David Livingstone Academy

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: David Livingstone Academy Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 8HX

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Outcome

David Livingstone Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Phoebe Greer. This school is part of Step Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Paul Glover, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ross Gardner. There is also an executive headteacher, Dr Timothy Mills, who is responsible for this school and two others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils excel and thrive in this happy and inclusive school. The school expects a lot from all pupils, and standards are high. The school’s values of ‘hard work and kindness’ resonate through classrooms and result in most pupils achieving very well in national tests at the end of last year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school works in close partnership with parents and carers to ensure that any potential barriers to learning are well understood and swiftly addressed. Typically, parents describe the school as a ‘family’. Pupils and parents value the school’s strong community ethos. Staff model high standards of behaviour, and pupils live up to these. Pupils are respectful and empathetic to their peers both in lessons and during social times. Carefully planned leadership opportunities allow pupils to support the positive interactions with younger pupils and make a tangible difference to the local community, for example the role of the playground buddy and pupil parliamentarian.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Character development is a real strength of the school. Pupils are taught to value difference and understand their place in the world. Through a deep understanding of rights and responsibilities, pupils develop an individual voice. Trust-wide opportunities, such as the annual debating competition, enable pupils to speak publicly about 8 and 9 July 2025

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contemporary topics. Sports competitions with other schools and the Year 6 residential trip support pupils to develop their independence, maturity and resilience.

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

The trust’s strategic vision to continually improve standards through curriculum development and inclusion is shared by all leaders. Local governors engage thoughtfully with parents and staff. They ask the right questions of leaders. Leaders understand what is needed for individual pupils to succeed.

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

Across all subjects, the curriculum is expertly designed. The school benefits from trust- wide research, collaboration and training. The school plays an important role in curriculum development initiatives across the trust. The common goal is to advantage all pupils and help them flourish.

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

Teachers are highly skilled. Teachers ensure that all pupils have understood and can use essential vocabulary before introducing new learning. For example, in Reception, children are repeatedly taught language such as ‘odd’ and ‘equal’ in mathematics to support knowledge of number bonds. Teachers deploy systematic and rigorous checks to ensure that all pupils can use full sentences containing key terminology fluently and accurately before pupils apply their learning independently. If pupils need additional practice, staff run impactful daily catch-up sessions to support all pupils to achieve well.

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

Teachers plan tasks thoughtfully so that pupils are encouraged to recall previously taught content before engaging in new learning. For instance, in history, pupils use their knowledge of chronology to support their historical understanding. Pupil’s extended writing demonstrates accuracy across subjects.

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

Classrooms are inclusive, and teachers make adaptations to help pupils achieve well. For instance, all pupils are taught non-verbal cues to support communication and language. They have images and practical resources to enable them to grapple with abstract concepts or complex words. This inclusive approach enables pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to increase their fluency and independence. Pupils with SEND achieve well in relation to their starting points.

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

All teachers are trained in the phonics programme and use their understanding of the letters and sounds that make up words to support pupils’ reading and writing across all subjects. Staff teach and model sounds with precision, carefully monitoring that all pupils can apply new sounds correctly. Pupils value reading and talk with pride about the books that they read for pleasure. The school chooses high-quality texts for pupils to read. These expose pupils to moral dilemmas, differences and challenging content material. Teachers expertly develop pupils’ reading fluency in lessons and place great emphasis on using formal language correctly when rehearsing written outcomes.

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

Teachers appreciate how leaders make decisions that support their well-being and workload. For instance, the school’s systems for checking how well the curriculum is working are not burdensome for teachers. 8 and 9 July 2025

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Teachers ensure that pupils engage in all aspects of their learning. In Reception, children clearly understand routines, and this supports their learning. Bullying is very rare. Staff expertly teach pupils the language to enable them to deal with any potential conflict respectfully. Pupils then model this language to other pupils. Leaders work with families to ensure that all pupils attend school. Persistent absence rates have fallen, and attendance is high.

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The school provides pupils with diverse experiences and opportunities to broaden their horizons. Educational outings complement and enhance the curriculum such as visits to the Tate Modern and the Black Cultural Archives. They help pupils to have a voice and to cement key learning in art and history. Character development is well planned. All pupils benefit from the school’s wide-reaching offer.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 outstanding 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 outstanding for overall effectiveness in June 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. 8 and 9 July 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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Website www.davidlivingstone-academy.org/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The school is part of Step Academy Trust.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the executive headteacher, the deputy 8 and 9 July 2025

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headteacher, the assistant headteachers, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, subject leaders, trust leaders, including the CEO, teachers and support staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.

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Inspection team

Lucy Bruce, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 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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