Setting

Joanne Loach Headteacher Kingsthorne Primary School Cranbourne Road Kingstanding Birmingham B44 0BX

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Education Act 2005 to Kingsthorne Primary School, Birmingham local

Following my visit to your school on 15 May 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 Kingsthorne Primary School, Birmingham local

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in February 2013. 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, deputy headteacher, teachers with additional responsibilities, the Chair and Vice Chair of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. The school improvement plan was evaluated. A range of documentation was reviewed, including lesson observation notes, middle leaders’ action plans, and information about pupils’ progress. HMI also visited some classrooms with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, to review learning activities and talk to pupils about their learning.

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Context

There have been no significant changes since the recent inspection which judged the school to require improvement. Serco Inspections 20 Colmore Circus Queensway Birmingham B4 6AT T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01216 799154 Direct email :aidan.dunne@serco.com

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Main findings

The actions in the new school improvement plan clearly indicate how the quality of teaching and leadership and management will be strengthened in order to raise pupils’ achievement. The plan does not state who will check that the actions are making a positive difference to pupils’ progress.

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Main findings

Teachers with additional responsibilities are beginning to help improve the quality of teaching by working alongside teachers in the classroom. Senior and middle leaders regularly check the quality of teaching. However, they do not sufficiently focus on the quality of learning for different groups of pupils and whether teachers are doing all they can to help all pupils make faster progress.

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Main findings

Pupils display positive attitudes in lessons and work well with others. This is because of the strong emphasis teachers place on ‘how pupils should learn’. Teachers are getting better at providing pupils with the opportunity to develop their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. However, in subjects such as science, pupils of different abilities are sometimes given the same activity. This slows down the pace of learning.

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Main findings

Governors receive comprehensive information about the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. However, this information is not presented concisely. This prevents governors from asking senior leaders precise and challenging questions about the progress of pupils, and especially those that have been identified as underachieving.

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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

 ensure the school improvement plan clearly identifies who will check that the planned actions are making a positive difference to pupils’ progress  work with the local authority to strengthen the checks on the quality of teaching so that there is a greater focus on how well teachers are helping different groups of pupils make better progress  make sure activities are better matched to pupils of different abilities in subjects such as science  present governors with concise information about pupils’ progress so that they are able to ask challenging questions.

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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’s advisor and the headteacher are working together well to provide appropriate training and support for teachers and middle leaders. Links with local

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

schools are giving teachers the opportunity to observe effective practice. The school advisor is helping middle leaders to develop their leadership skills. These actions are beginning to improve the quality of teaching and strengthen leadership and management.

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

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

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