Setting

Sam Naismith Acting Headteacher Flora Gardens Primary School Dalling Road London W6 0UD

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 17 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 March 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

 develop the skills of additional adults, so that they extend and deepen pupils’ learning effectively

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Primary School

 implement strategies to ensure the most able pupils are challenged sufficiently to enable them to make faster progress.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with you, senior and middle leaders, pupils from Key Stage 2, a representative from the local authority and four members of the governing body, including the Chair of Governors, to discuss actions taken since the last inspection. 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 01173115246 Direct F 01173150430 Direct email : sara.whalley@tribalgroup.com I examined school improvement documents, records of the monitoring of teaching, safeguarding records and governing body minutes. I looked at pupils’ current achievement data as well as published information. You accompanied me during visits to classes, where we observed teaching from Nursery through to Year 6 and looked at pupils’ work.

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Context

Since the inspection in March, you have been appointed as the acting headteacher. Five teachers have left the school and have been replaced with permanent teachers. Three teaching assistants have left. Two higher level teaching assistants have been appointed. Three new governors have joined the Governing Body.

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Main findings

Leaders and governors have created a detailed improvement plan which has clear actions to address the areas for development identified at the most recent inspection. The plan is monitored regularly to ensure rapid improvements are being made. Leaders and governors identify further strengths and areas for development through regular visits to classrooms, looking at pupils’ work and talking to pupils and parents daily.

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Main findings

Leaders have introduced a system to track the progress of individual pupils more effectively. An assistant headteacher has taken on the responsibility for assessment and is ensuring pupils’ assessment information is up to date and accurate. Teachers look at pupil achievement information every half term with senior and middle leaders. This is focusing teachers’ planning to ensure they provide challenging activities to meet the differing needs of pupils. Leaders are aware that further work needs doing to ensure the most able are being challenged to make better progress. Governors have a deeper understanding of how to interpret the data in order to hold school leaders to account effectively.

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Main findings

Teachers have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve. Opportunities are provided for pupils to work in different ability groups to ensure they are supported appropriately. More problem solving activities are evident in mathematics, with teachers planning a dedicated problem solving session at least once a week. This is supporting pupils to develop their problem solving skills. The mathematics leader is supporting teachers to identify how mathematics can be woven in to other subjects effectively.

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Main findings

There is a significant improvement in pupils’ presentation and the newly introduced handwriting policy is evident in pupils’ work. The quantity of work pupils are generating has increased significantly. Pupils produce an extended piece of writing at least once a week. Pupils are given opportunities to respond to feedback from teachers in order to extend and deepen their learning. This is becoming more consistent across classes.

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Main findings

Parents are keen to comment on the recent, positive changes evident in the school. They feel more welcome in school and there are many opportunities for them to be involved with their child’s learning. They receive regular updates on their child’s progress. Leaders and governors have improved communication between home and school through regular newsletters, social media links and a blog. One parent commented, ‘Now there’s a sense of pride from belonging to this school’.

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Main findings

The governing body has been further strengthened by the three recent appointments, two of whom have backgrounds in education. Further support is provided by a national leader of governance who attends most governing body meetings. Governors have carried out an audit of their skills and are accessing training in identified areas. An external review of governance has also taken place and an action plan has been drawn up to develop governors’ skills further.

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External support

The local authority changed the support status of the school just before the most recent inspection, following a teaching and learning review. A recently established school improvement board meets regularly to monitor the work of the school against agreed criteria. A representative from the local authority sits on the school improvement board, as well as conducting regular visits to the school to review the quality of teaching and learning first hand.

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External support

The local authority has drawn up a commissioning plan. Through this, links have been brokered with a national support school. A seconded deputy headteacher from this school is providing effective support to the leadership team. The local authority has provided the school with expert-led sessions to support the effective tracking of pupil progress. Moderation of assessments in the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and writing in Key Stage 2, have confirmed the school’s accuracy of judgements when assessing pupils. Local authority literacy and numeracy advisors are working with identified groups of pupils to enhance their progress.

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External support

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

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Hammersmith and Fulham.

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