Eliot Bank Primary School

Inspection of Eliot Bank Primary School Thorpewood Avenue, Sydenham, London SE26 4BU

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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 Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 25 and 26 April 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils achieve well here. Leaders provide an ambitious and carefully planned curriculum. They encourage pupils to value and respect everyone in the school’s community and different cultures and beliefs. Pupils are happy, safe and enjoy school life. They are proud to talk about their achievements. Teachers support pupils to collaborate, share ideas and challenge each other’s thinking.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They concentrate during lessons and engage well with activities. Typically, pupils behave sensibly. In early years, adults support children’s learning strongly. They help children to follow routines and to take turns considerately. Leaders ensure pupils are polite and courteous to all. They encourage pupils to develop a mature understanding of positive and healthy relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders enrich pupils’ personal development through the curriculum. Pupils talked enthusiastically about the variety of visitors, experiences and outings. For example, older pupils work alongside community volunteers to find out about career opportunities. Leaders ensure all pupils learn to play a range of instruments.

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better?

Leaders have identified the key knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. They sequence the curriculum to ensure learning builds progressively over time, resulting in strong outcomes. For example, the high quality of artwork that pupils produce. The early years curriculum provides children with exceptional foundations. The focus on social and emotional development prepares children in early years to be highly confident learners.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils’ speech and language development is encouraged across the whole school. Leaders identify the key vocabulary that they want pupils to know in each subject. For example, in music, pupils in Year 3 understood detailed musical vocabulary and read notation to play the recorder. In the early years, the development of children’s communication skills is threaded through all aspects of learning. For instance, in Nursery, children retold stories enthusiastically while playing together.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge, which they use to enthuse and support pupils’ learning. Teachers check pupils’ understanding throughout lessons and address misconceptions swiftly. They support pupils to discuss their ideas, so that subject-specific understanding is deepened. For example, pupils in Year 5 supported each other’s learning by explaining their answers to mathematics questions using correct strategies. 25 and 26 April 2023

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Teachers revisit previously taught content regularly. They use resources effectively to help pupils understand important concepts. For example, adults helped children in early years to recognise numbers by counting out beans into labelled pots. Teachers support pupils to be inquisitive. They help pupils to debate big questions and discuss facts regularly.

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Leaders prioritise reading to ensure pupils can read with fluency and confidence. Leaders have introduced a phonics programme, which is used effectively. Teachers ensure that pupils read books that match the sounds they know. They encourage pupils to use their phonics knowledge to write accurately. For example, Reception and Year 1 pupils used their phonics knowledge to write diaries. Leaders plan events to celebrate reading across the school. They choose texts which challenge pupils’ understanding. Teachers share stories with pupils regularly and support them to read with expression.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as others. Typically, teachers adapt learning effectively for these pupils. For example, staff supported pupils in Year 5 to understand how to use decimals effectively. However, leaders do not ensure that all staff know sharply the individual targets of pupils with SEND. This means that, sometimes, support for pupils with SEND is not as precisely tailored to their needs as it could be.

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Leaders develop pupils’ character through many enrichment activities. Teachers encourage pupils to take on responsibilities. Pupils apply to be school council members and are elected by their peers. Teachers encourage pupils to support their school and wider community.

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Sometimes, staff do not deal with unsettled behaviour routinely well. As a result, on occasions, low-level disruption in lessons gets in the way of pupils’ learning.

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The governing body and leaders work collaboratively with other local schools to develop and share ideas. Leaders ensure that all staff receive the support and professional development to carry out their roles. Staff value the opportunities to work together and learn from peers, particularly from the Federation partner school. Staff feel valued and enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have robust systems to ensure that safeguarding is monitored effectively. When appropriate, leaders work with outside agencies to support pupils. Leaders know their pupils well. They support families to access early help when appropriate. All staff receive training and know how to identify and support vulnerable pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in the school. Leaders encourage pupils to stay safe online and in the local community. Pupils know how to report concerns. Adults listen and help if they have any worries. 25 and 26 April 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not ensure that targets for pupils with SEND are shared with all staff clearly. This means that, sometimes, support for pupils with SEND is not closely matched to their needs. Leaders must ensure that they have clear systems in place to ensure that all pupils with SEND receive support tailored to their specific needs.  Occasionally, staff do not deal with unsettled behaviour consistently well. As a result, low-level disruption in lessons is not dealt with as quickly as it could be and learning the curriculum is sometimes affected. Leaders must ensure that all staff manage behaviour effectively, so that learning proceeds uninterrupted.

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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. 25 and 26 April 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 and 3 February 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school works in partnership with Gordonbrock Primary School, Amyruth Road, London, Brockley, SE4 1HQ as a federation.  Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in the leadership of the school. The headteacher is also the executive headteacher of the Federation.  Leaders do not make use of alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff. They also met with the governing body and a representative from the local authority. 25 and 26 April 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music, 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 considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors considered responses of parents and staff to Ofsted’s online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors 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.  Inspectors held meetings with staff and spoke with pupils during social times. They observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including as they arrived and

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Inspection team

Sacha Husnu-Beresford, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Hook Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 April 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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