Gresham Primary School

Gresham Primary School Inspection report

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101758 Unique Reference Number Croydon Local Authority 323523 Inspection number 22–23 June 2009 Inspection dates Clive Lewis 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 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 212 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 C Locke Chair Mrs L Benton Headteacher 19 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Limpsfield Road School address Sanderstead CR2 9EA 020 8657 1807 Telephone number 020 8657 1686 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 22–23 June 2009 Inspection dates 323523 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 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Gresham is an average-sized primary school. About three quarters of its pupils are of White British heritage and the remainder are from a wide range of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is lower than the national average. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average, although the number of pupils with statements of special educational need and high levels of learning disorders and/or physical need is above average. There is before and after school provision on the school site, managed by the governing body.

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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: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Gresham is a good and improving school. It has a number of outstanding features including the excellent personal development of its pupils, the outstanding promotion of equal opportunity and its excellent provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Parents are very supportive of the school. One parent, typical of many, wrote: 'All the staff at Gresham are dedicated to giving all the children a high level of education and care.' Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides a clear sense of purpose and direction which is clearly linked to school improvement. The staff want the best for each child and, through working very closely with families, strive to achieve this goal. Governors have a good understanding of the school and support and challenge it effectively. The senior managers work together well as a team and are keen to improve standards in their areas of responsibility.

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Grade: 2

However, leaders of subjects have not yet had the opportunity to observe teaching and this limits their overview of their subjects across the school. Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress. However, baseline assessment of where children are when they arrive at the school is currently very limited and this makes any accurate assessment of individual children's progress during their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage problematic. Nevertheless, evidence is clear that children make good progress overall in each of the early learning goals. This good progress continues in Key Stages 1 and 2 so that, by the time pupils leave the school in Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. They have an excellent understanding of how to keep safe and of the need for healthy lifestyles. Parents say that their children enjoy coming to school and their children

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Grade: 2

agree enthusiastically. Clear evidence for this is provided by the high level attendance and punctuality. A strong moral code is implicit within the school's ethos and this is reflected in pupils' excellent behaviour. The curriculum ensures that pupils receive a good variety of exciting activities and experiences through visits, residential stays and visitors to the school. These activities in turn give pupils a lot to talk, think and write about. Arrangements for the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are good and teaching is good across the school. Pastoral care of pupils is excellent. Academic guidance is good. Individual pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 are tracked carefully and data analysed rigorously to ensure any pupil falling behind is identified quickly and support is provided. The school has a good understanding of how well it is doing and what needs to be done next and has a good capacity to continue to improve.

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Grade: 2

On entry to the Reception, children's levels of attainment are broadly in line with those expected for their age. Children quickly settle in to the Reception class, follow the clear routines and rapidly develop confident and positive attitudes. They make good progress and a significant majority achieve beyond the expectations for their age by the start of Year 1. This is because the provision and the range of activities across all areas of learning, both indoors and out, are good. Relationships between staff and children, and provision for children's care, well-being and safety are outstanding. Children are very safe and happy in the Early Years Foundation Stage environment. They clearly enjoy learning and make excellent progress in developing their personal and social skills. As a result, children from different backgrounds work and play together in harmony, taking turns and sharing, making friends and respecting each other. They feel safe

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Grade: 2

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009 without being fearful and adopt healthy practices. Good staff interactions with individuals extend learning and enable children to make good progress. Provision for the care and welfare of children is excellent. The curriculum enables children to learn from a good range of free-choice first-hand experiences and adult-led activities. Staff model good language and role play to promote imagination and creative skills and use children's own interests as themes for stories and to develop knowledge and understanding of the world. For example, the theme of 'Sharks!' during the inspection interested and motivated children very well. However, systems for assessing children's levels of attainment on entry to the Reception class and, hence, the analysis of their progress during their year in Reception are currently insufficiently detailed or rigorous.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure robust assessment and tracking systems are used to enable staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage to have a better understanding of children's progress from their starting point. ■ Provide opportunities for subject co-ordinators to develop their expertise and gain a better overview by observing teaching in their subjects across the school.

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Grade: 2

Throughout the school, pupils of all abilities achieve well. Pupils consistently make good progress, particularly in their English skills, as they move through the school. As a result, in the latest national tests at the end of Year 6 results were above the national average in English, mathematics and science, despite the high level of mobility in Key Stage 2 and the high level of pupils with significant learning needs in Years 5 and 6. Pupils' good progress throughout the school reflects teachers' high expectations and the good use of systems to track progress in Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with significant learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities make excellent progress because of the individual attention they receive.

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Grade: 1

Pupils have a very good understanding of how to stay safe and of the need for a healthy lifestyle. They really enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their levels of attendance, which are well above the national average. Pupils' thoughtful behaviour is an important factor in their successful learning and their behaviour in and around the school is excellent. Pupils are conscientious in their learning, with the result that teachers very rarely have to intervene to make sure they keep on task. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. They make a very good contribution to the school community and say they feel happy, safe and secure because 'everyone here is very special'. They learn about different faiths and cultural traditions and enjoy raising money for charities. The school council is very serious and members are articulate about their responsibilities. They are pleased about its successes and their

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Grade: 1

contribution to the school community, including the salad bar now available at lunchtime that was instigated at their request. The extremely good grounding pupils receive in their social and basic skills prepares them exceptionally well for the next stages of learning. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Classroom routines are made clear and are regularly reinforced and this ensures learning takes place in a well-structured environment and that all pupils can contribute to lessons. All teachers are well supported by effective teaching assistants who are fully involved in all class activities and ensure that pupils receive extra help as they need it. Teachers plan well and learning expectations are made clear at the beginning of every lesson. As a result, pupils know precisely what it is that they are expected to learn and work is well matched to the different ability and age groups within each class. In the best lessons skilled teaching successfully extends pupils' language and thinking skills. In these lessons pupils respond really well to the high level of challenge and make very good progress as a result. Most lessons are conducted at a lively pace, ensuring that pupils get a lot done, although in a small number of lessons the pace is insufficient

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Grade: 2

to ensure good progress and to maintain pupils' interest.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad and balanced. It meets all statutory requirements and is effective in enabling pupils to make good progress in all of their skills and develop a positive attitude to learning. National initiatives and guidelines are used well to ensure that learning is built upon year by year. The curriculum promotes healthy lifestyles, keeping safe and being considerate to others well. It is relevant to the needs and interests of the pupils and motivates them well. The basic curriculum is enhanced by a wide range of visitors to school who talk about their work. Pupils have opportunities to visit local places of interest and take part in residential visits to help them to develop initiative, teamwork and social skills. The wide range of extra-curricular activities enables pupils to play together and to develop outside interests including sport. It is further enhanced by thriving breakfast and after school clubs which provide a good standard

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Grade: 2

of care for pupils out of school hours. However, there is currently insufficient range and depth to work undertaken in information and communication technology across the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and staff have created a positive, welcoming environment in which each child is valued for the particular contribution they bring to the school. Pastoral care for pupils is excellent. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with statements of particular need is excellent. The school has excellent links with a variety of agencies who provide support for pupils with learning and/or physical disabilities and a team of skilled and dedicated staff who work closely with these pupils. Assessment systems are used effectively in Key Stages 1 and 2 to track pupils' personal and academic progress. This ensures that the needs of more vulnerable pupils are identified at the earliest stage so that effective intervention strategies can be put into place. However, the school realises that the accuracy and rigour of assessment and tracking procedures in the Early Years Foundation Stage are not

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Grade: 2

good enough. Pupils know their own targets, they receive feedback on how well they are doing and say they feel well informed. Teachers' marking is thorough and up to date and, in the best cases, usefully tells pupils what the next steps in learning are. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction which is linked well to school improvement. She has successfully maintained and encouraged very good and enthusiastic teamwork. As a result, the provision moves smoothly on a day-to-day basis and there is a strong, common sense of purpose among all adults to work together to do the best for all the pupils. Senior managers are focused on helping all pupils to make good progress in their learning and development and promoting their welfare. Subject leaders are very enthusiastic and keen to improve standards in their areas of learning. However, they do not have a full view of provision as they have not had the opportunity to observe the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility. The school is very inclusive, so that all children have their welfare needs met and achieve well regardless of their background and learning difficulties. The school has good

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Grade: 2

links with parents, who responded enthusiastically to the request for their views on the school. One parent wrote: 'Gresham teaches children to be caring and respectful of others, proud of their own achievements and confident in themselves as individuals.' Resources are used well to improve outcomes for the pupils. The school's promotion of community cohesion is satisfactory. It has very good links with its local community but realises that links with the United Kingdom and global community are relatively weak. The positive impact of the school is seen in the good or better progress made by most pupils in all the areas of the curriculum, and in their sense of security and well-being. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009 .

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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: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 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? 1 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? 2 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/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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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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? 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 3 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

06 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Gresham Primary School,Sanderstead,CR2 9EA I would like to thank you for your help during the recent inspection of your school. My colleague and I very much enjoyed our visit. Gresham is a good school. It has some outstanding features. Your headteacher and staff are leading the school well. They make sure that you understand how to look after yourselves and keep safe and you do this exceptionally well. They care for you very well and give you good support to enable you to learn and enjoy your lessons. You told us that teachers are very fair and sort things out quickly. You said that you really like your school and there are lots of things to do and enjoy. We agree with you. Your behaviour is excellent. You work hard and try to succeed in all that you do. I have asked your school to do two things that will make it even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ gather more information about what the youngest children know and can do when they start at the school and use this information to check how well they are doing ■ give the teachers in charge of subjects more opportunities to see other teachers teach lessons in their subjects. Yours faithfully Clive Lewis Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Gresham Primary School, 22–23 June 2009

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