Cardwell Primary School

Cardwell Primary School Inspection report

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100155 Unique Reference Number Greenwich Local Authority 307306 Inspection number 7 °8 November 2007 Inspection dates Jacqueline Krafft HMI 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 0 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 432 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Samantha Beattie Chair Ms Carol Smith Headteacher 22 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Frances Street School address Woolwich London SE18 5LP 020 8854 1051 Telephone number 020 8854 6060 Fax number

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0-11 Age group 7 °8 November 2007 Inspection dates 307306 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 one of her Majesty's Inspectors and three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Cardwell is a large, urban primary school. It serves a local community which is racially and culturally diverse. The largest groups are of White British and Black African heritage. The number of pupils for whom English is a second language is high and a small number are at the early stages of learning English. More pupils than average join and leave the school at different times during the year and a high percentage are entitled to free school meals. The local area has high levels of deprivation, unemployment and crime. A local regeneration programme is underway. A children's centre, managed by the school's governing body, opened in March 2007 and provides full day care for babies and children to the age of three. A Child Care Inspector inspected these facilities. A range of extended services to support parents and families are also provided.

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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: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007

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Grade: 2

Cardwell is a good school with outstanding features where all pupils are sensitively cared for and nurtured so they feel safe, behave well and make good progress. The school has developed outstanding partnerships with a wide range of agencies, parents and the community. These make a positive contribution to pupils' outstanding personal development and well-being and help them overcome significant barriers to learning. The school provides good quality, relevant extended services and outstanding care and support, which underpin its work and how positively parents and the community view it. As one parent wrote, 'We can strongly say that Cardwell is a fantastic school with a strong, enriched learning environment which is a happy, safe, organised place.' Few pupils enter the school with the skills and knowledge expected for their age and an increasing number have learning difficulties or disabilities or speak English as a second language.

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Grade: 2

Standards and achievement have been improving because the quality of teaching is good, the progress pupils make is monitored carefully and additional support is targeted well. As a result, pupils make good progress from their low starting points. Although standards remain below average by the time they leave the school in Year 6 the gap is closing. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and participate enthusiastically because behaviour management is effective and consistent, relationships are good and routines well established. Teaching assistants and other adults are used well to support learning and lessons are planned carefully. However, activities and questioning do not provide consistent challenge or opportunities for all pupils, particularly the more able, to explain and develop their ideas. Pupils have targets for improvement but the use of assessment information to help pupils know precisely what they need to do is inconsistent, particularly in marking.

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Grade: 2

Extended services make a positive contribution to the good curriculum on offer and help parents to develop the skills they need to support their child's learning. There is a clear focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills and a good range of enrichment opportunities such as those linked to sport, which pupils particularly enjoy. The inspiring leadership of the headteacher, with outstanding support from the deputy headteacher, is the driving force behind this good school. Opportunities provided by extended services and the development of the new children's centre are used creatively to enhance the skills and expertise of all staff, remove barriers to learning and raise achievement. Improvements in personal development and well-being and achievement demonstrate the school has good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage although few enter with the skills and knowledge expected for their age. Effective leadership in the Foundation Stage ensure children's needs are identified quickly. The school's inclusion manager organises excellent liaison with parents and external agencies so children have good support and settle quickly. They make good progress in all areas of learning to reach their expected goals by the time they enter Year 1. Children thoroughly enjoy their learning because the classrooms and outdoor areas are attractive and very well organised. The school's strong focus on developing good relationships and behaviour ensures that they make particularly good progress in their personal, social and 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007 emotional development. They also do well in their physical development, participating very

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Grade: 2

enthusiastically in such activities as 'toddler soccer'. Children's work is carefully assessed, but the school recognises that the information obtained is not yet analysed in enough detail to consistently inform teachers' planning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards by providing consistent challenge for pupils, particularly the more able.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure marking is consistent and informs pupils what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

When pupils start school, the skills and knowledge they have are below those expected for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. They make good progress as they move through the school, including those who join at different times, and standards are rising. Although they are below average at the end of Year 2 and 6, particularly in English, they were closer to the national average in 2007 than the previous two years. Targets are challenging and generally met and in 2007 were exceeded except at the higher levels in English. Few pupils reach the highest levels in the national tests. Pupils with learning difficulties and those who speak English as a second language receive well-targeted, timely support so make good progress.

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Grade: 1

Pupils really enjoy coming to school and comment very positively on how much they like their teachers, who make learning interesting and fun for them. They take part enthusiastically in what the school has to offer and feel extremely safe. Attendance has improved since the last inspection and there have been some notable successes but it remains below average despite strenuous efforts by the school. Pupils particularly value and respond well to the outstanding support and care provided for them. They demonstrate an excellent understanding of the school's motto of 'mutual respect' and are sharply aware of the way their actions affect others so are polite and considerate. 'Buddy Bus Stop' and other collection points in the playground help to ensure that pupils do not feel left out. Excellent relationships result in good and improved behaviour. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent and they

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Grade: 1

demonstrate a keen awareness of moral, social and multi cultural issues. This has a marked impact on the way pupils relate to other pupils and contributes exceptionally well to the school as a harmonious, multi-ethnic community. This awareness makes a significant contribution to preparing them for the next steps in their education and their positive attitude to learning. They have a very good understanding of how to live healthy lifestyles, especially through the work that has been done by the school to gain the Healthy schools and Active schools award. 'It is important to be fit to make sure your brain works,' commented one pupil. Pupils enjoy being on the school council and actively contributing to improvements in the school.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are well planned and teachers successfully use a good range of resources, including relevant computer programs, to make learning interesting and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007 fun. High expectations and good behaviour management are features of the best lessons. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning, show positive attitudes towards their work and make good progress. Activities are varied and based on a careful assessment of pupils' needs. Teachers use the skills and expertise of support staff well to enhance learning, particularly for those with learning difficulties and disabilities and the most vulnerable. However, there is inconsistency in the pace and challenge provided for the more able pupils and the quality of marking so pupils do not know how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is interesting, relevant and planned carefully to meet to need of all pupils. Teachers successfully, bring literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) into many lessons reinforcing pupils' skills and adding to their enjoyment. Good resources, including a large number of laptop computers, are used effectively to enhance the curriculum. New reading and writing programmes such as Big Writing have been introduced to develop the quality of writing and reading skills across the school. Specialist sports coaches, a music specialist, the local artist and the volunteer reading scheme are used effectively to support learning. The school also takes every opportunity to work with local community groups such as Charlton Athletic Football Club and the O2 Centre to enrich the curriculum. The school has extended the curriculum with a comprehensive range of additional out-of-hours

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Grade: 2

activities and clubs. They are well attended by pupils at the school and clubs including booster groups, Easter Club, sport, music, chess, dance and drama help make the school a place where children want to be.

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Grade: 2

The care and support provided for pupils are excellent and contribute significantly to pupils' outstanding personal development and well-being. Procedures to protect children and ensure their safety are good. Vulnerable pupils and their families are provided with outstanding support in school through the school's extended provision and excellent liaison with outside agencies. Any emerging issues are followed up quickly and rigorously by staff so that pupils who may have particular emotional or support needs settle well in school feeling safe and secure. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and their families are given excellent support although there is insufficient analysis of the particular learning needs of those pupils at the very early stages of learning English to guide them in lessons. Clear expectations are set for the progress pupils should make each year and this is monitored every half term through

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Grade: 2

progress meetings. Pupils have targets for improvement but how these are used by pupils to improve their work is not yet fully embedded.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management at all levels, including governors, are good. The inspirational leadership of the headteacher provides a clear, widely shared vision for the school placing it at the heart of the community. This vision is clearly focused on high expectations, raising standards and reducing the many barrier Cardwell pupils face. Teamwork is a particular strength of the 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007 school and is modelled effectively by the headteacher and deputy. Self-evaluation is systematic, honest and accurately identifies the school's key strengths and areas for development. Subject leaders are involved in monitoring, including lesson observations, although some evaluations lack a precise link to pupil outcomes. All staff are held to account for the impact of their work through regular reviews of pupil progress and performance management. Information is used

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Grade: 2

to identify staff training needs and inform planning for improvement. The school's plan for improvement, however, lacks specific, measurable success criteria against which to evaluate its impact. Governors provide good support and challenge. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 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? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 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: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 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: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Cardwell Primary School,London,SE18 5LP Thank you for making us so welcome when we visited your school recently. We really enjoyed talking to you, looking at your work and seeing you in lessons. Your school is a good school where you make good progress in your work and are extremely well cared for. You work hard for your teachers and you and your parents told us you enjoy school and feel very safe. You behave well, are polite and care for each other. You have lots of extra activities and clubs which many of you attend. Your teachers make the lessons interesting for you by using lots of different resources and making lessons fun. I know some of you really enjoyed eating the sandwiches you made when learning how to following instructions. We were very impressed to see the very youngest of you taking part in the toddler soccer. You get lots of help and support when you need it.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

To make it even better, we have asked your headteacher and teachers to give you work that will make you think even harder and to let you know exactly what you need to do to improve you work. Thank you again for making us so welcome and we hope that you carry on enjoying all the exciting things you do at school. With best wishes Jackie Krafft Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Cardwell Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007

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