Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Fiona MacCorquodale Headteacher Prior Weston Primary School and Children’s Centre 101 Whitecross Street London EC1Y 8JA

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Primary School and Children’s Centre

Following my visit to your school on 23 June 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Primary School and Children’s Centre

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received a judgement of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspection.

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Primary School and Children’s Centre

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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Primary School and Children’s Centre

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

in order for the school to become a good school.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

The school should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 make sure that the sequence of learning key content in all subjects is planned as precisely as it is in the strongest subjects  review assessment in foundation subjects so that it helps teachers to build on what pupils know and remember.

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Context

You and much of the leadership team have joined the school since the last section 5 inspection in January 2019.

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Main findings

You and your team have taken swift and effective action to address the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. You monitor all areas of the school’s provision rigorously and this has enabled rapid change.

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Main findings

Phonics is taught systematically. Teaching is targeted to pupils’ learning needs. Pupils read books that generally match the letter-sound correspondences they have just learned so that they practise their decoding skills. This helps pupils to build reading fluency and confidence. Parents and carers are encouraged to help their children’s early literacy by practising reading at home. Leaders make sure that there is a focus on the enjoyment of reading once pupils are reading accurately. Teachers guide older pupils in their independent reading choices to encourage their enthusiasm.

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Main findings

Leaders have brought about improvement in the early years provision. They have introduced a carefully planned curriculum. Leaders have considered what children learn in the Reception Year and how this prepares them for what they will learn in future years. You have organised training for additional adults and teachers. Staff know the needs and interests of each child and use this to plan the curriculum so children know more and remember more.

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Main findings

Leaders have undertaken a process of planning the school’s curriculum so that learning is sequenced more precisely. This is well advanced in some subjects where planning sets out exactly what pupils need to learn and in what order. This means pupils’ future learning is supported by what they have learned before. In some other subjects, subject leaders are still developing these curriculum changes. There is further work to be done to ensure that pupils’ learning is well sequenced in each subject across the curriculum. Leaders have made sure that subject leaders have received training and support to help them in their roles. Some subject training for teachers has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Main findings

You have made sure that checks in reading, writing and mathematics help teachers to find gaps in pupils’ learning so that these can be addressed. In the wider curriculum, assessments are sometimes too broad to support teachers in identifying these gaps when they focus more on skills than on the key learning in each subject.

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Main findings

You have developed the curriculum beyond the academic. For example, through links with a local care home, pupils in Year 4 have shared joint music workshops and letter writing as part of an intergenerational project. The school’s community- centre and urban-garden project have enabled pupils to work with a professional chef and cook Caribbean soup. All enrichment clubs, including sports clubs, resumed quickly after the end of the third national lockdown and pupils take part in sporting competitions.

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Main findings

Governors are experienced in their roles. They know the school and its community well. Staff appreciate the changes that have been made to take account of their workload and well-being.

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Additional support

The local authority has supported the school through a partnership with another school between May 2018 and March 2020, and the support of consultants. You and the leadership team have used this support effectively.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with you and other senior leaders and subject leaders. I met with a representative of the local authority, governors, pupils and staff to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection.

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Evidence

I visited phonics lessons, looked at the school’s planning documents, local authority review documents and pupils’ work. I visited the Nursery and Reception classes.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Islington. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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