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 A Reynolds The Headteacher Perivale Primary School Federal Road Perivale Greenford UB6 7AF

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

Thank you for the help which you, your staff and the school council members gave when I inspected your school on 23 January 2007, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during my visit.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

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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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

As a result of the inspection in June 2006 the school was asked to tackle three areas of weakness. The first was to improve leadership and management, in particular governance, the effectiveness of senior management and the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of provision. Improvements were also required in teaching in order to develop the pupils’ speaking, thinking and independence, and in the use of assessment information.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

Having considered all the evidence available to me I am of the opinion that at this time the school is making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

Good progress has been made in improving leadership and management. The local authority (LA) took the difficult but necessary step of replacing the governing body with an interim executive board (IEB). This has led to significant improvements in governance, including a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities and a productive partnership between IEB members and school staff. The focus of the IEB’s work is firmly on making things better for the pupils and on rebuilding positive relationships at all levels including with parents. This is working well; members of staff said that they appreciated the interest IEB members were taking in the school’s work and their willingness to give time and share their expertise.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

The LA also secured the services of an experienced headteacher to lead the school while the situation regarding the substantive headship remains unresolved. He is providing effective leadership. Under his leadership, morale has improved and staff feel that they are ‘working in a happier atmosphere’. There is a sense of purpose and looking forward. The school’s improvement plan has been adapted and its focus sharpened. The senior management of the school has been restructured to enable better teamwork and to meet the pupils’ needs more appropriately, for example by creating the post of inclusion manager to bring together support for pupils who have particular needs of any kind. Senior leaders are enthusiastic about their new positions, although the impact on classroom practice is still to show through. The senior team has been bolstered this term by the appointment of an enthusiastic deputy headteacher, who is also a skilled classroom practitioner. These

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

developments give the school a strong platform from which to move forward and to tackle the areas for improvement related to teaching and learning.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

The headteacher and deputy headteacher quickly gained an overview of what was happening in the classrooms and evaluated the usefulness of assessment procedures. Working with the LA’s school improvement professional and literacy consultant, they identified strengths and weaknesses in teaching and the professional development needs of individual staff members. The deputy headteacher is to undertake a comprehensive and demanding programme of team teaching and modelling effective practice. Assessment procedures have been reviewed and those which served no useful purpose were stopped. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are shortly to review the timetables and address the imbalances between core and foundation subjects as a first step towards enriching the curriculum and increasing the pupils’ enjoyment of lessons. These are necessary foundations on which to build improvements in learning and in teaching. Progress so far in improving teaching strategies and

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

the use of assessment is satisfactory, but there is strong potential now to move forward at a faster rate. The pupils’ excellent behaviour and their willingness to learn give the teachers good starting points.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

The school is still in a fragile position, however, and this is recognised by all parties. Given the school’s history, the LA and IEB know that improvements and changes need to be firmly embedded and become part of the culture of the school. With this in mind, the approach to transition to a governing body will rightly be a measured one. The LA also knows that the position regarding the substantive headship needs to be resolved sooner, rather than later, so that long-term leadership can be assured. The building of a new school on the current site and moves into temporary classrooms also have the potential to throw a spanner into the works. The LA has rightly identified this as something it will watch carefully, in order that the pupils are not disadvantaged.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH NOTICE TO IMPROVE

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your school.

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