Schools & FE · Report card

Oliver Goldsmith Primary School

Inspected 14 Jul 2026 · published 1 Oct 2026 · URN 100821

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Lisa Farrow (lead), James Waite, Sacha Husnu-Beresford

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Strong standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
14 Jul 2026
Inspectors verified
James Waite, Lisa Farrow, Sacha Husnu-Beresford
Postcode verified
SE5 8UH
Name on report verified
Oliver Goldsmith Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
100821

Page 1 of 15

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

positive

Inclusive primary school with strong safeguarding and support, though some handwriting and outcomes need improvement.

Safeguarding standards are met and the school is highly inclusive, with effective support for pupils with special educational needs, disadvantaged pupils and those previously known to children's social care. Published Year 6 outcomes are below the national average, but inspectors say this does not reflect the quality of education. Pupils generally develop appropriate reading, writing and mathematics skills, though handwriting and some assessment need to be more consistent.

Going well

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe
Highly inclusive culture where every child belongs
Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils
Pupils behave very well and enjoy learning
Pupils are confident and resilient, with a strong personal development programme

To improve

Ensure pupils form letters correctly, particularly in the early years
Improve handwriting support so gaps in learning are addressed
Make assessment more rigorous across all subjects to identify gaps quickly
Target support for persistent absence more precisely to individual needs

Summary written by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the report text. It can miss nuance: the report itself is the record.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementExpected
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsExpected
InclusionStrong
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+68Positivemore positive than 40% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisepositiveeffectivelyhighly effectivehigh expectationsenjoyconsistentlyambitiousfeel safe

Criticismnot consistentlygapspersistent absenceconcernsstruggleerrorsnot rigorousbelow

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1599w+72
Leadership228w+73
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve85w−43

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Next steps

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Leadership & governance40
“Leaders have high expectations for behaviour and staff apply these consistently.” p.3
Progress & outcomes13
“Leaders identify children’s starting points accurately, track their progress effectively and plan targeted support so that children keep up in their learning.” p.3
Curriculum11
“However, this is not consistently rigorous across all subjects.” p.3
Behaviour10
“Leaders have high expectations for behaviour and staff apply these consistently.” p.3
Reading & phonics9
“Children love hearing stories and engage well with books.” p.3
Parents & families9
“Parents are positive about the work of the school and appreciative of the support given to their children.” p.4
SEND & inclusion8
“Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, typically make secure progress and achieve well from their starting points.” p.5
Wellbeing & mental health8
“This is because leaders prioritise pupils’ emotional wellbeing through an effective pastoral system.” p.4

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 15
Words of findings: 1,963; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 45, typical 43
Average sentence: 14 words
Next steps: 4; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 4%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 55%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 3%About the inspection 33%

Full report text

Oliver Goldsmith Primary School

Address: Peckham Road, Camberwell, London, SE5 8UH Unique reference number (URN): 100821

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Inclusion Strong standard

This highly inclusive school welcomes all pupils and has a culture where every child belongs. Staff identify individual needs quickly and provide highly effective support to help pupils overcome barriers. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities succeed because leaders put thoughtful adaptations and support in place. Leaders also ensure that pupils previously known to children’s social care receive targeted support that promotes both learning and wellbeing.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders’ ongoing review of the changing needs of pupils means that they respond promptly. They check the progress of pupils carefully, making swift and well-considered adjustments where necessary. As a result, support for pupils is consistently highly effective.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Staff receive high-quality professional development, equipping them with the expertise to meet a range of needs with confidence and skills. Leaders work in partnership with many external professionals, ensuring that pupils get the right support at the right time. This collaborative approach has a significant and lasting impact on pupils’ achievement and well- being.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use the pupil premium funding strategically to ensure that barriers for disadvantaged pupils are reduced. They evaluate the impact of provision rigorously and refine support where necessary, helping pupils to achieve increasingly positive outcomes.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

While published outcomes at the end of Year 6 are below the national average, this does not reflect the quality of education provided by the school. Many pupils join the school during the academic year. They make secure progress from their starting points. Pupils who are new to English and/or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make significant progress. Leaders' actions ensure that pupils are successful learners and generally acquire the knowledge and skills they need to progress to the next stage of education.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Overall, pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum which enables them to revisit prior knowledge and build on their learning. As a result, they typically develop appropriate knowledge and skills in early reading, writing and mathematics. This is also the case across the wider curriculum where pupils’ work and discussions with pupils show that they learn effectively over time. However, some pupils do not use correct letter formation, particularly in the early years. This impedes their ability to write fluently.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Attendance is a high priority for school leaders. They work with families when their children start at school to set clear expectations. This includes children in the early years as well as the many pupils that join the school at different points in their education. Leaders ensure that new pupils who are particularly vulnerable get the support they need so that they settle in, helping to reduce anxiety about coming to school. Any barriers to attendance are well understood, and leaders actively work with both families and external agencies to address these. They constantly review their approach to make sure the support they provide is effective. This leads to rapid improvements in attendance for individual pupils. While leaders monitor attendance closely, their analysis of persistent absence does not consistently ensure that support is targeted to individual needs.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for behaviour and staff apply these consistently. This means that pupils behave very well in lessons. Pupils enjoy learning. Their conduct towards each other as well as staff is positive. Bullying is rare and always dealt with. Discrimination and harassment are not tolerated. Leaders and staff make well-considered adaptations for pupils who need support with their behaviour, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. This ensures that pupils participate in all aspects of school life and engage well with school routines.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum. From the early years, it identifies the knowledge that pupils will learn as they progress through the school. It enables pupils to build this knowledge over time. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching across the school. They ensure that staff have appropriate professional training so that staff have a secure knowledge of the subjects they teach.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school prioritises the foundations of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils, including those who arrive at the school with no English, are taught to read using systematic synthetic phonics. They read books that are closely matched to their knowledge. If pupils struggle, they receive targeted support to catch up. However, at times, pupils are not supported well enough with their handwriting.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

In lessons, teachers explain concepts clearly and make meaningful connections across subjects. They regularly make adjustments so that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well. Typically, teachers use ongoing assessment effectively to check what pupils understand and where they may need more help. However, this is not consistently rigorous across all subjects. This means that some gaps in learning are not identified and addressed as quickly as they could be.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years have a positive start to school life. Leaders have clear ambitions for children and have put plans in place to ensure that children develop the foundational skills they need. Leaders identify children’s starting points accurately, track their progress effectively and plan targeted support so that children keep up in their learning. The curriculum maps out the knowledge to be learned from Nursery, with a focus on communication and language. Staff help children to develop their language and vocabulary effectively. However, at times, gaps in children’s learning, such as in handwriting, are not fully addressed by the time they leave Reception. The teaching of reading is prioritised and well embedded. Leaders ensure that staff have the expertise to teach phonics effectively. Staff support children to recall and apply their phonics knowledge. Children love hearing stories and engage well with books.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Children enjoy a wide range of activities both indoors and outdoors. They play independently and develop positive learning behaviours. They are well cared for. Leaders work with parents and carers to share useful information and enhance their children’s progress.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders at all levels have a clear vision for the pupils at the school. They have an accurate understanding of the areas for improvement, with suitable plans in place to address these. Leaders understand the school’s context and the potential barriers faced by pupils. Safeguarding and pupils' wellbeing are at the heart of leaders’ work. They put pupils first and decisions are always made in pupils' best interests. Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They play an active role and bring a breadth of skills and experience to the role. Governors hold leaders to account effectively, providing support and challenge, and meet their statutory duties.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders carefully consider staff wellbeing when they make decisions. They are mindful of workload and take this into account when introducing a new initiative. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the professional development opportunities on offer to them which are linked to the school improvement priorities. Staff share leaders’ ambitions for all pupils.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders’ work with other professionals further strengthens the provision. The impact of this is seen in the effectiveness of the inclusion strategy for pupils with special needs and/or disabilities and pupils who are disadvantaged.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders engage well with parents and carers and the local community. Parents are positive about the work of the school and appreciative of the support given to their children.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils are resilient and confident learners. This is because leaders prioritise pupils’ emotional wellbeing through an effective pastoral system. Pupils benefit from a comprehensive personal, social and health education curriculum. It is enhanced through initiatives such as themed weeks on Black history and anti-bullying. The curriculum is carefully planned to build pupils’ knowledge and understanding over time. Pupils develop a secure understanding of topics such as healthy relationships, respect and tolerance.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils are confident when discussing British values. For example, they relate the rule of law to following the school rules. They are highly aware of protected characteristics and understand the differences between people that are protected by law, such as race and religion. This prepares them well for the wider world. Leaders ensure that pupils are equipped to manage risks to their wellbeing, both online and offline, and within the local community. For example, pupils in Year 6 learn how to travel to school safely. Leaders make sure that pupils experience a smooth transition to secondary school. Pupils attend a broad range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. Funding for pupils who are disadvantaged is used to promote their engagement in wider opportunities. Leaders track participation to make sure that everyone is included. Pupils participate enthusiastically in the school council. They can see the positive impact it has on school life, through the

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

introduction of 'buddy benches', for example. While some year groups benefit from a range of educational trips and visits, these opportunities are not consistent across the school.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school’s pastoral support programme responds effectively to meet the needs of pupils. For example, drama therapists and mental health support workers are available during the school day to help pupils with their emotional wellbeing. Leaders build positive relationships with parents and carers as soon as pupils join the school. This helps to ensure that families feel well supported and engaged in their children's education.

p.5