Aragon Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Aragon Primary School Aragon Primary School, Aragon Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 4QU

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Outcome

Aragon Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Aragon Primary is a welcoming and happy place. Pupils work hard and are encouraged to do their best. Leaders have created a culture where respect, care and high expectations help pupils flourish. Staff and pupils said that they are proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide many opportunities throughout the day for pupils to work and learn well in a range of ways, both independently and with others. However, in some foundation subjects, teacher knowledge is not as strong as it is in others. In these cases, pupils’ learning is not as effective as it could be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take their physical and mental health seriously. They enjoy joining in fitness activities before school. Pupils said that, on the rare occasions when bullying happens, it is dealt with quickly and effectively. They said they feel safe and well looked after. They were confident that their teachers would help them if they had a problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers were very complimentary about the work of the school. They said that their children are given lots of opportunities to develop confidence, knowledge and social skills. They appreciate how hard staff work, and feel leaders are approachable and visible around the school.

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

Pupils listen carefully in class. Their positive attitudes ensure that learning is not disrupted by poor behaviour. Leaders regularly check the quality of learning across the school. Senior leaders have created a supportive climate. Staff appreciate the training and development they receive. They feel valued and enjoy their work. 11–12 December 2019

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The needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well met. Some pupils spend part of the day in a small class with a specialist SEND teacher and teaching assistants, following the same curriculum as their peers. Learning is broken down into small steps and a range of strategies used effectively to motivate and engage pupils. Understanding is checked frequently and with care. As a result of this very precise teaching, these pupils access learning well.

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Children in the early years develop phonics knowledge effectively. Teachers constantly check pupils’ understanding. Reading books are carefully matched to the sounds that children know. Consequently, they are becoming successful, confident readers. Sometimes in Years 1 and 2, books are not as well matched to reading ability. When this happens, pupils are given books that are too hard for them. Reading is taught well in Years 3 to 6. It is particularly strong in Year 6, where teaching ensures that pupils develop good comprehension skills and read with expression, fluency and accuracy. Teachers develop pupils’ love of reading. Many pupils regularly read for pleasure at home.

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The mathematics curriculum is well planned. Early years staff create lots of opportunities for children to count and recognise numbers. They model mathematical language well and encourage children to problem-solve. Pupils said that they enjoy mathematics. Many have fast, accurate recall of multiplication tables and a range of number facts. They can apply their knowledge of number well. Older pupils can discuss which methods are most effective when working out complex problems. At times, some pupils do not get enough time to consolidate their understanding. This includes some pupils with SEND. These pupils move on to the next unit of study before fully understanding the topic they have been working on.

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The foundation curriculum is developing well across the school. It is strong in some subjects, for example Spanish, where the secondary school in the trust has supported the planning and delivery of lessons. In history and geography, written tasks do not always allow pupils to show how much they know. Consequently, teachers do not always know the extent of pupils’ knowledge and understanding in these subjects.

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Pupils’ learning is enriched through themed days, trips, visitors and a range of clubs. Pupils learn about British values, developing knowledge of democracy and the rule of law through participating in the Merton children’s parliament. They develop a sense of moral purpose through fundraising for charities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Trustees have ensured that staff training is up to date. They ensure that the school meets its statutory obligations. Good-quality records are kept. Leaders and trustees ensure that safer recruitment is practised. They keep themselves up to date with safeguarding issues, locally and nationally. Leaders work well with outside agencies to 11–12 December 2019

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keep pupils safe. Staff have a good awareness and understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities.

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The curriculum supports pupils’ knowledge about how to keep themselves safe in school and in the wider community. Older pupils talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most pupils achieve the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Reading has a high profile and pupils are developing a love of reading. However, some pupils in the early stages of reading have books that are not well matched to their knowledge and understanding of phonics. Leaders need to ensure that early readers have books that match the sounds they know.  Mathematics is taught well across the school. Pupils are developing quick recall of mental mathematics and use this knowledge well to help them solve problems. At times, a minority of pupils, including some with SEND, move too quickly through new learning. When this happens, they do not have enough time to develop their understanding. Leaders need to ensure that those who struggle have the time they need to consolidate their learning so that they develop confidence, understanding and fluency.  The school has been developing the curriculum in foundation subjects, including

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

history and geography. Subject leaders support teachers in improving their knowledge in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that they continue to develop teacher knowledge in these subjects so that teaching meets the needs of all learners. This includes ensuring that written tasks provide opportunities for pupils to show the depth of their learning.

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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 the predecessor school, also called Aragon Primary School, to be good on 4 March 2017. 11–12 December 2019

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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.

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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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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 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10124663 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Julie Davey (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Aragon Primary School joined The Willow Learning Trust in August 2017. The trust consists of one high school and one other primary school.  The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the executive and associate headteachers, the SEND lead and the subject leaders for reading, mathematics, history and geography.  We had discussions with governors and with a representative from the trust. We spoke on the telephone to the school’s adviser from the local authority.  We met with a range of teaching staff, including newly qualified teachers.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and geography. Inspection activity in these subjects included evaluation of curriculum planning, visits to lessons, scrutiny of pupils’ work, listening to pupils read, discussions with subject 11–12 December 2019

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leaders and teaching staff, and discussions with pupils about their learning in these subjects.  We looked at safeguarding procedures, records of safeguarding and behaviour logs. We scrutinised the school’s single central register and spoke to staff and pupils to check their understanding of safeguarding procedures.  We considered the school’s self-evaluation document and its school development plans. We spoke to pupils about school life in general and gathered their views on teaching and behaviour.  We spoke to parents and looked at responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. We also looked at staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Lou Anderson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

James Robinson Ofsted Inspector 11–12 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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