Setting

Denise Meadows Headteacher Surrey Street Primary School Cutenhoe Road Luton LU1 3NJ

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 23 June 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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Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in February 2015. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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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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Primary School

 As discussed, adapt your plan, as necessary, so that the planned actions are the ones that will secure good outcomes for pupils at the next inspection, under a new framework.  Develop the role of middle leaders. Provide them with a stronger skill set, greater autonomy and accountability for improving pupil outcomes in their subject.  Reflect on your pupils’ barriers to learning to find common areas. Using this information, create a learning journey that helps them to overcome their barriers and continue to flourish.  Embed marking and feedback to ensure whole school consistency; building on the strong practice in many classes. 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 9169 Direct email : mathew.mitchell@serco.com

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you and your senior leadership team, middle leaders, representatives from the governing body and a representative of the local authority. We discussed the actions taken since the last inspection and reviewed the school action plan and the ‘requires improvement’ action plan. We carried out an extended tour of the school together and observed the quality of teaching, spoke to pupils and looked at books. With your senior leaders, we discussed the provisional data for 2015 and the key characteristics of the school.

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Evidence

The context of the school remains the same since the section 5 inspection. Concerns raised by the school about the initial inspection outcome for Early Years Foundation Stage were reviewed and the provision is now graded as good by Ofsted.

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Main findings

You, other senior leaders and the governing body have a clear vision of what needs to be done to improve learning outcomes for pupils. All leaders recognise the need for additional challenge in lessons and accurately link this to the need for several teachers to convey higher expectations of pupils. We saw evidence of raised expectations in some lessons and you identified the link between this and better learning outcomes. To help facilitate additional challenge, you have introduced three difficulty levels into class activities, and pupils self-select the task they feel best helps their learning. We saw this approach used successfully in several classes.

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Main findings

Staff have a good understanding of the challenges faced by your pupils and adapt their teaching to support those who have additional needs, such as no understanding of English or limited school experience. Middle leaders are reflective in their practice and look at work books, team teach with colleagues and share their findings with senior leaders. Your team is using this information to improve learning outcomes in subjects such as geography and physical education.

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Main findings

You have ensured that your marking policy is understood by all staff and expect it to be used consistently throughout the school. Where you do not see the policy applied, your team takes action to clarify school marking expectations. Pupils are aware of what they need to do to improve, and know how to use their targets and the marking scheme, responding appropriately to teachers’ comments in their work books.

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Main findings

Senior leaders fulfil their roles effectively. Succession planning is well thought out and long-term school success is at the centre of the staffing plans for next year.

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Main findings

Throughout the visit, pupils displayed a positive attitude to their learning and were proud of their achievements. Work in books is well presented and classrooms are ordered, stimulating learning environments. School policies (with the exception of marking and feedback in a small number of classes) are being followed consistently and there is a strong sense of uniformity in all areas of the buildings and grounds.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further monitoring inspections 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 School Improvement Advisor knows the school well and is providing good support, with a visit every three weeks. This is set to continue until the next section 5 inspection.

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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 Luton Local Authority.

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Associate Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

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Associate Inspector

 Appropriate authority - Chair of the Governing Body/Interim Executive Board  Local authority – including where the school is an academy

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