Saint Mary Magdalene Church of England All Through School

Inspection of a good school: Saint Mary Magdalene Church of England All Through School Kingsman Street, London SE18 5PW

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Outcome

Saint Mary Magdalene Church of England All Through School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vision of family, faith and fellowship is central to this school. Leaders have developed a warm and welcoming community. Working relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive. Staff know individual pupils very well, which ensures that they are safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, kind and proud of their school. Staff motivate pupils to learn and enjoy being in school. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning in the classroom. The school campuses are calm and orderly places. This includes in early years, where children share well and show respect for each other. Students in the sixth form have the opportunity to become peer mentors to support younger pupils in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils have access to a wide variety of extra opportunities. These include a range of sports clubs and a gospel choir at primary. In the secondary phase pupils access many opportunities, including climate, pottery and master chef clubs. The school ensures that pupils have opportunities to take part in competitions and events. These include poetry and short story competitions and workshops delivered by visiting authors.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum for all, including pupils with SEND. This builds knowledge over time progressively from early years through to Year 13. In early years, staff provide a nurturing environment and ensure that children develop their communication and language skills. 1 and 2 November 2023

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. They are highly skilled at making adaptations to ensure that pupils with SEND can learn content effectively.

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Typically, teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully. Sometimes, teaching does not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions in a timely way. As a result, some pupils are not fully ready to learn new content and commit knowledge to their long-term memory.

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Leaders focus on pupils learning to read when they first enter Reception. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme and identify pupils who are falling behind. They provide effective support for these pupils to ensure that they catch up. In the secondary phase, pupils who struggle to read are identified swiftly. Staff ensure that pupils make improvements in their reading fluency and confidence. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND receive strong support with their reading.

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Systems to manage behaviour are effective and used consistently by staff. In early years, children demonstrate high levels of self-control and concentrate on activities. Leaders ensure that attendance is high. They have robust procedures in place and work closely with parents and carers to support pupils to attend school regularly.

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Leaders have developed a well-planned personal development programme. This has been carefully designed to consider risks that the pupils may face. Pupils develop an understanding of how to stay safe and healthy. Staff develop pupils’ understanding of important topics in an age-appropriate manner, such as online safety and healthy relationships. Staff assess and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding of these topics with great expertise.

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All pupils attend a range of outings to support their wider development, for example visits to museums and places of worship and going to concerts. These help to broaden pupils’ cultural experiences. Pupils also can attend numerous subject trips abroad, including a history trip to Italy. The school welcomes a range of external speakers, including visiting artists, a local MP and a journalist.

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Pupils take part in leadership roles, including the school council, house representatives and the student faith team. Students have also developed their own clubs, including a black empowerment group and a gender and sexuality group.

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Leaders make sure that all pupils access high-quality careers advice and guidance. Pupils also have access to a range of high-quality experiences of the workplace. A range of employers and training providers visit the school to talk to pupils. Students in the sixth form receive regular advice and support with applications to future education and employment.

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Leaders look after the health and welfare of all their staff. They are conscious of the pressures of workload and explore strategies to minimise this where possible. The school has built extremely strong relationships with parents and the local community. Parental workshops are delivered regularly on a variety of topics to help support their children. 1 and 2 November 2023

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Governors understand the strengths and priorities of the school. They provide a wide range of expertise and carry out their role effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, teaching does not consistently check pupils’ understanding and identify misconceptions. This means that sometimes pupils are not fully ready to learn new content and commit knowledge to their long-term memory. The school should develop the expertise of all teachers so that they consistently identify and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2018.

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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 1 and 2 November 2023

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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). 1 and 2 November 2023

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,708

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Chair of governing body Judith Eastaugh and Patrick Elliot

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Headteacher Claire Harrison and Victoria Wainwright (Executive Co-Headteachers) Razwan Hussain (Principal of the Secondary Phase) Diane Savva-Brown (Headteacher of the Primary Phase) Website www.koinoniafederation.com

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form

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Saint Mary Magdalene Church of England All Through School is a Church of England school.  The school was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in January 2018.  The school uses three registered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 1 and 2 November 2023

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the co-executive headteachers, primary phase headteacher, secondary phase principal, members of the senior leadership team, and a range of staff. They also met with members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority and diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, held discussions with pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The curriculum in other subjects was also considered.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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 considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Simon Conway, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Costa Dyer Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 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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