Purley Oaks Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Purley Oaks Primary School Bynes Road, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0PR

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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Outcome

Purley Oaks Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this welcoming and supportive school. They are rightly proud of its inclusive ethos. Pupils and staff consistently promote the school’s values of aspiration and collaboration. The school is ambitious for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school develops pupils’ knowledge and confidence through a broad and ambitious curriculum. Expectations are high, and pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education. Most pupils achieve well in their learning. This is reflected in published outcomes in national tests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school. They are motivated to learn and show respect and kindness towards adults and each other. Pupils say that bullying is rare and that if it occurs, it is dealt with swiftly. They feel safe and know to talk to a responsible adult if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school takes great care to develop pupils’ resilience and character. Pupils take on many leadership responsibilities. For example, they can choose to be on the student council or part of the eco team. Every pupil in Year 6 is a student ambassador. Pupils appreciate the wide range of clubs they can choose to attend, such as football and choir.

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

The school has developed a rich and varied curriculum. From the early years, it has identified the key knowledge and skills that pupils should learn. Teaching provides opportunities for pupils to ask thoughtful questions and develop a keen sense of enquiry. For example, in history and geography, they learn about why and how the world has changed. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the relevance of their learning. For example, they can explain why mathematics is essential for managing money and budgets. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND and make adaptations for them through targeted adult support and the effective use of resources. In addition, the school supports the many pupils who join the school at different times, and those who are disadvantaged, to access the same range of ambitious opportunities as their peers.

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Leaders have made well-considered changes to ensure a more consistent approach to teaching. Teachers are enthusiastic and have good subject knowledge. They use effective strategies in the classroom which enable most pupils to know and remember more of what they have learned. In the early years, children develop their language and physical and emotional skills in both indoor and outdoor environments. Across the school, teachers carefully check that pupils understand what they have learned, for example through effective questioning. Teachers address any misconceptions that pupils may have. Sometimes, teaching is not explicit about how new knowledge links with previous learning. This means some pupils cannot connect their learning with what they already know. As a result, sometimes they do not demonstrate a greater depth of understanding.

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The school places a high priority on early reading. Rigorous and effective training ensures that staff have strong knowledge of how to teach reading well. The school puts in place highly effective support for pupils who may be falling behind in reading. Regular checks ensure that pupils read books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. As a result, pupils become fluent and confident readers. This robust approach to pupils’ reading development continues throughout the school.

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Pupils are focused and attentive in their lessons. The school places a high priority on attendance and does everything it can to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent. As a result, attendance is improving year on year.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider development particularly well. There is a well-designed and age-appropriate personal, social and health education programme. Staff teach pupils about respecting other people’s faiths, cultures and ways of life. Racism and discriminatory behaviour are never tolerated. Educational outings include visits to museums and galleries as well as places of geographical interest. Leaders ensure that all pupils can take part in many sports and creative activities. This is because they see these as valuable learning experiences.

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The school builds very strong relationships with families, providing support and guidance when needed. A variety of workshops enable parents and carers to learn about the school’s curriculum and gain useful advice. For example, these sessions help them to understand the importance of listening to their children read and about online safety.

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Leaders, including the governing body, have accurately identified the priorities for school development. They challenge the school effectively while supporting staff’s well-being. Staff appreciate hugely the support that the school offers, including a wide range of professional development opportunities. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school, praising its caring ethos and academic support. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, the delivery of the curriculum does not enable pupils to deepen their learning and understanding. This means that some pupils are not able to remember and connect important knowledge and skills. As a result, some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are not achieving as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff develop high levels of expertise in curriculum delivery and implement the ambitious curriculum consistently and effectively.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in September 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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs its own breakfast club and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff.  The inspectors met with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 25 and 26 February 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 several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspectors took account of the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Susan Maguire, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Wyatt Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 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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