The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection. You and senior leaders know the school well. You have high aspirations for the pupils and have continued to improve standards since the last inspection. All areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection report have been fully addressed. The school provides a positive, friendly and vibrant atmosphere within which pupils are valued as individuals. As a result, they thrive in their personal development and their academic achievement. The large majority of pupils make strong progress and a higher than average proportion achieve above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The school is inclusive and committed to meeting pupils’ differing needs and abilities. Pupils said they love learning and this is reflected in high levels of attendance for all groups. The curriculum is well planned and is broad and balanced for learning at all ages. Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to express their creativity and develop their talents and skills in areas such as arts, music and sports. Leaders are constantly looking for ways to further enrich their curriculum offer in all subjects. Governors know the school well and work closely in partnership with school leaders. They visit regularly and are well informed about targets they have set for school improvement. Governors systematically monitor all aspects of the school’s work, including safeguarding. They have clearly defined their roles and provide an effective balance of challenge and support. Parents and carers are highly appreciative of your inclusive and caring approach and hold leaders in high regard. They are confident about the strength of you and your leadership team in ensuring continuous school improvement. Typical of many, one parent commented, ‘Streatham Wells is a school that really cares and always goes the extra mile.’ Pupils greatly enjoy coming to school. Pupils told me on the playground and in class that teachers and staff keep them safe and make learning both challenging and interesting. They are also encouraged to respond to and debate questions and problems in subjects across the curriculum. Pupils said that the high standards of behaviour I saw during the day were typical of their daily experience. One pupil commented, ‘We are like one big family who protect and look after each other.’ Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding procedures are fit for purpose. Pupil safety is a high priority for the school. In discussions and in response to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, parents stated that their children felt safe. Parents told me that their children felt safe because pupils’ behaviour is very good. Pupils I spoke with told me they felt safe in school and that bullying is rare. They are confident that staff will help them resolve any issues they may have and that there are always adults available to look after them. Pupils were articulate and well informed about how to stay safe when they are online. You place a high priority on supporting the emotional and social needs of pupils, including promoting good mental health for all. Pupils appreciate the friendly and open atmosphere of the school and attendance is above average. Leaders undertake checks on the suitability of staff to work at the school. Records of recruitment and background checks are maintained to a high standard. Staff and governors know their roles and responsibilities and are well trained in safeguarding on a regular basis. Staff have a good knowledge and awareness of potential safeguarding concerns within the local area. Inspection findings At our initial meeting, we agreed three key lines of enquiry. The first of these focused on the provision for pupils in reading at key stage 2. For the past three years, attainment in reading has been high. In 2018, progress in reading was not as strong as it was in writing and mathematics. Leaders have improved the quality of the English curriculum since the last inspection. In particular, the teaching of reading has been designed to engage all pupils’ interests. The resulting curriculum is a key strength of the school. The foundations of reading skills are evident in the early years. During our visit to the early years, we saw children enthusiastically learning phonics skills and applying these to letters and words. Pupils in Year 2 told me how much they enjoyed reading and talked about the wide range of books on offer in school. Texts were 2 well matched to pupils’ abilities and phonics skills are being applied to help with fluency in reading. In key stage 2, teachers and support staff undertake training which has led to a focus on specific reading skills and the development of pupils’ vocabulary. Leaders have also built in time during the week to ensure that pupils are given ample time to read for pleasure. Year 6 pupils of all abilities were competent and reflective readers. Pupils read passages from ‘Oliver Twist’ with expression and keen interest and were able to relate this to complex texts about conditions in Victorian workhouses. Middle leaders use assessment information well to identify those who are falling behind in Year 3. Leaders then implement interventions to ensure strong progress in reading tests. Next, we considered the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who reach the higher standards or greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. In 2018, most disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard. However, none achieved the higher standard in reading or mathematics, or greater depth in writing. You and your leaders have identified challenge for this group of pupils as an area for improvement. In key stage 2, selected most-able disadvantaged pupils receive additional support in order to raise their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. In Year 6, these pupils receive specific support to raise their outcomes. Leaders meet regularly to discuss pupils’ progress. They identify any pupils who need additional help and put appropriate interventions in place. Middle leaders are currently conducting research on the progress of disadvantaged pupils and place a high priority on them making strong progress. Leaders closely monitor the impact of their spending of the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils in all areas of their learning. We agreed to look at the wider curriculum and how it promotes pupils’ learning across subjects. Leaders have made sure that pupils develop their skills systematically as they progress through the school. For example, pupils learn to examine and compare written records in history and use these skills effectively in other subjects in key stage 2. In a Year 4 history topic about the Romans, links were made to science and road building. Year 5 pupils were learning about the Saxons and then applying their history knowledge to their writing about the legend of Beowulf. Year 4 pupils were learning about ‘Volcanoes and Disasters’ as a topic in geography and applying their knowledge to contemporary events. Geography teaching requires further development in order to deepen pupils’ skills even further. Pupils undertake a wide range of investigations and experiments in science that are appropriate to their age. Pupils accurately record and interpret scientific information and are able to draw graphs, form hypotheses and construct fair tests. High-quality displays around the school show that the school works successfully with a range of partners to enhance pupils’ learning in art, design and architecture. The school has won national awards for the quality of its creative work. The creative arts and sports are a strength of the school. All pupils learn to play the recorder and take up opportunities to perform to wider audiences. Pupils’ art sketchbooks and work on display around the school show creative and imaginative 3 outcomes. Leaders provide extensive opportunities for drama and pupils study the plays of Shakespeare in some depth. Pupils were eager to share their language knowledge and skills in their performances of ‘A Comedy of Errors’. Sports and dance opportunities are plentiful and participation is encouraged for both team and individual sports. Pupils were eager to talk about recent visits to sports arenas and the trophies they have won. The playground environment has been well developed to ensure that a wide variety of sports can be offered. Leaders and governors ensure that all pupils enjoy a rich variety of cultural visits to museums, theatres and galleries. The curriculum also promotes the values of ‘happiness, resilience, courage, respect, pioneering and excellence’, which are known and shared by the whole school community. These values feature strongly in pupils’ study of world religions and other cultures. In key stage 2, pupils develop thinking skills through personal, social and health education. For example, pupils consider contemporary issues, including refugees and the rise in knife crime. Pupils are being well prepared for the wider world and are encouraged to be tolerant and respectful of others at all times. The school’s curriculum promotes deep learning and strong progress across all subjects. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: a greater number of disadvantaged pupils achieve the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined at the end of key stage 2 pupils continue to deepen their learning through increased opportunities to develop their skills in geography. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lambeth. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Sean Flood Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection During the inspection, I held discussions with you and other senior and middle leaders. I spoke with a representative of the local authority and held a meeting with five governors, including the chair of governors. I spoke with pupils informally in class and around the school and also met with a group of Year 6 pupils. I also spoke to parents. I observed pupils’ behaviour in class, on the playground and as they moved around the school. I scrutinised pupils’ work in a wide range of subjects. I heard pupils read in all phases and spoke with pupils about the books they read. I 4 also visited the Nursery. I made visits to all classes alongside senior leaders. I examined the school’s progress information and assessment records. I scrutinised a wide range of documentation related to safeguarding, welfare and attendance. I looked at behaviour and bullying incident logs. I considered the responses of 62 parents to Parent View, and the responses of nine pupils to Ofsted’s online survey and the school’s own surveys of parents’ views.