Setting

Miss Louise Whitaker Headteacher St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CofE) 297 Chase Road London N14 6JA

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Southgate Primary School (CofE)

Following my visit to your school on 7 February 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the findings. 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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Southgate Primary School (CofE)

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

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Southgate Primary School (CofE)

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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Southgate Primary School (CofE)

 fully embed the new marking policy so that all teachers identify the next steps for pupils to take and provide time for them to respond

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Southgate Primary School (CofE)

 ensure that teachers plan their lessons to take account of the needs of all pupils, including the more able.

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Evidence

During the visit, I held meetings with you and the deputy headteacher, middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and two governors, and with representatives of the local authority and diocese, to review the actions taken since the last inspection. A further meeting was held with the headteacher of the 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 Email : rachel.evans@tribalgroup.com outstanding school currently offering you support. The school improvement plans were evaluated and a sample of pupils’ books were scrutinised. I also joined you on a short tour of the school.

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Context

There have been no contextual or staffing changes since the inspection took place.

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Main findings

The school improvement plans correctly identify the actions that need to be taken and demonstrates that leaders have a good understanding of what needs to be done. However, it is not always clear who is undertaking the actions and who will monitor them. This makes it difficult for leaders and governors to hold staff to account. You are currently agreeing how to review the progress you are making with governors. This will allow you to check that improvements are having an impact.

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Main findings

The actions you have taken are starting to raise standards across the school. Assessment information is shared with classroom teachers who report on the amount of progress pupils are making on a regular basis. You are able to demonstrate that more pupils are making improved rates of progress. Careful tracking of individuals and groups has allowed you to target where additional support is needed.

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Main findings

You have taken action to raise the quality of teaching across the school. This has included providing opportunities for improving teachers to work alongside colleagues from a local outstanding school. You are carefully monitoring the difference this extra support is making, to check if it is leading to improved pupil progress. The marking policy has been rewritten. However, you are aware that there are still some inconsistencies in how the policy is applied. For example, teachers are not always allowing pupils time to respond to advice that would help them move on more quickly. You consider that teachers are increasingly planning activities at the correct level but recognise that further improvements are still needed. This will ensure that all pupils, including the more able, are challenged to make better progress. While many changes are still at an early stage, some improvements have already made a

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Main findings

difference. For example, teachers are now correcting errors in spelling and punctuation in line with the new marking policy. This has improved the standard of work in pupils’ books.

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Main findings

Middle leaders understand their roles and responsibilities. They are now working with you to implement improvements quickly.

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Main findings

Governors have a clear vision for the future of the school and are offering strong levels of support and challenge to school leaders. They recognise that improvements need to happen quickly. They are therefore asking probing questions and receive detailed information from school leaders in response.

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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

You consider that you are being supported well by the local authority and the diocese, whose representatives work closely together. The local authority has arranged for you to work with the headteacher of a local outstanding school. You have rapidly engaged with this support and have arranged for improving teachers to be supported by colleagues from the partner school. You are undertaking a joint review of teaching with senior leaders from both schools to ensure that your judgements are accurate. You have formed a rapid recovery group, which includes governors, the diocese and local authority representatives, to review the impact your improvements are having.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Enfield and the London Diocese Board for Schools.

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