Alderwood Primary School

Alderwood Primary School

Address: Rainham Close, SE9 2JH Unique reference number (URN): 143601

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

A well-thought-out curriculum and high-quality teaching ensure that pupils at Alderwood Primary School achieve very well. Right from the start, children in Reception progress swiftly through the curriculum in phonics, early reading and mathematics. They achieve very well across all areas of learning. By the time they move into Year 1, children are more than ready to learn what the curriculum has to offer.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils learn exceedingly well across key stages 1 and 2. Their work across all subjects is of a high quality. Pupils' achievement is celebrated and 'published' throughout the school. Pupils in the resourced provision achieve well and their success is celebrated.

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Achievement Strong standard

By the end of Year 6, pupils achieve above the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics in national tests. This includes disadvantaged pupils. Leaders ensure that any gaps in the knowledge of disadvantaged pupils are addressed successfully. Most achieve more highly in national tests than their non-disadvantaged peers nationally. Pupils are very well prepared for their secondary education.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Inclusion lies at the heart of the school’s work. Staff believe that ‘every child is our child’. They have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve, whatever their circumstances and needs. This includes pupils in the resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who are a valued part of the school community.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff provide highly effective support to those pupils who are known to social care. Leaders go the extra mile to make sure that families get the support they need both within and beyond the school.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders, including governors and trustees, rigorously monitor the progress that vulnerable pupils make and ensure that any barriers to learning are addressed swiftly. Leaders carefully check the impact of their work on pupils’ achievement and on their wellbeing. This ensures that pupils experience success in their learning and become confident, respected and valued members of the school community.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Right from the start of Reception, any needs that children may have, including SEND, are identified swiftly. Staff know their pupils very well. Staff are highly trained and confident in supporting pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders target resources for disadvantaged pupils wisely. These pupils achieve well above the national average in reading, mathematics and writing by the time they leave Alderwood Primary School.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders, trustees and governors are a unified and highly effective team who share a vision of making education the best that it can be for all pupils at Alderwood Primary School. Leaders identify the right priorities to move the school forward and take highly effective actions to address them. Leaders at all levels are rigorous in evaluating progress against these priorities. Governors and trustees offer unyielding support for the school and a forensic approach to challenging its effectiveness. They meet all of their statutory duties.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders benefit greatly from the many networks and opportunities to share current research and good practice across the trust. They ensure that staff engage in high-quality professional development that builds their expertise.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Parents and carers are delighted by the work of the school and many shared stories of how leaders have gone ‘above and beyond’ to ensure the right provision and support for their children. Some parents told inspectors that this help had impacted positively on the quality of their family lives.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff are proud and happy to work at the school. They feel very well supported with their wellbeing and to manage their workload.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pastoral support and care for pupils at Alderwood Primary School is remarkable. Trusting relationships are key to the success of the school. Pupils develop confidence as learners and as thoughtful young citizens.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

The school has an extremely well-thought-out personal, social and health education curriculum, which starts as soon as children enter the school in Reception. It is carefully adapted, when needed, for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum develops pupils' understanding of fundamental British values very well. Pupils talk confidently of how the rule of law and democracy are reflected in their life at school. In addition, the school's values are thoughtfully interwoven through the curriculum so that pupils are taught them explicitly. One of these values is 'unity'. Pupils understand its importance. They respect and value difference and show great kindness and care when they are working alongside their peers, including pupils with SEND. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and show an assured understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and outside of school.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pupils relish trips and experiences that enrich the curriculum and develop their confidence. For example, pupils visit the Houses of Parliament and the school choir recently performed at an event in Liverpool. Pupils also benefit from the wide range of clubs, such as sewing, chess, gym and choir. The school ensures that all pupils can benefit from these. For example, some clubs are offered during social times so that they are available to all pupils.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pupils are friendly, polite, kind, witty and confident. They are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders are relentless in their drive to tackle poor attendance. Their work has begun to pay off. Overall, pupils' attendance has improved so that it is now broadly in line with national averages. There has been a notable reduction in the number of pupils who are persistently absent this year, and leaders are taking appropriate action to sustain this improvement over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils love their school and want to attend, despite the complex barriers that some face. Leaders and staff do the very best that they can to ensure that all pupils attend well. Leaders support families to get back on track when a pupil's attendance suffers, for example, because of challenging family circumstances.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils' behaviour around the school is excellent. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Pupils play well together. Staff ensure that any minor issues are resolved calmly, with no disruption to learning. Staff act as role models and celebrate pupils' positive behaviour.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Bullying is extremely rare because pupils are taught to understand the impact of their actions on others. Staff deal with any rare instances of discrimination highly effectively. Pupils can articulate, and are committed to upholding, the school's key value of unity.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is broad and well designed. Teachers are confident in their subject knowledge and they help pupils to build on their previous learning well. Teachers keep a careful check on how well pupils are learning and act thoughtfully to address any gaps in pupils' knowledge as they arise.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate picture of the quality of teaching and they target staff training accordingly. The teaching of early reading and writing is a real strength. Children in Reception quickly learn letter names and sounds. Pupils are enticed by the school's beautiful library. They develop a love of reading as they move through the school. Their high-quality writing is displayed and celebrated in the corridors.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very well. Leaders support teachers to develop carefully-thought-out learning plans to help meet pupils' needs successfully. This includes those pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. That said, occasionally, teachers do not use these learning plans as effectively as they could to modify some aspects of learning for a small number of pupils.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years get off to a very positive start to school life. They develop caring, trusting relationships with adults in a nurturing, inclusive environment. Staff develop positive partnerships with parents and carers. This helps children to feel safe and well cared for.

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Early years Expected standard

The curriculum is thoughtfully designed and well taught. Staff have a thorough understanding of children’s starting points. Staff identify accurately any additional needs that children may have, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Delivery of the curriculum is carefully tailored to meet children's needs. Communication, language and literacy are given the highest priority. Staff model language accurately, and children read books that help them to apply their phonics knowledge. Children quickly develop phonics skills and expand their vocabulary.

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Early years Expected standard

Well-established routines in Reception support children to develop independence, respect for each other and positive learning habits. They learn to wait their turn, be kind and that they are part of the class community.

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Early years Expected standard

Most children, including children with SEND, progress well from their starting points across all the areas of learning. By the end of Reception, children are typically well placed to access and enjoy the Year 1 curriculum.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils arrive at Alderwood Primary School happy and keen to start their day. They receive a warm welcome from staff. Positive and trusting relationships between staff and pupils underpin all aspects of the school’s work. Staff care deeply about pupils and know them very well. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults and to each other. There is a strong sense of unity, belonging and of a nurturing community working together.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

This is a truly inclusive school where leaders, governors and staff do the very best they can to make sure pupils feel safe and become successful, confident learners. As one parent reflecting the views of many, said, 'This is a caring little school.’ Pupils enjoy school. They thrive personally and academically because of the high-quality education and care that they receive. Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils behave well in lessons and play happily together at playtimes. Most pupils attend regularly. The pupils in the resourced provision thrive because of the care and support they receive.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The curriculum is carefully thought out across a broad range of subjects. In the main, staff adapt their teaching to meet pupils’ individual needs well. This ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, learn successfully, whatever their starting points.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children in Reception have an extremely positive start to school life. They progress well through the curriculum as they move through the school. Pupils' achievement by the end of Year 6 is above the national average, which helps to ensure that they are more than ready to meet the demands of secondary education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs and enrichment activities, such as chess, sewing, violin and gymnastics, which take place within and beyond the school day. Parents and carers value the school highly and appreciate the efforts that leaders and staff make on their children’s behalf.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that staff understand and enact adaptive teaching consistently in lessons so that all pupils are supported effectively to build on what they know. • Leaders should embed their work to increase pupils' attendance to ensure that improvements are sustained over time.

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Team inspectors:

Deborah Walters, His Majesty's Inspector Edison David, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

This school is part of The Compass 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), John Camp (OBE), and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Susan Skidmore.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and executive headteacher, other senior leaders, staff, pupils, the CEO and other representatives from the trust, trustees and representatives of the local governing body.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: The school includes a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or difficulties. This caters for 10 pupils with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

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About this inspection

The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and maths measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in maths.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in maths.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in maths and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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