Setting

Ms Von Smith The Headteacher John Perryn Primary School Long Drive Acton London W3 7PD

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Following my visit to your school on 21 and 22 November 2007, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector to confirm the inspection findings.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

The visit was the third monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures in July 2006. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – good

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

This letter and monitoring inspection report 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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PRIMARY SCHOOL

I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the chair of governors and the Director of Schools Service for Ealing.

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H M Inspector

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

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, senior staff and subject and phase leaders, the chair of governors and a representative of the local authority (LA).

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Context

There have been several changes of staff, due in part to the restructuring of the school’s management structure. Several posts are covered by temporary and overseas-trained teachers who joined the school in September. One section of the building was demolished over the summer break as major rebuilding works began. This caused much upheaval as teachers moved into different classrooms and coped with disruptions and dust. Outdoor play space has been significantly reduced while the works continue. As the school is not full and places in other primary schools are in short supply, John Perryn admits pupils throughout the course of the year and loses others when a place in the school of the parents’ choice becomes available. Since September, 60 new pupils have been admitted. Many are in the early stages of learning English and the number of pupils originating from Eastern Europe is increasing. As when the school was inspected in July 2006, the proportions of pupils

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Context

who are learning English as an additional language and who are entitled to free school meals are much greater than average, and the number who have learning difficulties or disabilities is slightly higher than average.

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Achievement and standards

The unvalidated data from the teachers’ assessments and national tests completed in the summer term do not make encouraging reading. Results at Key Stage 1 were exceptionally low. There were no significant differences in the attainment of any particular groups of pupils. There was some evidence of improvement, however, in that the number of pupils who attained Level 2b in reading, writing and mathematics was higher than last year and the proportion who did not reach this level was smaller. Nevertheless, less than half the year group reached Level 2b or above.

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Achievement and standards

The results at Key Stage 2 were also very low indeed. Results in mathematics recovered somewhat from 2006, but overall, only half of the pupils left the school having reached the standard that is expected of eleven-year-olds in English, mathematics and science. As at Key Stage 1, low attainment was not confined to any particular group of pupils. The low results are the legacy of several years of inadequate teaching; better and more focused teaching in Year 6 last year was not enough to help the pupils regain the ground that they had lost. High mobility was also a factor; about half of the pupils joined the school at some point during Key Stage 2 and many came with no information about their prior attainment.

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Achievement and standards

The school’s assessments show that the attainment of the current Year 6 is very low, and there is unlikely to be any substantial rise in results this year. However, the improvements in assessment procedures mean that the school is now in a much better position to demonstrate that pupils make progress from their starting points and that interventions do make a difference for the better. Showing that pupils make good progress from whatever point they start at will be pivotal to the removal of special measures, in view of the high numbers of pupils who join the school throughout the course of the year.

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Achievement and standards

Improvements in the quality of teaching mean that pupils are now making satisfactory and sometimes good progress in lessons. Pupils in the Foundation Stage are getting off to a good start in developing the personal and social skills they need to succeed as learners. They are also making good progress in learning the names and sounds of letters and are proud to show off what they know. Higher up the school, many pupils have much ground to make up. They are now building on their knowledge and skills more consistently because of the improvements in teaching and in particular in assessment.

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Achievement and standards

Actions to raise standards are appropriately targeted at specific areas of weakness. For example, there has been a significant investment in books for pupils to take home to read with their families. This was matched by much interest from the families in participating. A new mathematics scheme has been purchased to support teachers in working through the revised numeracy strategy. It is as yet too soon to assess the impact on learning and progress, but the scheme has increased teachers’ confidence in teaching mathematics.

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Achievement and standards

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in July 2006:

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Achievement and standards

 Raise pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics – satisfactory

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Personal development and well-being

This continues to be an area of relative strength, although the school is not complacent and keeps its systems under review and development. For example, older pupils now have the opportunity to take responsibility for their younger peers through the playground buddy scheme and the school council members have played a key role in the recent decision to buy playground equipment. Despite the current lack of resources and restricted play areas, there are few incidents of inappropriate behaviour at break times.

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Personal development and well-being

Attendance levels have fallen again since the last visit. Although the school’s work with some groups of pupils has increased the number of days they are in school, overall absence has increased this term. Improving this is a high priority for the school and it has put a number of new strategies in place to encourage regular attendance to which it hopes and expects pupils and parents will respond.

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Quality of provision

There have been improvements in the quality of teaching and learning since the last visit and the school rightly judges that most teaching is now consistently satisfactory or better. Improvements include: better planning of different activities to match the range of needs within the class; using practical ways to actively involve all pupils in the lessons and questioning to check pupils’ understanding.

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Quality of provision

There are still some weaknesses and more lessons need to be of the consistently higher quality that will bring about a significant improvement in standards and achievement. Although teachers often tell the pupils what they are expected to learn in lessons, there is too little assessment of their progress during lessons, or feedback to let them know how well they are doing. Plenary sessions at the end of lessons still focus too much on the successful completion of tasks rather than what the pupils have learned from doing them. Marking is not yet consistent in making it clear to pupils what they have done well and what they need to do to improve, despite the school’s focus on this aspect of teaching. In some lessons there is insufficient challenge for the more able pupils.

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Quality of provision

The new coordinator for information and communication technology is supporting his colleagues to improve their teaching of the subject. Pupils have greater access to computers in the suite to develop their skills, and interactive white boards are often used effectively to support whole-class teaching in other lessons. However, the use of computers to support learning across the curriculum is still at an early stage.

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Quality of provision

Changes to the senior leadership team mean that there is now clear responsibility for assessment. Much has been done to collect and analyse data on pupils’ attainment and progress. This information has been shared with teachers, who as a result have a much clearer picture of both the standards and expectations in their own class. There are plans to develop this further to ensure that the information is used effectively to inform teaching and raise standards.

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Quality of provision

The senior leader responsible for inclusion is using the same data to identify all pupils who are underachieving. The distinction between pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language is clear. Further assessments analyse pupils’ particular needs more specifically and inform the targeting of support, either in class or withdrawal groups. Levels of support have been increased and teaching assistants use a range of intervention programmes in their work with identified pupils. Teachers are more confident in planning appropriate activities for pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities. They are being given good support to meet the needs of pupils learning English as an additional language, in particular new arrivals. They are becoming familiar with assessing the level of English that pupils have acquired and the small steps of progress they make. Pupils’ home languages are also now being valued as a

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Quality of provision

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in July 2006:

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Quality of provision

 Improve the assessment of pupils’ performance and its effective use by teachers in planning challenging work for more able pupils – satisfactory  Ensure there is adequate support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities – satisfactory  and for those who do not have English as their home language – satisfactory

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Leadership and management

Since the last monitoring inspection, the restructuring of the school’s staffing has been completed. This has led to a much greater clarity of roles, responsibilities and expectations. The assistant headteachers have grown immensely in confidence and now play an important part in leading improvements. Team and subject leaders are taking more responsibility for driving up standards and there is a much stronger sense of purpose, direction and ownership at all levels. There is still some way to go before all are equally skilled at the job, however. Staff are beginning to see the rationale for changes and take pride in what has been achieved. Communication within the school is good and links with parents are strengthening.

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Leadership and management

It has been a difficult task to arrive at this point. However, the tenacity and drive of the headteacher has paid off and the school is now well placed to move forward more quickly and to begin to stand on its own feet.

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Leadership and management

There is a shared understanding of the key things that need to be achieved in order for the school to be removed from special measures, based on an accurate evaluation of progress so far. Morale is improving and the fact that staff managed major disruptions without a detrimental effect on the pupils’ learning is a credit to the school. Governors have continued to give good support to the school but as yet the governing body’s part in setting the school’s strategic direction and in holding it to account for its performance is not strong.

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Leadership and management

 Ensure that staff are able to contribute effectively to the management of the school, including their responsibility for leading subjects – good

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External support

The school continues to benefit from support provided by consultants, advanced skills teachers and advisers, which has been satisfactory. It has contributed to the improvements noted, for example, in meeting the needs of pupils in the early stages of learning English. However, staff report that they have at times found advice from different people to be contradictory. Support has also been organised in a piecemeal fashion, rather than provided as a coherent package. Over the past year, support for senior management has sometimes been difficult to obtain. Although the local authority has begun to hold the school to account for the progress made, it has not evaluated the impact of its own interventions in the same way. The size of the tasks remaining to be done at John Perryn should not be underestimated. The target date for the removal of special measures is closing rapidly. The school needs a co- ordinated package of support, tailored to its particular requirements, if it is to make

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External support

the rapid and sustained progress that is necessary.

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