Culvers House Primary School

Inspection Report Culvers House Primary School

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131103 Unique Reference Number Sutton Local Authority 293705 Inspection number 26 °27 September 2006 Inspection dates Lynn Bappa Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Orchard Avenue School address Primary Type of school Mitcham Foundation School category CR4 4JH 3 °11 Age range of pupils 020 8255 6199 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8255 6195 Fax number 360 Number on roll (school) Sue Smith Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Lynne Smart-Steel Headteacher 14 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 293705 26 °27 September 2006 3°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Culvers House is a larger than average primary school. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above average. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds, with about one fifth coming from a variety of minority ethnic heritages. There are very few pupils with English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average and the school houses an Opportunities Base for up to 16 physically disabled learners.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that enables its pupils to achieve well. The school has had many obstacles to overcome since its last inspection and the success of its work since then is evident. The school is a happy, harmonious and safe place. There is a very strong commitment towards making every child feel valued and fully included in every aspect of school life. Staff, parents and pupils are rightly proud of this. As a result, pupils are developing well as individuals. Attendance has improved and is now broadly average, although a small number of parents do not ensure that their children come to school regularly enough. Parents are very pleased with what the school offers. As one parent commented, 'Culvers House has always put the children first at all times'. The headteacher has a comprehensive understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses and of what needs to be done to improve it. She is supported well by the

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Grade: 2

deputy headteacher, staff and governors. A real strength of the school is the high quality of teamwork and commitment which ensures that everyone, including support staff, the lunch time supervisors and office staff play an integral part in moving the school forward. In the year since she was appointed, the headteacher has put strategies into place to improve teaching, enrich the curriculum and raise standards. These have been successful. Teaching and learning and the curriculum are good and standards are beginning to rise. When the children start school, many do not have the skills expected for their age, especially in writing and calculation. The Foundation Stage curriculum is well planned and children in the Reception class make a good start to their education. This good achievement is built on so that pupils leave school with standards that are just above average. The school makes full use of its excellent links with outside agencies

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Grade: 2

to ensure that pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are very well supported. As a result, most make very good progress towards their individual targets. Teachers are getting better at setting challenging work for higher attaining pupils. So far, this has increased the percentage of pupils gaining higher levels but some higher attainers still do not achieve as well as they could. Pupils of all abilities enjoy their lessons and quickly become confident and happy learners who are keen to do well. Leadership and management are good. Senior leaders have developed good procedures for monitoring the school's work. The drive to improve standards is fully supported by subject leaders but at the moment they do not all play a rigorous enough part in improving teaching and learning in their areas. The school has begun to provide training to help them to become more involved.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that more able pupils are consistently challenged to increase the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in English, mathematics and science. • Involve subject leaders more in improving teaching and learning and raising achievement. 2 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006 • Work with parents to improve the attendance of the small number of pupils who do not come to school regularly.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Pupils enter the school with a wide range of starting points, but below average standards overall. Children get off to a good start in the Reception class and continue to make good progress during their time in school. Standards at the end of Year 2 are in line with what is expected for pupils of this age. They leave school in Year 6 with standards that are just above average, although the proportions of pupils who achieve the highest levels in English, mathematics and science are below average. The school is well aware of this situation and is working hard to improve the rates of progress made by higher attainers. Pupils with learning difficulties and those who are part of the Opportunities Base make good progress and the school makes sure that these pupils are fully included in every part of school life.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good. Most children enjoy coming to school and participate actively in everything it has to offer them. They are confident and outgoing. They display a great deal of common sense and have very good social skills. They are rightly proud of their school and its caring ethos. They report bullying, if it occurs, and play and work together happily. Pupils show a good understanding of safety issues. They take great care to ensure that children who use walking frames, for example, can move around the school easily and safely. Pupils behave well and are polite and friendly to each other and to staff and visitors. At the time of the last inspection, attendance was below average. The school is working very hard with parents to ensure that their children attend regularly and on time. As a result, punctuality has got better and attendance has improved, although there are

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Grade: 2

too many parents who do not send a note to explain their child's absence. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They have a good understanding of right and wrong, coupled with a sense of fairness. They have a keen interest in other cultures and religious traditions. School councillors are pleased that their views are taken seriously by the school and pupils contribute to the wider community through, for example, raising money for mental health charities. They enjoy sporting activities and understand why it is important to take part in them. They show a good understanding of which foods are good for you. As one pupil said, 'Broccoli helps you grow'. Another was keen to explain that 'You have to eat five fruit and vegetables every day, but strawberry jam doesn't count'. Pupils' positive attitudes and good achievement in basic skills prepare them well for the next stage in their

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Grade: 2

education. 3 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching has got better since the last inspection. Staffing is now stable and teachers have time to plan together and share ideas. Pupils learn well and find it helpful that teachers make it clear what they are going to learn in lessons. Underpinning the good learning is the respect that teachers show to pupils and the relaxed, yet controlled, atmosphere in classrooms. Teachers are getting better at tailoring their teaching to the right level, although they are not yet consistently challenging more able pupils to achieve as well as they might.

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Grade: 2

Pupils leave school with a good set of basic skills. Teachers' planning in a small number of subjects lacks rigour. Pupils report that geography is their least favourite subject, for example. The curriculum is enhanced by a strong creative element and by events such as Roald Dahl day. Pupils really look forward to afternoons of drama, for example, and parents comment how pleased they are that their children learn Spanish and French in Years 3 and 4. Pupils' understanding of environmental issues is developed well through the school's commitment to recycling, its ecology club and visits to a local wetlands centre. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the clubs and visits that are provided, and uptake is high. Year 5 pupils, watching a video of last year's Year 6 residential trip, for example, said they 'just can't wait for next year to come'.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Pupils know that there is always someone to whom they can go to if they have problems or are upset. There are good child protection procedures in place. Bullying is rare and both pupils and their parents confirm this. Parents view the school as sensitive and reassuring; much of this is achieved through the highly effective extended school programme which offers a wide range of support for parents, carers and members of the local community. Parents and carers of children in the Opportunities Base attend fortnightly coffee mornings, for example. Procedures for monitoring academic achievement have improved, although teachers do not yet make full enough use of assessment information to set targets and help pupils to improve their work. 4 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has steered the school well, following a difficult period of change, including recent high staff turnover and a long time without a permanent headteacher. There are many signs of real improvement and the school is in a good position to build on these. Teaching has improved, for example. There has not yet been sufficient time, however, to see the full impact of all the recent initiatives to raise standards. The percentage of pupils who gain the highest levels in the national test results at the end of Year 6 is still not high enough, for example. Staff and governors take good account of parental opinion and respond well to suggestions made by them. As one parent commented, 'The Head is very fair and takes on board what children and parents have to say'. Governors are supportive and have a growing understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. 5 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We enjoyed visiting your school and thank you for making us feel so welcome. It was good to chat with you and to see some of your work. We agree with you that your school is good, and there are many things we like about it: • You all get on very well together and care for one another. • You take your jobs seriously and act responsibly. • Your teachers teach you well. Your lessons are interesting and fun and you work hard and make good progress. • Your teachers and the other people who work in the school are friendly and you know you can talk to them if you have a problem or are upset. • Your behaviour is good. Although you go to a good school, we noticed a few things that we think your teachers could do now to make it even better. You can help them with these things: • A few of you need to attend school more regularly. If you are ill and do not come to school, your parents or the grownups who look after you must remember to write a note to your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

teacher to explain why. • We think that your teachers need to do a bit more to make sure that those of you who are capable of reaching the top levels in your work should have more chances to do so. • Teachers who are in charge of subjects have started to look carefully at work in those subjects to make sure that everyone is doing as well as they can and that standards continue to get better. We have asked them to carry on doing this. Thank you once again for your help. We hope you continue to enjoy the rest of your time at Culvers House. Yours sincerely, Dr Lynn Bappa,Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Culvers House Primary School, 26 °27 September 2006

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