Alexander McLeod Primary School

Inspection of Alexander McLeod Primary School Fuchsia Street, London SE2 0QS

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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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 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school provides an exceptional education. Leaders have very high expectations for all pupils. The exciting and creative curriculum includes many opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning and develop their characters to ensure that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain. As a result of all of this, pupils achieve highly across different subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They listen respectfully to adults and to each other. In lessons, they are highly motivated and keen to join in, show strong self-control and stay on task well. Pupils understand the behaviour rules of the school and recognise the impact of poor behaviour on others. Pupils are kept safe. If they have a concern, they can name a trusted adult they can talk to who they know will deal with their worries appropriately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a huge range of ways to support pupils’ wider development. This includes different clubs, visitors, and trips to places such as museums and places of worship. Pupils are proud of the tolerance and diversity in the school. It is important to them that everyone is valued for who they are. One pupil explained it as, ‘We accept everyone, we are all equal.’

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

The school has developed a highly ambitious curriculum. It uses the strong expertise of curriculum leaders to get underneath the national curriculum and build knowledge throughout the pupils’ journey through the school. Pupils’ learning is often connected across different subjects. For example, in physical education (PE) lessons, pupils understand the scientific names and effects of different muscle groups on the movements they are using.

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

There is a strong culture of reading across the school. Pupils learn phonics as soon as they enter the reception class. Staff check pupils’ progress regularly. If pupils fall behind, trained staff provide expert support so that they catch up quickly. Pupils read books that are matched to their phonics knowledge. The enjoyment of reading is promoted throughout the school. Opportunities include class story times, author visits and older pupils being a ‘reading buddy’ for younger pupils.

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

The curriculum builds on pupils’ prior learning. For example, Year 1 pupils learn about how transport in Abbey Wood has changed and developed over time, comparing old and new buses. By Year 6, they are able to discuss the changes to the ethnic diversity of the area and how Britain has benefited from the Windrush generation.

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

Teachers ensure that they recap important knowledge during lessons and check on pupils’ learning, for example through careful questioning and talking to pupils about their work during lessons. Important vocabulary is taught and modelled by teachers and integrated into lessons. Pupils can apply the new terms in their independent work, enhancing their understanding. 21 and 22 January 2025

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A robust system is in place for quickly identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are provided with the personalised support they need, including the use of visual and sensory resources. The school also works with a range of outside agencies to provide specialist advice. These measures ensure that pupils with SEND access their learning successfully.

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Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are keen to learn, take pride in their work and describe their teachers as being ‘fun and kind.’ Pupils behave with high levels of respect for each other. This is seen in the way they work in pairs and groups and in their thoughtful gestures on the playground, for instance inviting someone who is not in a game to join in. The school is doing all it can to improve levels of attendance. Leaders have meetings with parents and carers of those pupils whose attendance is a concern. They offer families helpful support where needed.

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Pupils are active members of the school and local community. They can become a ‘midday marvel,’ where they help keep the hall tidy and support the play of younger pupils, be a ‘junior travel ambassador,’ promoting walking to school, or collect food for a local food bank. The school invites visitors to enrich the curriculum, including theatre groups, faith leaders and parents and members of the community who can talk to the pupils about careers available to them in the future.

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Governors know their roles and responsibilities well. They provide highly effective challenge and support to the school, supported by the local authority. Staff say that leaders are supportive and attentive to their needs. They value the training they receive but also appreciate the care for their well-being. Parents speak highly about the education provided by the school and also the provision for development of ‘the whole child.’

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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.

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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 21 and 22 January 2025

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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 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 and 31 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.

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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 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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 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 spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. They also held meetings with the members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PE, and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions 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.  The inspectors also spoke with groups of staff and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.

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 The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys, completed by parents, pupils, and staff.  Inspectors looked at a sample of the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lando Du Plooy Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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