Setting

Mrs Angela Ewing Headteacher North Downs Primary School Wheelers Lane Betchworth Surrey RH3 7LA

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 12 December 2012 I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the outcome and inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the school’s most recent section 5 inspection.

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Primary School

This monitoring inspection visit was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher, a group of governors including the Chair of the Governing Body, the school improvement advisor from the local authority commissioned school improvement partner, subject leaders for mathematics and English and a group of pupils. Brief visits were made to classrooms, and the school’s improvement plan was evaluated.

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Context

There have been no significant changes in the school since the previous inspection.

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Main findings

The headteacher and senior leaders are tackling the areas requiring improvement with conviction. The school development plan centres firmly on raising pupils’ attainment in writing and mathematics, and on improving teaching, as it did at the time of the section 5 inspection. While overall goals are clear, the actions intended 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 3115319 Direct F 0117 3150430 Direct email :matthew.parker@tribalgroup.com to improve teaching and the work of subject leaders are not all detailed enough to ensure they are understood by everyone, and that the impact on pupils can be checked. It is also unclear how pupils’ progress over time will be better monitored, including by governors, to ensure they reach challenging targets by Year 6.

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Main findings

Staff development is well focused on enhancing teaching, based on regular monitoring led by the headteacher. There is a growing realisation among staff that teaching can only be judged as good when pupils make good progress over time. Teachers are becoming more aware of the need to ensure pupils’ work builds on what they already know, and challenges all pupils with well-paced activities. Much effort is rightly going into ensuring pupils’ progress is tracked accurately to identify those needing extra support. Teachers are starting to provide better opportunities for writing and to engage pupils in setting their own targets. Support from external consultants and the senior team is boosting subject leaders’ skills in monitoring and leading their areas. Governors are sharpening their focus on achievement. Useful training for them on data analysis is underway from school staff and local authority personnel, and is helping them ask more probing questions about pupils’ progress.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. Following the visit to the school, HMI recommend that further steps are taken to sharpen the development plan so it shows:

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Main findings

 more detail about the actions to improve teaching and the impact of subject leaders, how these will benefit pupils and how this will be checked  how staff and governors will check the progress of different year groups toward long term goals so these are hit and teachers are held to account for their impact.

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Main findings

Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The headteacher and school improvement advisor have coordinated a range of useful support for the school. This includes work with English and mathematics consultants and is helping raise the quality of teaching, as well as the school’s capacity to improve itself. There are suitable plans for further input, including for governors, and for monitoring the impact of what is provided.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Surrey and as below.

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