Setting

Mrs Joanne Clensy The Headteacher Malmesbury Primary School Coborn Street London E3 2AB

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Malmesbury Primary School

Following my visit with Warren Williamson, Additional Inspector, to your school on 5 and 6 December 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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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Malmesbury Primary School

The inspection was the second monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in March 2012. 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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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Malmesbury Primary School

Progress since being subject to special measures – good.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Malmesbury Primary School

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – good.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Malmesbury Primary School

Newly qualified teachers should not be appointed.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Malmesbury 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 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 0117 3115307 Direct F 0117 3150430 Direct email : emma.thomson@tribalgroup.com

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place in March 2012

 Raise achievement in reading, writing and mathematics to national levels by: – implementing a systematic programme of phonics (letters and sound) teaching throughout Key Stage 2 – providing pupils with more opportunities to write across the curriculum – improving pupils’ basic number skill – increasing expertise of teaching assistants, especially Key Stage 2 in phonics and sentence structure to enable them to support pupils effectively.  By January 2013, improve the quality of teaching, so that the majority is good or better, by ensuring that teachers consistently: - provide pupils at different levels of ability with challenging work and let them know what they are to learn - correct any misunderstandings during lessons when pupils are working independently - let pupils know the next steps in their learning through marking and provide them with opportunities to respond to guidance.  Ensure that the monitoring and evaluation carried out by senior staff and

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place in March 2012

subject leaders result in improved outcomes for pupils by: – providing further training in monitoring and evaluation – devising and implementing plans that lead to improved and measurable outcomes for pupils – ensuring the governing body provides a suitable level of challenge to the school’s senior leaders.

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work. They visited 24 lessons of which 23 teachers were observed. Inspectors scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, staff, groups of pupils, parents, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other members, along with a representative from the local authority. Inspectors also heard four pupils, two from Year 2 and two from Year 6, read.

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Context

Since the last monitoring inspection six of the 32 teachers are new to the school. There have also been a further four curriculum leaders’ appointments in mathematics, humanities, science and the other subjects. Two new members have been appointed to the governing body. Two assistant headteachers are starting in January 2013. The school continues to work in partnership with one outstanding school as part of the teaching school alliance.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Pupils’ attainment in Year 6 rose considerably in the national tests taken in July. Pupils achieved average results at National Curriculum Level 4 and Level 5 in English and mathematics, after three years where they were below. The performance in English at the higher Level 5 was slightly below the national average, but still represents a significant improvement on previous years. The attainment of children in Year 2 fell slightly from the previous year. In the last academic year, pupils made progress in their learning that was at a similar rate to the previous year, although there was good improvement in mathematics. Bangladeshi pupils are still underachieving when compared to similar pupils nationally. Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs and those eligible for free school meals made satisfactory progress. Pupils in other year groups made improved rates of progress at the end of the last academic year.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Currently, pupils achieve better than in the last academic year. In lessons, they are keen to learn, and in the strongest lessons teachers are setting tasks that allow them work well independently. Pupils work effectively together in pairs and they help each other when they are stuck in their tasks. Year 6 pupils are beginning to assess each other’s work well and are providing helpful hints on how to improve to their partners’ work. The structured phonics (the teaching of letter sounds and combinations) programme is having a good impact on pupils’ reading levels. In the last academic year, an above average proportion of pupils passed the phonics screening test. The school’s philosophy of ‘by stage not age’ has meant that appropriate support is given to pupils according to their ability rather than their age. Less able readers in Year 2 and Year 6 use good reading techniques to decipher difficult text. The individual support given to pupils most in need in Years 1, 2, 5 and

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Achievement of pupils at the school

6 is having a good impact on improving reading. The support for this targeted group is enabling their progress to be accelerated.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

There have been good improvements to the way subjects are planned and taught especially for pupils to gain more opportunities to develop their extended writing skills. The topic based approach to planning allows them to develop their writing skills across most subjects. For instance, in science, pupils wrote about why instruments make sounds and explained the meaning of vibrations. Pupils appreciate the improvements in their topic work and say they are attending more topic related trips. Work has also begun in increasing the expectations of teachers in numeracy lessons and ensuring that there are more instances of pupils using and practising their basic number skills. There have been some good improvements in the learning environment, and basic number skills is given a higher profile across the school in the use of ‘working walls’ displayed in classrooms that pupils use daily to guide their understanding.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  raise achievement in reading, writing and mathematics to national levels – good.

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The quality of teaching

The good improvements to the quality of teaching have led to pupils making better progress. There is now a significant proportion of more effective teaching and the instances of inadequate teaching have decreased. Outstanding teaching was also observed. However, too much teaching is still not consistently good and some lessons still require improvement. Generally, teachers have increased their expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teaching in Year 6 classes is good overall. All teachers make clear to pupils what they are expected to achieve at the beginning of the lesson. Through the constant reminders of the ‘steps for success’, teachers reinforce learning objectives well. In the strongest lessons questions are sharply focused, resulting in pupils gaining a deepened understanding of their work. In these lessons, learning objectives are reviewed regularly. Although there are increased expectations of what pupils can achieve, in some less well taught lessons tasks are

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The quality of teaching

not challenging enough to stretch all pupils’ learning. Pupils learn too slowly in these lessons. On a few occasions, pupils just accept their unsuitable tasks and carry on regardless. Marking has improved considerably since the last monitoring inspection. Some good examples were seen where teachers assessed and marked work immediately, correcting pupils’ misunderstandings and enabling pupils to continue to work on their own. However, this is not yet consistently undertaken. The newly introduced colour-coded marking scheme means that pupils better understand what they have achieved and where they need to apply more effort. In the best marking seen, pupils are given good guidance to help them in their next steps of learning, although not all teachers mark to this standard. Teaching assistants are making a better contribution to pupils’ learning in lessons. They have been given good support to improve their contribution in literacy lessons for example. This is also developing

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The quality of teaching

their levels of confidence to support pupils in their writing tasks especially sentence construction. In many good lessons seen, teaching assistants aided pupils’ understanding of their work by marking in lessons. However, there are occasions where pupils’ poor spelling or sentence construction have not been corrected.

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The quality of teaching

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  by January 2013, improve the quality of teaching, so that the majority is good or better – good

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are well behaved in lessons and around the school. They continue to have good attitudes to learning and demonstrate an eagerness to learn in most lessons. They are not always actively contributing to their learning and in some lessons they are too passive. Attendance has improved, although remains broadly average. Since the start of the academic year, the level of fixed term exclusions fell sharply in comparison to the same period last year. There have been no exclusions since September. Pupils say the few instances of poor behaviour are dealt with effectively by staff. Sanctions in the form of warning cards are considered by pupils to be a strong deterrent to poor behaviour. Parents say that school leaders keep their child very safe and bullying is not a concern.

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The quality of leadership and management of the school

The accurate and realistic ‘raising attainment plan’, to focus improvements in pupils’ achievement, has formed a strong basis for senior leaders to assess the impact of their work. They now monitor and evaluate their actions well. There has been a good impact on improving pupils’ achievement across the school and the quality of teaching. The focus on improving individual teachers’ practice is beginning to have a measurable impact. Action plans for teachers are detailed and are starting to help them improve their practice. The result has been an increased proportion of good or better teaching. Middle leaders are swiftly contributing to school improvements and are supported well in their areas of responsibility. There have been decisive improvements across most subjects by these leaders. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are looking forward to January when two assistant headteachers will strengthen the senior management team. The governing body is becoming more

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The quality of leadership and management of the school

confident in its role in guiding school improvement. Members are more aware of how they should challenge and support the school. There has been an increase in the level of challenge to leaders regarding levels of pupils’ attainment and how it compares to other schools. The new school improvement committee is providing a good vehicle for sharper analysis of the school’s work. However, a closer review of the ongoing progress of groups of pupils needs to be undertaken. Parents say that the governing body and the senior team are keeping them well informed of improvements in the school.

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The quality of leadership and management of the school

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  ensure that the monitoring and evaluation carried out by senior staff and subject leaders result in improved outcomes for pupils – good.

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External support

The work with the partner school through the teaching school alliance has been very productive. The alliance is providing good support to improve the quality of teaching and strengthen the capacity of middle leaders. The local authority’s watchful eye on the school’s progress, along with very good support to improve the role of those responsible for phonics, numeracy and writing, is helping to raise pupils’ attainment in these subjects. The ongoing support to strengthen the governance of the school has meant members of the governing body have increased their challenge and improved their understanding of the school’s work. However, the level of external support given to the school, especially by the local authority, is high, reflecting the school’s continued need for help and guidance to develop.

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