Dulverton Primary School

Inspection of Dulverton Primary School Dulverton Road, New Eltham, London SE9 3RH

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the early years, nurturing relationships with adults help children feel secure at this school. Pupils take responsiblity for making the school a harmonious place for everyone. Older pupils help their younger buddies to settle in. Pupils help each other with classroom tasks. They make sure other pupils are included at playtimes. Staff help pupils to reflect on how they can be kind to others within and outside the school. Pupils collect items for a foodbank and write to local care home residents, for instance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations. They provide excellent support to ensure that pupils achieve high outcomes across the curriculum, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This begins in the early years, where adults expertly extend children’s knowledge and language. Children get off to a very strong start.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a comprehensive wider offer which is of excellent quality. Wide ranging activities such as cooking, curling and drama are strongly taken up. Many pupils take instrumental music tuition. The school’s rich selection of educational visits extends pupils’ learning across the full breadth of the curriculum. The school provides ambitious opportunities. For example, pupils take part in an opera production in Year 6.

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

Leaders have a clear vision for how pupils' knowledge and skills will develop over time. Curriculum content is well sequenced and ambitious. A rich curriculum in the early years develops children's foundational knowledge. As a result, they are well prepared for later learning. For example, children observe plant and animal habitats during outdoor learning in Nursery and Reception. They draw on this when classifying organisms in Year 1 and when learning about plant and animal reproduction later on.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and expertise. From the early years, staff deliver the curriculum with a rigorous focus on building upon pupils’ prior knowledge. For instance, teachers encourage pupils in Year 4 to draw on their scientific knowledge of circuits and energy efficiency when designing their own portable lights in design and technology (DT). Teachers present information clearly and support pupils to extend their thinking. They check pupils' understanding and address any misconceptions swiftly. Pupils develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum. They discuss their learning keenly, such as the influence of music on Kandinsky’s artwork in Year 1, the pitfalls of breadmaking in Year 5, and the function of an algorithm in Year 6. Pupils produce work of excellent quality.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND precisely. Provision for them is carefully thought out. Staff meet pupils' needs through a wide range of individualised approaches which focus well on both their academic, and social and emotional development.

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

Reading is given high priority. The school provides a wide range of fascinating, high- quality texts. Pupils learn about different writers and their approaches, through author 3 and 4 December 2024

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studies. They talk with confidence about which authors they enjoy reading and why. Pupils at the early stages of reading are taught the phonics knowledge they need through a highly systematic approach. Staff identify any gaps in their knowledge precisely and address them swiftly. Regular, focused reading practice allows pupils to rehearse the sounds they have been taught. As a result, pupils read with fluency, confidence and enjoyment.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. From the early years, children concentrate for sustained periods without distraction. Pupils throughout the school are attentive. They focus well and move between activities seamlessly. As a result, time is purposefully focused on learning. Pupils rarely miss a day of school. The school responds swiftly to absences.

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The school's curriculum for pupils' personal, social, health and economic education is thoughtful. Pupils are taught extensively about citizenship. They routinely volunteer and fundraise. Pupils confidently recall what they have learned about how to stay healthy and safe, including online. They know about different backgrounds and the importance of tolerance and respect. Pupils learn about fundamental British values, such as democracy in UK government and practise it for themselves. For instance, they write a ‘manifesto’ and vote at a ballot box for school council elections.

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Leaders, including governors, continually review the school’s work and oversee improvements to its already strong provision. Staff share leaders' ambitious vision. Training develops their expertise well. Staff at all levels report that this is a lovely place to work and that they are well supported.

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Leaders engage parents and carers thoughtfully in a way that supports pupils’ education. For example, all parents are invited to come into the school and read with their children on a weekly basis and a very large number take up this opportunity. Parents routinely report highly positive views of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Charlotte Hartley and Helen Brien (co- chairs) Headteacher Karen Herbert

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the second 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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, behaviour and attendance, pupils’ personal development and the early years.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science, computing, art and DT. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Diana Valcheva Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 2024

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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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