South Grove Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: South Grove Primary School Ringwood Road, London E17 8PW

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Outcome

South Grove Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this welcoming and inclusive school. Positive relationships exist between pupils, staff and teachers. This fosters an environment where everyone treats each other with high levels of respect and courtesy. Staff encourage all pupils to be reflective, respectful, responsible and resilient. It is a stimulating place for pupils to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers are aspirational for pupils’ achievements and behaviour. The school has created a curriculum and a climate for learning that enable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to excel in all that they do. Pupils work hard and listen attentively. They are rightly proud of the work that they produce.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are calm and inviting. Behaviour in lessons is exemplary. Pupils show remarkable empathy for others. Bullying is rare, and pupils know that adults will respond swiftly to any concerns they raise. Pupils are happy and feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values pupils’ opinions. Staff and governors frequently consult them about many aspects of school life. Pupils relish the wealth of opportunities to work together with the wider school community for the benefit of all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many clubs and activities, such as karate, coding and knitting. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the education and care that their children receive at the school.

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

The school has an exceptionally well-thought-out and carefully constructed curriculum. It identifies with precision the most important knowledge and skills pupils should learn, and then determines exactly when they should be taught. Subject content is sequenced so that pupils secure basic facts and principles before using these to help them understand 21 and 22 May 2024

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more complex ideas. The curriculum expertly weaves knowledge and skills through different subjects in a way that helps to strengthen pupils’ understanding. Pupils learn and remember important technical words for each subject. They practise using this vocabulary by talking to their peers and in class discussions, which deepens their understanding.

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Teachers confidently deliver lessons. They are provided with high-quality training and development which builds on their existing expertise. They select appropriate activities and resources to help pupils to learn very effectively. Teachers explain new concepts clearly and use a range of strategies to check pupils’ understanding. They ensure that any pupil falling behind is quickly supported through the use of appropriate extra help.

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Reading sits at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Books are carefully chosen to bring pupils’ learning to life. From the moment that children enter the early years, they are exposed to a wide range of books and authors. This supports children in quickly developing a love of reading. Books in classroom library areas reflect people from different cultures and backgrounds extremely well. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often. Phonics teaching is delivered effectively by all staff due to the high-quality training that the school provides. Lessons are delivered confidently and consistently. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. Highly effective reading support is quickly put in place for those who need it. This helps pupils to read with fluency and with a strong understanding of the text. The teaching of reading is highly effective, and pupils learn to read very well as a result, as reflected in the national assessments.

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Leaders are ambitious for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, including those who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Leaders and staff work closely with parents, other agencies, as well as pupils themselves. Early identification and precisely targeted additional help from adults enable pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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The school places as much importance on character development as it does on academic achievement. Pupils’ development as responsible, caring and self-confident individuals is woven carefully throughout the curriculum. Pupils have access to an impressive range of high-calibre opportunities and activities. They learn about fundamental British values and how to apply these in their daily lives. They have an in-depth knowledge of other faiths and cultures, fostering their ability to speak maturely about tolerance and respect. Pupils are taught to understand how to contribute to life in modern Britain. They are motivated to take on responsibilities, such as becoming school council representatives and health and safety ambassadors, to improve the school for everyone. Pupils are ambitious about their futures. They learn about different careers from a range of professionals who visit the school. Pupils’ attendance is a top priority, with the school taking effective steps to

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The school is supported and challenged in equal measure by a highly committed and knowledgeable governing body. Governors, leaders and staff share a determination to provide a high-quality education for all pupils. Leaders ensure that a wide range of training opportunities support staff to be the best that they can be in their professional roles. Staff feel valued and appreciate the way that leaders consider their workload and well-being. 21 and 22 May 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 outstanding in January 2019.

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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 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). 21 and 22 May 2024

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School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 South Grove Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school provides a breakfast and an after-school club.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school has a specially resourced provision class for pupils with a range of complex SEND.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other school leaders. 21 and 22 May 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, science, and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke with teachers and pupils. For the reading deep dive, he listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also spoke to a representative of the local authority.  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 inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  The inspector spoke with some parents at the school gate and considered parents’

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responses to the online Ofsted survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector met with a range of staff and pupils during the inspection. He considered their responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Chris Birtles, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 May 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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