Setting

Prospects Learning Services Ltd 132-138 High Street Bromley Kent BR1 1EZ T 020 8313 7760 F 020 8464 3393 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045

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Mr John Towers The Headteacher Bevington Primary School Bevington Road London W10 5TW

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Introduction

Following my visit with Michael Pipes, Additional Inspector, to your school on 14 and 15 June 2006, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector to confirm the inspection findings.

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Introduction

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures in January 2006.

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Introduction

This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website. Please inform the Regional Inspection Service Provider of any factual inaccuracies within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter.

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Evidence

During the visit 12 lessons or parts of lessons were observed. Pupils were observed at break times and generally around the school. Discussions were held with the headteacher, a range of middle and senior managers, pupils from the school council, the chair of governors and representatives from the local authority (LA). A range of school documents was scrutinised.

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Context

There have been some staffing changes at the school since the last inspection and currently there are three long term supply teachers and four newly qualified teachers. Seven teachers will be leaving the school at the end of this term.

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Achievement and standards

The school predicts an improvement in national test results in 2006, expecting them to be close to the national average at Key Stage 1, but below in English and mathematics at Key Stage 2. Standards seen in lessons and in the pupils’ books were sometimes above average but too often well below, especially in Key Stage 2.

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Achievement and standards

Achievement is satisfactory in the nursery and Key Stage 1. Throughout the school there has been a recent strong emphasis on improving standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Reading is improving steadily but writing remains a challenge. The progress overall that the pupils make through Key Stage 2 remains inadequate. The pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported well and make satisfactory progress. However, too often the pupils capable of faster pace and more demanding work are challenged insufficiently; their progress is limited. The school expects an improvement in the current Year 6, but in 2005 there were no pupils attaining the higher Level 5 in English or mathematics.

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Achievement and standards

Across the curriculum, the progress that the pupils make is impeded by the lack of clear links between lesson planning, target setting at sub-levels of attainment for the range of needs of individual pupils, and accurate assessment of progress. The school’s records of year-on-year progress show that some pupils have made little or no progress because assessment has not been accurate enough. These matters are now high priorities and the planning exists for a much more structured and rigorous approach to improving achievement. However, for most pupils, this has yet to have an impact on accelerating the progress made in lessons and over time.

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Achievement and standards

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in January 2006: ƒ Improve standards significantly, especially in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1 and English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 2 – inadequate progress.

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Personal development and well-being

Pupils say that they feel safe in the school and that infrequent incidents of minor bullying are dealt with swiftly and effectively. The school council is a good forum for the exchange of views and recommendations. The pupils are courteous and politely inquisitive; a Year 2 pupil asked an inspector “and what are your first impressions?” Even when the teaching was inadequate the pupils remained polite and behaved well. The separate playgrounds for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils are equipped very well and provide opportunities for sitting quietly as well as releasing energy. The older pupils look after the younger ones very caringly. Attendance continues to improve slowly, but at 1.5% the rate of unauthorised absence is very high.

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Quality of provision

Although the majority of teaching is satisfactory or better too much is inadequate. In the inadequate lessons, work did not match the pupils’ prior attainment, either because it was too hard or too easy. In these lessons the teaching was frequently dull and unimaginative. In some of the less effective lessons the planning was weak. It provided insufficient detail of the learning intended in the independent tasks, or of the progressive teaching of essential skills. In particular, opportunities were missed to allow pupils to discuss their work and to improve their speaking and listening skills.

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Quality of provision

The lesson objectives were rarely written from the pupils’ perspective. In a few cases, very basic weaknesses remain in the teaching such as insufficient interaction with pupils to promote learning and the limited subject expertise of teachers.

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Quality of provision

In the good lessons, teaching was characterised by tasks which were well matched to pupils’ needs, a brisk pace, and a clear focus so that pupils knew what they had to learn. Drama and role play were used to enhance pupils’ speaking and listening skills very effectively. Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour skilfully and relationships between pupils and staff are good. Teaching assistants provide the pupils with good support. Throughout the school teachers’ use interactive white boards (IWB) very confidently to motivate and engage pupils and in one lesson pupils used the IWB during the independent task.

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Quality of provision

In almost all lessons pupils have a positive attitude to their work, and behaviour is good. Teachers throughout the school manage the pupils effectively; even in the unsatisfactory lessons the pupils were responsive to their teachers. All classrooms are organised neatly and effectively to aid the pupils in selecting resources and working with a degree of independence. The school is a calm, attractive environment which the pupils clearly enjoy; the improvements in the pupils’ attendance confirm this. Senior staff have a thorough understanding of how to use assessment data. For example, there are now appropriate procedures for assessing and tracking pupil’s progress and for using performance data to set appropriate targets for individual pupils. However, the use of assessment information in planning lessons is still limited; for example in asking questions of different levels of difficulty or in providing suitably differentiated tasks. This is because

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Quality of provision

some staff are not clear about what the pupils know already and what they need to learn next. The impact of this is that teachers’ expectations are too low and too many tasks lack challenge. Teachers’ knowledge of National Curriculum levels and their expertise in assessing the pupils work still remains underdeveloped.

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Quality of provision

The teachers know their pupils well and are particularly sensitive and successful at meeting the needs of a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. However, academic guidance is inadequate because the targets set and recorded in the front of the pupils’ exercise books are not sufficiently personalised and encouraging to the pupils about what they need to do next to improve. Marking of the books set aside for formal scrutiny was clear and gave good feedback to the pupils, but inspection of books during lessons showed that the quality and usefulness of marking is inconsistent.

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Quality of provision

Lunchtimes are well organised. There is sensible conversation, including about the healthy diet provided for pupils. At all times of the day, the teaching assistants and administrative staff give very good support in ensuring that all the pupils are treated fairly and cared for very well.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher is working well to solve the school’s problems. He and the deputy headteacher have a clear sense of direction, and are focused on raising standards and enhancing the personal development of pupils. The chair of the governing body is committed to the school’s success and has a good grasp of what governing a school in special measures requires. The governing body has a satisfactory mix of experience. Governors have received good quality information about standards in lessons and in national tests; they are now well placed to help the school improve. However, heavy reliance is placed on the headteacher by the governors and LA. The quality of support he is receiving is only satisfactory. The leadership team are increasingly holding middle managers to account through a system of regular meetings. Recruitment has been difficult but the school is now gathering and deploying a suitably qualified team and timely

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Leadership and management

appointments of an assistant head and two phase leaders have been made. These appointments mean the school has a greater capacity to improve at middle management level. Appropriate programmes of continuing professional development supported and delivered by LA advisors have been established. Staff are encouraged and expected to share good practice but it is too early to see the impact of all these developments although teaching has improved.

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Leadership and management

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in January 2006: ƒ Strengthen the management structure, with clear lines of accountability, to ensure that the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning are analysed robustly, so areas for improvement are identified sharply and tackled promptly and systematically - inadequate progress. ƒ Ensure the school improvement plan has a clear focus on the main actions needed to raise standards and that evidence is gathered regularly and frequently to check on how well all pupils are making progress - satisfactory progress. ƒ Ensure all staff understand how to use the school’s new assessment data system to provide work which is challenging for each pupil and that the pupils know how they can improve their work - inadequate progress.

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External support

The LA’s statement of action is satisfactory overall, and the LA’s target date for the removal of special measures at the end of summer term 2007, is sensible. Support is co-ordinated by the link inspector, who visits the school regularly. The LA contribution also includes additional support from a local experienced headteacher, who is working with the senior leadership team to raise the quality of teaching and learning. Specialist support has been provided for a number of subjects, in particular maths and literacy. The LA needs to ensure that its commitment to support the Foundation stage, two days a week, next academic year is honoured. The LA has not used its power to place additional governors onto the governing body.

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Main Judgements

Progress since being subject to special measures – inadequate Newly qualified teachers may be appointed on the understanding that high quality support and mentoring is provided by the school and the LA.

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Priorities for further improvement

ƒ Eliminate inadequate teaching. ƒ Continue to raise achievement especially of the more capable pupils

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Priorities for further improvement

I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the chair of governors and the Executive Director of Education and Libraries for Kensington & Chelsea.

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