Setting

Mrs Judy Hall Broadmere Community Primary School Devonshire Avenue Sheerwater Woking GU21 5QE

p.1

Community Primary School

Following my visit to your academy on 19 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.

p.1

Community Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the academy 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.

p.1

Community Primary School

Senior leaders and governors are not taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the last section 5 inspection and plans are not sharply focused on rapidly bringing about improvement. The academy should take immediate action to:

p.1

Community Primary School

 work effectively in partnership with all stakeholders to upgrade the action plan so that it provides a tight and robust structure to secure and accelerate the necessary changes underway.

p.1

Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, your deputy and members of the governing body. I also met with three separate representatives of the local authority. Two of the governors are also trustees of the Broadmere and New Monument Primary Academy Trust and I met with them. You led me on a tour of the 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 academy. I reviewed some of the academy’s documentation and a small sample of pupils’ work.

p.1

Context

Since the inspection two members of staff have begun maternity leave. One member of staff has announced their intention to retire. All have been replaced. The local authority, through its contracted service provider, Babcock 4S, has taken an active interest in the academy and brokered additional support to the leadership team.

p.2

Main findings

The academy is still coming to terms with the judgement that it requires improvement. You have continued to work on those aspects of the academy which you had already judged to be weaker. With other senior leaders you have rightly set about challenging less effective teaching and improving the learning environment for younger children. You showed me the rigorous work you are carrying out currently to check teachers’ performance. Teachers are now aware of the standards that are expected of them compared to other teachers nationally. You have also continued with improving site security and safety by arranging to bring the Year 6 class inside the main academy building. With the governors, you have embarked on the creation of a plan to bring about the necessary improvements.

p.2

Main findings

The plan is not yet detailed enough. It identifies the main issues that need to be addressed. It also sets out a reasonable time scale for the process. It does not, however, indicate who will oversee the improvements from the governing body nor the specific tasks to be done. The targets set to support improvements in reading and mathematics are not specific, rigorous or robust enough. They lack precision and very clear criteria for judging how they will be met.

p.2

Main findings

Governors told me that it is their intention to volunteer to take responsibility for each of the areas at their next meeting. This is much too late. Much quicker action was needed to speed up the necessary improvements. Like you, governors also have responsibility for another academy in your small academy trust. This means that the amount of time available for the essential development work is limited. Time is also lost to ongoing discussions about the governance and strategic leadership arrangements around the academy. Governors and local authority representatives agreed that you should all work together to produce a strengthened action plan for the academy, by the end of term. You agreed to send it to me for review.

p.2

Main findings

Teaching is improving because it is now more sharply focused on what pupils need to close gaps in their knowledge, skills and understanding. You have shown teachers how to make their classrooms more interesting. Most have made considerable effort to do so. Adults are making much better use of the outside learning space which is used more effectively now to help children learn in the early years and Year 1. They are using a wider range of activities to support learning. Adults and teachers work more effectively with small groups, more regularly asking questions or talking to children in ways that support learning development. Some sing rhymes or songs to help children fix ideas or learning. Much of this work is captured now in well- presented and attractive learning journals.

p.2

Main findings

Teachers are also marking work more carefully so that it shows pupils how to make their work better. Pupils’ presentation is much tidier and there is much greater depth in their writing. Better routines are in place so that pupils move purposefully to and from their classes. Learning starts more quickly. As a result, pupils are presented sooner with the work they are supposed to do. They are also more clear about what teachers want from them. Teachers have raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve and consequently are setting more challenging tasks. This is helping to keep pupils more engaged throughout each lesson more frequently.

p.3

Main findings

At the end of many lessons, teachers check more thoroughly that the pupils have made the intended learning gains. In one mathematics class, pupils were able to show clearly how they had used a 100 number stick to support their learning of measurement. They worked well in pairs, counted on from 100 and set out their numbers accurately in hundreds, tens and units.

p.3

Main findings

No real evidence of work for the most able pupils was found even though this was required by the last team of inspectors. Teachers are still not planning learning in enough detail with this group in mind so that most able pupils are not able to learn rapidly and attain the highest levels.

p.3

Main findings

Inspectors also required you to provide training for subject leaders new to their roles. This is beginning to happen as colleagues become more familiar with these roles and what is expected of them. External support for developments in the leadership of English and mathematics is planned as well as action to strengthen leadership of the early years, and Key Stages 1 and 2.

p.3

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.

p.3

External support

Leaders at all levels have been willing to accept any help available. Surrey County Council, through its contracted education partner, Babcock 4S, have recently provided a leadership reviewer to support the academy’s development. The leadership reviewer has brokered the services of a leadership partner to work alongside you. In addition, support has been provided from an experienced headteacher who will also become known as a leadership partner. Some of these changes were made on the day of my monitoring inspection. It is far too early to assess the impact of this support. It is good, however, that you have welcomed such colleagues into the academy and been willing to go out and visit similar academies or schools. You must state clearly in the revised plan the roles and responsibilities of each person so that it is easy to judge their effectiveness.

p.3

External support

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

p.4