Abbotsbury Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Abbotsbury Primary School Abbotsbury Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 5JS

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Outcome

Abbotsbury Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all. Pupils and staff have a strong sense of belonging here. Pupils described the school as caring and appreciated that staff are friendly towards them. Pupils cooperate with each other. They listen to and respect each other’s ideas. Leaders ensure pupils with special educational needs and /or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school rules and know how they help them to stay safe. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils behave well. They know who to speak to if they have any worries. Staff take pupils’ concerns seriously. They take appropriate action in keeping pupils safe, including when incidents of bullying occur. Adults and pupils have positive working relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders place importance on broadening the pupils’ experiences. Leaders encourage pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils have opportunities to go to the theatre, museums and attend sporting competitions. They have access to a variety of clubs and activities in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage pupils to care for the environment. For example, members of the ‘Green Team’ take pride in helping to keep the school grounds clean and tidy.

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

Leaders have developed a curriculum with clear goals in all subjects. The content pupils learn builds progressively as they move through the school. For example, adults supported children in the Nursery in listening to musical sounds with increased attention. By Year 4, pupils build on these strong foundations to compose musical pieces and write notation on the stave. In a few subjects, teaching does not develop pupils’ subject- specific vocabulary securely. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Leaders support teachers effectively in developing and using their subject knowledge. Teachers explain new information and ideas clearly. They provide many opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their mathematical skills. For example, children in Reception confidently recognised and counted numbers from 1 to 10. Generally, teachers address any misconceptions that pupils have. However, sometimes teaching does not revisit pupils’ prior learning effectively. This means that on these occasions pupils do not secure deeper understanding, so that they are fully ready for new content.

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Leaders’ recent work to improve early reading has made a positive difference, particularly in Reception, and Years 1 and 2. For example, books that pupils read match more closely than in the past to the sounds they know. However, this has not had time to show an impact on reading outcomes at the end of Year 6 in 2022. Leaders have prioritised staff training and development in phonics, including widening the range of decodable books available for pupils to read. Staff focus on developing children’s communication in the early years. Children access the phonics programme effectively and promptly in Reception. Leaders train teachers, so that the teaching of phonics is consistent. Pupils, including those who are new to English, are well supported in learning how to segment and blend sounds when reading. Pupils who struggle to decode words have clear strategies to help them to increase their confidence. Adults help pupils falling behind with

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their reading to catch up in learning the sounds they need to know. Leaders promote the love of books through reading marathons and visits to the school and local libraries. Pupils worked with a resident author to learn how to develop story plots and characterisation.

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Leaders have created an inclusive and welcoming culture. Staff have a secure understanding of how to support pupils with SEND within the school. Teachers adapt learning effectively to support pupils with SEND access the curriculum and achieve well. For example, pupils with SEND were supported to create musical rhythms.

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Staff have well-established expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are keen and concentrate well in lessons. Pupils’ learning continues uninterrupted. They listen to what teachers say and work independently. Pupils enjoy the challenges teachers set. Adults encourage children in the early years to show respect. For instance, when holding and playing musical instruments correctly.

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Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils’ wider personal development. They offer a wide range of activities to enrich pupils’ education. These include visits to various places of worship, such as a local mosque and synagogue. Pupils are taught about different religions, traditions, and festivals.

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Staff acknowledged that leaders support their professional and career development. Staff felt this has fostered a strong sense of teamwork. Leaders make quick decisions to make staff workload more manageable. Some newly appointed members of the governing body are securing a greater understanding of their roles and duties. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Those responsible for governance have full oversight of safeguarding. This results in a strong school culture of being vigilant. Staff receive regular training and updates. They report any concerns promptly and appropriately. Leaders build partnerships with external agencies to provide support for pupils and families in need of help.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about what to do if they are faced with local risks, such as extremism and radicalisation. Older pupils produce performances to share with younger pupils that reinforce their understanding of staying safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teaching does not secure important knowledge in pupils’ memory. This means some pupils are not able to deepen their knowledge and understanding by building on prior content. Leaders must ensure that teachers revise and check pupils’ understanding frequently, so that they can secure crucial knowledge and skills ready for future content.  In a few subjects, leaders do not ensure that teachers develop pupils’ vocabulary and understanding consistently. This leads to some pupils not securing their understanding in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that all teachers routinely check and develop pupils’ understanding of subject-specific vocabulary across all subjects.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2013. 13 and 14 March 2023

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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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255504 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  Many pupils join the school part way through their primary education, including pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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 chair and members of the governing body, a local authority representative, the headteacher, senior leaders, and a range of staff.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, and music. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the curriculum in other subjects. 13 and 14 March 2023

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 The inspector considered information provided about safeguarding arrangements. The inspector scrutinised safeguarding records and the single central record. The inspector reviewed procedures and processes by talking to leaders and staff, and through discussions with pupils.  The inspector considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 13 and 14 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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