Setting

Mr I Jones Interim headteacher St Paul with St Luke C of E Primary School Leopold Street Bow London E3 4LA

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Primary School

Following my visit with Sarah Beales, Additional inspector, to your school on 21–22 March 2012, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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Primary School

The inspection was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in November 2010. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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Primary School

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory

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Primary School

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – satisfactory

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Primary School

A newly qualified teacher may be appointed from the start of the next academic year.

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Primary School

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body, the Diocesan Board, and the Director of Children’s Services for Tower Hamlets.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

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 : rebecca.jackson@tribalgroup.com

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place in November 2010

– setting more challenging targets that require pupils to make at least satisfactory progress

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place in November 2010

– improving staff deployment to enable the best teachers to make a more direct impact on learning

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place in November 2010

– improving monitoring activity to ensure that points are identified and followed up promptly

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place in November 2010

– improving the effectiveness of the governing body’s monitoring of the school’s work

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place in November 2010

– meeting the requirements for community cohesion in order to support pupils’ contribution to the community and their social and cultural development.

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place in November 2010

 Improve teaching so that pupils’ progress is consistently good throughout the school, especially in writing, by:

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place in November 2010

– ensuring that all teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are sufficiently ambitious

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place in November 2010

– ensuring that lessons engage and challenge all pupils and meet pupils’ differing needs and abilities

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place in November 2010

– improving the quality and consistency of marking to have a better impact on pupils’ learning and to show pupils how to make improvement.

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place in November 2010

 Improve attendance so that it is average by the end of July 2011.

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Evidence

The inspector observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the interim headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.

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Context

Since the last monitoring visit the school has received the resignation of the headteacher. There has been turbulence in staffing arrangements in both Year 3 classes. In January the school appointed a new Year 3 class teacher.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Based on first-hand evidence from lesson observations and scrutiny of work, pupils’ progress continues to improve although there are variations across the school and between subjects. The school’s own assessments show that pupils’ progress overall has improved as compared with previous years. Their assessments show that the current cohort of Year 6 pupils is in line to make expected levels of progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

A strong emphasis on developing writing over the course of the term has helped to sustain improvements in pupils’ progress so that, although writing attainment remains lower than nationally in many year groups, over the course of this academic year the vast majority of pupils are making expected progress in reading and writing. There are clear improvements across the school in the way that pupils organise and present their written ideas. Years 5 and 6 pupils are more confidently varying the structure within a sentence in their writing. Pupils in Year 1 wrote a range of good quality sentences because of a stimulating and well-planned lesson which developed their use of adjectives well. The school is developing the use of the extended writing sessions to provide opportunities for pupils to apply their writing skills. However, these do not fully utilise opportunities to complete longer pieces of writing across the curriculum.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Improvements in provision across Key Stage 1 have seen increased progress from pupils’ starting points at the end of Reception class. The school’s latest assessments show that a higher proportion of pupils are in line to reach the expected Level 2c in reading and writing by the end of the year. However, currently a smaller proportion of pupils are in line to gain higher Level 2a and Level 3 results in reading, writing and mathematics than in 2011.

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The quality of teaching

Teaching across the school shows a similar profile to that observed at the last monitoring visit with the majority of lessons satisfactory with no inadequate lessons observed. Where teaching was satisfactory rather than good, too much time was spent by the teacher talking and this restricted the time available for pupils to independently apply their learning. In the good lessons, teachers often referred to the aims of the lesson so that pupils were clear what was required of them.

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The quality of teaching

School procedures introduced at the start of last term are now more consistently applied, helping to improve pupils’ achievement. More consistent marking across the school highlights where pupils have produced good work and identifies next steps points to take. Pupils are increasingly responding to show how they have improved their work but this is less apparent with lower ability pupils. Planning and assessments are more regularly used to build sequentially on pupils’ learning. In a mathematics lesson with a small group of Year 6 pupils, activities were differentiated carefully to ensure pupils worked at their own level and increased their knowledge of and confidence in equivalent fractions. However, in some lessons all pupils were provided with the same task and as a result more-able pupils were not provided with sufficient challenge.

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The quality of teaching

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage classes, teachers have revised the schedule of the daily activities to provide more frequent opportunities to develop children’s reading and mathematical development. Staff in these classes are assessing and recording children’s progress. However, these assessments are not completed with sufficient regularity to ensure that children of all abilities are provided with planned activities that challenge them to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching

Progress since the last monitoring visit on the areas for improvement.

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The quality of teaching

 Improve teaching so that pupils’ progress is consistently good throughout the school, especially in writing – satisfactory

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The changing climate within the school is apparent in the improvement in pupils’ attendance over the academic year. Attendance in all classes has improved and is now higher than nationally. Pupils show positive attitudes and consistently good behaviour around the school. They are encouraged to build good relationships with others and are developing a sense of community. The school is an inclusive and welcoming environment with pupils showing respect for each other’s faiths and cultural identities. Pupils report confidently that targets, marking and feedback are helping them to learn and improve. Clearer learning intentions and teachers’ more consistent use of success criteria are helping pupils to understand what is expected of them and what they are supposed to learn. Pupils are making improved progress in their writing but some report, boys especially, that the school could do more to make longer writing sessions enjoyable and engaging.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

During school assemblies pupils’ behaviour is orderly and they listen quietly and politely. Spiritual development is encouraged through opportunities to reflect and to consider others in their prayers. Reception children give wholehearted thanks for the food that they are about to receive during lunchtime prayers.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Progress since the last monitoring visit on the areas for improvement.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

 Improve attendance so that it is average by the end of July 2011 – good

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The school continues to benefit from the strong leadership of the interim headteacher. Senior leaders have maintained their rigorous monitoring of the quality of the school’s work and address any issues as soon as they arise. A clear sequence of activities over the term has successfully resolved weaknesses and developed teachers’ expertise. These have helped to maintain the gains made last term in the quality of teaching, but not yet to ensure a higher proportion of good teaching.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The school’s raising attainment plan is the main vehicle for raising expectations and driving improvement. Staff report that they benefit from the clarity of purpose that this provides. They work as a team to share ideas and develop a common approach to raising pupils’ attainment. Support for pupils with special educational needs is now better organised. The assistant headteacher has established clear links between the provision of support sessions and pupils’ individual needs. She has monitored the provision of specific intervention programmes to establish which interventions are beginning to raise pupils’ achievement.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The school is developing the capacity of middle leaders. The literacy coordinator has worked with senior leaders and the local authority to ensure that there is strong focus this term on improving the quality of writing across the school. She has been actively involved and contributed to planning and monitoring the school’s development of writing. Early Years Foundation Stage leaders have revised their planning format to develop activities with the intention that they build on children’s learning in all subject areas.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

The governing body continues to develop its support and challenge for the school. Separate governor committees closely monitor the school’s progress and are providing greater challenge as they become more familiar with the school’s pupil tracking information. Individual governors are making increased links with the school, providing input and support to develop the school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and design and technology.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

Progress since the last monitoring visit on the areas for improvement.

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The quality of leadership in and management of the school

 Improve leadership and management – satisfactory

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External support

The local authority continues to hold meetings to monitor and review the school’s performance on a regular basis. The local authority has appropriately begun to withdraw its direct involvement to encourage the school’s leadership team to develop its capacity. At the school’s instigation they have monitored specific actions to improve writing. External consultants no longer provide support for the vast majority of teachers as staff become increasingly independent in their planning.

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