Goldfinch Primary School

Inspection of Goldfinch Primary School Cunliffe Street, London SW16 6DS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 4 and 5 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Goldfinch is a school where pupils are extremely keen to learn and do well. Leaders have created a positive environment that ensures pupils are safe. Pupils enjoy learning and taking risks because they say that teachers give them ‘a chance to succeed’. Leaders work in close partnership with the trust, governors and the whole school community. They are diligent in driving their commitment to achieving excellence. Parents and carers are very positive about the improvements that leaders have made.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is exemplary. The expectations of pupils’ conduct are commonly understood and consistently applied by staff. Pupils display high levels of positive attitudes to learning. They know and understand what bullying is. They know to approach a trusted adult, whom they believe will always deal with their concerns. School records show that bullying is a rare occurrence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the opportunities to go on educational trips. This helps them to make sense of what they are learning and make connections across subjects. They enjoy raising funds for charities and for buying books to add to their attractive book corners. They enjoy taking part in clubs such as those for film, drama and skateboarding. They explore subjects such as science and art at a deeper level as part of a partnership programme at a local secondary school.

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better?

Leaders share the ambition that every child should receive an excellent education ‘without exception’. They have transformed the curriculum and planned blocks of the essential knowledge and skills for pupils to learn in all subjects. This is providing pupils with strong foundations and enriching experiences. Subject leaders support teachers in delivering the curriculum with increasing consistency. This needs further work and time to become fully embedded. Experts from the trust collaborate with staff to assess work in pupils’ books. This scrutiny shows that teachers could stretch further those pupils who say that they welcome and enjoy challenging work.

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better?

Leaders promote the view that ‘if pupils cannot read, they cannot learn’. They prioritise the teaching of phonics and reading. Children in Nursery explore sounds in the environment. Teachers use a range of resources to model new sounds well. Staff help pupils to become familiar with sounds by revising and rehearsing them in lessons and catch-up sessions. Pupils use books that match the sounds they have learned. They proudly wear ‘bookworm’ badges celebrating the number of books they have read for pleasure. They win awards in local reading competitions for showing well-developed comprehension skills.

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better?

Leaders have invested significantly in developing the early years outdoor area. Staff use these vibrant spaces well in offering rich learning experiences. They develop children’s skills through practical exploration and meaningful tasks. They interact 4 and 5 May 2022

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effectively with children. Staff capture the children’s achievement, including next steps of learning, and train them in knowing what they can do well.

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In mathematics, teachers give pupils time to practise their skills. Staff inspire mathematical thinking, starting in early years. They use questioning to probe children’s understanding and foster their learning of number. In some cases, teachers do not move on quickly enough those pupils who show confidence in what they know. Leaders recognise this. They have plans in place to empower staff in perceiving when to deepen pupils’ knowledge during lessons.

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Relationships among staff and pupils are extremely positive. They show respect towards each other. Pupils concentrate with intensity in lessons and without disruptions. They take immense pride in their achievements. They freely ask adults for help in relation to their learning or should they ever feel bullied.

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Leaders promote the development of pupils’ cultural heritage and values. Pupils develop characteristic traits, including confidence and resilience. They are knowledgeable about world current affairs. Year 6 pupils have a thorough understanding of racism and how to tackle it. Staff prepare pupils well for transition into secondary school.

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Support staff are well deployed. They scaffold and adapt learning to meet the needs of pupils. The school has a consistent approach of defining key vocabulary and using stem sentences in lessons. This contributes to pupils understanding and accessing learning well, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who speak English as an additional language. Pupils with SEND speak with great appreciation of the support they receive. They rightly describe the difference this makes to the way they learn and live.

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The trust and governors have been instrumental and relentless in their pursuit of the school’s ‘excellence plan’. They have made significant strides in improving the provision for pupils. This includes recruiting skilled teachers committed to realising leaders’ high expectations. Staff access professional development that extends their technical knowledge of subject disciplines. Leaders have regard for staff workload. They make necessary adjustments when considering staff well-being. Staff show a strong devotion in wanting to increase the engagement of parents and carers and families in the life of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know and understand the risks that pupils face online, at school, at home and in the local community. Leaders work hard in being proactive and responsive to helping those in need. Staff are well trained in identifying and addressing needs with urgency. 4 and 5 May 2022

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Pupils gave inspectors a range of examples of how to stay safe. For instance, one pupil understood the meaning of ‘consent’ as, ‘not letting anyone make you do anything that you do not want to.’

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Staff, including trained counsellors, teach pupils how to manage their emotions and feelings. Pupils appreciate the support they receive from therapists. They say it helps in dealing with their emotions and feelings.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have transformed the foundation subjects and the curriculum. Work given to pupils often matches the aims that leaders have identified. Leaders are moving with speed towards the coherent delivery of the curriculum. This is not embedded in a consistent way at this stage. Leaders should continue to develop subject leadership in implementing the curriculum. This will help pupils to securely gain the knowledge and skills they need as they progress through the school.  Teachers show sound skills in recognising and filling the gaps in pupils’ learning. At times, they lack confidence in moving pupils on who show that they are ready to extend or deepen their understanding. Leaders are aware of this. They should continue to empower teachers in using their professional judgement, especially in the timing of intervening or in using strategies to deepen pupils’ understanding.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 4 and 5 May 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Dunraven Educational Trust in January 2019.  The governing board carries out some functions on behalf of the trustees.  The school makes use of the Victoria Drive Primary Pupil Referral Unit for pupils with additional needs, which is a registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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.  Meetings were held with the chief executive officer, the chairs of the trust and the governing board, the headteacher, senior leaders, a range of staff, trustees, members of the governing board, and a local authority representative. Meetings were also held with pupils, including single-sex groups of Year 6 pupils. 4 and 5 May 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, 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.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of curriculum plans and documents, including the school’s self-evaluation of the work it does and the school improvement plan.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by scrutinising records and the single central record. They spoke with leaders and staff, and held discussions with pupils and parents.  An inspector considered the views of parents and staff through Ofsted’s online surveys, including seven free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View, and six responses from members of staff.  An inspector visited the breakfast club operated by the school.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Robin Bosher Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 May 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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