Setting

Ms Alison Small Headteacher Crane Park Primary School Norman Avenue Hanworth Feltham Middlesex TW13 5LN

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School

Following my visit to your school on 2 July 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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School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in March 2014. 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

 improve the effectiveness of middle leaders, by developing further collaborative working with local partner schools.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with you, other senior and middle leaders, members of the governing body and representatives of the local authority. I also met with the part-time interim executive headteacher. We discussed the actions taken since the last inspection. I spoke with some pupils about their work and 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 looked at their books in classes, as I made a tour of the school with you. I also visited the playground and school fields with you at break and lunchtime. The school’s post-Ofsted action plan and raising achievement plan were evaluated along with other documents. These included records of meetings, school assessment data and information on monitoring and evaluation.

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Context

Since the previous inspection, one permanent teacher has left the school. A new assistant headteacher, with responsibility for the Early Years Foundation Stage took up post in the summer term 2014. The school is seeking to appoint two teachers to take up post in September, as other staff relocate at the end of the summer term. Two other teachers have been appointed already and will take up post in September.

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Main findings

You have taken swift action since the last inspection. You have produced a detailed action plan and linked it directly to the school’s systems for checking progress. It provides a clear set of objectives and tasks with deadlines for completion. As a result, middle leaders understand their responsibilities better. This is increasing the sense of common purpose and commitment to improve amongst the staff of the school and makes them accountable for pupils’ learning. You have trained middle leaders to use assessment data in regular pupil progress meetings to identify underachievement. They agree actions to be taken by teachers to improve pupils’ learning. As a consequence, teachers are sharpening their planning to build on pupils’ previous knowledge and skills. You have introduced personal learning targets for pupils and clarified expectations for marking by teachers. Pupils are beginning to make use of teachers’ comments and their targets to improve their own work. This is

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Main findings

starting to improve their writing, spelling and punctuation across a range of subjects.

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Main findings

You model high expectations of behaviour at all times. I was pleased to see that all staff apply the school’s behaviour policy, which was one of the areas for improvement at the last inspection.

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Main findings

Despite these clear improvements you and the governing body recognise that improvements in learning are still variable between some classes and sometimes between subjects at this stage. Pupils do not yet all present their work neatly enough. This is an area, you are beginning to address. You have worked with middle leaders to begin developing the curriculum so that pupils can apply their literacy, numeracy and information communication and technology skills through a wider range of topics. The school’s new curriculum will be introduced in September. Members of the governing body use their own action plan to ensure that school leaders are fully supported and challenged. They undertake a range of monitoring activities independently of the senior team. This enables them to form their own view of progress against priorities. As a result, they are starting to hold you and other senior leaders more firmly to account. They support the links with Southville

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Main findings

Primary School and others across the local authority.

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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’s current level of support extends the programme it began before the last section 5 inspection. The local authority has provided training for middle leaders and advice on improving provision in the Early Years and Foundation Stage. Middle leaders report that they are more confident in using data and monitoring teaching. The local authority conducts progress review meetings with you and senior leaders along with the Chair of the Governing Body. They challenge you and other leaders to demonstrate the impact of your actions.

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External support

The local authority has pledged to continue its role in supporting and challenging the school in the next school year.

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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 Hounslow.

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