Setting

Miss J Bezer Headteacher Dersingham Primary School Dersingham Avenue London E12 5QJ

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Dersingham Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 2 February 2011, for the time you gave to our preparation meeting and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Please pass on my thanks to everyone who spoke to me and to the teachers whose lessons I observed.

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Dersingham Primary School

In September 2010, Dersingham became a primary school. It admitted two classes of Year 3 pupils, and other year groups, including a Nursery, will be added over the next few years. In the meantime, a major building project is taking place. This means that outdoor play and learning space for pupils are very cramped. There have been several changes in teaching and support staff since the last inspection. Increasing pressure on school places in the area has led to an increase in the numbers of pupils joining and leaving the school during the course of the year.

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Dersingham Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 17 March 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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Dersingham Primary School

Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made satisfactory progress in making improvements and good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Dersingham Primary School

Attainment has risen since the last inspection and confirms a steady upward trend. The proportion of pupils reaching the levels expected for their age in last year’s assessments was broadly in line with the national figure and these results were the best the school has had for many years. Taking their generally low starting points into account, pupils made good progress and achieved well. Current assessments indicate that this positive picture is likely to be maintained. Staff have worked successfully with the local authority’s consultants to implement initiatives to raise 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 email :sarah.cartlidge@tribalgroup.com Page 2 attainment in reading and writing. New approaches to teaching mathematics are proving worthwhile.

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Dersingham Primary School

The improvements in attainment stem from the effective steps that have been taken by the headteacher and senior leadership team to bring greater rigour to the school’s work and to boost the quality of teaching. These have included regular checks on pupils’ attainment and progress, increasing teachers’ accountability for their pupils’ progress and the frequent monitoring of teaching, planning and pupils’ work. Where pupils are at risk of falling behind, swift interventions are made to help them catch up. These interventions are increasingly effective because they are carefully targeted and time-limited, and their impact is carefully evaluated. Importantly, initiatives are followed through. For example, when revised approaches to planning or target-setting have been agreed, rigorous checks are made to ensure they are consistently implemented. The feedback to teachers makes clear what is expected and pulls no punches if shortcomings are found. The wide range of

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Dersingham Primary School

monitoring activities enables senior leaders to pinpoint exactly where efforts need to be targeted to bring about further improvement.

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Dersingham Primary School

Some teachers have benefited from an intensive programme of support. This includes opportunities for the teacher to observe good practice, as well as receiving coaching and working alongside the deputy headteacher. In addition, all teachers have the opportunity to observe one another and undertake further training as part of their professional development. As a result, the proportion of consistently good teaching is steadily increasing and the school is on track to meet its target. Teachers are keen to improve their practice. For example, they have readily adopted strategies to increase the opportunities for pupils to talk and articulate their thoughts. As well as talking in pairs and small groups, pupils were observed using microphones and recorders to record their ideas and play them back before embarking on a piece of writing, effectively linking the spoken and the written word.

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Dersingham Primary School

The organisation of the Reception classes has changed completely. The three classes now work together as a unit and share resources and expertise. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities, and children have plenty of scope to follow their interests in depth.

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Dersingham Primary School

The school has continued to strive to improve attendance. The family liaison officer and the local authority’s education welfare officer work closely together. They follow up every instance of unauthorised absence and meet with parents and carers where attendance is below acceptable levels. Their work has had some impact and there are indications that attendance is rising, but it is still low and below the school’s target.

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Dersingham Primary School

As part of this inspection, the school’s single central record of recruitment and vetting checks was examined. Some important shortcomings were found. The record was not readily available for scrutiny as the person who has access to it was absent. In addition, there were some gaps in the evidence recorded for recently recruited Page 3 staff which were not able to be rectified by the end of the day. The headteacher has already begun to take action to remedy this situation. Nevertheless, the governing body will need to demonstrate as a matter of urgency that the important shortcomings have been addressed and that the single central record meets statutory requirements.

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Dersingham 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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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection which took

 Raise standards and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics further by ensuring that work is well matched to pupils’ abilities and that all pupils know what they have to do to improve.  Increase the proportion of good or better teaching by creating opportunities for teachers to observe and discuss existing good practice.  Revise the daily timetable for the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure that children have extended sessions of learning, both inside and outside the classrooms.  Improve attendance by giving even greater urgency to impressing on parents the importance of good attendance and the poor consequences for children of persistent absence.

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