Setting

Miss Emma Lewis Acting Headteacher Heathmere Primary School Alton Road Roehampton London SW15 4LJ

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Education act 2005 to Heathmere Primary School

Following my visit to your school on Thursday 31 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.

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Education act 2005 to Heathmere Primary 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 acting headteacher, other senior leaders, two representatives of the local authority and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body. The school improvement plan and other documentation relating to the plan were evaluated. The HMI also carried out a tour of the school with the acting headteacher.

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Context

Since the previous inspection the deputy headteacher has been appointed acting headteacher, an interim deputy headteacher has been appointed and the acting Chair of the Governing Body has been elected permanently. A new Vice-Chair of the Governing Body has also been elected. 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 findings

The acting headteacher and senior leaders, supported by the governing body, have made good use of the recommendations from the section 5 inspection to develop good quality action plans that cover the current academic year. These are clearly targeted at tackling the areas of the school’s work requiring improvement. Action plans have measurable success criteria and clear short term milestones with set timescales. The plans focus strongly on improving teaching and clearly state the rates of progress that all students are expected to achieve. However, the school is yet to develop a longer term strategic plan that charts the school’s journey to being good. Senior leaders, governors and staff are responding positively to the inspection judgement. They show a strong shared commitment to improve performance quickly to make the school good. Performance management arrangements are being reviewed, with local authority support, to ensure that objectives for all staff are

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Main findings

incisively linked to school improvement.

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Main findings

The governing body have received training from the local authority in carrying out their role effectively. Governor membership of a local authority task group to improve the school has increased their confidence in checking on the school’s performance. Senior leaders have set up a short-term monitoring timetable to evaluate the success of action plans. These often have the same senior staff delivering actions and monitoring their progress with no governor involvement. However, governors are regularly updated on the school’s progress by senior leaders. A comprehensive training and development programme for teaching staff is already in place. Individual profiles of teacher performance are being developed through lesson observation and scrutiny of pupils’ work and progress. The leadership team are starting to use these profiles to tailor teachers’ professional development.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and governors have begun to take effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection.

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Main findings

Following the visit to the school, HMI recommend that further action is taken to:

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Main findings

 Develop a strategic overarching school improvement plan that clearly targets when and how the school will become good for the school’s good quality action plans feed into.

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Main findings

 Ensure that monitoring of the school’s progress to good involves governors and senior staff not personally involved in delivering initiatives. Sharpen the monitoring process with clear milestones set at regular intervals over the school’s entire journey to good.

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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 school has been supported strongly by the local authority. A headteacher mentor for the acting headteacher from an outstanding school has been appointed. Local authority consultants are working with the school leadership to improve teaching and learning and are supporting the moderation of teacher assessments. The local authority recognise that the quality of some of the buildings represent a barrier to learning for younger pupils. They are investigating funding streams to improve the built environment.

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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 Wandsworth.

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