Earlsfield Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Earlsfield Primary School Tranmere Road, London, SW18 3QQ

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Inspection dates: 28 February and 1 March 2023

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Outcome

Earlsfield Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and excited to share their learning and experiences. Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum that ensures all pupils achieve well. Learning is carefully planned, and pupils are highly motivated to learn. Leaders provide a wealth of opportunities to enrich pupils’ wider development. They provide pupils with well- considered school visits and visiting speakers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. This begins in early years where children learn to follow routines exceptionally well. Leaders promote the school’s values, which are a central part of pupils’ school life, very positively. Leaders deal seriously with any rare incidents of bullying. Pupils are taught about positive relationships. They care about their peers. Leaders help pupils to keep safe and very happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide an array of opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility. They encourage all pupils to develop confidence and leadership. For instance, peer mentors support younger pupils to develop positive relationships at playtimes. School councillors suggest improvements for the school and curriculum. Pupils choose local charities and arrange fundraising initiatives. Pupils take their roles seriously and work hard to make a positive impact on the school and community. ‘Eco-warriors’ promote the conservation of energy and the reduction of waste.

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

Leaders have a clear understanding of the key knowledge they want pupils to know. Teachers deliver key subject content through a carefully considered journey of learning. This helps pupils to be fully prepared for future content. Leaders ensure pupils develop an ambitious vocabulary and use it with confidence. Teachers support pupils to build on their knowledge and understanding sequentially. For example, in history, pupils developed a 28 February and 1 March 2023

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deep understanding of the similarities and differences between civilisations through different times. This learning begins in Reception, where children explore the role of kings and queens.

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Leaders have placed a high priority on reading. Pupils in Nursery enjoy regular story times. Staff in early years develop children’s communication and language skills very well. Daily phonic lessons start in Reception. Teachers check children’s progress carefully and ensure that they read books matched closely to their phonics knowledge. Leaders provide additional support for pupils who may fall behind in their reading. This helps pupils to read with fluency and confidence. Teachers give pupil librarians the responsibility to organise the playground and school libraries During breaktimes, pupils enjoy reading books. Leaders ensure pupils have access to a wide range of high-quality texts.

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Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work throughout the school. For example, pupils’ secure understanding of number begins in the early years. Highly skilled adults extend children’s mathematical understanding across the early years. Teachers deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding further as they progress through the years. For instance, in science, teachers encourage pupils to interpret graphs and statistics. Teachers build pupils’ mathematical strategies through careful questioning and effective use of resources. This helps pupils to build fluency in calculations and problem solving.

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All pupils are engaged and focused in their learning. Therefore, delivery of the curriculum proceeds uninterrupted. Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly. They ensure that any gaps in pupils’ understanding are swiftly addressed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders ensure that they identify the needs of pupils with SEND precisely. This helps pupils with SEND to receive targeted and excellent support. Teachers adapt learning highly effectively to ensure that all pupils succeed.

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All staff model respectful working relationships and have a positive rapport with pupils. Leaders promote pupils’ character development exceptionally well. Pupils are taught to respect other people’s faiths, cultures and choices. Teachers encourage pupils to challenge stereotypes, including those relating to gender. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to become conscientious local and global citizens. Eco-warriors and ‘travel heroes’ plan school projects. Leaders have high aspirations for pupils’ next steps. For example, in Years 2 and 6, leaders organise a careers week where pupils learn about routes into employment and future career possibilities.

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Staff are proud of the school community. They value leaders’ support, and leaders work collaboratively with staff to help them develop. Leaders place a high importance on staff training, which helps them to have secure subject knowledge. They consider staff’s workload and well-being carefully.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 28 February and 1 March 2023

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Leaders build positive, trusting relationships with pupils and families. They know their pupils well and quickly identify any concerns. All staff, including members of the governing body, understand their responsibilities. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns, and leaders take swift action if required. They work closely with external agencies to provide timely support.

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Pupils are taught how to keep safe, both online and in the community. Leaders plan talks, assemblies and lessons to raise pupils’ understanding of how to keep safe.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in March 2017.

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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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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. 28 February and 1 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255414 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.earlsfield.wandsworth.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February and 1 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff. Meetings took place with members of the governing body and the school improvement partner from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, discussed with pupils about their learning and considered samples of pupils’ work. The inspector considered the curriculum in other subjects. 28 February and 1 March 2023

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 The inspector checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  The inspector considered the views of pupils, parents and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector 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 referred to outside agencies.  The inspector held meetings with staff and spoke with pupils during social times. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour across the school.

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Inspection team

Sacha Husnu-Beresford, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 28 February and 1 March 2023

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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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