Archbishop Sumner Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Archbishop Sumner Church of England Primary School Reedworth Street, Lambeth, Kennington, London SE11 4PH

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness 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 December 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 20 and 21 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this welcoming and nurturing school. Parents and carers speak highly of the supportive staff and describe the school as being ‘like a family.’ If pupils have any worries, they know they can talk to a member of staff who will swiftly deal with these issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for pupils and has created an ambitious and inclusive curriculum. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, and most pupils achieve well by the time they leave the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand these expectations and are proud of the recognition they receive for behaving well. Most pupils are focused on their learning and listen well in lessons. In the playground, they cooperate and play together calmly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the enriching activities the school provides. Pupils have numerous opportunities to learn to play an instrument. They participate in different after-school clubs, such as computing, basketball, and gardening. Pupils also contribute to school life. For example, well-being ambassadors run activities for other pupils during playtimes.

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

The school prioritises learning to read as soon as pupils join the school. Staff are well trained and typically deliver the chosen phonics scheme consistently. If any pupils fall behind, they are given effective support to catch up. Pupils can typically blend sounds to read words. In the majority of cases, the books they read are accurately matched to these sounds. Occasionally, this is not the case, which reduces pupils’ ability to progress in their reading skills. The love of reading is fostered in different ways throughout the school, including daily story time and visits from authors.

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

The school focuses on developing pupils’ language skills. In many subjects, pupils can confidently recall and discuss their learning using the vocabulary they have been taught. For example, when talking about the art they had created, pupils discussed the techniques they had used. They could also link these techniques to the work and style of different artists.

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

The school has created a curriculum that matches the breadth and ambition of the national curriculum. Learning is mostly well structured to ensure that pupils’ skills and knowledge progress well as they move through the school. Typically, teachers design learning activities that build on what pupils already know from the early years onwards. This helps them connect learning in a meaningful way.

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

The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified swiftly. Pupils are appropriately supported and achieve well. The school makes full use of a wide range of outside agencies to ensure specialist support is provided where 20 and 21 May 2025

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needed. The specially resourced provision has a small number of pupils who are supported to access their learning successfully in mainstream classrooms.

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The school has recently changed the curriculum in some subjects. Some changes are not securely embedded. The school has not ensured that all teachers have the training they need to be able to teach the new subject curriculums consistently. Occasionally, staff do not address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, in these instances, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Any low-level behaviour issues are swiftly dealt with by staff. The school is doing all that it can to improve the rates of attendance and there has been a steady rate of improvement over the last three years. The school offers support to families to help ensure this, including places in the breakfast club for those that need it.

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Pupils’ personal development is well supported. They enjoy trips to museums, galleries, and places of worship. Pupils also contribute to the local community. For instance, the school’s brass band plays at a local children’s hospital. Pupils understand how to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. They appreciate and respect differences between people. Pupils know how to maintain healthy relationships and recognise there are different types of families.

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The governing body uses its knowledge and expertise well and provides appropriate support and challenge to the school. Governors are dedicated in continuing to improve all aspects of the school. Parents comment favourably on the progress that they have already made. Staff typically feel their workload and well-being are considered and appreciate the support and training they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, teachers do not teach parts of the essential knowledge set out in the curriculum in sufficient depth. As a result, some pupils’ knowledge is insecure. The school should make certain that teachers deliver the curriculum as intended, so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Adults are typically skilled at teaching pupils how to read, including in phonics. However, some adults do not follow the school’s own expectations of the phonics programme as consistently as they should. As a result, some pupils do not build their reading fluency. The school should ensure that all staff have the highest expectations for pupils when going through the phonics programme. They should ensure that the books these pupils read match their phonics knowledge. 20 and 21 May 2025

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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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Freya Monk Thomas

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School details

Website www.archbishop-sumners- primary.lambeth.sch.uk Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 December 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school in the diocese of Southwark. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in May 2019.  The school does not currently use an alternative provision for any of 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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 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.  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.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. They also held meetings with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke with groups of staff and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey completed by parents, Ofsted Parent View, and the online surveys for pupils and staff.  Inspectors looked at a sample of the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour, attendance, and pupils’ wider development.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Ofori Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 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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