Horn Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Horn Park Primary School Alnwick Road, Lee, London SE12 9BT

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Outcome

Horn Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Senior leaders have created a warm, vibrant ethos. Polite, friendly pupils give visitors a hearty welcome. There are smiles and laughter aplenty. Staff and pupils are proud of their happy school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to school. The vast majority have excellent attendance. There are lots of fun things for them to do. At break and lunchtime, pupils join in organised games, use the sports equipment or relax with friends. Pupils behave very well. Bullying is not tolerated and is dealt with swiftly if it occurs. Adults and pupils have a deep respect for each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils are taught a wide range of subjects. Pupils enjoy their learning. They are inquisitive about the subjects they are taught. Most of these subjects are taught very well. However, in geography and French, teaching does not always secure pupils’ deep knowledge of the topics they are learning about.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive an excellent education. For most of the time, they learn alongside their peers. Those who learn in the school’s enhanced provision are supported by highly trained and effective adults.

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

The quality of education is effective. Most pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects by the end of Year 6. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND do as well as others.

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

Leaders have made well-thought-out changes to the curriculum in many subjects. Curriculum leaders have been appropriately trained to develop subject plans. These plans lay out what pupils will learn in a logical order. Teachers deliver the curriculum skilfully in some subjects. Teachers know what needs to be taught and the best order in which to teach it. However, sometimes they are not confident in planning and assessing pupils’ learning in the foundation subjects. For example, in geography, teachers have developed 4–5 February 2020

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an understanding of what skills their pupils need to acquire to become confident geographers. However, they do not pay enough attention to the gaps in pupils’ geographical knowledge when planning lessons. This means that sometimes pupils do not remember what they have been taught. In French, teachers have not yet fully implemented the new curriculum, so pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to learn the subject well. Leaders recognise that they need to support teachers to ensure that they have strong subject knowledge across all the subjects they teach.

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Leaders have invested in developing teachers’ knowledge of mathematics. Teaching in mathematics is a strength of the school. Teachers know their pupils well. They spot when pupils need extra help. Pupils respond with enthusiasm to their teachers’ guidance. Pupils know what is expected of them. They gain confidence in their understanding and use of important mathematical knowledge. Pupils’ work is of good quality, and they achieve well.

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Reading has a high profile in the school. The library is well stocked and accessible to all. Each class has an inviting reading area. Story times, reading challenges and reading clubs get pupils excited about books. Regular training keeps the quality of teaching high. Any pupil falling behind gets extra help to catch up. Teachers teach reading well in Years 1 to 6. Staff provide pupils with a vocabulary-rich classroom. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to value reading. Pupils who fall behind get the help that they need to become more confident readers. As a result, pupils’ attainment in reading has improved by the end of Year 6.

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From Reception onwards, children get off to a flying start in reading. Reading and phonics lessons take place every day. Adults emphasise sounds, letters and words as they work with children. The children are very interested in words and stories. However, this effective practice is not replicated in the school’s Nursery. Children in the Nursery do not experience a wide range of books.

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Adults ensure that rules are fair and consistent. This helps pupils behave well. The wider curriculum allows pupils to develop a strong sense of right and wrong. The school’s values underpin this ethos of doing what is right. Pupils listen carefully to others. They work well together. They are very supportive of each other. During lessons, pupils follow adults’ requests and instructions politely. Pupils appreciate the care and kindness shown to them.

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Parents and carers are very happy with the school. The comment of one parent who said ‘to see your child run in to class every morning beaming from ear to ear speaks a thousand words’, reflects how most parents feel about the school. They appreciate the level of care that is given to their children.

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Leaders and governors work effectively together. They know where the school’s strengths are and what could be better. All staff who responded to the online survey agree that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Horn Park is part of the Compass Partnership of schools. They work in collaboration with other schools within the academy trust. This has brought many benefits to the school. The view expressed by one member of staff that in Compass, ‘they are one team’, is shared by almost all staff and leaders across the school. 4–5 February 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ welfare and safety come first at Horn Park Primary. Leaders ensure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Regular training takes place. Adults know what they must do to protect pupils and keep them free from harm. They know the signs of potential abuse and neglect to look out for. This means that risks for vulnerable pupils are minimised.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ checks on the suitability of adults working with pupils are thorough. This includes any adults visiting the school or working with pupils off-site. Leaders communicate with police, social services and other partners to make sure families get the help they need, when they need it.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although the school prides itself on developing pupils’ love for reading, this is not as strong in the Nursery. Children are not exposed to a wide range of stories and books in the Nursery. They often find it hard to remember the stories that they have been reading. Leaders need to ensure that the excellent teaching of phonics and exposure to a wide range of texts seen in the Reception Year are also part of a child’s experience when they join the Nursery.  Leaders have taken steps to ensure that the wider curriculum is being taught effectively. In some subjects like mathematics and history, teachers have good subject knowledge and teach these subjects well. However, teachers’ subject knowledge in some foundation subjects, for instance in geography and French, is not as strong as it should be. As a result, some pupils do not develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills in these subjects. School leaders have plans in place to train teachers and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

develop subject expertise. Leaders should ensure that these plans are implemented with immediacy so that the gaps in pupils’ knowledge can be addressed.

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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. 4–5 February 2020

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This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Horn Park Primary School to be good in June 2014.

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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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are 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 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10124659 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Michelle Bernard (Executive headteacher) Zoe Crossland (Head of school) Website www.hornpark.greenwich.sch.uk/

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The school joined Compass Partnership Academy Trust in July 2017.  There have been several changes to the leadership team, staff and governors since the previous inspection. The previous headteacher is now executive headteacher of this and one other primary school in the trust.  Over time, the proportion of pupils with SEND, including those with an education, health and care plan, has increased and is well above the national average.  The school makes use of a local alternative provider, the Kidbrooke Park Learning Centre. Leaders from each setting are in daily contact, and staff exchange visits regularly.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the executive headteacher, head of school, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders, teachers, pupils and governors. I also met with the coordinator for pupils with SEND, non-teaching staff and the early years leader. 4–5 February 2020

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 I completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. This involved meetings with senior leaders and leaders of each subject, as well as meetings with pupils and teachers. I visited lessons in each key stage along with school leaders. I listened to pupils read and examined work in their books. I also scrutinised documents associated with each subject.  I scrutinised a range of documentation and information about the school’s work, including that related to safeguarding, behaviour, self-evaluation and improvement planning.  I considered the views of 47 parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey as well as the comments offered by parents. I also considered the views of 34 members of staff who made their views known through Ofsted’s survey.  I examined the views and comments expressed by 32 pupils who responded to Ofsted’s pupil survey. I also spoke formally and informally with pupils across both days of the

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inspection and observed their behaviour and interaction indoors and outside.  I also met with representatives from the local governing board and the chief executive officer of the trust.

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Inspection team

Helena Mills, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4–5 February 2020

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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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