Dog Kennel Hill School

Inspection of a good school: Dog Kennel Hill School Dog Kennel Hill, East Dulwich, London SE22 8AB

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2022

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Outcome

Dog Kennel Hill School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. When asked what it is they enjoy, they are united in saying that it is because they love learning. Across the school, this is evident in the way they engage in their lessons. They actively participate in discussions and are eager to start and finish tasks.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of every pupil in this school. In response, pupils work hard and learn successfully in a range of subjects. They follow adult instructions promptly and behave well, in and out of lessons. Learning is not disturbed by poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils constantly spoke about the kindness they receive from adults and other pupils. Pupils are confident, polite, and courteous. They feel safe. They are adamant that bullying is rare, and that if it happens they trust adults to deal with it swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak highly of the school. They feel genuinely listened to and supported. They like the openness of leaders and staff. Parents also appreciate the support their children have received during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school engages well with parents. Staff provide guidance on how parents can help their children to learn. This includes workshops on how to help with reading at home. Parents also receive helpful information on the school’s approach to the teaching of mathematics.

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

Leaders are unified in the belief that reading is key to pupils’ success across the curriculum. Children learn how to read from the moment they join the early years. There is a strong early reading programme in place.

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

Those pupils who are falling behind in their phonics receive effective support to catch up. Pupils also get plenty of opportunities to practise the sounds they already know. They read books which match the sounds that they have already mastered. Very occasionally, however, this is not the case. In a few instances, staff do not make sure pupils pronounce 22 and 23 February 2022

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sounds precisely. While these are not common features of the early reading programme, they nevertheless reduce opportunities for pupils to strengthen their reading fluency.

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Leaders have constructed a well-sequenced and detailed curriculum. It matches the ambition of the national curriculum. In all subjects, leaders have identified what it is that pupils should know and remember. For example, in mathematics, teachers break the subject matter down into small chunks. This allows pupils to quickly grasp the ideas being taught and develop a deep understanding of the subject. The early years curriculum enables children to acquire a secure understanding of mathematics. The environment is number rich. Children regularly practise counting, measuring, and comparing objects, both indoors and outdoors. Pupils throughout the school also get plenty of opportunities to practise their mathematical skills. They enjoy learning this subject and all pupils achieve well.

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Staff are accurate at identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They adapt tasks and resources to meet the needs of these pupils.

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The successful development of pupils’ knowledge is also evident in the well-thought-out arts and design curriculum. Teachers support pupils to develop a rich vocabulary relating to art and design. They learn about a wide range of modern and classical artists. Pupils’ artwork is of high quality. As they move up the school, their artwork becomes more sophisticated and complex. As with other subjects, pupils with SEND receive the support they need to learn as well as their peers.

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Assessment is used effectively to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning. For example, in the early years, teachers plan activities to assess what children already know and can do. They use this to plan future learning.

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Pupils enjoy the many opportunities to learn and develop beyond the school’s academic curriculum. They often visit museums, galleries, zoos and many places of interest linked to the topics they are learning about in class. Leaders arrange for pupils to perform in large venues like the Royal Festival Hall. Pupils also learn about global issues through activities such as visits to the local refugee centre and undertaking a drive to support the local food bank.

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Pupils get a first-hand experience of democracy as they elect their own representatives. The school council like that leaders give them a say in school life. For example, they are pleased that leaders took on board their idea to replace trays with plates and bowls to enhance the school lunch experience.

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Leaders seek ways to ensure staff workload is manageable by acting on suggestions made by staff. Staff appreciate that they can approach leaders anytime to discuss their workload. Leaders have invested in a service which allows staff to access counselling at any time. Staff said the spirit of teamwork, which is a strong feature of the school, has a positive impact on their well-being. Governors see it as their duty to ensure staff enjoy working at the school. 22 and 23 February 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The culture of openness and honesty, combined with up-to-date training, contributes to the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements in this school. Staff at all levels know their pupils and families well. They use this knowledge to tailor support for the most vulnerable and for those who are at risk.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe at school, at home, or when online. In addition to lessons within the curriculum, they also receive workshops from the local police and other organisations on a wide range of safeguarding topics.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few instances, pupils’ reading books contain sounds that they are not fully secure with. On occasion, adults also do not ensure that pupils pronounce sounds precisely. While these are typically uncommon occurrences, they still hinder pupils from strengthening their reading fluency and accuracy. Leaders should take suitable steps to address this, including ensuring that all staff check how well all pupils enunciate, segment and blend sounds.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 22 and 23 February 2022

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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. 22 and 23 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212471 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Mrs Galiema Amien-Cloete (Executive Headteacher) Website www.dkh.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Due to falling rolls, the school has reduced its pupil admissions number to one form of entry.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other members of the senior leadership team. He also met with the local authority- appointed school improvement adviser.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and design, and mathematics. For each deep dive, he spoke to subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons jointly with leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their 22 and 23 February 2022

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learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  The inspector also spoke to a wide range of staff, including support staff, and those working with pupils with SEND.  In inspecting safeguarding, the inspector spoke to parents and pupils, a wide range of staff, and the relevant personnel who lead safeguarding arrangements in school. He also carried out a scrutiny of the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks and observed pupils during playtimes.  The inspector also established past, present, and future opportunities for pupils to develop more broadly beyond the formal curriculum. He did this by looking at school documentation, talking to staff, and by holding discussions with pupils, including their elected school council representatives.

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Inspection team

Edison David, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 February 2022

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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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