Setting

Mrs M Roberson Headteacher Malden Manor Primary and Nursery School Sheephouse Way New Malden Surrey KT3 5PF

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Education act 2005 to Malden Manor Primary and Nursery School

Following my visit to your school on Friday 18 January 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report on the findings of my visit. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection. I am also grateful to you for adjusting the arrangements for my visit in the light of the adverse weather conditions.

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Education act 2005 to Malden Manor Primary and Nursery School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in November 2012. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority. The inspector also met a group of pupils. The school improvement plan was evaluated.

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Context

There have not been any changes to the staffing of the school since the section 5 inspection. Several new governors have recently joined the governing body. 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 311 5307 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email : Emma.Thomson@ tribalgroup.com

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Main finding

The new headteacher and her senior team had already begun to make significant changes to procedures and policies at the time of the section 5 inspection. This work has continued and is gaining momentum. Senior staff are working closely with teachers in each year group to help them develop and improve their skills.

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Main finding

The school improvement plan has been fine-tuned in the light of the outcomes of the inspection. The plan is focused on driving up standards and improving teaching. It states clearly what effect actions are expected to have on pupils’ attainment and progress, but does not set out exactly what will have been achieved at specific points during the year. It is therefore difficult for leaders and governors to judge whether the school is on track to achieve its goals.

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Main finding

Systems to assess and review pupils’ progress during the year are robust. At present, this information is only gathered three times during the year. This means that the governing body does not receive information about pupils’ progress frequently enough. There is also a risk that underachievement may remain undetected for too long.

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Main finding

New governors are keen to get involved and do the best they can for the school. The more experienced members of the governing body are very knowledgeable and have a high profile in the school. Governors have not yet had an opportunity to meet and work with good and outstanding governing bodies in the locality.

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Main finding

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 action is taken to:

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Main finding

 include milestones for actions in the school improvement plan that help the governing body to judge whether school leaders are being successful in improving achievement  increase the frequency of assessments of pupils’ progress and ensure that information on pupils’ progress is presented to the governing body in a clear format  arrange for members of the governing body to visit a school where governance has been judged to be good or outstanding.

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Main finding

Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection. HMI will visit the school in the autumn term to check on progress.

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External support

The school improvement partner from the local authority knows the school well. She has liaised closely with the headteacher to plan a well-targeted programme of support for teachers that complements the school’s own work. She has also arranged training for the governing body.

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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 The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

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