Setting

Mrs Julie Wilson Headteacher Parklands Junior School Havering Road Romford RM1 4QX

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School

Following my visit to your school on 11 February 2015, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection 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 October 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

 ensure that plans make clear who is responsible for evaluating the impact of actions, how they will undertake this, and when.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you and other leaders, the Chair of the Governing Board and two representatives of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. I also met with a group of pupils to discuss changes that have taken place and to look at their books. The school action plan was evaluated. Together, we made short visits to most classes. Documents Tribal Kings Orchard One Queen Street Bristol BS2 0HQ T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 311 5359 Email : christina.bannerman@tribalgroup.com scrutinised include records of the monitoring of teaching, governing board minutes, and information about pupil progress.

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Context

Since the last inspection, one teacher has left the school. You have successfully filled this vacancy. A number of governors have resigned, including the Chair. The Vice- Chair has been elected as Chair of the Governing Board. New governors have been recruited.

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Main findings

Following the previous inspection leaders and governors acted swiftly to complete and implement an external review of governance. A reconstitution of the governing body, now known as the governing board, is almost complete. New governors have been recruited with the necessary skills to support leaders and hold them to account with increasing rigour. Governors are undergoing training relevant to their role. They have devised an action plan which is closely aligned to the school’s plan. Consequently, governance is improving rapidly.

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Main findings

The school’s plan for improvement is structured and comprehensive. It closely links areas for improvement identified in the inspection report to actions the school plans to take and what leaders expect to see as a result. The plan clearly identifies who is responsible for each action. Systems are in place for checking progress of the plan. However, it is not clear who will evaluate the impact of actions taken, or how and when they will do this.

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Main findings

Leaders and governors have set high expectations for both staff and pupils. Pupils acknowledge that behaviour in lessons has improved because teachers use a clear strategy for managing low-level disruption, and give tangible worthwhile rewards for consistently good behaviour. Leaders have also implemented systems for rewarding good manners and high attendance. Pupils talk enthusiastically about these.

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Main findings

Weak teaching is being challenged. You have identified where teaching needs to be stronger and are providing structured support in a tight timeframe in order to ensure improvements are rapid. Pupils say teaching has improved because they get more helpful feedback both verbally and through marking. On our visits to lessons we agreed that teachers’ written feedback, whilst consistently in place, is variable in its quality.

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Main findings

The introduction of regular meetings to discuss the progress of pupils in each class has highlighted the relationship between the achievement of pupils and teaching. As a result of more focused teaching, the rate of pupils’ progress has increased across the school. Disadvantaged pupils are making as much progress as their peers and in one or two classes they are starting to catch up. The external review of pupil premium spending, recommended by the previous inspection, has taken place. This review recognised that some positive changes are already being made, and made further recommendations. These are being implemented.

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Main findings

Subject leaders have received training to prepare them to fulfil their role effectively. Leaders of English and mathematics are starting to become involved in activities which check the quality of teaching in their particular areas of responsibility. Plans are in place to involve other subject leaders in similar activities before the end of this term.

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Main findings

Since the previous inspection, leaders and governors have worked hard to ensure that parents and carers are kept well-informed about the school’s progress. Regular newsletters from both yourself and the Chair of the Governing Board provide honest information about improvements in the school.

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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

Local authority officers hold school leaders to account for their work through termly meetings which review progress and improvement. The school improvement partner, commissioned by the local authority, knows the school well and provides more regular support and challenge to the school leadership team. School leaders are skilled at commissioning any further support that they need. As part of the work to develop middle leadership, local authority advisers are working alongside subject leaders to develop their skills in monitoring the quality of teaching in their subject area. This is starting to have an impact in English and mathematics.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Board and the Director of Children’s Services for Havering.

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