Setting

Mr N Amos The Headteacher Sussex Road Community Primary School Sussex Road Tonbridge Kent TN9 2TP

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 17 May, for the time you gave to our phone discussions, and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. Would you also please pass on my thanks to the special educational needs coordinator, the teachers we spoke to and those pupils I met with?

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

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 Grade 3 Schools

As a result of the inspection on 8 and 9 February 2006, the school was asked to raise standards in Years 1 and 2 by setting higher expectations and more challenging targets; to ensure that targets for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and the work planned for them takes good account of their specific needs; and, to give all pupils clearer guidance on what they need to do to improve their work.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time the school is making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising the pupils’ achievements.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

The school has recently appointed a new deputy headteacher and leader for Key Stage 1. These important appointments should serve to strengthen further the school’s leadership team.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

Indications are that standards in Years 1 and 2 are beginning to rise. The end of year test results in 2006 were average overall, with weaknesses in writing. The school’s tracking data suggest that standards in writing in the 2007 tests will rise, although reading may fall. The school is likely to meet its challenging targets in writing and mathematics. The use of regular assessments of how well pupils are doing, matched Tribal Group 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0845 123 6001 F 0845 123 6002 T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk against rising expectations of what they can achieve, is beginning to have a positive impact on standards. Whilst the school tracks the progress of individual pupils carefully, it does not have a sufficiently robust view of progress overall. This is because teacher assessments and the results of non statutory tests, whilst analysed at individual and class level, are not regularly aggregated and analysed with a view

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

The targets set for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are now better matched to their individual needs. The planning of work takes more account of pupils’ targets so that there is a better match between what is taught and what pupils need to learn. However, the monitoring of progress against these targets for some groups of pupils is not sufficiently frequent or robust. The special educational needs coordinator currently has a class teaching commitment and this limits her effectiveness in discharging her strategic monitoring role in respect of some pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

Improvements to target setting for all pupils and feedback provided through better marking have resulted in pupils in Years 5 and 6 being clearer about how well they are doing. Pupils spoken to knew what their targets were and were pleased to have been part of the target setting process. They were pleased that their views in assessing their progress against their targets were taken seriously. These older pupils know what they need to do to improve their work and feel strongly motivated. They were particularly keen to impress on inspectors the positive impact of recent changes on their ability to organise and improve their own learning. Marking is now more consistent. It tells pupils how well they are doing and provides clear success criteria so that pupils know what they are being assessed against. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 mostly know their targets but fewer understand how to achieve these or how well they are doing. The school now monitors marking but concentrates too much on

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

stylistic compliance with the agreed guidelines and too little on the impact on learning.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Grade 3 Schools

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

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