Setting

Ms Monica Duncan The Headteacher Crofton School Manwood Road London SE4 1SA

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 10 and 11 May 2007, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. Please also thank the staff and students who met me each day and those who gave their time to discuss the school and its work.

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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 September 2006, the school was asked to raise standards, improve teaching and the students’ behaviour, as well as develop better communication between parents and teachers. Improvements in the provision for students with special educational needs (SEN) and those for whom English is an additional language were also required.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

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 development, improving behaviour and in raising the students’ achievements.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

The school, with the outstanding support of the London Challenge team and local authority has overcome considerable difficulties. The actions taken to address the key issues have been systematic and largely effective. The four new experienced senior staff worked well together with the headteacher and enhanced the school’s ability to put new systems into place quickly.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

Achievement in the core subjects is much improved. Standards are rising rapidly at Key Stage 4 for most students and the school is on track to meet their targets. A similar picture is evident in Key Stage 3 although the students in Year 9, where there remains a legacy of underachievement, have not responded as well to the challenges set for them. There are a suitable range of interventions to help these students catch Prospects Learning Services Ltd 132-138 High Street Bromley Kent BR1 1EZ T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 020 8313 7760 Direct F 020 8464 3393 up but more needs to be done to ensure expectations remain high. The students speaking and listening skills are also improving but there is too little emphasis on this, particularly in tutorial time.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

The data available to assist teachers in setting challenging targets has been gathered and analysed well. Training is in place to help teachers use this information to plan their lessons although this work is not completed across all subjects.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

The quality of teaching has improved and inadequate teaching has been almost eliminated. A greater proportion of teaching is good or outstanding. This has been achieved through rigorous performance management, good training and support within departments and effective modelling of good lessons. Learning outcomes are clear but they are insufficiently well-related to the national curriculum levels so that students know precisely what they have achieved.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

The school has harnessed the benefits of specialist arts status and this has been used very effectively to enhance the climate and culture of the school. Further plans are in place to extend this work to contribute a much needed sense of community.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

Improvements have also been made to ensure students with SEN and those where English is an additional language can make faster progress. There was more effective support in class and the provision for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties was more extensive. However, the criteria for including students on the SEN list are too broad. There is insufficient clarity about the provision made by the SEN department and the expected outcomes.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

The school has implemented a very good system to ensure the rules are kept and the students have responded well to this. As a result the number of external exclusions has fallen. Lessons and unstructured times were calm and orderly. However, levels of self-discipline were too low. Teachers had to spend time on correcting minor breaches of the code of conduct and opportunities were missed to discuss the students’ role in the development of the community as a whole.

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Ofsted Monitoring of Schools with Notice to Improve

The relationship between parents and the school has not been investigated on this visit although the school reports that attendance at parents’ evenings is much improved.

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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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