Kidbrooke Park Primary School

Kidbrooke Park Primary School Inspection report

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100136 Unique Reference Number Greenwich Local Authority 307299 Inspection number 28 °29 November 2007 Inspection dates Margaret Coussins 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 241 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs H Hann Chair Mrs J MacLeod Headteacher 7 November 2006 Date of previous school inspection Hargood Road School address Kidbrooke London SE3 8HS 020 8856 8315 Telephone number 020 8856 5339 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 28 °29 November 2007 Inspection dates 307299 Inspection number .

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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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Kidbrooke Park is an average sized primary school serving a diverse community. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average as is the proportion with learning difficulties or disabilities. Just over half of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups. The percentage of pupils who have English as an additional language is much higher than the average. The last inspection in November 2006 judged that the school required significant improvement and gave the school a notice to improve. A monitoring visit in June 2007 judged that the school was making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007

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Grade: 3

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act, 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. The school provides a satisfactory standard of education. Satisfactory improvements have been made in significant areas since the last inspection. Standards are rising but remain below average because of the history of underachievement over several years. Pupils' achievement, which was inadequate at the last inspection, is now satisfactory. Parents are generally positive about the school. Central to the improvements is the good, motivating and skilled leadership provided by the headteacher. The focus is firmly on improving standards and achievement. A close check is kept on the quality of teaching and as a result there is more good teaching. However, teaching is satisfactory overall because as yet there are not enough good lessons to raise standards and achievement rapidly. The curriculum is satisfactory although there are gaps in pupils' skills and

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Grade: 3

knowledge in some subjects as a result of earlier weaknesses. Improved information and communication technology (ICT) resources are helping pupils to begin to make up ground in their ICT skills. Achievement in writing is improving gradually although much remains to be done and it is a focus for the school. Relationships are good and the school successfully includes pupils from many backgrounds and those with specific and complex learning needs. It is a happy working community where everyone feels valued and wants to do their best. The school is working well towards gaining the Healthy School award, which is positively contributing to pupils' adoption of healthy lifestyles. Pupils enjoy school, feel safe and welcome the responsibilities they are given. One child, when asked what the best thing about school was, said, 'The new laptops, because we chose them, we do lots of stuff on them and they make learning interesting and fun.'

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has increased awareness of the different ways in which pupils can learn. The impact of this is seen in pupils' increasing confidence, self-esteem and successes in their learning. This contributes significantly to their good personal development and well-being. Attendance rates have improved since the last inspection and are now average. Behaviour is good in lessons but is satisfactory overall because some pupils find it difficult to moderate their own behaviour without supervision. Leaders and managers know the school's strengths but several have only just taken up their posts and there has not been enough time for their skills to develop or their work to have an impact on standards. Good partnership with other organisations, schools and the local authority have a positive impact on pupils' achievement. Governance is good and has strengthened significantly since the last inspection. Pupils' good personal development and the level of their

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Grade: 3

basic skills mean they are satisfactorily prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 3

When children start in the nursery, their skills are much lower than expected for their age particularly in their language and communication skills. These areas are given a high priority. The result is that children make satisfactory progress in their learning but many do not reach the expected level for their age by the end of the Foundation Stage particularly in their emotional development, language as communication for thinking, and writing. Girls do better than boys 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007 in all areas, and boys' attainment in writing is particularly low. Children are helped to settle well when they start at school, they are happy and feel safe and secure. Teaching is satisfactory and staff work hard to provide a range of activities. The outdoor area, which is well resourced, is included in the planning of the curriculum. There are good opportunities for children to

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Grade: 3

broaden their language experiences through role-play. Staff usually make regular observations of what children can do and these are carefully recorded in order to help them move on in their learning. However sometimes, these opportunities are missed.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the proportion of good and better teaching so that work is consistently well matched to pupils' needs. ■ Extend the breadth and balance of the curriculum to improve pupils' skills and ensure that curriculum planning provides more purposeful learning opportunities across different subjects. ■ Improve standards in English, especially in writing, mathematics and science.

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What the school should do to improve further

A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Although standards remained below average in the 2007 national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, they improved from the previous year in Year 6. Most improvement was made in mathematics because of the school's focus on the subject. Achievement is satisfactory. The school is working hard to eradicate a legacy of underachievement. In Year 6 pupils are making good progress because of the good quality of teaching and are on track to meet challenging targets. Standards in writing are not high enough across the school. Pupils' work shows they are beginning to make better progress as a result of the 'Big Writing' approach and the increased focus on phonics (teaching pupils to link sounds and letters). However, there are still not enough opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills learnt in English in other subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities and those learning English as an additional

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils mostly enjoy school as seen in their improved attendance, which is now average. A few show challenging behaviour, which is well managed by teachers. Pupils are friendly and welcoming and happy to talk to visitors. Pupils from a range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds work and play happily together. Pupils trust adults and are confident that, should any problems arise, they are dealt with promptly. They take their responsibilities seriously and enjoy their roles as school councillors. Pupils who represent the school at events such as school council training and anti-bullying projects gain valuable insights into aspects of citizenship and community, which are shared and highly valued by their peers. They have a good awareness of the need to adopt healthy lifestyles through a balanced diet and exercise and of how to stay safe. Behaviour is satisfactory

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Grade: 2

and pupils have positive attitudes towards learning. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007

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Grade: 3

Lesson planning has improved overall with greater use of assessment to help teachers match work to pupils' needs. Nevertheless, the planning and match of work are inconsistent, especially for some more able pupils. Teaching is good in some lessons but there are not enough of these to lift the pace of learning from satisfactory to good. Some pupils who find it difficult to moderate their own behaviour are managed well by teachers in lessons so that any inappropriate behaviour does not disrupt the learning of others. Good relationships between teachers and their pupils support this. Teachers are working well to give pupils many opportunities to learn from each other by sharing their ideas which contributes well to their thinking, speaking and listening skills. Some teachers are very skilled at asking thought provoking questions and making learning meaningful and challenging, but this is inconsistent. Teachers make good use of the

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Grade: 3

interactive whiteboards to make learning interesting.

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Grade: 3

A series of events and activities have created opportunities for pupils to experience some aspects of the curriculum where improvements were needed. The mathematics calculation month raised skills and enthusiasm of teachers and pupils alike, as well as involving parents. Learning and standards in mathematics improved as a result. The science week enabled pupils to develop their investigative and enquiry work and many pupils cite science as having the 'wow' factor, such is their enthusiasm and motivation. The focus on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science has led, over time, to gaps in the planning of work in some other subjects, for example, geography. As a result, pupils' skills and knowledge are not as good as they should be. The recent improvements in resources and provision for ICT are enabling the school to deal with the gaps in this area. There are insufficient links across subjects to ensure

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Grade: 3

that learning is always as relevant and meaningful as it could be. Circle times and the personal, social and health education curriculum contribute significantly to pupils' personal skills. A range of extra activities, visits and visitors enrich pupils' personal development.

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is good and many links with outside agencies help to ensure that pupils with complex needs are given appropriate support. Initiatives have contributed well to pupils' good personal development and well-being and increased rates of attendance. There has been a good focus on helping to promote anti-bullying measures, led by some pupils involved in local authority training and this is valued by the pupils. Child protection and health and safety procedures meet requirements. Academic guidance is good. Most pupils know their targets, particularly in English and how they can achieve them. Marking generally gives pupils clear guidance about how to improve their work, especially in Big Writing lessons and pupils generally act on the comments made by teachers. This is not as consistently effective in other subjects. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007

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Grade: 3

The impact of the headteacher's good leadership, with increasing support from key members of staff, is evident in many aspects of the school, most significantly in lifting the achievement of pupils to a satisfactory level. Priorities for development and the vision for the future are clear. Staff have been deployed effectively to make the best use of their expertise and experience. Senior and middle managers are taking greater responsibility for monitoring lessons, evaluating test results, and planning improvement initiatives. However, they are not yet rigorously evaluating the achievement of those who are not making fast enough progress and more able pupils. The governing body provides good support, strategic direction and challenge to the school and holds the school to account for its work. Although many of the initiatives of leadership and management are recent and have not yet had an impact on lifting standards to

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Grade: 3

an average level, improvements since the last inspection show that the school has a satisfactory capacity to improve further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 December 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Kidbrooke Park Primary School,London,SE3 8HS I am writing to thank you for making us welcome when we came to visit your school. We enjoyed meeting and talking to you and listening to what you said about your school. We found out that yours is a satisfactory school. In the last year everyone has worked very hard on the areas which the last inspectors said needed significant improvement and so the school no longer has a 'notice to improve.' This is what we found out about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You told us you enjoy coming to school and well done to those of you who attend regularly. This means that you do not miss out on important learning. ■ Everyone in school looks after you very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers help you know how you can improve your work and you know what you have to do to get better and how you can achieve your targets. ■ You develop good personal skills and know what you have to do to keep yourself and others safe and healthy. ■ You behave well in lessons but sometimes you forget how you should behave when teachers are not there. ■ Your headteacher has done a good job and made lots of changes in the school, which have helped you to make better progress in your work. You said that you really like the parts of the school which now look more attractive and more exciting. We have asked the school to work on these three things.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers should make sure that the work they give you is always hard enough so that you achieve as well as you can and make faster progress. ■ Make sure that you are given enough opportunities to learn in all the other subjects as well as English, mathematics and science. ■ Help more of you to do better in your English, mathematics and science and particularly in writing, so that by the time you leave the school you have the best possible chance to do well in the future. You can help by always working hard, listening to your teachers and coming to school every day. Thank you again for all your help. Yours sincerely Margaret Coussins Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Kidbrooke Park Primary School, 28 °29 November 2007

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