Gatton (VA) Primary School

Inspection of Gatton (VA) Primary School 13e Broadwater Rd, Tooting, London SW17 0DS

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2014. 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to Gatton (VA) Primary School. Staff and pupils celebrate and embody the Muslim ethos which is central to the life of the school. Pupils are well mannered and respectful towards each other. They demonstrate impeccable behaviour in lessons and around the school. Bullying is very rare. Pupils know how to raise concerns should they happen. This helps to ensure that pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an extensive wider offer of activities and opportunities. For example, all pupils have weekly swimming lessons in the school’s on-site pool. Pupils develop their talents through a range of clubs on offer such as cricket, cooking and enterprise. Pupils readily share their poetry, music or comedy at the termly showcase, as well as performing their final pieces from music lessons. Pupils contribute to their school and wider community through the school newspaper, as members of the school council or as ‘senior pupils’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff have high expectations of pupils, which they consistently strive to meet. Leaders are quick to celebrate pupils’ achievements and there is a culture where mistakes are recognised as a natural part of learning. This means that pupils develop resilience, enjoy learning and work hard to achieve their goals. As a result, pupils achieve highly across the curriculum, including in national assessments.

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better?

Pupils follow a rich and deep curriculum that matches, and in places exceeds, what is expected nationally. For example, pupils learn Arabic from the time they start school, and all pupils learn ballet in their Reception Year. In each subject, and area of learning in early years, leaders have broken down and sequenced what pupils need to learn. The curriculum builds sequentially helping pupils to know and remember more. For example, in art, children in early years learn to mix colours and print using rollers. Older pupils build on this foundation when refining shading techniques or explaining the different styles of Renoir and Mercer. Likewise, in science, pupils use increasingly complex vocabulary, such as vertebrates and omnivores, to classify different animals. By Year 6, pupils dissect animal hearts and describe in depth how each part works.

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better?

Staff subject knowledge is very strong. New ideas are explained clearly and with precision. Assessment is used well to check pupils’ understanding. Teachers are quick to address any errors or misconceptions so that they do not hinder future learning. This helps pupils to build an extensive body of knowledge across the curriculum and means that pupils are very well prepared for their next phase of learning.

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better?

Children in early years show sustained levels of concentration, are motivated in their learning, and collaborate and share well. The curriculum is designed to give children opportunities to develop communication and language. Adults interact with children 2 and 3 July 2024

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to listen, ask open-ended questions and repeat language purposefully. This means that children are able to follow these models in their own speech with others. For example, children role play a recent trip to the aquarium by inviting teachers to take a ticket, look at the sea life and eat something at the café.

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Reading is a top priority at the school. This begins in early years where children enjoy reading and being read to. For example, children talk with confidence about the ‘The Gruffalo’, coming up with different endings to the text. Pupils begin learning phonics as soon as they start their Reception Year. Teachers are carefully trained to address misconceptions so that gaps are quickly closed. As a result, pupils are confident and fluent readers who actively choose to read for enjoyment.

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Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are carefully identified. Specific support is provided to ensure that the curriculum is adjusted where needed. Training is provided to staff to support them to adapt lessons when required so that pupils are able to access the curriculum. Pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school.

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Behaviour is exceptional. All staff have clear expectations that are consistently applied, ensuring pupils are ready to learn. This starts in early years where adults have created a safe and stimulating environment in which children learn to work with others, take turns and share equipment. Across the school, lessons are calm and orderly and learning is very rarely disrupted. Pupils attend school regularly and on time, so they benefit from all the school has to offer.

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The programme for pupils’ personal development is excellent. The ‘Gatton Golden Guide’ sets out how the school drivers of community, healthy lives, environment and spirituality are taught across the school. For example, pupils learn about the impact of plastic waste on marine life. Similarly, members of the ‘Eco-team’ were inspired to begin a ‘refill shop’ where pupils are able to recycle and reuse daily items on site. Pupils commit to a series of self-initiated fundraising projects in their local community and further afield. This work supports a range of charities, including raising money for a nearby hospital.

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Leaders, and those responsible for governance, fulfil their statutory duties well. They have a secure understanding of the school’s many strengths and are continually ambitious to develop the school further. Staff feel well supported by leaders. They value the many opportunities they have to develop professionally.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 2 and 3 July 2024

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Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 February 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 Gatton (VA) Primary School has a distinctive Muslim ethos. It is part of the Al Risalah Trust family of schools. Its last section 48 inspection was in February 2024.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provision.  The school currently operates over two sites. There is an additional site located at 47A Balham High Road, London, SW12 9AW. At the time of the inspection, this site was used by pupils on roll in Year 2.

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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 the 2 and 3 July 2024

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school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke to the director of the Al Risalah Trust and the local authority school improvement partner.  The inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: reading, geography, mathematics, art and design and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks; took account of the views of leaders,

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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 scrutinised a range of documentation provided by leaders, including their priorities for improvement.  The inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Matea Marcinko, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Walters His Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 July 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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