Turnham Academy

Inspection of Turnham Academy Turnham Road, Brockley, London SE4 2HH

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good 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 11 and 12 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and well cared for at this school. The school sits in the heart of the local community. Staff know pupils and their families well and they do their best to involve everyone in school life. Pupils spoke of the happy memories they have of various school events. These include the school’s annual summer fair and curating the ‘school museum’ for parents to view pupils’ work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and on the playground. Staff are quick to deal with any incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour. They have a common approach to dealing with any challenging behaviour. This helps to create a calm atmosphere in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage pupils to be aspirational. They set high standards for pupils to achieve and pupils rise to their expectations. Pupils want to do well. They are keen to receive awards for upholding the school’s ‘PUPAC’ values, such as showing commitment or positivity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like that staff listen to their views. Pupils use the school ‘post box’ to suggest improvements, such as new after-school clubs. They were particularly pleased when American football was added. The elected ‘pupil parliament’, comprising a prime minister and cabinet, plays an active role in school decision-making.

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better?

When the school opened in 2018, leaders set about developing the curriculum and school-wide systems. Leaders know what they still want to improve. They are committed to giving their pupils a rich experience of education.

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better?

Pupils learn a wide range of subjects up to Year 6. This includes weekly lessons in music and physical education. In most subjects, leaders have identified the specific knowledge and skills that pupils will learn in each year group. These are broken down into sequences of lessons that follow a logical order. This helps learning to develop over time. For example, in art, pupils build up their knowledge of printing, from roller and ink printing in Year 4 to screen printing in Year 6. Pupils show secure knowledge in most subjects and achieve well.

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better?

In a few subjects, the curriculum is not so well developed. Where this is the case, subject content is not taught in sufficient depth. Leaders have not considered the specific knowledge that pupils need to learn as carefully. This limits pupils’ learning.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. Staff are well trained to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt learning, so that all pupils can achieve the same aims. For pupils with complex needs, leaders provide specialist support to personalise pupils’ learning. 11 and 12 October 2022

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Staff deliver the curriculum as leaders have planned. For example, in mathematics, teachers follow a seven-part structure of lessons. Staff are mindful that many pupils join the school with low levels of communication skills. They make sure that pupils have opportunities to develop their oracy and vocabulary. Children in Nursery, for instance, learned the words for different shapes, and talked about the sides of a square.

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Teachers use their secure subject knowledge to present concepts clearly to pupils. They check pupils’ understanding carefully. Teachers adapt lessons when pupils have not grasped something. Pupils said that teachers help them to remember previous learning.

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Leaders make sure that pupils start learning to read as soon as possible. This starts in Nursery, where pupils learn about letter sounds through rhymes and stories. Well- structured phonics lessons help pupils to develop their phonics knowledge as they move up through the school years. Leaders in early years promote a love of reading through the early years ‘library labs’ sessions. Older pupils enjoy using the school library. Leaders ensure that the weakest readers across the school get the support they need to help them to catch up quickly.

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In class, staff manage any incidents of low-level disruption effectively to avoid any interruptions to learning. Leaders use a variety of strategies to try and improve attendance rates of pupils who are often absent from school. However, many pupils do not attend school regularly and miss valuable learning.

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Leaders ensure that all pupils have access to the extensive range of extra-curricular clubs on offer. This includes various sports and activities, including chess, yoga and dance. Leaders organise educational visits to enhance pupils’ learning. Staff encourage pupils to be good citizens. For example, pupils contribute to local foodbanks on ‘Scare Hunger’ day. Many take part in community art and environmental projects.

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Members of the trust board and trust leaders check the school’s effectiveness. They challenge and support school leaders effectively. Staff spoke highly of the training and support they receive from leaders. They value the opportunities to work with other schools in the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff know the signs that pupils’ safety and welfare might be at risk. Staff and leaders discuss weekly ‘safeguarding scenarios’ that help to keep them vigilant. Staff log any concerns, no matter how small they may seem. Leaders are prompt to act on these. They identify when pupils and their families might need extra help and work with a range of professionals to support vulnerable pupils. 11 and 12 October 2022

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Pupils said they feel safe in school because they have trusted adults to help them. They can use the ‘worry boxes’ to report concerns. Staff make sure that pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum is not as well developed as in other areas. Where this is the case, some aspects of the curriculum are not taught in sufficient depth. Leaders have not identified the specific knowledge and skills that staff need to teach to enable pupils to achieve ambitious curriculum outcomes across all subjects. This limits pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that they continue to monitor and develop these areas of the curriculum.  Too many pupils do not attend school on a regular enough basis. These pupils miss valuable learning. Leaders should continue to develop strategies to reduce pupils’ persistent absence.

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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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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. 11 and 12 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241561 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Misbah Mann (Executive headteacher), Richard Piggford (Head of school) Website www.turnhamacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Turnham Academy converted to become an academy in September 2018. When its predecessor school, Turnham Primary Foundation School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the Striving Together for Excellence in Partnership (STEP) multi-academy trust.  The current executive headteacher took up post in September 2020. The head of school was appointed in September 2021.  Leaders do not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 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. 11 and 12 October 2022

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 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other members of the school leadership team, including leaders with responsibility for behaviour, personal development and for pupils with SEND. Inspectors held a discussion with one trustee and two trust directors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, art and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to a sample of pupils read and spoke to pupils about reading.  Inspectors talked to leaders about the curriculum in other subject areas, including history, physical education, music and French. Inspectors visited lessons and reviewed samples of pupils’ work in a range of subjects.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils from different year groups. Inspectors

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observed behaviour in lessons and in the playground.  Inspectors spoke with leaders, pupils and staff about the arrangements for safeguarding and reviewed safeguarding documentation, including pre- recruitment checks.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey of parents’ views, Parent View, and to the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jude Wilson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sacha Husnu-Beresford His Majesty's Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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