Wimbledon Chase Primary School

Wimbledon Chase Primary School Inspection report

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102662 Unique Reference Number Merton Local Authority 308082 Inspection number 6 November 2008 Inspection date Madeleine Gerard Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 507 School (total) 156 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Phillip Webb Chair Mrs Susan Tomes Headteacher 6 June 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Merton Hall Road School address London SW19 3QB 020 8542 1413 Telephone number 020 8542 1668 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 6 November 2008 Inspection date 308082 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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: the quality of teaching and learning; the effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage; the curriculum; the academic guidance given to pupils and the impact of the school's monitoring programme on improving the quality of classroom practice. Evidence was gathered from a range of documents, from data on pupils' progress and from school records. Discussions with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, staff and pupils also informed judgements as did observations of lessons and of pupils around the school and responses in the parents' questionnaire. Some aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self evaluation, were not justified and these

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Introduction

have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Pupils come from a variety of different backgrounds and the majority are white British. The proportion of pupils who are learning English as an additional language is above average although there are very few are at an early stage. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is above average. The majority of these have speech and language difficulties or have specific learning needs. The school hosts a local authority additionally resourced provision for special educational needs. This was previously for pupils with moderate learning difficulties but has been recently designated for those with speech, language and communication needs. The school has a number of nationally recognised awards including the Artsmark Gold, the Basic Skills Quality Mark and Healthy School status. The privately run Acorn Nursery and the Happy Faces after-school club share the school site.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Wimbledon Chase Primary is a good school. There are some outstanding features which include the quality of the EYFS, the pupils' exceptionally good personal development, the quality of the care, guidance and support given to the pupils and the school's approach to community cohesion. One parent commented, 'In this school, every child really does matter.' Children in the EYFS get off to an excellent start in their education. Children join the school with a range of skills and capabilities that are generally at the expected levels for their age. Parents praise the very good induction procedures including home visits by staff and well-established routines which help children to settle quickly and encourage their independence. 'We are delighted with how well our daughter has settled at school. She seems to be enjoying life at Wimbledon Chase very much,' commented one parent, expressing the views of many.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress throughout the rest of the school although the school's own assessment data shows there is some unevenness in the rate of progress between classes and subjects. Standards in tests at the end of Year 2 have been above average since 2005. Standards in national tests have also been above average in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. Although there was a slight dip in 2007 in mathematics and science, provisional test results show standards at the end of Year 6 in 2008 were above average and were particularly high in English. Pupils who receive extra help with their learning make good progress. Pupils enjoy coming to school very much and this is reflected in their outstanding attendance. The school has very successful systems to promote regular attendance and punctuality including a highly prized trophy awarded to the class with the best attendance each week. Relationships

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Grade: 2

between adults and pupils are very good. Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and are calm and courteous as they move around the school. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay healthy and safe. Systems for safeguarding pupils' well-being, safety and health are extremely rigorous and staff implement them well. Pupils are very caring of each other. They value the 'worry box' to express any concerns, are confident that the peer mediators will help them and that adults will take action should any problem occur. Older pupils are enthusiastic to take on responsibility. For example, they help with the smooth running of break times acting as 'Bus Stop Buddies'. Members of the school council take their roles very seriously. There are many times during the school year when pupils make a significant contribution to those less fortunate than themselves. They raise funds to support a wide variety of local, national and

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Grade: 2

international charities. This supports their outstanding awareness of other world cultures and global communities. Opportunities to participate in assemblies and concerts, to perform in the choir and sing for local elderly residents help pupils to grow very well in self-confidence and self-esteem. Pupils working in the special needs resourced provision make outstanding gains in their personal and social skills which helps them to make the good progress that they do and settle readily when they work with their peers. Pupils' outstanding personal skills as well as their good progress in basic skills prepare them well for the next stage in their education. Teachers plan exciting activities which involve pupils actively in their learning. One pupil said, 'Our teachers are really nice and we have lots of fun.' Pupils in Year 5, for example, enjoyed learning about sound waves in science through experiments using balloons, rice on a drum and

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Grade: 2

feeling the vibrations on radio speakers. Pupils appreciate opportunities to talk about their learning and to discuss their ideas in pairs, which promotes their outstanding social skills. Good support from committed additional adults contributes well to pupils' progress. Marking consistently provides guidance on how pupils can improve their work and most pupils can 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008 explain their targets. Assessment systems are successfully enabling the school to track pupils' achievements. Planning generally uses this information very well to match work to individual pupils' needs, although this is not the case consistently. Many pupils enjoy learning a musical instrument and there is a very wide range of popular extra-curricular clubs. Pupils in the gardening club, for example, grow their own vegetables and express their pride in the school through the well-tended flowerbeds throughout the

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Grade: 2

grounds. Pupils and parents appreciate the various enrichment opportunities organised, including themed weeks, visitors to the school, visits to local places of interest and residential experiences such as the Year 5 trip to France. Pupils enjoy working with local artists and artwork adorns the school including African landscapes, studies of National Gallery paintings and huge papier machand;eacute; spacemen. All pupils from Reception to Year 6 learn French. The school is working hard to develop topic themes. Although these are not yet fully in place, there are some strong links between subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 learning about Tudor history compare the lives of rich and poor, study the effects of freezing weather on the River Thames, practise Elizabethan dancing and explore plays by Shakespeare. There are very many sporting activities including cricket, football and hockey at lunchtime, before and after school, which

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Grade: 2

promote pupils' outstanding attitudes to keeping fit and healthy. One parent said, 'Wimbledon Chase is the kind of school that makes me want to be a schoolgirl again!' The headteacher is a strong leader giving clear direction for the school's work and is well supported by the senior management team and other leaders, staff and governors. Teamwork is a real strength that results in everyone working to the benefit of the pupils. Targets are challenging and assist the school in maintaining high standards. The school has demonstrated its good capacity to improve further, not least through the positive impact of recent initiatives to check the progress pupils are making. A programme to monitor and evaluate the work of the school is helpfully identifying strengths and weaknesses in teaching. Nevertheless, the programme is not always used effectively to improve provision further. The school works very well in partnership with parents and a wide range of outside agencies to support the specific

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Grade: 2

needs of the pupils. Workshops, for example for parents of pupils learning English as an additional language, support them in helping their children at home. Parents praise the school and many made a point of writing to express their appreciation for the work of the headteacher and the staff.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding systems for assessing the children when they start in the EYFS ensure that teaching is tailored to their individual needs. Children are included in discussions about how well they are doing in their work and what they could do in order to make it even better. Developing children's personal and social skills is successfully prioritised. As a parent explained, 'The children are put into different pairs regularly so they can get to know all the children.' They thoroughly enjoy all the opportunities they have to develop their language and communication. For example, children chatted excitedly about the noises that they had heard on bonfire night. Children are very well behaved and considerate towards each other. They share equipment and readily take turns. Another parent commented, 'The teaching is developing fantastic life skills - my child took the recent sponsored walk very seriously, and was thrilled to take responsibility as class

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Grade: 1

monitor.' During the time they spend in EYFS children make very good progress in all areas of learning and many exceed the expected levels of skills by the end of the Reception year, particularly in personal and social skills and in physical development. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure information from assessment is used consistently in all classes to meet the needs of all pupils. ■ Use monitoring more effectively to further strengthen teaching and learning. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008

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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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

19 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Wimbledon Chase Primary School,London,SW19 3QB Thank you for the very friendly welcome you gave us and for helping us when we visited your school recently. We really enjoyed our visit and particularly enjoyed watching the Year 6 class assembly and hearing all about life in London during the sixteenth century. Wimbledon Chase Primary is a good school and these are its strengths.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy coming to school, attend very regularly and your parents like the school very much too. ■ Children in the Nursery and Reception classes have an outstanding start to their education.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All the staff provide outstanding care, guidance and support for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers work hard to provide enjoyable activities that help you make good progress and achieve well. ■ You are growing up to be mature, sensible, caring and confident. We were particularly impressed by your excellent behaviour. ■ The school gives you very exciting opportunities in the many clubs you can join.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have a very good understanding of how to keep yourselves fit, healthy and safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have an excellent understanding of those who live in your local community and those who live in communities that are different from your own. We have asked the school to make sure that you are always given work in lessons at just the right level of difficulty for you. We would also like the school to do even more to check on the work it is doing. You can help by continuing to work hard. Yours sincerely Madeleine Gerard Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Wimbledon Chase Primary School, 6 November 2008

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