Setting

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mr Bosher Headteacher Fairlawn Primary School Honor Oak Road London SE23 3SB

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and effectiveness

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 24 June 2009 to look at the work that you are doing to develop and sustain high quality leadership in your school and your partner schools.

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and effectiveness

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions, but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

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and effectiveness

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: discussions with a range of staff and with students; scrutiny of documentation; a number of lesson observations. In addition, evidence was also used from discussions with teachers in your partner schools and with colleagues involved in programmes to improve school effectiveness at a national level.

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Features of good practice observed

 The school’s work to develop the skills and effectiveness of leaders is outstanding. Your powerful vision for the education of children in the widest sense of the word permeates throughout the school and is underpinned by your commitment to improving the life chances of all children. You and your senior leaders are generous with your time in supporting other schools and colleagues.  Staff in the school form a cohesive team, fully aware of their contribution to the school. The skills of all are valued through the strong performance management system which enables talent to be identified and nurtured early, sometimes before staff have identified skills in themselves.  You are strategic and proactive in creating opportunities for staff within the school and promoting staff outside the school; for example, through rotating leadership roles within the school and encouraging leaders to seek advisory roles externally.

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Features of good practice observed

 Staff at all levels feel very supported in undertaking new challenging roles. They value the open, listening culture in the school and note they can raise any issues, concerns and ideas with senior leaders which they know will be acted on.  The school improvement plan provides strategic opportunities for staff to undertake leadership roles at a whole school level. The assignment of staff to the leadership of individual priorities enables them to plan actions, lead teams, deliver training and monitor progress. This then gives them the confidence to seek further leadership roles.  Teachers from your partner schools are able to articulate powerfully how their involvement in the improving teacher programme has enabled them to understand educational concepts and apply them in order to improve their professional practice.  Your work in planning and delivering training for future headteachers in your local area further highlights your commitment to developing

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Features of good practice observed

leadership across the system. Although a formal evaluation has not yet been completed of the programme, its success is noted in the high number of participants who are now serving headteachers.  A well considered programme, led by you, is in place to promote improvement across a range of schools. Carefully considered selection processes for local leaders of education ensure they have the key personal skills essential in forging productive professional relationships with schools in challenging circumstances. Your careful matching of these leaders to their partner schools and the flexibility employed by them enable them to devise bespoke programmes in order to promote improvement. Local leaders of education also note the benefits to their own schools gained by working with their partner schools.

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Area for development:

 pupils’ leadership is developed through the school council and they speak confidently and enthusiastically about the impact of their work. However, their impressive skills and maturity are not utilised fully in the monitoring and evaluation process used by the school.

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Area for development:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop your work in this area.

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Area for development:

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on Ofsted’s website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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