Timbercroft Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Timbercroft Primary School Timbercroft Lane, Plumstead, London SE18 2SG

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Outcome

Timbercroft Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The Head of School is Angela Cartwright. This school is part of Maritime 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 (CEO), Nick Osborne, and overseen by a board of trustees chaired by Tiffany Beck. There is also an executive headteacher, Debra Joyce, who is responsible for this school and one other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Timbercroft is a happy and friendly school where everyone is important. Pupils are polite and strong systems help them behave well both in the classroom and around the school. The golden rules, which pupils know and use, inspire them to help others through roles such as play leaders and anti-bullying ambassadors. Staff know pupils well and because of these strong professional relationships, pupils feel safe and are happy to talk to staff if they have a problem. Though bullying is rare, if it does happen, they know that staff will help them to sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are proud of their high-quality work. Leaders also aim to prepare pupils for life beyond school. Pupils appreciate this and are excited about regular events such as Aspiration and Achievement Week, which introduces them to the world of work. Pupils’ talents and interests are further enriched through regular visits, visitors and clubs. This ambitious curriculum is tailored to reflect the differing backgrounds of the diverse community that the school serves. Because of this, everyone is made to feel welcome and respected in this school, where everyone can succeed and thrive.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Important knowledge and skills have been identified in most subjects so that new learning builds on what pupils already know. For example, in art, pupils learn to mix primary colours in poster paint and when they are older, they learn to make and use tints and tones by using water colours. Teachers are quick to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 10 and 11 July 2024

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(SEND) and adjustments to lessons are made so that their needs are met. Teachers and additional adults enable all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Learning to read as soon as possible is a priority. Routines and good learning habits are established in the Nursery, which supports pupils in getting off to a flying start in Reception. Skilled adults use the systematic programme to deliver effective phonics lessons. Anyone who is falling behind is swiftly identified. Lessons are adjusted and additional support is given to those who need it to help them catch up. Reading books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils are learning. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers. Leaders have ensured that reading stays front and centre throughout the school, with ongoing reading challenges, regular opportunities to practise and by listening to stories. All of this supports pupils well in developing a love of reading.

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Across the school, in most subjects, staff check pupils’ learning well to identify gaps in learning. However, in some subjects, the school has not defined the knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in as much detail as others. As a result, some gaps in knowledge are not identified and this makes it harder for pupils to build new learning. In these subjects, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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The school ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships and diversity through the spiritual, moral, social and cultural lessons. As a result, pupils talk sensibly about the need for respect and tolerance towards everyone. These attitudes support pupils’ strong behaviour and their positive attitudes to learning. Pupils value the range of enrichment activities, including visits, visitors and clubs, which broaden their interests.

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Attendance is carefully monitored and any absence is quickly followed up. Strong communication with families and robust strategies are effective in continuing to improve attendance. The school’s care for pupils’ achievement and well-being drives this work.

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The school is supported well by the trust and by the local academy councillors, who challenge and support effectively. Staff are very positive about the support they get to manage their workload and well-being. They value being part of this close and caring school community.

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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, important content is not identified in sufficient detail. This makes it difficult for teachers to use assessment information to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge as effectively as they could. The school should further develop approaches to checking what pupils know and remember through the curriculum so that they can be better supported to achieve even more in these subjects. 10 and 11 July 2024

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Timbercroft Primary School, to be good in November 2012.

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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 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). 10 and 11 July 2024

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CEO of the trust

Nick Osborne Head of school Angela Cartwright

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CEO of the trust

Website www.timbercroft.greenwich.sch.uk

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection 26 September 2018, under section section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs its own before- and after-school clubs.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school. 10 and 11 July 2024

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 The inspector held discussions with the chief executive officer of the trust, the executive headteacher, the head of school and other members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector also met with the chair of the trust, and the local academy councillors, including the chair.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  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.

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 The inspector also considered the views of parents and carers, staff and pupils through their responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

David Lloyd, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 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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