Sandhurst Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Sandhurst Primary School Minard Road, Catford, London SE6 1NW

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Outcome

Sandhurst Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Sandhurst school. The strong sense of community is shaped by the values underpinning the school’s work. Pupils know and understand these values, and spoke about how they inspire them to try hard, both in and out of school. Staff know pupils well, building strong relationships in which everyone is valued. Pupils are proud of their happy and inclusive school, where respect and kindness are part of their daily lives.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, including governors, are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. The curriculum is engaging, aspirational and reflects the different backgrounds of pupils at this diverse school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are proud of their high-quality work and enjoy talking about what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well, both in and out of lessons. They are polite, courteous and are keen to talk to visitors. They know what good behaviour is and strong school systems help them reflect on what they could do better if anything goes wrong. Pupils are kept safe. They said that they can talk to any member of staff if they have a problem. Bullying is rare, but if it does happen, adults are quick to sort it out.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is broad, balanced and as ambitious as the national curriculum. Staff are well supported by leaders in their work to make sure that pupils learn well. This is because leaders have identified important knowledge and skills so that new learning builds effectively on prior knowledge. For example, in art, pupils first learn how to squeeze and stretch different materials. Older pupils use this knowledge to make shapes with materials such as clay and then extend this further by sculpting their clay to make objects. They confidently apply what they have learned about joining materials and glazing before progressing to firing their objects. 5 and 6 June 2024

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If pupils have additional needs or experience barriers to learning the curriculum, the school identifies this promptly and accurately. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge enables them to carefully adapt lessons to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. Careful questioning, adjustments to lessons and guidance from additional adults all help these pupils to persevere and to achieve well.

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High attendance and low levels of persistent absence mean that pupils are in school to benefit from this carefully planned curriculum.

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Leaders are determined that every pupil should be a fluent reader as soon as possible. Good learning habits and routines are established in the Nursery, preparing them well for future learning. As a result, children get off to a strong start in Reception, with daily phonics lessons beginning immediately. The systematic phonics programme supports children effectively in learning to read. Well-trained staff expertly deliver the scheme, quickly identifying any pupils who fall behind. Extra support is given to those who need it and lessons are adjusted to help meet their needs. Regular practice with reading books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they have learned helps pupils’ fluency to develop quickly. Inviting reading areas encourage pupils to read for pleasure. Pupils enjoy being read to every day and regularly use the school library. As a result, pupils develop a love of reading.

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Assessment is used effectively in most subjects so that teachers understand what pupils know. However, in some subjects, assessment is not as effective in supporting teachers to identify and fill gaps in knowledge. This means that some pupils do not progress through the planned curriculum as well as they could in these subjects.

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Pupils are taught to stay safe and to be respectful, caring members of the school community through their spiritual, social, moral and cultural curriculum. They are encouraged to use this knowledge by applying to take on roles such as peer mediators. In this role, the school trains pupils on how to support others in settling any playground disputes amicably. These responsibilities are taken seriously by pupils, contributing well to the culture of positive behaviour and attitudes to learning.

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Pupils enjoy the rich offer of additional activities, including educational visits and external visitors, all of which enhance the learning experiences of the curriculum. For example, a recent international event, organised by the school and attended by the local community, celebrated the cultures and background of everyone in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, assessments are not consistently giving the school clear and useful information about what pupils know and can do. In these subjects, teaching does not 5 and 6 June 2024

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make use of assessment information to identify and fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge as effectively as it could. This can affect the quality of the school’s work to ensure that pupils make progress through the curriculum. The school should refine how pupils’ learning is checked so that pupils can be better supported to know more and remember more in these subjects.

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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 March 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). 5 and 6 June 2024

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 620 Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.sandhurstprimary.lewisham.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school makes use of one alternative provision for a small number of pupils.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of the 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair. The inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority, and met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions 5 and 6 June 2024

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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. They also considered the curriculum 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.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys completed by parents and staff.

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Inspection team

David Lloyd, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Stephen Hall Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 June 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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