William Morris Primary School

William Morris Primary School

Address: Recreation Way, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 1PJ Unique reference number (URN): 102661

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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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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have extremely robust systems in place to support pupils to attend school regularly. They carefully analyse data to identify any trends and put in place highly impactful support to reduce individual pupils' absences. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is significantly above the national average. Although external data outlines overall absence is in line with national averages, this does not take into account the context of the school. The number of disadvantaged pupils in the school is well above the national average. There are also a significant number of pupils who join the school mid-year who require support to attend school regularly. Leaders work very closely with these pupils and their families to reduce their absences. The attendance of these pupils rapidly improves during the academic year.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to their learning during lessons. They are highly motivated and dedicated to their learning. Behaviour in lessons and at breaktime is extremely positive. Behaviour systems are clear, and staff have very high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Staff consistently apply the behaviour policy at all points during the school day. Incidents of bullying or the use of discriminatory language are extremely rare and are not tolerated.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have an acute understanding of the strengths and priorities in curriculum and teaching. Any areas for development are identified and addressed swiftly. For example, leaders identified areas of priority in the mathematics curriculum and supported staff to develop their skills and expertise in this area. Although the impact of this work has not had time to feed through to end of Year 6 national measures in mathematics, the highly positive impact of this work is clearly evident in the pupils' knowledge and understanding and in the quality of work that they produce.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Securing strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics is a key priority in the curriculum. Leaders swiftly identify any pupils who require extra support in these areas. This includes the high numbers of pupils who join the school during the academic year. These pupils are supported to catch up highly effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. It is designed to build pupils' knowledge over time. Leaders carefully adapt the curriculum if any gaps or misconceptions are identified. Teachers have expert subject knowledge. Activities are skilfully designed to deepen pupils' knowledge. Staff are highly consistent in checking pupils' understanding and addressing misconceptions. Teachers and support staff are remarkably skilled in ensuring that pupils with barriers can access the curriculum effectively. They make highly effective adaptations when required that support pupils to successfully access the curriculum and flourish.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders are experts in providing high-quality education for children in the early years. They have a thorough understanding of their strengths and areas for priority. The curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that children develop across all areas of learning very effectively. The school swiftly identifies any children who join with gaps in their early development. Bespoke support is put in place to ensure that these children quickly catch up. Leaders and staff identify any potential barriers to learning, including children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are highly skilled in supporting these children to successfully access the curriculum and thrive.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff interactions with children are consistently of a very high quality. They skilfully develop children's language and vocabulary through purposeful and very well considered interactions. Children's development of reading is a priority. Staff deliver the phonics programme confidently and consistently check pupils' understanding, addressing misconceptions swiftly when required. Children make extremely rapid progress in the early years. This ensures that they are very well prepared for Year 1. The school works extremely closely with external partners, parents and carers to ensure the children receive the very best care and support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders are highly skilled and knowledgeable about supporting pupils with a broad range of barriers to their learning. They swiftly identify pupils who may have barriers. Staff are well trained to identify any emerging needs pupils may have. There are precise systems in place to swiftly assess pupils once a barrier has been identified. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported consistently well across the school. Staff are highly skilled in removing barriers to learning during lessons to ensure all pupils can achieve well from their starting points. Pupils with SEND are thriving in this school. The support in place for all pupils with barriers is regularly reviewed and adjusted to ensure that it is having an appropriate impact.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school works closely and very effectively with families and a broad range of external professionals. This includes those who support pupils who are known or previously known to social care. There is a clear pupil premium funding strategy that has carefully considered the needs of disadvantaged pupils in the school. The impact of this is regularly reviewed by school leaders and governors. This supports disadvantaged pupils to perform very positively in end of Year 6 national tests when compared to similar pupils nationally.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a precise understanding of the strengths and areas of priority in the school. They are relentless in their drive to continually improve and develop the school. All actions are taken in the very best interests of pupils. Improvement strategies are skilfully designed and purposefully carried out. Leaders continuously assess and check the impact of their improvement strategies to ensure that all pupils, particularly those who are the most vulnerable, are benefiting from an extremely high-quality education across all areas of the school. Governors bring a wealth of experience to their role. They hold leaders to account and provide support to ensure that the school is moving in the right strategic direction. Governors meet all their statutory duties, including around safeguarding and equalities. Staff are highly positive about how the school supports them with their wellbeing and workload. Leaders have put in place well-considered strategies to support staff to manage their

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

workload. They have developed a very warm and collegiate culture where staff look after and support each other. Staff are very passionate and proud to work at this school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff professional development is linked closely to the school's developmental priorities. Leaders ensure that staff receive high-quality training and methodically quality assure its impact. This ensures that training becomes embedded in the everyday practice of staff. The school works diligently to continue to build highly positive relationships with parents and carers. They have made many high-quality links with external professionals and the local community, which enhance and support the excellent provision that they offer to their pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development programme is extremely well considered and highly bespoke to the pupils in the school. Leaders have carefully considered the context of their pupils when deciding what to include in the programme and at what stage areas should be covered. The personal, social and emotional development curriculum supports pupils to learn how to stay healthy and safe. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and consent through the comprehensive health education programme. Pupils' depth of knowledge about personal development is remarkable. They consistently demonstrate a detailed understanding of a broad range of themes, including online safety, tolerance and the importance of respecting and celebrating differences. Pupils discuss these themes with confidence and authority. This supports pupils to be extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils develop an excellent sense of civic duty. They contribute regularly to the school and local community. Pupils raise an extraordinary amount of money for various charities each year and support the local community with litter picks and supporting at a care home. They make valuable contributions to the school community, for example developing green spaces and strategies to save energy. Pupils take part in a very broad range of themed days and complete activities linked to their 'composer of the month'. This helps to develop pupils' cultural understanding. Pupils take part in a range of trips that support their curriculum learning but also provide them with a rich range of experiences. These include visits to museums, galleries and an outdoor pursuits residential centre.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pastoral support is highly bespoke to pupils. Staff know individual pupils and their families extremely well and provide high-quality support for them, including to support their wellbeing. The school has links with a broad range of external professionals who support the school to deliver excellent care for their pupils.

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Achievement Expected standard

During lessons, pupils demonstrate a very firm understanding of the foundations of literacy and numeracy. They use this knowledge successfully across the curriculum to access and enhance their learning. Pupils consistently produce work of a very high quality across subjects in the curriculum. They discuss their learning clearly and confidently using subject- specific vocabulary. Pupils have a secure understanding of prior learning, which they use to access and embed new knowledge. Pupils with a range of barriers, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well and make positive progress through the curriculum from their starting points. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education by the end of Year 6.

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Achievement Expected standard

Although developments in curriculum and teaching have positively impacted the quality of pupils' achievement in lessons, these improvements are not currently reflected in national outcomes. Although some outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are above the national average, some measures remain close to average. Disadvantaged pupils perform consistently above the national average when compared to similar pupils in the country.

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

Pupils thrive in this welcoming and highly inclusive school. Staff support pupils to quickly feel a great sense of belonging when they start. This includes the large number of pupils who join the school mid-year. Pupils are encouraged to feel included in the vibrant and energetic daily life of the school. Staff know the individual pupils extremely well. This supports pupils to feel safe in school. Pupils and staff have formed very positive relationships. Pupils feel well cared for and secure. They have developed extremely positive relationships with their peers. Older pupils in the school feel a great sense of responsibility to look after their younger peers. Year 6 pupils take on the role of 'Playground Peacemakers', where they resolve minor disagreements and support younger pupils to play well together.

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

Pupils demonstrate a great sense of excitement and wonder in their learning. They enjoy coming to school and, as a result, attend regularly. Teaching is consistently of a very high quality across year groups, including in the early years. Pupils achieve well, performing close to or above the national averages across the end of key stage 2 national measures. Pupils with barriers to their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are expertly supported to make positive progress through the curriculum from their starting points. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary both in lessons and around the school site. They are confident, kind and enthusiastic. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare. Pupils are confident that staff would address this promptly if it were to happen. Pupils access a broad range of wider opportunities that help to develop their talents and interests. For example,

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Team inspectors:

Rajeshree Mehta, Ofsted Inspector Graham Chisnell, Ofsted Inspector Nick Hitchen, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

they take part in pottery club, play in the school steel pan band and represent their school in a broad range of sports competitions.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the developments in curriculum and teaching in mathematics continue to embed to ensure that the improvements evident in the pupils' knowledge and understanding feed through to national outcomes at the end of Year 6.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Rachel Stern.

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About this inspection

The school is part of the Be Different Federation.

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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 (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the chief executive headteacher, governors, the head of school, other senior leaders, staff and pupils during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Chief Executive Headteacher: Nathalie Bull This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 1 July 2026

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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 6 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 needs support 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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

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

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average

2024/25 (final) 67% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 63% 60% Close to average

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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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average

2024/25 (final) 77% 75% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 79% 73% Close to average

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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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average

2022/23 (final) 77% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 72% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

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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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mathematics

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

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average

2024/25 (final) 57% 47% Close to average

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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 mathematics

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

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average

2024/25 (final) 71% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 62% 59% Close to average

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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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mathematics

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

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics 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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.1% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.9% 5.5% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 13.3% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 16.5% 14.6% Close to average

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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 standard 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 standard 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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