Setting

Mr Daniel Bishop Headteacher Brookside Primary School Perth Avenue Hayes UB4 9LW

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School

Following my visit to your school on 30 April 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 January 2015. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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School

Senior leaders, governors and the sponsor 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

 identify who is leading each aspect of the academy’s post-Ofsted action plan and who is responsible for judging the progress being made towards planned goals  ensure that teaching in science and foundation subjects is consistently good or better.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with the executive headteacher, headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, pupils and members of the local advisory board, including the Chair, to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. I made brief visits to classes throughout the academy jointly with the headteacher. The following documents were evaluated: the academy’s post-Ofsted action plan, 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 Direct email :suzy.smith@tribalgroup.com minutes from the local advisory board, checks made on teaching by senior and middle leaders, information about pupils’ achievement and a range of pupils work.

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Context

Since the previous inspection staffing at the academy has remained stable. The Chair of the local advisory board resigned and has been replaced by a member of the sponsoring trust as the interim chair. Two further governors from the board have resigned and the trust is currently recruiting two experienced governors for this role.

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Main findings

The headteacher, supported by the executive headteacher, other leaders and governors, has quickly begun the process of tackling the areas identified for improvement in the inspection report. Staff and pupils understand the increased expectations of learning and behaviour. There is strong support among members of the school community for the tangible changes being implemented by leaders.

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Main findings

Visits made to classrooms showed improvements in pupils’ behaviour. No off-task behaviour was observed. Pupils and staff say this is now typical of behaviour in classrooms. Pupils are keen and enthusiastic to learn, whether they are working with teachers or support staff. Leaders have started to create a climate where being challenge in learning is a consistent expectation. One pupil explained, ‘Work is never perfect, we are never really done, there is just more to learn’. Leaders have ensured that all teachers use pupil achievement information when planning. Teachers are now responsible for charting the progress of their pupils and adapting work to meet the needs of groups and individuals.

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Main findings

Leaders have ensured that teachers have a sharper focus on making sure that no pupil is left behind. The school’s tracking information shows that pupils’ progress is accelerating across the school. Teachers are providing increased challenge. Pupils are keen to respond to these higher expectations. One pupil explained, ‘Teachers challenge us more now; they look at what we could be better at and push us to do it’. They have something a bit different to make us think if we have finished our work early’.

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Main findings

Checks made by leaders on teaching focus more sharply on learning and the progress made by pupils. Leaders now use this evidence to review the impact of their initiatives. For example, they are secure in their understanding that there have beenm improvements in the quality of pupils’ mathematics and writing since the last inspection. Teachers have been provided with training that has ensured creative writing is allowing pupils to regularly write at length and apply skills taught in lessons. Work shows pupils are taking pride in both their presentation and the quality of their writing. Advice given to pupils by staff is being used improve the quality of their writing over time, which shows their increasing aspiration to achieve and do well in their learning. Mathematics teaching is also improving. Training has helped staff to increasingly provide activities which enable all ability groups to engage with the same concepts in lessons. Teachers are more effective in posing

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Main findings

questions which extend pupils thinking about mathematical calculations.

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Main findings

The academy has rightly concentrated on areas of development identified at the last inspection. However, pupils’ books show work in science and foundation subjects are not consistently good and are not improving as quickly as in English and mathematics. Leaders acknowledge the academy’s post-Ofsted action plan needs to include the development of teaching beyond English and mathematics to secure consistently good teaching. Leaders also accept that the academy’s action plan does not clearly identify who is responsible for leading and checking on the progress of planned improvements.

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Main findings

The academy trust has conducted a review of governance. This has helped to ensure that governors pose greater levels of challenge to academy leaders. Governors are now expected to visit the academy regularly and check the information given by leaders is fully accurate. Governors have arranged an external review from outside the sponsoring trust and this will be led by a school system’s leader. This further review shows the trust’s commitment to ensuring they continue to improve governance alongside other aspects of the academy. The review was scheduled to take place the week after this inspection visit.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further monitoring inspections and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the academy until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The trust has brokered an external review, by Hillingdon local authority of early years at the academy. This has helped the academy to ensure that they have benchmarked their early years foundation stage profile assessments. The academy believes this has been helpful in ensuring their data is moderated and accurate. The trust has made the development of leaders a priority by providing internal and external training accredited by the National College for Teaching and Leadership. The trust has set up a day nursery on site with provision for two-year olds. This work is in the early stages of development so it is too soon to see its impact. The trust is regularly organising competitions so that pupils can compete against other pupils in their learning activities and sport.

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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 Hillingdon and as below.

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