Setting

Ofsted 11 good practice survey: value for money in schools

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation and that of your staff during my visit on 11 November 2010 to look at work in how the school achieves good value for money.

p.1

Ofsted 11 good practice survey: value for money in schools

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

p.1

Ofsted 11 good practice survey: value for money in schools

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews and discussions with various members of staff and a representative of the governing body; discussions with pupils and parents; visits to lessons; and scrutiny of documentation.

p.1

Features of good practice

 A strong sense of achieving the very best outcomes for every pupil, both academic and personal, drives all decisions taken by the school.  Distributed leadership and a team ethos ensure that the school’s capacity for further improvement is very strong and based on a well-embedded cycle of planning and review.  The school development plan is budgeted carefully and focuses sharply on transforming learning following wide-ranging self-evaluation activities.  The school has a thorough understanding of its community including the needs of its learners and their families.  The governors and leadership team use the outcomes of individuals and groups of pupils to refine provision so all pupils can achieve their potential. Aviation House 126 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Features of good practice

Mrs T Oliva Headteacher St John Evangelist RC Primary School Duncan Street Islington High Street London N1 8BL  Outcomes for pupils are tracked assiduously and the information is used well to identify where whole-school, group or individual intervention is required.  A menu of targeted interventions is available and pupils and parents are effusive about their impact on pupils’ progress and how it raises self- esteem.  The costs of intervention work are calculated carefully to match staffing resources to the available finance.  The school is careful not to over-extend its capacity to deliver when assessing new initiatives. A thorough calculation of opportunity cost to identify clear benefits for the pupils is undertaken before any new process is implemented.  Extensive use is made of pupil and parental views both to help shape the details of developments in provision at the planning stage and in determining the value and impact of the developments once they are in

p.1

Features of good practice

place. For example, extensive family learning programmes are in place to support pupil interventions at home.

p.2

Areas for development

 Establish the cost-benefit of different interventions by establishing, where possible, the ratio of financial cost to the progress achieved.  We discussed ways to measure longer term outcomes of intervention work, such as pupils’ self-confidence and their engagement with learning.

p.2

Areas for development

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop the school.

p.2

Areas for development

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on Ofsted’s website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

p.2