Atwood Primary School

Inspection of Atwood Primary School Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 9EE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The head of school at this school is Paul Robins. This school is part of the Pegasus Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jolyon Roberts, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Hill. There is also an executive headteacher, Lynne Sampson, who is responsible for this school and five others. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are settled, happy and safe here. They enjoy school and rarely miss a day. From the early years, adults focus on getting to know the children and their needs, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This allows the school to provide well-placed support and care to pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ outcomes. Recently, the school has developed the curriculum further. This work has had a positive impact on pupils’ knowledge and confidence, particularly in mathematics, reading and science.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the early years, there is a strong focus on encouraging pupils’ kindness, independence and responsibility. Pupils consistently demonstrate these qualities. Their behaviour is excellent. On the playground, pupils readily include others in their games and play. They show a great deal of respect for the differences that exist among them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Exceptional wider opportunities capture pupils’ interest, develop their talents and extend their learning. Clubs, including chess, dodgeball, cookery and magic are popular. Residential stays in Year 4, 5 and 6 provide special experiences of outdoor adventure, including toasting marshmallows, camping, rock climbing and kayaking. Pupils take up responsibility as members of the eco-council, well-being committee and school council.

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better?

The school has recently identified even more ambitious end points for pupils to reach in their learning than was previously the case. The school has carefully sequenced the order in which pupils should learn the knowledge required to meet these aims. The school provides strong support and training to teachers. A focus on reading, mathematics and science has been particularly fruitful. Here, leaders check that teaching focuses precisely on what pupils need to know to get better at these subjects. As a result, pupils recall important concepts with ease, which helps them to make sense of new learning. For instance, pupils in Year 3 science recalled learning about the lifecycle of frogs in the Reception Year which helped them to understand human and animal lifecycles. In mathematics, older pupils relied on secure knowledge of their multiplication tables to solve problems involving proper and improper fractions.

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better?

Leaders have made reading a strong priority. Pupils enjoy a range of high-quality texts and leaders have recently improved this selection to include more poetry and literature that represents people from a wide range of backgrounds. Leaders ensure that all pupils benefit from high-quality phonics provision. All staff receive comprehensive training to help them to teach reading successfully. Leaders within the school and the trust monitor delivery of the phonics scheme regularly and provide training to fine tune approaches. As a result, staff have strong phonics subject expertise. They model sounds with precision. Pupils read books that help 7 and 8 November 2023

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them to practise the sounds they are learning. Weaker readers are provided with effective support which carefully addresses specific gaps in their knowledge. As a result, the teaching of reading is a strength and pupils read with confidence and fluency.

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In other curriculum subjects, clear and coherent curriculum plans are typically in place. However, much of this revised subject content is newly introduced and sometimes teaching is not as routinely focused on delivering the new curriculum content. On occasion, tasks, explanations and learning do not build upon what pupils already know about a topic and result in gaps in pupils’ learning which are not addressed. Consequently, sometimes pupils find it difficult to recall prior knowledge or use it to understand new ideas.

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Pupils with SEND benefit from a range of thoughtful and well-devised support, including extensive speech and language provision and emotional support, where needed. Adaptations to teaching and resources enable pupils with SEND to access the same learning as their peers. Where curriculum thinking is more recent, teaching is less closely focused on the most important knowledge that pupils with SEND should remember.

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Pupils are focused, motivated and work undisturbed. Staff and pupils are proud of the school’s friendly culture. From the early years onwards, the school is focused on ensuring that pupils understand their own emotions and how their behaviour affects others. Pupils are extremely considerate of one another. They routinely help their peers with classwork. On the rare occasions that a pupil may say something unkind, others are quick to remind them that this is not in the spirit of their school. Leaders check pupils’ attendance rates closely, offering effective support where needed to encourage regular attendance.

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Pupils are taught how to stay safe and healthy, including within relationships and when online. Encouragement of mutual respect and tolerance for all people runs through all the school’s work. Pupils reflect maturely on their extensive learning about different faiths, cultures and traditions. They visit places of worship, including a local church, temple and gurdwara.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some areas of the foundation curriculum have been recently revised to include more ambitious aims and ensure that concepts are more carefully sequenced over time. This work is new and sometimes teaching does not focus precisely on the aims of the revised curriculum. As a result, pupils’ knowledge develops less securely. The school should follow through with its work to ensure that pupils 7 and 8 November 2023

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learn all that it intends and that pupils can recall this knowledge and use it to make sense of new learning.

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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’ 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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Jolyon Roberts Head of school Paul Robins

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CEO of the trust

Website www.pegasusacademytrust.org/atwood- primary-school Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened in January 2014 and is part of the Pegasus Academy Trust.  Since the last inspection of the predecessor school, there have been changes to the school’s leadership.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art, science and history.  For each deep dive, inspectors 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 pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the head of school and other leaders, including leaders who work within the trust. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, behaviour and attendance, early years and pupils’

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personal development.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local governing body and the trust board.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Robert Grice His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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