Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School

Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School Inspection report

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102666 Unique Reference Number Merton Local Authority 308085 Inspection number 14 December 2007 Inspection date 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 419 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs E Broad Chair Mr R Cargill Headteacher 30 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection Lake Road School address Wimbledon London SW19 7EP 020 8946 6666 Telephone number 020 8944 0722 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 14 December 2007 Inspection date 308085 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 an Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

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Introduction

■ standards and achievement, particularly in Key Stage 1

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from performance data, observations of teaching and the work produced by pupils. Parents' questionnaires and discussions with children, the chair of governors and staff also contributed to the judgements. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This is a large, two-form entry, over-subscribed, Church of England school serving a part of Wimbledon. The pupils mostly come from advantaged families. The percentage entitled to free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much lower than is found in most schools. Around one third of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Although most pupils join and leave the school at the regular times, a small but significant number leave before the end of Year 6 to transfer to the independent sector. The school has the Activemark Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School, 14 December 2007

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Grade: 1

Bishop Gilpin is an outstanding school where pupils blossom, both academically and personally. Many pupils spoke very highly of the school during the inspection. They are particularly enthusiastic about the rich curriculum that encourages them to think for themselves and develop a thirst for learning. A particular strength of the curriculum is the way in which different subjects are linked together to motivate and engage the pupils. Some of the results of this can be seen in the impressive range of work on display in classrooms and around the school. One pupil, trying to describe why he liked the curriculum, said, 'We don't just study maths in this school. We do maths, English and other things at the same time. Today we have worked out the total cost of all the items in the Twelve Days of Christmas, and we have even sung the song in a jazzed-up version'. Their positive views are shared by most of their parents. A typical comment

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Grade: 1

was 'The school has high aspirations for pupils and encourages an independence and enjoyment of learning within an environment of thoughtfulness for others.' Pupils feel safe, know how to keep healthy and trust the adults around them. Most attend school regularly, thoroughly enjoy lessons and other activities, and make excellent progress in their personal development and well- being. They behave extremely well and say that bullying is rare. School councillors say that the headteacher 'always listens to us before making up his mind'. Excellent teaching, underpinned by pupils' extremely positive attitudes to learning, result in high standards and outstanding achievement. Standards in national tests in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science are exceptionally high. Almost all pupils gain at least the expected levels in English, mathematics and science and a high proportion exceed the expectations for

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Grade: 1

their age. In the 2007 tests, results showed that the progress made by pupils between Years 2 and 6 placed the school in the top six per cent of all primary schools nationally. Standards by the end of Year 2 are significantly above average in reading, writing and numeracy and pupils make very good progress overall. The school's self-evaluation shows that, in order to accelerate the rate of progress even further, the Year 1 curriculum needs to undergo review and build more effectively on the excellent foundations laid in Nursery and Reception. Pupils achieve high standards in other areas of the curriculum, such as art and history. Year 6 work on the ancient Greeks, for example, is impressive and links history, English and art. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities and the small number with English as an additional language gain very good skills for learning and make excellent progress. The school is well on its way to meeting

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Grade: 1

its challenging targets for next year and prepares its pupils very well for the next stage of their education. Strong features in the teaching include a wide range of interesting activities, the fast pace of lessons, excellent relationships and very good use of resources such as interactive white boards. Pupils say that work is challenging and hard, 'in a good way'. As one pupil commented, 'We're always up for a challenge in this school!' Teaching assistants make a very valuable contribution to pupils' learning, supporting individuals and small groups. Pupils are developing so well as individuals because the school has established a very strong ethos of respect and care for others. Parents are particularly pleased with the way the school cares for their children. Pastoral care is outstanding. There are excellent procedures for child protection. Academic guidance is very good. Pupils' progress is tracked closely, and pupils are very clear about how to achieve

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Grade: 1

the targets set for them. At the heart of the school's success is the very strong leadership and management. The headteacher knows the school's strengths and weaknesses very well and this is evident in the 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School, 14 December 2007 high quality of the school's self-evaluation. The school has very good systems for checking how well it is doing and uses them effectively. Together, senior leaders, governors and all staff form a very effective team who go the extra mile to make sure all pupils, whatever their starting points, are given the best possible start to their education. The vast majority of parents support the school. They feel that they are fully involved in what the school does and that their views are taken into account. The school has an excellent capacity to improve. This is because there is a common sense of purpose and a lack of complacency. The impact of the highly effective

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Grade: 1

leadership can also be seen in the excellent progress made since the last inspection in, for example, standards in information and communication technology.

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Grade: 1

The Foundation Stage provides an excellent start to children's education. As one parent commented, 'My son is always a bit sad at the weekend when he can't go to school.' Children begin Nursery with skills that are above those typically found in most three year-olds. They make excellent progress in Nursery and Reception and by the time they enter Year 1 most have exceeded the goals expected of them. The Foundation Stage curriculum is lively, interesting and provides children with a stimulating range of activities to support the different areas of learning, both indoors and out. Outdoor areas have improved significantly and now provide an outstanding level of challenge and motivation. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is highly engaging and provides children with very good opportunities to acquire essential skills through sustained learning. Assessments are accurate and secure, so that work is well matched to

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What the school should do to improve further

Although there are no substantial weaknesses, the inspector agrees with the school that in order to accelerate the rate of pupils' progress even further, it should concentrate on:

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What the school should do to improve further

■ reviewing the transition from the Foundation Stage to Year 1 to ensure that more account is taken of the excellent foundations laid in Nursery and Reception. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School, 14 December 2007 .

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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. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School, 14 December 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? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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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and interests of learners?

1 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School, 14 December 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School, 14 December 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

21 December 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School,London,SW19 7EP Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your excellent school. I especially enjoyed talking to the school council and watching the Key Stage 1 Nativity Play and the Year 4 World War Two play. Thank you also to the pupils in Year 6 who talked to me about their work on the ancient Greeks and to those who came and showed me their work. You helped me to see how much you enjoy your work, and try your best. I agree with you that you go to an outstanding school where people care for each other. I was pleased that you know how to keep safe and healthy and that you behave extremely well. You work hard in all your lessons and this means that you do extremely well in the tests that you take in Year 2 and Year 6. Well done! I think your headteacher and all the other adults in the school know how to look after you and do an

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

excellent job in helping the school to get better and better. Although your school is excellent, there are still things you can all do to help it stay that way. I have asked your headteacher to make sure that you make even faster progress in Years 1 and 2 by looking at how teachers plan your work between the Foundation Stage and Year 1 so that it builds even better on what you learnt in Reception. You can help him in this by always working as hard as you can. I know you will help by keeping up your excellent behaviour and super work in lessons. Best wishes for the future. Dr Lynn Bappa Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School, 14 December 2007

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