St Luke's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Luke’s Church of England Primary School Linton Grove, London SE27 0DZ

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils typically said that staff are ‘fair and fun’. They value the clear expectations set by staff. Pupils are polite and respectful towards others. Pupils respond well to routines, including in early years. The school’s values and ethos, such as being confident and responsible, are evident across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have well-thought-out enrichment opportunities to broaden pupils’ experiences. Pupils are proud to take on different roles, which they take seriously. For example, prefects help others and make sure that those who feel lonely have someone to talk to. Pupils are taught about respecting people’s differences. They learn about faiths and backgrounds that are different from their own.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, there are weaknesses in the quality of education. Many recent staff absences, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, have affected pupils’ learning. Staff expertise across the curriculum is inconsistent. The support for pupils who struggle with their reading is not as strong as it should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and said that they feel safe. Bullying rarely happens and staff deal with it quickly if it does.

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

The school’s curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Pupils study a wide range of subjects. Leaders think carefully about the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and when. In mathematics, pupils progressively build on their fluency and reasoning skills. For example, pupils in Year 2 used their previous learning to help them consider 22 and 23 March 2022

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which arithmetic strategies to use. Leaders have a clear rationale for the important knowledge that pupils need to know.

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Leaders have managed the period of high staff absences well. However, changes to staff have resulted in inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum and staff’s subject knowledge. As a result, pupils’ learning is not as strong as it could be.

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Teachers focus well on developing pupils’ vocabulary. In early years, staff used assessment to sort out children’s misconceptions about the properties of shapes. However, this is not consistent throughout the school. Some staff do not have the expertise to check pupils’ understanding or address their misconceptions.

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The school’s approach to teaching pupils to read is variable. Not all staff have sufficient expertise to teach pupils to read using phonics. Staff do not make sure that all pupils who need extra help with reading read books that closely match the sounds that they know. This limits pupils’ accuracy and fluency when reading. The strategies used by staff to help the weakest readers are not consistently effective. Leaders acknowledge this. They have plans in place to develop staff’s expertise in delivering the phonics programme.

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Pupils with SEND are fully included in lessons. Leaders identify these pupils’ needs and make sure that staff understand how to support these pupils. Staff use the expertise of external specialists to help meet pupils’ needs.

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Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and remain focused in class. Teachers provide pupils with clear instructions. Children get off to a strong start in early years. They respond well to staff’s clear expectations. This helps children to settle quickly and not waste time in their learning. The school is a calm and orderly environment.

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Leaders make every effort to include all pupils in the school’s enrichment programme. Wide-ranging opportunities are on offer to promote pupils’ wider development and interests. Pupils take part in many outdoor experiences, sporting events and educational visits, including to museums and the opera.

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Governors are knowledgeable about the school. Governors and leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s priorities. The trust’s work to help the school with reducing the impact of staff absence, and its support with training and leadership, help to provide stability.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have clear oversight of all safeguarding arrangements. They ensure that staff have regular training. This includes how to identify and manage potential cases of peer- on-peer abuse. As a result, staff know how to report concerns and do so diligently.

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Safeguarding

Leaders consider potential risks to pupils and teach them about how to keep safe. For example, pupils learn about the dangers of knife crime and gangs. Pupil ‘safety 22 and 23 March 2022

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ambassadors’ help to raise the profile of safety. Pupils said that if they had concerns, they could seek support from staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s approach to teaching early reading is not as effective as it should be. The support to help the weakest readers catch up is inconsistent. Leaders should improve the provision for early reading. They should ensure that staff have the expertise needed to deliver the programme effectively. They should ensure that staff provide those pupils who struggle with reading with books to read that are well matched to their phonics knowledge.  Throughout the school, there are inconsistencies in how well staff check pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions. This affects pupils’ learning. Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise needed to support pupils’ learning effectively throughout the school.

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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 a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Luke’s Church of England Primary School, to be good in February 2016.

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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.

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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 . 22 and 23 March 2022

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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 March 2022

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School details

Executive headteacher Nicola Zeronian-Dalley

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School details

Website www.st-lukes-primary.lambeth.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Luke’s Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school in June 2018. When its predecessor school, St Luke’s Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school joined the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education multi-academy trust in June 2018. It works in a soft federation with local schools.  The school has a Church of England religious character. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in February 2017.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has experienced a period of high staff absences, including due to COVID- 19.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school. 22 and 23 March 2022

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 During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including members of the governing body and multi-academy trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and computing. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection. The inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and listened to pupils read. Meetings with pupils and teachers to gather their views were also held.  During the inspection, the inspector scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to the quality of education, safeguarding, and pupils’ personal development and behaviour. The views of parents and carers and staff were also considered, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 March 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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