Haberdashers' Hatcham Free School

Inspection of Haberdashers’ Hatcham Free School Pepys Road, London SE14 5SF

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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 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 June 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade.

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The principal of this school is David Welsh. This school is part of Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jan Shadick, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sally Dyson. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet and exceed the school’s high academic expectations here. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve highly. In reading, writing and mathematics, this excellence is reflected in the high published results for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils aim high and work hard. They are resilient and motivated, confident to ask questions and find out new information for themselves. They are very happy and safe. The school teaches them to be kind and support their peers’ learning. In the early years, children are engaged joyfully in learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school puts in place a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom as part of the ‘new adventures await’ programme. These experiences expand pupils’ knowledge of the curriculum. They include visits to art galleries, museums and parks. Pupils also take part in competitive sports including swimming galas and trust-wide football competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil leadership roles give pupils regular chances to express their views. The school council was responsible for the creation of the school’s ‘edible garden allotments’. Pupils prepare for public speaking qualifications, which builds their confidence. There are also many high-quality musical experiences for pupils. During ‘Hatchambury festival’, pupils across year groups perform for the whole school community.

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

The school has designed a very ambitious curriculum across all subjects. In many subjects, pupils acquire knowledge and skills beyond the national curriculum. In German for example, teaching develops pupils’ language skills effectively from Year 1.

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

The school has carefully designed how pupils will encounter new knowledge so that pupils know and understand it. Pupils, including those with SEND, subsequently master key knowledge and skills across subjects. For example, in geography, pupils refine their fieldwork skills every year. They start to build knowledge using maps of the local area and then develop their understanding further by analysing maps of the globe. In Reception, children develop skills across important areas including communication and language effectively. For example, they read a story about an ‘Evil Pea’ together. Teachers then planned valuable opportunities for role-play and outdoor learning linked to the story.

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

The reading curriculum supports pupils to become very confident and fluent readers. Pupils read books which help them practise the new letters and sounds that they have learned. Pupils listen intently to teachers during story time each day. Any pupils who need support to catch up with their reading are provided swiftly with effective help to improve.

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

The school identifies the emerging needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Pupils with SEND receive highly effectively support in class. This means that pupils with SEND work towards the same ambitious curriculum their peers. 3 and 4 June 2025

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Teachers check that every pupil understands what has been taught. They address any misconceptions that pupils may have. All this work is evident in the pupils’ strong knowledge and understanding of the subjects that they learn.

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Behaviour routines are firmly established across the school. Pupils understand expectations and behave responsibly. Pupils socialise very well during breaktimes, within and between year groups. In class, teachers use the school’s ‘peg board’ rewards and consequences system to support pupils to behave at their best. In the early years, children are highly enthusiastic about their learning. They take turns and play independently. All this means that the curriculum is taught without interruption.

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Attendance at the school remains high. This is because the school communicates high expectations to the school community and works very closely with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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The school plans the personal development programme carefully. In the personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils are taught to become responsible citizens. From Reception through to Year 6, pupils are encouraged to develop their understanding of friendship. Educational visits are thoughtfully selected. For example, children in Reception visited a farm to see animals that they had learned about in class. In Year 1, pupils visited a zoo to study animals with fins and wings. Pupils attend many extra-curricular activities too. These include comic book and fitness clubs. Pupils participate fully in these opportunities.

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Those responsible for governance hold the school to account effectively. They check that pupils achieve their best. Staff benefit from regular professional development provided by the school and trust. The school takes into account staff workload in the decisions that it makes. The governing body and trustees regularly check that the school supports staff well-being effectively.

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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. 3 and 4 June 2025

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 23 and 24 June 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative education providers.  The school is part of the Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South.

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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. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the principal and other senior leaders. The inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, pupils’ wider development and the early years.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the trust, the CEO and representatives from the local governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, early reading, music and geography. 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 discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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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 considered the respective responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jacquie Fairhurst Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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