St Jude's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Jude's Church of England Primary School Regent Road, Herne Hill, London SE24 0EL

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 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 Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Outstanding 22 and 23 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders create a nurturing environment, where children are happy and safe. Pupils enjoy learning and are proud of their school. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and respectful. When there is a concern or incident, pupils know that they can speak to any adult in the school. Staff deal with any bullying concerns quickly and sensitively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ expectations for pupils’ behaviour and education are typically high. Pupils learn the planned curriculum well in most of the school. Pupils make a strong start to early reading and mathematics. However, children in the early years do not benefit from this experience in all areas of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils to become confident and respectful. Teachers make pupils aware of different cultures and views in society. Pupils know that discrimination or bullying will not be tolerated here. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities. For example, pupils become digital ambassadors or members of the school council. Pupils valued opportunities to support the school community.

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better?

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is ambitious. Pupils make a strong start with reading in early years through a well-delivered phonics programme. The love of reading is evident throughout the school. Pupils enjoy class story times, including in early years, where children retell stories through play. Teachers choose high-quality texts to challenge pupils and expose them to new vocabulary.

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better?

In most subjects, leaders consider what pupils should know and when they learn it. Typically, this helps build on pupils’ prior learning. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge helps pupils to deepen their understanding of increasingly complex concepts. For example, Year 6 pupils solved problems involving fractions using multiplication and division facts.

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better?

Teaching supports most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND and provide effective support, including through the appropriate use of resources.

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better?

Teachers are knowledgeable and deliver the planned curriculum effectively. In a few subjects, the curriculum is new and not fully embedded. In these subjects, leaders do not identify the key content and vocabulary that pupils need to learn and when. In early years, teaching focuses too much on what activities children do. Leaders’ curricular thinking in early years does not break down children’s learning into small steps. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Teachers check pupils’ understanding during lessons. They address misconceptions and adapt their teaching well to support pupils’ understanding. For example, in geography, Year 4 pupils used the correct terminology when using a key with support from adults.

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Recent changes in senior leadership have been managed well by the governing body. The governing body are working with the diocese and local schools to support leaders. This has made a positive difference. Most staff feel that leaders support their well-being and professional development. Leaders have dealt with some historic staff concerns, including about their workload, but these continue to remain for a minority of staff.

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The caring and nurturing relationships begin as soon as children join the early years. Leaders teach clear expectations and routines, which children follow. Behaviour throughout the school is calm and consistent. Pupils have a positive attitude to learning. Teachers ensure that lessons are purposeful with no disruption to pupils’ learning. Pupils enjoy gaining rewards for positive behaviour.

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Leaders provide pupils with many enrichment activities, visits, and clubs. For example, pupils enthusiastically took part in coding club. Pupils have many opportunities to take on responsibilities, including through elected school roles. Play leaders support younger pupils at lunchtime. Well-being leads support others to understand about positive mental health. Teachers encourage pupils to debate and consider issues in wider society, such as debating about human rights.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure a culture of safeguarding. Leaders responsible for safeguarding meet regularly to discuss any concerns. Leaders have effective systems in place to report safeguarding concerns. All staff receive appropriate training, which helps them to identify any concerns and risks to pupils.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work with the local authority and other professionals to ensure pupils receive the right support. Teachers give pupils a strong understanding of potential safeguarding risks, such as cyber-bullying and harassment. Pupils know that they can ask any adult in school for help or submit their concern into the worry box.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not planned a coherently sequenced curriculum which identifies key knowledge, starting in the early years. In these subjects, pupils are not securely building on prior knowledge. As a result, there are gaps in 22 and 23 November 2022

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pupils’ understanding. Subject leaders must identify the key knowledge to be taught from early years through to year 6 in all subjects to be taught sequentially.  In early years, leaders plan activities that reflect the end goals of the early years curriculum. They do not consider in sufficient depth the key knowledge, including important vocabulary, that children should learn and when. Leaders must identify and sequence the small steps of knowledge and vocabularly that children require for future learning.

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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228722 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Geraldine O’Brien

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Southwark Diocese.  The school has recently established a three year partnership with St Saviours Church of England Primary School, Lambeth. The headteacher leads both schools.  The school collaborates with the Windmill Partnership for professional development and enrichment opportunities.  The substantive headteacher was absent at the time of this inspection. The headteacher of another school is providing support for the leadership team. The deputy headteacher is currently the acting headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVD-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the acting headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff at the school. The inspectors also met with the chair and vice chair of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority and the diocese. 22 and 23 November 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and geography. Activities included discussions with leaders and teachers about the curriculum, visiting lessons, speaking with groups of pupils about their learning, and a scrutiny of pupils’ work.  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, including through surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and considered safeguarding documents and records. These included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.  Inspectors held formal 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

Andrea Bedeau His Majesty's Inspector 22 and 23 November 2022

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