Setting

Miss Nicky Ross Headteacher Hazelwood Junior School Hazelwood Lane London N13 5HE

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School

Following my visit to your school on 23 May 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report 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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School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in January 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During the visit, I held meetings with you and other senior leaders, a group of staff and a representative of the local authority. I evaluated the school improvement plan and looked at data on achievement. We walked around the school together to meet staff and students. I spoke to the Chair of the Governing Body by telephone.

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Context

Since the last inspection two teachers have left. Both vacancies have been filled by temporary appointments. The leadership team has been restructured. A deputy headteacher and an assistant headteacher have been appointed to join the team in September 2013. 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 5359 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Email : christina.bannerman@tribalgroup.com

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Main findings

You and the senior team are strong, capable leaders who give staff and governors a very clear message about what needs to be done to make Hazelwood a good school. The work that started before the previous inspection to get rid of inadequate teaching, provide good quality training to move all teachers to good or outstanding and to check pupil progress, is moving on quickly. Good quality improvement plans for the school and for the governing body set realistic targets against tight timescales and review impact at key points in order to identify further actions. No one is left in any doubt of what is working and what is not.

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Main findings

The impact of training to improve teaching is measured and checked against pupils’ learning. Leaders do not judge teaching as good unless pupils’ learning is improving quickly. Leaders use data to check pupils’ progress. They look carefully at the work in books and talk to pupils to make sure that they understand and can talk about their learning. An extra half an hour at the start of each day allows teachers and teaching assistants to plan together so that all adults working with pupils know how they can have a definite impact on learning. Experienced staff and newly qualified teachers are keen to talk about how their own teaching has improved during the last year. They value the support they receive because the leaders show them how to develop their skills rather than just telling them what to do.

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Main findings

New systems for checking pupils’ progress make sure that teachers, governors and parents have a sharper understanding of what needs to be done to help all pupils make better than expected progress. Links with other schools are used well to check that teachers’ marking of the levels that pupils achieve is accurate and reliable. Meetings between leaders and teachers are used well to make sure that all teachers understand and are able to apply their training in checking pupils’ progress, particularly in writing. School data show that pupils in Years 3 and 4 are making good or better progress but pupils in Years 5 and 6 are lagging behind as a result of previous weak teaching. Extra teaching after school and in the holidays, more opportunities to write in lessons and better quality guided reading are helping to raise achievement in English. A booklet to increase parents’ understanding of what their children need to do to improve their writing gives clear, simple examples of

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Main findings

what writing looks like at each level and advice on what to do next.

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Main findings

The new leadership structure builds on the existing strengths of current leaders and aims to provide strong role models to further improve teaching. Expectations of leaders are higher because all new leaders of subjects and year groups are required to demonstrate consistently good or outstanding teaching in order to take on the role. The school recognises that new leaders would benefit from high quality training to make sure that they carry out their roles and responsibilities to a consistently high standard. Governors are well informed and draw on Ofsted survey reports to improve their work, including School governance: learning from the best. They challenge the school more rigorously because they collect good quality of information during regular visits and receive evaluative reports from leaders showing clearly what still needs to improve.

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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. The school should take further action to:

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Main findings

 introduce a high quality training programme for new leaders so that they are equipped to carry out their roles and responsibilities to a very high standard.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further visits and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The school is drawing very well on the targeted support provided by the local authority school improvement advisor programme, particularly in moderating judgements on teaching and learning.

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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 Enfield.

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