Setting

PROTECT-INSPECTION

Franca La Malfa Acting Headteacher Camelot Primary School Bird-in-Bush Road London SE15 1QP

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School

Following my visit to your school on 13 January 2014, 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 October 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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School

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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School

 ensure greater consistency in the quality of teaching, especially in Year 4  give greater attention to the progress made by pupils when monitoring the quality of teaching  ensure that teachers pay closer attention to how they are meeting the different needs and abilities of pupils

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Evidence

During the visit, I met with you and the acting deputy headteacher, other teachers who have specific responsibilities, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last 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 email : rachel.evans@tribalgroup.com

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

inspection. I evaluated the school improvement plan. Minutes of local authority and governing body meetings, achievement information and your records of monitoring the quality of teaching and learning were scrutinised. I joined you to visit some classrooms where we looked at pupils’ English and mathematics books.

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Context

Since the last inspection, two new community governors have been appointed to the governing body. Two teachers have left the school and been replaced by temporary teachers. The inclusion leader has left the school and been replaced by a temporary teacher. Two teaching assistants have left the school and been replaced.

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Main findings

You have moved swiftly, since the inspection, to address the urgent improvements that were identified. Your inclusive leadership style has ensured that you have brought the staff along with you on the journey. The staff and governors that I spoke with want to work with you to bring about improvement for the benefit of the pupils. You have worked collaboratively to formulate a useful action plan that charts the improvements that you now expect. You have increased how frequently you look at the quality of teaching but do not give great enough emphasis to its impact on the learning of pupils with different needs and abilities.

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Main findings

You have made some important staffing changes but still have a very high proportion of inexperienced teachers. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning remains inconsistent. You are developing and using partnerships with other schools well. For example, you have set up an exciting project that is designed to improve teaching and learning in Year 1 by linking your Year 1 teachers with those at a neighbouring school. You are improving how effectively you use the information that you have about pupils’ standards. You now hold meetings with teachers more frequently at which you evaluate the impact of their teaching. Information about pupils’ progress in the autumn term shows that there is still inconsistency between classes and subjects and this is most noticeable in Year 4.

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Main findings

Pupils’ books show that there are increased opportunities for them to write at length. Most teachers mark the work in pupils’ books thoroughly. Pupils are beginning to respond to the teachers’ comments and are frequently given time to do so. However, marking does not always clearly identify what the pupil should do in order to improve their work next time.

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Main findings

The Chair of the Governing Body brings a great deal of previous experience to her position and is well supported by a very able Vice Chair. Governors know the school well and are aspirational for its future. They know that they need to hold school leaders to greater account for improvements and that their role in monitoring the impact of the school improvement plan is crucial. They are taking the lead on the appointment of a substantive headteacher and are acutely aware of the need to

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

strengthen the strategic leadership of the school, in order to continue the work that has already been started.

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

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

You have made very good use of the resources provided to the school by the local authority. It acted swiftly to broker additional leadership support from a consultant headteacher and a National Leader of Education. This helped you to prioritise the actions that you needed to take in order to bring about rapid improvement. Local authority officers secured experienced temporary senior leaders to enable you to focus on your priorities and to bring experienced teachers into the school. A local authority officer also attends governing body meetings to ensure that a close eye is kept on how the quality of teaching is improving and how pupils’ standards are rising. Governors say that this timely support has halted any further decline in the school.

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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 Southwark.

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