Shaftesbury Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Shaftesbury Park Primary School Ashbury Road, Battersea, London SW11 5UW

p.1

Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

p.1

Outcome

Shaftesbury Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Shaftesbury Park are kind, courteous and respectful to each other. This helps pupils feel safe and be kept safe at school. Many describe their school as ‘joyful’ and ‘welcoming’. Pupils are rightly proud of their school and treat one another and their surroundings well. For example, pupils tend to the flowerpots and the playground so that the site is inviting for visitors.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on additional responsibilities as peer mentors, friendship buddies and road safety officers. There are a range of extra activities available to pupils, including history, gardening, chess and choir, many of which are initiated and led by pupils. Pupils are given opportunities to take their interests further and embody the school’s vision of being people who ‘think about, enlarge and change their world’, for example through the ‘Tycoon’ entrepreneur project and as publishers for the school newspaper.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff typically have high expectations of pupils, and in turn, they produce work of good quality. The school has two streams: the ‘bilingual’ stream and the ‘enterprise’ stream with pupils having access to lessons in French from the start of Reception in both. In most subjects, pupils develop a deep understanding of different subjects over time and are typically well prepared for the next stage of their education.

p.1

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

Reading is a top priority. Pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read are quickly identified and receive the help they need through well-targeted support. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds they are learning and are given sufficient time to practise their reading. This helps pupils to increase their accuracy, fluency and confidence. Many pupils enjoy reading in their own time and sharing their recommendations with others. They are introduced to a range of inspiring fiction and non- fiction across the curriculum. 13 and 14 September 2023

p.1

2

Pupils follow an ambitious curriculum which matches, and in some areas exceeds, the scope of what is expected nationally. Leaders have thought carefully about the key knowledge pupils need to develop over time. This is typically well sequenced so that pupils embed their understanding and are well placed to tackle more complex ideas. For example, in languages, children in Reception practise phonics, grammar and vocabulary. Pupils draw on this foundation when reading increasingly complex sentences and irregular grammar patterns. Similarly, in mathematics, children in early years learn about different types of numbers. This helps them to recognise patterns and sequences and solve word problems later on.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND are identified in a timely way. Leaders offer appropriate guidance on how to best help pupils to access a full curriculum. Additional adults who work with pupils know them well and are able to provide effective support. However, in a few subjects, the activities pupils, including those with SEND, complete do not help them remember key ideas. This means that in these areas, some pupils do not develop as secure and deep an understanding over time.

p.2

2

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils get along splendidly with each other. Bullying is rare. Pupils know who to speak to if they have concerns and feel confident that any problems will be resolved. Leaders have effective systems in place to respond swiftly to any issues that may arise.

p.2

2

Pupils’ wider personal development is strong. The curriculum is designed to help support pupils’ understanding of important issues, such as understanding right from wrong, citizenship and democracy. Pupils visit the Houses of Parliament and meet their local MP. Pupils also take part in the ‘Model United Nations’ and ‘Junior Citizenship’ programmes. Pupils are encouraged to make a positive contribution to the wider community. For example, they recently organised a sleepover to fundraise for a local homeless charity.

p.2

2

Staff are very proud to work at the school. They feel well supported in managing their workload and that well-being is a priority. Staff feel able to raise concerns should they need to.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the activities that pupils, including those with SEND, complete do not help them to embed and apply important knowledge. This limits the depth of understanding some pupils secure in these subjects. The school should make sure that tasks and activities match the ambition of the curriculum and build on pupils’ prior knowledge. 13 and 14 September 2023

p.2

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2013.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

p.3

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Website www.shaftesburypark.wandsworth.sch.uk

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 27 February 2018

p.4

Information about this school

 The school is two-form entry and has the ‘bilingual’ stream and the ‘enterprise’ stream with pupils having access to lessons in French from the start of Reception in both. Parents choose which stream their child will attend.  The school has Nursery provision available for two-year-olds.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school care.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.4

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers, early career teachers and governors.  The inspector spoke with the local authority school improvement partner. 13 and 14 September 2023

p.4

5

 The inspector did deep dives in these subjects: reading, languages and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The inspector also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation provided by leaders, including their priorities for improvement.  The inspector considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.5

Inspection team

Matea Marcinko, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 2023

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6