Setting

Brian Prebble Headteacher Rivermead Primary School Loddon Bridge Road Reading RG5 4BS

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Education act 2005 to Rivermead Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 7 February 2012, 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 Rivermead Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in 21-22 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, other senior leaders, members of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority. The school improvement action plans were evaluated. Other documents which showed the outcomes of monitoring by the headteacher and senior leaders were scrutinised.

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Context

There have been no major changes to the context of the school since the inspection. One member of staff is on maternity leave and a new deputy headteacher will take- up post in April.

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Main findings

The headteacher, senior leaders and Governing Body are fully aware of the significance of the findings of the last inspection and the need to address areas for 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 improvement as quickly as possible. School development plans clearly articulate the actions the school is taking to address the areas requiring improvement. However, plans would benefit from being more succinct and having sharper timescales and ‘steps to success’ in order to ensure that the momentum of improvement is maintained and the evaluation of the actions taken is more easily focussed.

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Main findings

There is a more robust approach in place to monitor the quality of teaching and check the progress of pupils. Key to this is the development of the role of the team leaders. They have had a variety of training and support and have successfully enhanced their role, fully taking on the challenge and responsibility for improving the work of their teams. Information from evaluating and monitoring the work of the school is increasingly used to focus discussion in team meetings.

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Main findings

The Governing Body has reviewed its practice and is much clearer about what it needs to do to improve the rigour of its work. There has been an increase in the amount of training its members are undertaking. This is beginning to improve the effectiveness of their challenge to the headteacher about the school’s performance. The organisation of the Governing Body’s business now distinguishes more clearly between procedural matters and other important issues about school performance.

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

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Main findings

 Consolidate improvement plans and sharpen the timescales for completion of the steps to be taken to improve the school in the short medium and long term.  Undertake a review of the effectiveness of the Governing Body following the implementation of new procedures.  Involve HMI in a future event to work alongside the headteacher and team leaders while monitoring the quality of teaching.

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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 has successfully used a wide range of external support to develop the expertise of the staff. This has included practitioners from outstanding schools and local authority personnel. Governors, teachers and teaching assistants have benefited from this support and training. It has helped the headteacher and senior leaders to validate their own judgements and increased the skills of other staff, for example to teach phonics (letters and their sounds) to pupils.

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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 Wokingham and as below. Yours sincerely

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