Setting

Alan Beale Head of School Regents Park Community Primary School Arthur Street Birmingham B10 0NJ

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Community Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 21 May 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. Please pass on my thanks to the people who gave of their time to speak with me.

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Community Primary School

The visit was the second monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in November 2014. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Community Primary 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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Community Primary School

 carry out a survey of the views of parents and carers to find out their perceptions of the progress that is being made in improving the school, what they are pleased with and what, if any, concerns they might have.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with you and the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the three assistant headteachers who have responsibility for the Early Years Foundation Stage, English and teaching and learning. I also met the Chair of the Governing Body and the vice chair, the headteacher of the teaching school alliance that is monitoring the school’s progress on behalf of the local Serco Inspections Colmore Plaza 20 Colmore Circus Queensway Birmingham B4 6AT T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T : 0121 679 9162 Direct email : peter.willetts@serco.com authority and the challenge partner. We discussed the action taken since the last monitoring inspection. I also made a brief tour of the school.

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Context

Two members of staff left at the end of the spring term and three teachers are to leave at the end of the summer term. You have been successful in recruiting staff to replace them. New staff are a mix of newly qualified teachers, Teach First teachers and experienced practitioners.

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Main findings

You have continued to make progress in dealing with the areas for improvement identified at the inspection in November last year. The action plan is being implemented in a timely way and the impact of actions is reviewed and evaluated. In particular, you and other leaders are making sure that agreed approaches, such as for the teaching of phonics, are implemented consistently across the school. You are supporting teachers to develop and extend their expertise and to learn from one another’s good practice. You are also dealing robustly with any weaknesses in teaching that remain. Where weaknesses have been identified, support plans have been drawn up for individual teachers. These plans contain clear targets and outline the support that will be provided to help teachers meet them. Not all of the staff have made the progress expected of them so far and you are giving careful consideration to the next steps, including taking advice from the local authority.

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Main findings

You have acted to deal with the improvement points that I raised at my last visit. Targets for attainment in phonics in the early years and Year 1 have been revised. You have amended the leadership structure and appointed a deputy headteacher. Lines of accountability are clearer.

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Main findings

The assistant headteachers are playing a stronger part in driving improvement and evaluating the impact of action in their areas of responsibility. Their energy and enthusiasm are encouraging. They have a good understanding of what is going well and what needs to be done next.

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Main findings

The collaboration with Story Wood School is working well. Staff are continuing to exchange ideas and learn from one another. Teachers from both schools have worked together on the moderation of assessments. Pupils, too, have visited each others’ schools.

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Main findings

The Chair and vice chair of the Governing Body are newly elected to their roles. The recent election of parent governors was greatly contested and a large number of parents cast votes. The Chair of the Governing Body believes that this is a reflection of parents’ growing confidence in the school and their desire to show support. The governing body is looking for ways to strengthen links with parents and staff. To help with this, a governors’ ‘buddy day’ is planned for next month. All governors will come in to school to meet staff, pupils and parents. An independent survey is to be carried out of the views of members of staff, both on the changes that have happened in the school and to check their well-being. A survey of parents’ views would be equally useful. Training is being provided for new governors and one governor has recently attended a training session on developing outstanding governance. The local authority has also carried out an audit of governance and

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Main findings

made some recommendations to strengthen existing good practice.

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Main findings

Your current assessment information shows that pupils’ progress is accelerating. Progress is stronger in some subjects and in some year groups, and this reflects the variability in the quality of teaching noted earlier. Where groups or individuals are seen to be dropping behind, you make sure that action is taken to help them catch up. The results of this year’s tests and assessments are predicted to be an improvement on 2014. A greater proportion of pupils in Key Stage 1 are on track to reach a secure Level 2 in reading, writing and mathematics, and the proportion expected to reach the higher Level 3 is also greater. These results will narrow the gap on the national figures for last year. Similarly, at Key Stage 2 the results of tests and assessments are expected to be a great improvement on 2014. The proportion of pupils on track to reach Level 4 in all three of reading, writing and mathematics is

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Main findings

comfortably above last year’s national figure. The proportion making the progress expected since the age of seven is set to at least match that of pupils nationally last year. There are clear signs that pupils’ achievement is moving in the right direction.

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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. I would be grateful if you could continue send me copies of any reviews carried out in future and to let me know the outcomes of the national tests and assessments as soon as results are available.

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External support

The local authority, through the teaching school that it has commissioned to monitor the school’s progress, is checking that improvements are on track and that the impact is as intended. So far, the monitoring shows that there are no concerns about the progress Regents Park is making.

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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 Birmingham local authority.

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