Woodmansterne School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The executive headteacher and senior leaders have a clear vision of providing an excellent quality of education.

They are determined to achieve it. Governors are passionate in their commitment to the school's community ethos. They provide effective support to leaders and check key aspects of the school's performance well.

Phonics is taught well. The proportion of pupils in Year 1 attaining the expected standard in the phonics screening check has been above average for the last three years. Children's education in the early years is outstanding.

Excellent teaching means that children make very strong progress from their starting p...oints. The quality of teaching and learning in both the primary and secondary phase is good. Teachers use consistent strategies to ensure that pupils make strong progress.

Nevertheless, the progress of lower-attaining pupils and those that are disadvantaged is not as strong as that of other pupils. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding. So is the quality of care, guidance and support, helping pupils to become responsible young citizens.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to make good progress from their starting points. Pupils are happy, motivated and excited to come to school. They demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning and rise to the high expectations set for them.

Attendance is high. The roles of some middle leaders are currently developing. As a result, they are not yet fully effective in leading their areas of responsibility.

A broad, balanced curriculum ensures that all pupils acquire key literacy and numeracy skills needed for the next stage of their education. The school's work to foster pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and their appreciation of British values, is well developed. Parents and carers greatly appreciate what the school does for their children.

information about the school's performance. They provide a good balance of challenge

and support for the executive headteacher and senior leaders. Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities.

They have ensured that safeguarding is effective and systems to keep pupils safe are robust. Safeguarding The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils' welfare is at the heart of the school's work.

Staff and parents spoken to during the inspection, and the overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Parent View, feel that pupils are safe. Leaders ensure that all staff are aware of the potential risks to pupils. They provide staff with relevant up-to-date training to safeguard pupils.

Staff understand the school's procedures for raising child protection or welfare concerns. The leaders for safeguarding are knowledgeable and work in partnership with external agencies when necessary to ensure the well-being of pupils and their families. Records for safeguarding are well maintained and show that leaders are persistent in pursuing concerns.

Pupils feel safe in school. They told inspectors that if they have any worries or concerns, there is always an adult at school to talk to. Pupils are confident about how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.

All statutory checks are in place to ensure the suitability of adults working in school. Appropriate checks are made on visitors when they arrive at the school. Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Teaching in both the primary and secondary phases of the school is consistently good.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and work together effectively across both phases. This ensures a consistent approach to the quality of teaching and learning for pupils across the school. Positive relationships between adults and pupils are a strength of the school.

This is due to high expectations and well-established routines. Consequently, incidents of low-level disruption and disengagement are rare. Pupils enjoy their lessons and feel confident to give answers and 'have a go'.

Teachers motivate pupils and use a variety of effective techniques to engage pupils. Pupils told inspectors how much they value the support and insights which their teachers provide. Parents also greatly appreciate what teachers do.

Literacy and numeracy are taught effectively in both primary and secondary phases. Teachers are effective in helping pupils across the school develop their writing skills well. Teachers plan a range of opportunities for pupils to write.

Pupils' use of vocabulary and the way in which they structure their written sentences are of a good standard. Pupils are given opportunities to write at length, and the presentation of their work is generally good. Similarly, numeracy skills in both the primary and secondary phase are promoted effectively.

For example, in science, pupils in Year 6 and Year 7 used their mathematical skills to help solve problems. Teachers' expectations of pupils are high. Discussions between staff and pupils, and among their peers in lessons, are mature and sensible.

Suitably challenging tasks, including for most-able pupils, and routine assessments of pupils' work instil in pupils the resilience and perseverance needed to make strong progress. The work of teaching assistants is effective, particularly their support for pupils with SEND. Typically, they give pupils just the right amount of support to enable them to access learning and make good progress.

Across the school, reading is given a clear focus and pupils in Years 2, 4 and 7 read to inspectors fluently and with confidence. Overall, teachers use assessment effectively to review what pupils can do and then plan work which meets pupils' learning needs. This enables pupils to make good progress across different subjects.

Sometimes, however, teachers do not use assessment information well enough to ensure that the progress of disadvantaged and lower-attaining pupils matches that of their peers. Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Personal development and welfare The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils of all ages are highly motivated.

They are curious and keen to learn. Pupils are also very willing to help each other and share their knowledge. They have very positive attitudes towards their work and the other activities which the school provides, such as clubs and visits.

Leaders place pupils' welfare and personal development at the heart of everything they do. As a result, they have created a friendly and secure environment and pupils love coming to school. Pupils feel very safe and proud of their school.

Staff know the individual needs of all pupils well, including the needs of the most vulnerable. Consequently, these pupils have every opportunity to thrive. Pupils are keen to take on roles and responsibilities in the school.

They have a strong sense of pride in relation to their roles, including being 'house captains' and members of the student council. Pupils understand about bullying and how to keep themselves safe from it. Pupils who spoke to inspectors knew about cyber bullying as well as other forms.

They are confident that bullying is very rare in school, but feel that they could tell an adult if worried and that it would be resolved quickly. Scrutiny of school records supports this view. Pupils are well rounded and ready for the next stage in their learning.

They are gaining positive insights into British values and life in modern Britain. In the secondary phase, pupils receive effective guidance to support their choice of subjects to study at GCSE. Behaviour The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.

Pupils are polite, well mannered and courteous at all times. They are friendly and keen to welcome visitors to their school. Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning.

They concentrate when teachers speak, cooperate well with each other, take pride in their work and their appearance, and are rightly proud of their many achievements. Typically, pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the site at breaktime and lunchtime is excellent. Pupils display a high level of self-discipline because the relationships between staff and pupils are so strong and because the routines of expected standards of behaviour are well established.

Attendance is high. Leaders demonstrate notable tenacity in getting pupils to attend school. No group of pupils is disadvantaged by low attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good In 2018, the proportions of pupils attaining the expected standards at the end of both key stage 1 and key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average. In key stage 1, those attaining the higher standard in reading and mathematics was also above the national average. In key stage 2, although those attaining at the higher standard in writing was above the national average, attainment at the higher standard in reading and mathematics was below the national average.

In the Year 1 phonics screening check, pupils consistently achieve above national averages. This is because of the excellent transition arrangement from Reception to Year 1 and the systematic and consistently strong teaching of phonics. Pupils' progress at the end of Year 6 in 2018 in writing and mathematics was in line with national averages.

However, the progress pupils made in reading was below the national average Reading is a growing strength of the school. Pupils reported that they enjoy the opportunities they have to read, both in and out of school. Leaders have developed a programme of support across both phases of the school for pupils to access and enjoy reading, which is helping them to make improved progress across the curriculum.

The strong progress made by most pupils, including the most able, in key stage 3, is evident in the quality of their work, as well as in the school's assessment. The majority of pupils take pride in their work, including its presentation. Pupils with SEND make good progress from their starting points.

Work in pupils' books and assessment information indicate that these pupils are supported effectively in class and so do well. Inspectors' scrutiny of pupils' books, observations during lessons and conversations with pupils confirmed that the majority of current pupils are making good progress in their learning in a range of subjects across both phases of the school. Nevertheless, the progress and learning of lower-attaining pupils in the secondary phase, and both disadvantaged and lower-attaining pupils in the primary phase, are at times variable and below the standards of their peers.

As a result, these pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable. Early years provision Outstanding Leaders in the early years have a strong and ambitious vision for children in their care. Their incisive leadership supports children in making excellent progress from their starting points.

Teachers and teaching assistants have a thorough understanding of children's needs and plan activities that support children's personal development and their progress in literacy and numeracy. Children typically enter Reception with skills broadly below those that are expected for their age. They make very strong progress from their starting points; more children than nationally attain or exceed a good level of development by the end of their time in Reception.

As a result, children are prepared well for their transition to Year 1. Children benefit from high-quality teaching. Teachers and teaching assistants use skilful questioning to probe and deepen children's understanding.

A well-planned learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, provides varied teaching opportunities, which teachers take full advantage of in extending children's learning. Relationships between adults and children are caring and facilitate learning skilfully. Children independently choose to take part in a range of interesting and well-considered activities.

Children's personal and academic development are outstanding. Children's attitudes and behaviour are excellent. They concentrate well on the range of activities that teachers and adults provide for them.

Children in the Nursery Year play together very well and share resources. Children in both the Nursery and Reception classes are often highly motivated. They have very strong social skills and know how to relate to others, including adults.

Disadvantaged children and those with SEND are supported well in their learning. Additional funding for these pupils is targeted carefully to their needs. As a result, these children make strong progress.

Exceptionally strong communications between home and the school help staff prepare children well for their first experiences of the school and also for their transition at the end of Reception into Year 1. Leaders have ensured that all statutory welfare requirements for the early years are met and that the school's safeguarding processes are adhered to. School details Unique reference number 100590 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 10058921 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school All-through School category Community Age range of pupils 3 to 18 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 912 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Clark Executive Headteacher Samantha Palin Telephone number 020 8764 1825 Website www.woodmansterne.london Email address office@woodmansterne.

london Date of previous inspection 10–11 October 2013

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