Granton Primary School

Granton Primary School Inspection report

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100564 Unique Reference Number Lambeth Local Authority 323296 Inspection number 19 June 2009 Inspection date Stuart Charlton 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 430 School (total) 0 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 Brendan McAlone Chair Mrs Linda Courtney Headteacher 18 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Granton Road School address London SW16 5AN 020 8764 6414 Telephone number 020 8679 3403 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 19 June 2009 Inspection date 323296 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: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and the effectiveness of the school's systems:

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Introduction

■ for monitoring and evaluating its provision to ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they can ■ to support pupils' personal and academic development

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Introduction

■ to monitor teaching and learning and how these ensure that all pupils make the progress of which they are capable. Evidence was gathered from lesson observations, scrutiny of pupils' work and the school's documents. Parents' questionnaires and discussions with pupils, governors and staff also contributed to the judgements. Other 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 have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Granton Primary School is larger than average. The majority of pupils are from Black Caribbean and Black African backgrounds. There are smaller groups of White British and Somali pupils. The cohort includes a number of traveller children. The number of pupils eligible for a free school meal is well above the national average, as is the proportion whose first language is not English. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average but the proportion that has a statement of special educational needs is average. The number of pupils who leave or join at other than the normal entry time is higher than average. The school has a range of awards, including Healthy School Status and Activemark. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in the Nursery and the two Reception classes. There is a breakfast club and an after school club provided by Kids City.

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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: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Granton Primary is a good school. There are strong qualities in pupils' personal development and in the care, guidance and support they receive. The school is successful in its aim to 'encourage pupils to be thoughtful and responsible young people with high self-esteem and with the motivation, skills and knowledge to succeed in life'. Pupils work and play together happily in a secure and harmonious environment. Almost all parents speak highly of the school and make comments such as, 'My child really enjoys school. She is becoming more confident and I can see the progress she has made'. Children enter Nursery with skills and abilities that are below the expectations for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy and in some elements of personal and physical development. By the time they enter Year 1, most pupils have made good progress and they attain the levels expected for their age in most areas, although there are still a

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Grade: 2

considerable number whose writing skills are not as good as they could be. From this point, pupils of different abilities and backgrounds continue to make good progress because of good teaching and learning. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading and mathematics are close to average, but those in writing are below average. Since the last inspection, pupils' attainment in English, mathematics and in science has fluctuated depending on the cohort but, generally, by the end of Year 6, standards are broadly average. This represents good progress overall from pupils' starting points. Pupils make very good progress in developing their speaking and listening and mathematical skills, but their progress in writing is not as good. The school has invested considerable time and effort in improving writing and this is beginning to pay dividends. Good teaching of writing was seen in a Year 6 lesson where the teacher used a wide range of

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Grade: 2

approaches to challenge the learning of all pupils. Pupils' personal development is a cornerstone of the school's provision and is very good for all age groups. The school is successful in promoting racial and religious harmony. Consequently, pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. In a school assembly, pupils showed a high degree of reverence and respect towards others and their values. Pupils say that they feel very safe and thoroughly enjoy their learning. The school makes strenuous efforts to promote good attendance and this has improved significantly since the last inspection so that it is now satisfactory. However, there are still a small number of parents that do not respond appropriately to the school's prompting. Through the school council, pupils are closely involved in helping to contribute towards the school community and all are willing to express their views

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Grade: 2

on a range of issues. Pupils gain a good appreciation of local and regional issues and develop a sense of responsibility for making sure that Granton Primary is a good place to be. A good example of this is the way in which older pupils 'buddy' younger ones and the effective reading partnerships between different year groups. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Generally, pupils are confident to explore and express their feelings. They develop a good understanding of the need for a healthy lifestyle through the opportunities for physical development in school and through the after school clubs. This is recognised by the school's achievement of Healthy School Status and the Activemark award. In all their activities, pupils pay particular regard to the importance of being safety-conscious. Through their time in school, pupils develop the self-confidence and personal skills that prepare them well for their future. Their numeracy and

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Grade: 2

information and communication technology (ICT) skills are also developed well, but many can still achieve more in writing. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009 Teaching is good overall. Many teachers are relatively inexperienced and, on occasions, do not use a wide enough range of strategies to challenge all pupils and ensure that they make the progress of which they are capable, particularly in writing. However, the school's good systems for monitoring teaching and learning and helping staff to improve their practice, are having a positive impact and even new teachers are quickly developing these skills. Staff are enthusiastic, and in all subjects plan conscientiously to make learning fun. Teachers and teaching assistants work together very well as a team. They all have excellent relationships with pupils and give them discerning oral feedback that helps them to improve their work. However, written feedback

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Grade: 2

on pupils' work is less comprehensive. Pupils who have learning difficulties receive a good level of support and achieve the appropriate small-step learning targets set for them. The curriculum is good. It is carefully planned to take account of individual needs and there are good opportunities to enhance pupils' personal development. There have been significant improvements in the curriculum since the last inspection so that there is now systematic development of pupils' key skills of speaking, listening, numeracy and ICT across all subjects. A wide range of enrichment activities plays an important part in helping pupils enjoy school. Pupils are impressed with the extensive range of clubs, particularly the provision in mathematics and physical education. The care, guidance and support pupils receive are good. There are thorough safety procedures in place and risk assessment procedures fully meet requirements. Staff ensure that all pupils,

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Grade: 2

including those who arrive at different times, settle quickly and happily into school life and that they feel confident about moving to the next stage of their education. There is good tracking of pupils' personal and academic progress. This information is used well to set challenging targets for each pupil that motivate them in their learning. This is particularly so for those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The school works very well with a wide range of outside agencies to support pupils' development. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher leads by example and provides the commitment and determination to help pupils to reach their potential. Along with the senior management team, she gives a clear sense of direction. Together they have set a climate of strong teamwork among all adults so that everyone makes an active contribution to school

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Grade: 2

improvement. The leaders are also highly effective in ensuring equality of opportunity and addressing any instances of discrimination. Many of the subject leaders are new to their role, but are quickly gaining confidence in managing and promoting their subjects. Each has created an action plan resulting from their close monitoring. The plans have clearly defined roles and expectations in which staff development and training are given a high profile. Staff have responded enthusiastically to these initiatives which are beginning to have a positive impact on improving teaching and learning across the school and in raising standards, particularly in writing. The school's self-evaluation is accurate, largely because of rigorous and discerning monitoring by the headteacher and senior management team. Consequently, the school has a great deal of good quality information, but leaders do not always analyse this with sufficient

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Grade: 2

precision to be sure that the school is performing as well as it can. There have been significant changes of personnel on the governing body and many of the new governors are quickly coming to terms with their responsibilities. The governing body is very supportive of the school and ensures it provides good value for money. The school makes a good contribution to community cohesion. Staff present very positive role models and enable pupils to contribute very effectively to their immediate community. Although it has drawn up an appropriate action plan, there is still some way to go in ensuring that pupils have a clear appreciation of issues in the wider 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009 national and international contexts. The school's track record shows that it is well placed to improve even further.

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Grade: 2

There are many positive features in the Early Years Foundation Stage, notably good teaching and learning, which help children to make a good start to their school life. This start is well supported by the links developed with parents. However, the school recognises that more needs to be done to involve parents in the ongoing assessment of their child's learning. The relationships that staff develop with the children provide a firm base for their learning and they make good progress in developing their personal and social skills. They are well cared for so that they develop confidence and learn to share. Resources are very good and carefully chosen to meet children's interests, and provide many practical experiences. The outdoor area is used effectively to develop all areas of learning. The curriculum is well planned with a good emphasis on the development of basic skills. By the time the children start Year 1, most attain the expected level in all six areas of learning. The

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Grade: 2

introduction of a more focused programme for teaching letters and sounds has helped children of all abilities to improve their writing. Leadership is good and staff work in a close and supportive team. Children's progress is closely monitored and parents are kept well informed of their child's development.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teaching consistently challenges pupils so that they all make the progress of which they are capable. ■ Use monitoring information with greater precision to be sure that the school is performing as well as it can. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009 .

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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: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009

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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?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/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: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009

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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 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 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 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 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: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

01 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Granton Primary School,London,SW16 5AN Thank you for all the help you gave us when we visited your school. We were particularly pleased to be able to talk to so many of you, and particularly valued the meeting with the school council. We agree with you that Granton Primary is a good school. You told us that you make many close friends and we judged that behaviour is excellent. You all said how much you enjoy coming to school and that lessons are fun. In all your activities you are very aware of acting safely. We could see that the staff are always ready to help you and they care for you very well. We could also see that you are always ready to help others, for example through the school council where you help to make decisions that improve school life. You also told us that the activities and clubs you take part in, the trips out of school and the numeracy and physical education provision,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

are all very good. In addition, we were impressed with the way the older pupils help the younger ones through the reading partnerships and by acting as 'buddies'. The headteacher and staff have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are keen to see it improve even further. We have asked them to help teachers to become even better by using a wider range of learning activities so that all of you achieve your best. We also want the school's leaders to analyse information about the school with greater precision to be certain that it is performing as well as it can. You can help in this by always trying your hardest. Yours faithfully Stuart Charlton Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Granton Primary School, 19 June 2009

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