Perrymount Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Perrymount Primary School Sunderland Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 2PX

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Outcome

Perrymount Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Perrymount. They are safe and show kindness to each other. Pupils and parents and carers have no concerns about bullying. They know it is not tolerated and that staff will deal swiftly with any worries that may arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ learning. Leaders have designed a broad and diverse curriculum, which is regularly reviewed to ensure that pupils are achieving successfully. As a result, pupils build a deep knowledge over time in most subjects. Pupils behave well in lessons and engage enthusiastically with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have thought carefully about how to use educational outings and visitors to enrich the curriculum. For example, all pupils visit local museums including the Horniman. Plentiful additional activities are on offer, including clubs for basketball, cookery and coding. Pupils also enjoy being able to watch local theatre productions such as Oliver Twist, as well as taking part in school performances, for instance ‘Shakespeare Rocks’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supported to become leaders and help others in their community, for example by donating to the local food bank. Many become buddies or represent their peers at the junior school council. Leaders encourage pupils to share their opinions to improve the school. Through this, pupils have arranged healthy breaktime initiatives, such as volunteering to make smoothies for their peers.

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

Leaders prioritise helping pupils to read. They foster a love of reading and encourage parents to continue this at home. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ reading. From the Reception class onwards, children have regular opportunities to practise their phonics. Staff are well trained and model sounds with precision. A range of extra-help strategies are used successfully to help any pupils who may have fallen behind. These strategies place a clear focus on revisiting sounds, allowing pupils to build their phonic knowledge cumulatively. Pupils read books that are appropriately matched to the sounds that they 28 and 29 March 2023

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have learned. As a result, they read with increasing accuracy and fluency. This helps to motivate pupils to read regularly for pleasure.

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Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum in all subjects that matches what is expected nationally. The important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn and remember have been identified and logically sequenced. In most subjects, this supports pupils to build their understanding over time. For example, in mathematics, children in the Nursery have practice in counting and recognising different number patterns. In Reception, children take this further by practising making numbers in different ways. Older pupils build on this understanding of number when adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions with increasing confidence. Similarly, in science, pupils practise working scientifically. For example, pupils learn to collect and analyse key data in different ways. This helps older pupils to know what data to collect and select when planning experiments.

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Teachers present information clearly and regularly check pupils’ understanding. As a result, any misconceptions are swiftly addressed. Subject leaders appreciate the training that they receive and are beginning to share key messages with other teachers. However, in some subjects, the activities given to pupils do not consistently match the ambition of the planned curriculum. Therefore, opportunities are missed for pupils to build on and extend prior learning. As a result, pupils do not fully secure the knowledge and understanding that they need in these subjects to tackle more challenging ideas.

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Appropriate systems are in place to identify any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, speech and language therapists work with all pupils to ensure that no needs are missed. Leaders communicate effectively with staff to ensure that appropriate strategies are put in place to support the learning of pupils with SEND. These are reviewed regularly. Through this, leaders make sure that pupils are enabled to meet the same curriculum goals as their peers wherever possible.

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Pupils understand and follow leaders’ high expectations of behaviour. As a result, low-level disruption rarely occurs. From Reception, children learn to sit sensibly and listen to others. Pupils engage enthusiastically in discussions about their learning and are keen to share their ideas with peers and adults alike.

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Leaders have given careful thought to the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum. Topics are sequenced to allow pupils to revisit and understand key messages. For example, pupils learn how to stay healthy, including the importance of balanced meals and exercise. ‘Bikeability’ sessions help pupils to practise cycling safely.

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Staff are overwhelmingly proud to work at this school. They know that leaders look after their well-being, and they appreciate the steps taken to reduce their workload. Staff at all levels benefit from a range of professional development opportunities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Leaders have built a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained and know how to pass on any concerns that they may have about a pupil or adult. Leaders know the needs of their families. Records show immediate and appropriate action is taken to help pupils to get the support that they may need. Leaders meet regularly to review decisions and ensure that the action taken is effective. Governors understand their safeguarding responsibilities and provide appropriate support and challenge to leaders.

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Pupils have regular conversations about the importance of sharing concerns with a trusted adult. They talk confidently about how to stay safe around the school community and when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, the activities that pupils complete do not match leaders’ ambitious curriculum goals. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not build their knowledge and vocabulary areas as deeply. Leaders should ensure that new subject leaders are supported to check that curriculum expectations are consistently met, and teachers are guided to deliver the curriculum as intended.

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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 December 2012.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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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 and 29 March 2023

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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

 Leaders do not use any alternative provision.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. They met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at samples of their work.  The curriculum in other subjects was considered as part of the inspection.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 To evaluate safeguarding, the inspector checked procedures for recruiting new members of staff. They also met with leaders to discuss how they put safeguarding policies into practice.  The inspector gathered the views of pupils, parents and carers, and staff through both discussions and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Hannah Glossop, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 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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