Setting

Karen Hanson Headteacher Kingsbury Primary School Bromage Avenue Kingsbury Tamworth B78 2HW

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School

Following my visit to your school on 28 June 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 March 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 you and other leaders, three members of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. The school action plan was evaluated. We spent some time in each classroom and I had an opportunity to look at documents relating to the checks you are making on the quality of teaching.

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Context

There have been no significant changes to the school’s context since the previous inspection. An assistant headteacher has been recruited and will take up her post in September 2013. Serco Inspections Colmore Plaza 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 0121 6799163 Direct email :lewis.mackie1@serco.com

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Main findings

The records of your monitoring activities are showing that there have been improvements to teaching. Teachers are now starting lessons more quickly and we observed some of this in our tour of the school where pupils were immediately starting work on activities related to English or mathematics. . Pupils now have more opportunities to develop basic mathematics skills, such as number bonds, on a regular basis and your initial assessments are showing that there are some improvements. There is evidence that dedicated phonics sessions, where pupils are learning to link letters with the sounds they make, have helped to improve pupils’ skills in reading. There are clearer expectations of when and how pupils should be given the chance to write in detail in all subjects. The checks carried out by you, the deputy headteacher and the English and mathematics leaders are showing that these changes are making a positive difference but that improvements are not yet

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Main findings

The action plan focuses well on what needs to happen for the school to improve and governors have been actively involved in drawing up and revising the plan. Governors have made sure that there are regular and planned opportunities for them to review the progress of actions in the plan and these governors have the skills needed to do this. The plan now needs to incorporate the specific targets for pupils’ and groups of pupils’ achievement so that progress towards these can be monitored. A calendar of monitoring and evaluation activities for the next academic year has not yet been agreed. It is important that activities focus on checking how well pupils are making progress and reflect the incisive determination by leaders and governors to rigorously and systematically review the school’s work. The leaders of English and mathematics need to have more support to enable them to take a more substantial role in monitoring the impact of the work in each of these subjects.

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Main findings

You have been quick to seek support and ideas from high performing schools in your local area and beyond. A Local Leader of Education has helped with reviewing the quality of teaching and, as a result of a visit by your leaders to an outstanding school, approaches to the teaching of mathematics are improving. The school is also now working with a larger group of schools to gather and share good practice.

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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

 improve the consistency of good teaching in all subjects  include specific targets in the action plan for the achievement of pupils and groups of pupils  provide additional support for the leaders of English and mathematics so that they are more able to monitor and evaluate the impact of work in each subject  implement a calendar of activities that supports the frequent checking of pupils’ progress.

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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 local authority has provided appropriate support for the school. Officers have reviewed the action plan, although there still needs to be further improvements, and linked you with a Local Leader of Education. Governors would welcome increased involvement of the local authority to provide external challenge to the committee that is monitoring pupils’ progress.

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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 Warwickshire.

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