Cooper's Lane Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cooper’s Lane Primary School Pragnell Road, London SE12 0LF

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Outcome

Cooper’s Lane Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school and would recommend it to others. They are happy and safe, and have a number of adults they could speak to if they were worried or upset. They learn about how to keep safe online. These lessons start in the Nursery. Staff send regular updates to parents on how best to keep their child safe online at home too.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate the communication, the approachability of leaders and the quality of inclusion, among many other things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and across the school is calm. There is little to no disruption in lessons. Bullying is rare and is dealt with as a matter of urgency by staff. Pupils engage in a range of activities in the playground. Older pupils enjoy the ‘tube train’ in their playground. They use it to socialise in, to play board games in and to take shelter.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils take part in the many extra-curricular activities on offer. These include football, chess, drama, gymnastics, cheerleading, skateboarding, art, coding and creative writing. Older pupils are keen to take on additional responsibilities, such as joining the school council or the green team, which planted plants in the peace garden this term.

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

Leaders have identified the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn and become experts in. This is in every subject across the curriculum. They have carefully considered the order in which they teach lessons. They have identified strong links between subjects.

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

In the early years, children learn about the early concepts of time and change. As they progress through the school, pupils begin to build a secure understanding of the chronology of historical events. Adults use and model appropriate subject-specific vocabulary. An example is the use of words such as ‘king’ and ‘princess’ in the early years 20 and 21 April 2022

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and ‘monarch’, ‘prime minister’ and ‘dictator’ as they move up the school. In Year 5, while introducing pupils to Islam and the Holy Wars, teachers draw comparisons between events happening on different continents at the same time. There is currently not a shared approach to assessing pupils in history. Leaders are aware that this is a priority.

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Most year groups receive specialist art teaching. The dedicated art classroom is well resourced, and pupils become skilled in using a range of materials over time. In early years, children experiment with a range of media that prepare them for their more formal lessons later. Pupils sometimes struggle to remember the correct subject-specific vocabulary when discussing their work. As in other foundation subjects, leaders are currently reviewing the assessment procedures in art and design.

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In mathematics, units are sequenced so that pupils revisit concepts termly. The calculation policy provides clear, logical guidance. The curriculum is planned so that number is introduced and practised in the early years to prepare children well for Year 1. Leaders have adapted the planned curriculum to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are given every opportunity to catch up if they have fallen behind.

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Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading. They have carefully chosen a new programme. They deliver phonics lessons consistently across Reception through to Year 2. All staff in these phases have received training. Pupils who had fallen behind are catching up quickly. Staff assess pupils’ reading routinely. This helps inform them of the groupings and interventions needed. Books match pupils’ decoding level well. Older pupils talk about reading with enthusiasm. They enjoy a range of texts and authors.

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Pupils from the Centre for the Deaf are fully integrated in the mainstream classes, as are all other pupils with SEND. Experienced staff make sure that they have access to the full curriculum. In all areas of the curriculum, pupils with SEND are well supported to access the planned curriculum. Staff communicate regularly with parents. Clear systems are in place to identify pupils with needs. The team has strong links with the local authority and outside agencies.

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Pupils are polite and courteous. They enjoy their personal, social and health education lessons. During these lessons, they discuss scenarios that help them tell the difference between right and wrong. They go on many local trips and are glad that they can now resume their residential trips.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel supported by leaders and find the workload manageable. They attend regular professional development training. 20 and 21 April 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors are aware of their statutory duties. They are all trained in safer recruitment. They keep themselves up to date with safeguarding requirements.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff receive regular training and are aware of local issues.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their pupils and families well. They have rigorous systems in place for identifying, recording and referring concerns. Timely referrals are made when necessary and escalated if needed. Staff keep track of and support their most vulnerable pupils well.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding team works well with the local authority and with outside agencies.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment procedures for foundation subjects are under review. Currently, information gathered for each pupil in each subject is not consistent. Leaders must make sure that their work on assessment is completed and implemented across the school, to best support pupil progress and curriculum implementation.

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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 March 2012. 20 and 21 April 2022

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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 .

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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. 20 and 21 April 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.cooperslane.lewisham.sch.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a Centre for the Deaf. This is a specialist provision offering places to children with a significant hearing loss who have an education, health and care plan.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with all senior leaders, a number of teaching staff and support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design, and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at curriculum plans for computing and geography.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.

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 The inspectors looked at the effectiveness of the school’s work on safeguarding by reviewing the record of pre-employment checks for staff, speaking to staff, governors and pupils and meeting with the safeguarding team.  The inspectors took account of the views of pupils, parents and staff, as gathered through discussions and through Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nick Turvey Her Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 April 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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