Dear Helen,
Congratulations to you and your team on the excellent outcomes the disadvantaged pupils at Lady Margaret Primary School achieved at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. Your school’s performance places it among the very best nationally, and this is a significant achievement.
This success reflects the dedication of your staff and the hard work of your pupils. It shows what can be achieved when ambition and commitment come together. Thank you for everything you do to give children the best possible opportunities to succeed.
Your school’s achievements demonstrate what is possible, and I hope you will continue to share your experience and best practice with others. Even the strongest schools can go further. We encourage you to lead the way as a system leader – sharing effective practice, championing networks, supporting collaboration, and helping raise standards across the sector.
There are real opportunities available for you to support improvement for a wider group of pupils including through:
engaging actively with your region’s RISE networks and partnering with nearby schools and trusts;
contributing to regional roundtables and professional communities to spread the approaches that are working in your context; and
sustaining excellence by continuing to focus on disadvantaged pupils
Please pass on my thanks and congratulations to your staff and pupils. I look forward to working with you as we strive together to raise standards for all.
Bridget Phillipson
Secretary of State For Education
Gold rights respecting is the highest level of the Rights Respecting Schools Award. The award is granted by UNICEF UK to schools that have fully embedded children’s rights throughout the school in its policies, practice and ethos.
This supports the personal growth of all pupils, developing their character and skills in articulating their personal views, which are listened to and valued, whilst respecting the opinions of others.
Children and adults at Lady Margaret have a thorough understanding of, and a commitment to, the importance of children’s rights and the protection of those rights. Rights respecting attitudes and language are embedded across school life.
The UNICEF rights of the child are strongly linked to our curriculum themes:
By respecting the identity and individuality of each child and how they contribute to the world, through their words and actions.
By teaching children the values and principles that help us to tell right from wrong, in order to keep ourselves safe, treat others well and show tolerance and compassion for a peaceful society.
By teaching children their rights, we empower them to make change for themselves and understand they are listened to and valued.
Through our curriculum we teach the importance of holding on to things we value and how to protect the things we love. We teach children the importance of good habits and investment in learning that should be sustainable through life prepare them well for their next stage of education.
The Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme is focused on improving the quality of play for all children.
In September 2024 Lady Margaret was awarded a Platinum OPAL Quality Award for outstanding playtimes. Being an OPAL school means that children are happier, more sociable, empowered to take risks and are more resilient.
As a result of the freedom and responsibility that comes with OPAL playtime, they learn to share, be curious, be creative, negotiate and manage disagreements. Through their play, they can explore their interests, talents and are exposed to a range of exciting outdoor learning opportunities such as, den building, climbing, performing and experimenting.
The Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme is strongly linked to our values:
Play enriches the children's lives and provides a wealth of opportunities for engaging with others and supports emotional and physical wellbeing.
Children enjoy our play opportunities and engage with excitement, enthusiasm and resilience.
Through our play opportunities, children learn how to negotiate, share and explore.
Children behave with high levels of respect for others and have positive attitudes during play and demonstrate tolerance, perseverance and enjoyment.
Article 2 - all children have rights
Article 3 - adults must do what's best for me
Article 12 - I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously
Article 15 - I have the right to meet with friends and join groups
Article 23 - If I have a disability, I have the right to special care and education
Article 28 - I have the right to an education
Article 29 - I have a right to and education which develops my personality, respect for others' rights and the environment
Article 31 - I have right to relax and play
This award celebrates our school’s provision, practice and performance within science and our commitment to continually improving standards in teaching and learning.
We are proud that our children are exposed to an exemplary science curriculum and teaching that inspires learning. We have a nature garden and animals in school which bring aspects of the curriculum to life.
We have a strong focus on experimental work and oral communication of conceptual understanding. We develop positive attitudes towards science and secure strong scientific understanding and skills.
The science mark award is strongly linked to our curriculum themes:
Children learn about the discoveries and ideas of scientists from a range of ethnic backgrounds. They develop an understanding that our lives are made richer by the legacy of scientists.
Children are taught about the importance of plants and animals.
Children experiment with ideas hypothesise and draw conclusions from their investigations.
Through topics on materials, children learn about recycling and care for the environment.
Article 2 - all children have rights
Article 3 - adults must do what's best for me
Article 12 - I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously
Article 23 - If I have a disability, I have the right to special care and education
Article 28 - I have the right to an education
Article 29 - I have a right to and education which develops my personality, respect for others' rights and the environment
Cultivating Ealing promote the use of horticulture to make the London Borough of Ealing a more attractive place for residents and visitors. Lady Margaret entered the Cultivating Ealing School Garden Competition 2024 and won the best overall school garden.
We also came second in the school garden category of the Ealing Biodiverse Gardens competition.
We are very proud of our outdoor environments such as the edible playground where our children learn about growing and eating healthy food.
This links to our curriculum themes:
Children being involved in the development of the garden, will ensure those who come after them will have same or enhanced opportunities.
Children are taught the importance of doing the right thing in looking after the garden and plants so they can flourish.
Children develop an understanding that they can grow food for themselves and others. They have the power to influence others by understanding healthy eating.
In a small scale, this is introducing the concept of producing local produce and developing a secure understanding the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Article 2 - all children have rights
Article 3 - adults must do what's best for me
Article 12 - I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously
Article 23 - If I have a disability, I have the right to special care and education
Article 28 - I have the right to an education
Article 29 - I have a right to and education which develops my personality, respect for others' rights and the environment
Article 31 - I have right to relax and play
We use the Little Wandle phonics programme as a key element of our reading curriculum. Our exemplary teaching in this area, results in 90% – 95% of children in year one passing the Phonics Screening Check (PSC). The small number of children, who do not pass the test in year one, have additional support though additional groups to ensure they catch up in year two.
Due to our excellent practice we were in the first cohort of schools to be awarded Champion School Status. As a Little Wandle Champion School, we have met 16 Standards of Excellence in the teaching of early reading and phonics. We run training for leaders from schools in the south of England to model exemplary practice, and provide information and support for Little Wandle members. We are very proud to be part of this network.
Being a Little Wandle Champion School is strongly linked to our values:
By ensuring the very best teaching of phonics and fidelity to the scheme, within an exemplary reading curriculum, our children have the very best chance to learn to read and appreciate high quality text.
As groups are carefully chosen and staff are well trained, we ensure that everyone remains committed to learning to read/teaching reading. We know that if children are taught well their backgrounds, ethnicity, level of disadvantage, disability and other variables will rarely prevent a child from learning to read.
Children learn to decode words accurately and broaden their understanding of language through exposure to a range of high quality texts.
Our children are ready for the next stage of learning and are excited by the stories they read. They understand that reading is a key life skill that will open up opportunities and broaden their minds.
Article 2 - all children have rights
Article 3 - adults must do what's best for me
Article 12 - I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously
Article 23 - If I have a disability, I have the right to special care and education
Article 28 - I have the right to an education
Lady Margaret teams have been successful in a number of inter-school tournaments. Being part of a federation with Durdan’s Park Primary School means that we are able to share facilities, including;
This is a mixed team consisting of 6 boys and 4 girls. The team came 4th in Featherstone’s top league.
The boys football team competes in the Featherstone football league against 16 other schools.
LMPS 5th – might have won the league but Y6 missed two rounds of fixtures due to school trips and SATs. The team also reached the final of the Featherstone Cup – losing to Three Bridges on penalties.
We entered a federation team into the girls’ football league.
Excellent season. 5th out of 16 teams. Best school in the Southall area.
LMPS entered the mixed indoor cricket cup (4 girls, 4 boys). The team made the semi-finals.
Year 3&4 cricket festival – LMPS beat Durdan’s Park in the final.
LMPS won the Featherstone cricket tournament, which meant that they qualified for the borough finals. Despite missing some key players on the day due to illness they still came second. Losing narrowly to Little Ealing.
LMPS lost to Durdan’s Park in the semi finals of the Featherstone cricket tournament.
LMPS have not entered netball before and the season was challenging. We plan to build on this in future.
SEN children competed in athletics and curling. We came 2nd out of 5 schools. In boccia LMPS came in 6th place.