Setting

Mr D Upfield Colville Primary School Lonsdale Road Portobello Road London W11 2DF

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Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 6 October 2010, for the time you gave to our phone discussion and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Could you also thank pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors I spoke to, the local authority Head of School Improvement and the parent I had a discussion with.

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Primary School

The acting headteacher was appointed in April 2009. The deputy headteacher is also a temporary appointment. The post of headteacher has been filled. He will take up his new post at the school in January 2010.

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Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 12–13 May 2009, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter.

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Primary School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made:

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Primary School

good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Primary School

In 2009 the levels of pupils’ of attainment were significantly below national averages. The school made good improvements in 2010 and has closed the gaps in all subjects in Key Stage 2. In 2009, pupils performed less well in writing compared to other subjects. The unvalidated 2010 results indicate writing has risen Tribal 1-4 Portland Square BRISTOL BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0845 123 6001 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email :Fiona.allan1@tribalgroup.com Page 2 significantly. The results in 2010 for mathematics and reading demonstrate that pupils’ attainment has markedly improved. The proportion of students who gained higher levels has also improved, particularly in English. The inspector observed some good learning and progress in lessons. The good pace and the effective paired and group work enabled pupils to enjoy their learning and to assess how well they were

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Primary School

progressing. Pupils’ use of self-assessment was good in these lessons. In a few lessons, pupils’ learning slowed as the pace of the lesson became pedestrian.

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Primary School

Pupils enjoy school and they behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils stated they feel safe in school and are pleased that the school does not tolerate fighting. Attendance has declined slightly since the last inspection and is now low. The school is making sound efforts to reduce the level of persistent absence.

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Primary School

Teaching is improving pupils’ outcomes well. In the stronger lessons, effective planning and assessment of pupils’ learning enabled them to learn well. In these lessons teachers’ use of open questions was effective in enabling pupils to assess their own learning. Teachers’ use of this method of assessing pupils’ progress is now evident throughout the school. This method is used extensively in identifying the appropriate level of success each pupil should achieve in their work. However, teachers do not yet routinely use these data to plan challenging activities for the more able pupils. Good examples of marked work were seen in some lessons, although the quality of marking is variable throughout the school.

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Primary School

Plans to improve the curriculum are well underway. Changes have been made to ensure that it is mapped across subjects for each year group by class teachers. Some interesting topics have been introduced; for example, a geography-based project on Portobello Road is providing opportunities for pupils to develop their creative writing skills. However, leaders do not have a full appreciation of how well topics are being mapped throughout the school. The full impact is yet to be realised. The use of information and communication technology has improved. The school has created two virtual learning rooms for numeracy and literacy, of which numeracy was well used by Year 4 in 2009. The full implementation across all year groups is planned for later in the year. There has been an increased allocation of time for many subjects in the curriculum. Senior leaders are reviewing these arrangements to ensure that there is a balanced curriculum across all year groups.

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Primary School

A range of measures have been introduced to improve attendance, including rewards and certificates for good attendance and punctuality as well as appropriate sanctions for parents. The impact of these measures is not yet evident.

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Primary School

Leaders and managers have worked extremely well to improve pupils’ attainment. Their actions have been evident in improved outcomes in Key Stage 2. There is an increased focus on teaching and assessment and there are good measures in place to assess the quality of lessons. Teachers are held to account, effectively regarding their performance through regular progress meetings to review each pupil’s progress. These actions are starting to have good impact on the achievement of Page 3 lower year groups in the school. The school is turning its attention to improving the provision for higher-attaining pupils.

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Primary School

Members of the governing body are clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the school. In their roles as link governors they are able to scrutinise the school’s work in more depth and are providing an improved level of monitoring. The governing body is challenging the school’s performance more effectively; for example, improving pupils’ attendance is high on the governing body’s list of priorities. Governors have recognised that they need to seek ways to engage more effectively with parents and carers.

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Primary School

Representatives from the local authority have been robust in their challenge to leaders’ actions to improve pupils’ outcomes. There has been good monitoring and scrutiny of the school’s work.

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Primary School

I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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place in May 2009

 Increase the number of pupils who achieve higher levels in their assessments, by improving the quality of teachers’ planning for the more able pupils.

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place in May 2009

 Improve the quality of the curriculum by increasing cross-curricular links and making sure that sufficient time is devoted to the teaching of all subjects.

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place in May 2009

 Improve the quality of governance by ensuring that governors are fully informed and involved effectively in the monitoring of the school’s work.

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