Oak Gardens Primary School

Inspection of Lucas Vale Primary School Thornville Street, London SE8 4QB

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 January 2023

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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 Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud of their school. They are articulate and confident. Leaders have created an inspiring environment where pupils’ views are given importance. The school’s values cover all aspects of school life, including the promoting of pupils’ determination. Leaders encourage pupils to take risks and to learn from their mistakes. Working relationships between staff and pupils are positive and respectful. Behaviour around the school is calm. Teachers have high expectations and pupils follow routines.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a curriculum which widely reflects pupils’ heritage and the school community. They place high importance on helping pupils to understand the world around them. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils. Pupils are safe in school. Leaders take any incidents of bullying seriously and deal with them swiftly. They ensure that pupils are taught about the effects of bullying, including in relationships. Pupils have a strong understanding of the need to treat others with respect. Pupils typically said that if children were unkind, adults would help them to deal with problems.

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better?

The governing body and leadership team assess the strengths of the school accurately. They know how to address any aspects of the school’s work that they want to improve further. Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. They know the small steps in learning that pupils need to take to succeed in most subjects. Leaders’ curricular thinking across all subjects has identified end goals clearly. Subject leaders consider carefully the knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn.

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better?

Typically, teaching helps pupils to build on prior learning. Teachers check that pupils understand important content. They address any misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. However, sometimes, teaching does not ensure that pupils learn the intended curriculum securely. As a result, teaching sometimes does not develop pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and skills in depth.

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better?

Reading is given a high priority in the school. Leaders ensure that early reading is taught consistently across the school. In early years, and in Years 1 and 2, pupils have regular phonics lessons. Teachers are skilled to help pupils accurately blend and segment sounds. Pupils practise reading books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. Pupils who need additional support with reading are identified quickly. Staff help these pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to catch up. Leaders ensure pupils read a rich selection of class reading books. Pupils enjoy reading sessions. They talk enthusiastically about different literary characters.

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better?

Children build strong mathematical foundations from early years onwards. Teachers encourage children to develop mathematical language, including through focused 17 and 18 January 2023

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activities and games. Leaders ensure that the mathematics curriculum is logically sequenced. Teachers make sure that pupils revisit prior learning to secure their knowledge. Teachers use resources effectively to help pupils’ understanding of key mathematical concepts.

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Leaders have considered carefully pupils’ experiences in the wider curriculum. Pupils visit museums and galleries to broaden their interests. In early years, teachers support children to build secure knowledge across all areas of learning. For example, children in the Nursery were inspired by a visit from a nurse and interacted positively together in the hospital role play area.

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Leaders are quick to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They work with external agencies and specialists effectively. This helps to develop staff’s understanding of pupils’ specific needs. Adults work effectively with pupils with SEND to enable them to access content in lessons. However, sometimes, staff do not adapt teaching precisely to meet the needs of a few pupils with SEND. This hinders these pupils’ understanding.

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Teachers encourage pupils to discuss and share ideas. This helps to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills well. Typically, pupils focus and concentrate with little disruption to learning. Leaders are looking at ways to improve the support for a minority of pupils who struggle to remain focused during lessons. Pupils enjoy a range of activities at breaktime. Pupils are polite and well-mannered.

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Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities. The school council works with leaders to help suggest and make changes to the school. For example, leaders have recently provided new playground equipment and more books for classes as a result of pupils’ suggestions. Pupils engage in wider curriculum activities, including dance and music. They participate in community events, such as the speaking competitions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know pupils and families well. Leaders are committed to supporting families and to dealing with any concerns quickly. When early support is required, leaders are tenacious in gaining help for pupils. Leaders work closely with external agencies to get the right help for families.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Leaders provide thorough training. Staff know and follow the school’s rigorous policies and practices well. Leaders ensure that pupils are encouraged to stay safe online and in the local community. 17 and 18 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teaching does not ensure that pupils learn the intended curriculum fully. Where this is the case, pupils’ subject-specific cumulative knowledge and understanding are not built securely. Leaders need to ensure that all teaching enables pupils to deepen their understanding in all subjects.  Sometimes, the needs of a few pupils with SEND are not fully met in lessons when teaching is not effectively adapted for them. Leaders need to continue to provide training to staff so that all staff are confident to meet the specific needs of all pupils with SEND.

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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes to the leadership of the school.  The school is part of the Phoenix Federation and works in partnership with Grinling Gibbons Primary School. The federation shares the same governing body and members of the leadership team.  The headteacher of the school is also the executive headteacher of the Phoenix Federation.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative providers.

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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff. They also met with members of the governing body and the school improvement partner from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and science. Activities included discussions with leaders and teachers about the curriculum, visits to lessons, discussions with groups of pupils about their learning, and scrutiny of pupils’ work. Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors considered the responses of pupils, parents and staff to Ofsted’s online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and considered safeguarding documents and records. These included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been

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referred to outside agencies.  Inspectors held meetings with staff and spoke with pupils during social times. They observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including as they arrived and left school.

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Inspection team

Sacha Husnu-Beresford, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ben Carter Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 January 2023

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