Setting

Mrs L Umekwe Jessop Primary School Lowden Road London SE24 0BJ

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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 8 October 2009, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. Please also pass on my thanks to the pupils and governor who spent time talking with me.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The head of school at Jessop has been appointed as the new headteacher. The executive headteacher at the time of the previous inspection is now the executive director of the Soft Federation of Stockwell and Jessop Primary Schools. The governors have approved a five-year agreement with their colleagues at Stockwell Primary School to consolidate the partnership.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

As a result of the inspection on 15−16 September 2008, the school was asked to:

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

 ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is consistently good so that all pupils are set suitably challenging work especially the more able  use marking and target setting consistently to make clear to pupils what the next steps are in their learning  work closely with parents and carers to improve attendance.

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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 has made: good progress in making improvements

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Last year, the school focused successfully on improving achievement in Year 6. The provisional results for the 2009 national tests show a substantial increase in the proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 in English, mathematics and science. These results are broadly similar to the national average in each subject. This Tribal Group 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Page 2 represents good improvement overall in Year 6 attainment since the last inspection and a substantial increase in pupils’ progress between Years 2 and 6.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Achievement by the age of seven years has also improved since the last inspection. The 2009 national assessments for Year 2 show a good increase in the numbers attaining Level 2B or above. This too, is broadly in line with the 2008 national averages in reading and mathematics and above average in writing.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Children start school with skills and abilities that are below those expected for the age group. Assessments in 2009 at the end of Reception show a significant increase in the numbers reaching the expected levels in all areas of learning. Previously, the majority of children failed to reach the age-related expectations by the start of Year 1.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The teaching I observed jointly with you was consistently good and included some excellent elements. Teachers recognise well the need to extend higher attaining pupils and are consistently providing challenging activities for them. Pupils confirm that lessons are now more challenging and fun. They particularly enjoy working in small groups or individually and taking responsibility for their own work. The lesson observations made by leaders last year confirmed these observations and identified some aptly focused areas for further development.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Leaders and class teachers are increasingly effective in using marking and target setting so that pupils have a clearer understanding of the next steps in learning. My conversations with pupils about their work identified some good quality marking that has helped them improve. They confirmed that their teachers always show them how they can make their work better. However, the teachers do not always record these conversations in the pupils’ exercise books.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Pupils take pride in their work and find their personal targets challenging. They explained how teachers are training them to assess for themselves how well they are progressing and to identify what they need to do to improve their work. Indeed, some of the older pupils were able to explain clearly and accurately how to improve the standard of their writing. They say that targets help them focus on their work and spur them on to even greater achievements.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

New and rigorous systems for improving attendance have been implemented. Parents and families have attended workshops about the impact of poor attendance on pupils’ achievement. Senior managers are targeting classes where there is an above average absence rate and are supporting pupils with specific family difficulties by offering extended day provision. The school has achieved or exceeded its targets for three out of the first four weeks of this academic year. However, it is too early to evaluate the impact over time.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Senior managers and teachers are convinced that the recent sustained improvements in many aspects of the school’s provision are due to the effectiveness Page 3 and impact of the support provided by the local authority and the Stockwell and Jessop Primary School Soft Federation. The improved systems for the regular and detailed monitoring of pupils’ progress are providing staff with a clear and accurate picture of what each individual can do. This results in actions that are increasing achievement levels and confirms the school’s good capacity to improve further.

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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. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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