Setting

Mr Jon Bishop Headteacher Brady Primary School Wennington Road Rainham Essex RM13 9XA

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School

Following my visit to your school on 10 March 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 December 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.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior leaders, and three members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing body. I also talked to a small number of parents and carers and a representative of the local authority. Short visits were made to seven classrooms as I toured the school and looked at pupils’ work in books. I also met with a group of pupils and talked to others informally during visits to classrooms. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. The school’s action plan was evaluated. I also considered a range of other documents, including the school’s self-evaluation summary. 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 5323 Email : suzy.smith@tribalgroup.com

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Context

Since the previous inspection, a new leader for the Early Years and Foundation Stage has taken up post.

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Main findings

You have set a clear course for school improvement. Your action plan has a strong and proper focus on addressing those areas for further development, highlighted in the previous inspection report. You have made your expectations of staff clear so that everyone knows the key priorities. The current focus on marking means that pupils are receiving regular feedback in literacy and numeracy on how to improve their work. However, not all teachers are doing this yet consistently enough.

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Main findings

The work you are leading on increasing the level of challenge for pupils, especially the more able, is helping staff to plan work that makes pupils think hard about their learning. Some of the activities, I saw in books and classrooms show that this is beginning to improve pupils’ learning. However, there is much more to do still to make sure that all pupils are challenged at the right levels and across all their subjects.

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Main findings

You have taken important first steps to improve the quality of leadership across the school. The changes you have introduced mean that other senior and middle leaders are clear about their responsibilities and how to go about them. This is helping them to improve their skills in monitoring. They are beginning to challenge and support other teachers to improve their practice. This is beginning to lead to improving learning for pupils. The appointment of a new leader for the Early Years and Foundation Stage is strengthening practice to help the youngest in the school community to thrive.

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Main findings

The programme for staff development you have introduced is closely linked to the areas for improvement. This is helping staff develop the knowledge and skills to plan and organise learning better. You link this closely to sharper monitoring of pupils’ learning and hold teachers to account for pupils’ progress.

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Main findings

Governors are making a greater contribution to the leadership of the school. They are beginning to challenge you and other school leaders with sharper questions. However, they need to do more to form their own judgments on how well the school is making progress, by evaluating for themselves the impact of the school’s work.

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Main findings

Following these first, positive steps, further development of leaders will help you ensure that the pace of change and improvement is maintained. There is much still to do on your journey to become at least good at your next 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 are beginning to work more closely other partner schools, including Broadford Primary School. These links are providing you with opportunities to develop leadership skills at a number of levels and engage in practical, mutually helpful activities such as cross-school moderation of pupils’ work. This is allowing you to plan further improvements in a measured and timely manner.

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External support

The local authority is providing good quality support to the school since the previous inspection. The regular progress review meetings offer helpful challenge to the school and model to governors how to hold the school to account. Visits from specialist advisers, for example in the Early Years and Foundation Stage, are contributing to the improvement being made. The local authority has undertaken to continue increased levels of support, including arranging for specialised support when it is needed, for example in aspects of teaching or dealing with human resources questions.

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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 Havering.

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