Setting

Mrs D Springett Headteacher Garlinge Primary and Nursery School Westfield Road Margate Kent CT9 5PA

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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 27 May 2010 , for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. In particular, please thank your senior management team and the chair of governors for their welcome.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The headteacher had only been in post for 4 months when the school was last inspected between 4 – 5 June 2008. At that time, the school had recently opened as a new school. This followed the amalgamation of the Garlinge Infant and Junior Schools. The school also included pupils with complex, multiple and profound special educational needs and/or disabilities from Foreland Special School. Links with this special school were forged to help pupils to have access to mainstream schooling.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

As a result of the inspection on 30 April 2008, the school was asked to:

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

 build on the work so far to ensure that the school works as a single unit and that pupils are able to make continuous progress as they move through each year group  eradicate the variability in teaching so that the progress pupils make in all year groups is good and standards continue to rise.

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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:

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

satisfactory progress in making improvements.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

satisfactory progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement. Tribal Group 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0845 123 6001 Direct F 0117 315 0430 wendy.simmons@tribalgroup.co.uk Page 2 The headteacher continues to show determination, passion and commitment. As a direct result of her work, the school now has a stronger, cohesive and more effective leadership team. The restructuring of the leadership team and appointment of some new key people has given the school a firm basis to continue improving. Their work is ensuring that the school works as a happy, forward thinking single unit.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The accommodation has improved considerably and team work is much stronger. Staff now share a common vision. Much of the teaching space has also been improved greatly, although there is still more to do as some of the mobile classrooms are not fit for purpose. The enthusiastic caretaking team, contributes much to the improving environment. As one governor correctly noted, ‘The ethos in the school is better’. Pupils now have the same uniform and better opportunities to come together for assemblies, clubs and after school activities.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Attainment was low in 2008 and 2009 and overall, the school has made inadequate progress is lifting this during that time. However, for pupils who have been at the school for a long time, attainment is on track to be average this year by the end of Year 6, which is an improvement. Past slow progress in improving attainment was largely linked to a legacy of some past inadequate teaching and gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. As a result of leaders’ and managers’ good monitoring and greatly improved assessment procedures, provision is now more effective and pupils are beginning to catch-up. The overall capacity to improve is hampered by the very high and increasing proportion of pupils who join the school often in Year 6. For example, in Year 6, 11 pupils joined in the last school year. Added to this, the high proportion of lower attaining pupils with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities pulls down overall attainment. As a result, of these two features,

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

attainment, although improving, is still likely to be low overall in 2010.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

There has been good progress in improving teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 2. The proportion of good teaching has increased considerably and some lessons are now outstanding, although greatly reduced, there is still some inadequate teaching in Key Stage 1. Some good teaching was observed in Key Stage 1, when pupils wrote about mini-beasts but there is not enough consistently good teaching. Planned changes to Key Stage 1 are due to be implemented in September 2010.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The lessons seen confirm that the teaching of mathematics is improving steadily under the skilled guidance of the new mathematics leader. The careful grouping of pupils by ability, an increased emphasis on basic calculation skills and, more interesting activities are helping pupils to enjoy their work and practise their skills by doing, meaningful real life, problem solving activities. Attainment is on track to rise in mathematics for the current Year 6 in 2010.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

A new English subject leader was appointed in 2009. A review of lessons and planning was quickly undertaken. As a result, there has been a focus on improving Page 3 reading. New resources have been purchased and are well organised. The whole staff have received training on how to help pupils to use letters and sounds (phonics) to help them to read news words. ‘guided reading’ group activities have also improved steadily. The impact of this work is evident in the fact that a high proportion of pupils are now making faster progress in reading, this is especially so in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This is important as it is ensuring that more children go into Year 1 with the skills that are usually expected for their age.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Pupils’ attainment in writing remains an area for improvement, especially by helping pupils to edit, improve and extend their work. There is some good writing and marking, for example, in pupils’ work on the ‘Haunted House’ and in their ‘Science Fiction’ writing. This acts as a good model for other teachers to adopt. Initiatives, such as the ‘Boys’ writing group’ are inspiring boys to enjoy writing and do better.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

A new leader has been appointed from within the school to lead science from September 2010 when work on developing exciting investigation work is planned. Attainment in science, for the current Year 6, is on track to be higher in 2010 than it was in 2009, especially in the proportion working on higher level skills.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The school’s better capacity to improve is aided by the school’s involvement in the ‘World class Primary Programme’ and special mathematics projects with other schools. These initiatives are focused on improving the outcomes for pupils.

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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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