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