Sellincourt Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Sellincourt Primary School Sellincourt Road, Tooting, London SW17 9SA

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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Outcome

Sellincourt Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an extremely happy and harmonious place, where pupils are safe and enjoy coming to school. Leaders hold high expectations and have created a strong sense of community. Pupils know what is expected of them and they are ready to learn. Disruption to learning and bullying are rare. When they do occur, leaders are quick to resolve issues positively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong voice in the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are represented by a wide range of groups, including the student council. Pupils help each other, for example through the Young Interpreters programme, where recently arrived pupils who do not speak English confidently are helped by other pupils who share their first language.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Outside of the classroom, there are lots of opportunities for pupils to develop their wider interests and talents. Before and after school, there are sports for all, such as running and yoga, and clubs, such as baking, musical theatre and filmmaking. All pupils are supported to develop a love of reading and the library is well-stocked and frequently used.

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

Pupils follow a broad and ambitious curriculum. From the early years onwards, leaders have identified the knowledge and skills that pupils need to be ready for the next stage in their learning. Leaders have recently reviewed the curriculum, and a small number of subjects are still being developed. In these subjects, information is not sequenced to build consistently on pupils’ prior knowledge, and so there is an opportunity to be more ambitious about what pupils can learn in these areas.

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

Reading is a priority. From the start of Reception, children follow a structured programme of phonics. As a result, they learn about letters and sounds in a logical order, and teachers know what progress children must make each term. Staff benefit from regular training, and this means that they use resources in a consistent way to teach phonics effectively to 22 and 23 February 2023 whole classes, small groups and individuals. Pupils enjoy reading because they make rapid progress. Teachers promptly identify children who are behind and put in place additional support to ensure they catch up quickly.

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

Teachers have good subject knowledge across all subjects, including mathematics. This means that they can clearly and accurately explain ideas and model complex tasks to show pupils what to do. Teachers frequently check pupils’ understanding and reteach parts of the curriculum where required. They support pupils to read aloud with confidence and clarity, and they support their understanding of texts through careful questioning.

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

Leaders have equally high ambitions for pupils with SEND, who follow the same curriculum as their peers. There are processes in place to identify pupils and they receive additional support quickly. Deaf pupils are supported by the on-site Willow Centre. These pupils are an important part of the life of the school. Teachers know how to support them in the classroom, including with assistive technology.

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

Teachers ensure that there are clear routines and consistent expectations for pupils. As a result, low-level disruption is rare, and pupils are encouraged to support each other in their learning and around the school.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about pupils’ wider development. Student leadership is a focus. The school council is made up of a theme team, mathematics masters, literacy leaders and well-being warriors. There are additional pupil groups, such as the rights respecting team and digital leaders, who take on special responsibilities within the school community.

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

Outings are planned to enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils visit the British Museum in history and West Wittering for geography field work. There is a range of sports and clubs that all pupils are encouraged to attend, including the Panathalon Challenge for pupils with SEND, and girls’ football.

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

The value of reading is celebrated. The library is well used and there is a scheme to reward pupils with books of their choice. The Sellincourt Shout is the school newspaper, where pupils interview teachers for features and copies are delivered to every classroom.

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

Staff feel very well supported and highlight the strong community that leaders have created. They value the well-being committee and how policies are thoughtfully implemented to reduce workload. Those involved in governance are skilled and know their responsibilities well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are proactive in making sure that pupils receive the help they need, and they work well with local partners and external agencies to ensure this. They also ensure that all staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and how to report any concerns 22 and 23 February 2023 that they may have. Leaders provide regular training so that staff know what to look for and are vigilant in keeping pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to stay safe, including when online, and keep themselves healthy. They know who to speak to if they are worried and they trust that adults will help them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are developing the curriculum in a small number of subjects. In these areas, there needs to be greater clarity in how knowledge and skills are sequenced to build on prior learning. Leaders should continue their work to develop the curriculum, ensuring that they logically sequence subject-specific knowledge and skills to build on pupils’ prior knowledge.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 good in July 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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255455 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.sellincourt.wandsworth.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher took up post in September 2017.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The school has a resourced provision for deaf children, which is called the Willow Hearing Support Centre.

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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.  Inspectors met with school leaders, subject leaders, and phase leaders.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. 22 and 23 February 2023  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning, and reviewed samples of their work.  Inspectors held a meeting with leaders responsible for the school’s safeguarding arrangements. They also looked at safeguarding records, including pre-employment checks for staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke to the staff with responsibility for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils. An inspector also spoke with parents at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Olly Wimborne, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Nick Hitchen Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 February 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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