Allfarthing Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Allfarthing Primary School St Ann’s Crescent, Wandsworth, London SW18 2LR

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 2023

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Outcome

Allfarthing Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of ‘be kind, be safe and go above and beyond’ thread through every aspect of school life. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils and provide an ambitious curriculum. They place high importance on pupils understanding their community and the wider world. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are not concerned about bullying because they know that it is rare and that, when it does occur, it is swiftly and effectively dealt with. They are taught to understand and manage their behaviour and emotions through carefully planned lessons. This helps pupils to talk about their feelings so that they are ready to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a wealth of wider development opportunities such as chess, drama, coding and cross-country running. Pupils also get opportunities to regularly enter sports competitions. The school teaches pupils to demonstrate inclusive attitudes towards others. Pupils speak proudly of how they look out for each other. Pupils can take on a variety of leadership roles in the school, such as equality champions, school council members and sports captains. These pupil leaders wear their badges with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent commented that Allfarthing school is ‘a very nurturing, friendly and community-driven school’. This was a view shared by many.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum which matches the expectations of the national curriculum. Leaders have ensured that the knowledge that they want pupils to learn has been logically sequenced so that pupils revisit and embed key concepts over time. For example, children in Reception identify and build patterns using cubes to support their understanding of basic number operations. In Year 2, they use this knowledge to confidently add numbers using pictures and objects to help them. This 10 and 11 October 2023

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learning means that pupils are well prepared to tackle more complex ideas about number later on in the curriculum, such as the addition of decimals.

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Teachers have effective approaches and routines to check what pupils know and can do. This information is used well in most subjects to identify gaps in learning. However, purposeful assessment is not as fully embedded for the wider curriculum subjects. In these subjects, some teaching does not securely address any gaps in learning or misunderstandings that arise.

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The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Leaders and staff seek appropriate advice from external agencies to support pupils’ specific needs. Pupils with SEND are well supported to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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The school places a high priority on reading. Staff are trained to deliver the phonics programme effectively. Children in Reception are excited to learn new sounds and blend them to make words. Teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully and provide support to enable pupils to keep up with the phonics programme. The school promotes a positive culture of reading and involves parents closely in supporting their children with learning to read. Teachers encourage pupils to read a rich range of texts and pupils hear staff read to them daily. Staff use story times to show pupils how to read with expression.

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The school works closely with families to support pupils to attend every day. Pupils’ behaviour is calm and purposeful. They enjoy lessons and want to do their best. Pupils said that they enjoy the new addition to the behaviour policy where they receive positive points through an online system. This information is shared with parents.

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In the early years, children are taught independence and resilience. Clear expectations help children to play together and develop their social skills. Staff establish routines and encourage positive behaviour right from when children first start at the school. Resources for the indoor and outdoor areas are carefully chosen. This means that children have access to activities that develop their knowledge of all areas of learning, including in early reading and number.

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The development of pupils’ character and confidence threads through school life. Staff support pupils to build their self-esteem and encourage pupils to be proud of who they are. Pupils are given opportunities to practise democracy. For example, pupils vote for the school equality champions and school councillors. Recently, pupil leaders were involved in researching and purchasing new equipment for the woodland learning area. Staff and outside agencies provide pupils and their families with a wide range of pastoral support. Music has a high profile in the school, with assemblies providing a time for pupils to come together and sing joyfully. Music provision from Year 3 upwards also includes tuition in instruments such as the clarinet, guitar and flute.

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Staff morale is high. Leaders listen to staff’s views and take their well-being into account when making decisions. The school ensures that workload is manageable for all staff. 10 and 11 October 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the wider curriculum subjects, systems to identify gaps in pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and check what they know and remember are not firmly embedded. As a result, pupils’ long-term recall of knowledge is not as full and detailed. The school should continue to embed the changes made to checks on pupils’ progression through the curriculum.

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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 November 2013.

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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’ 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, 10 and 11 October 2023

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 10 and 11 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Lorraine Wait and David Forbes (Co-Chair of Governors) Headteacher James Heale

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs its own breakfast club and after-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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 inspectors met with all senior leaders, a number of teaching and support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 10 and 11 October 2023

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 The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; 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 inspectors took account of the views of pupils, parents, and staff, as gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Karen Kent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 October 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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