Setting

Ms Juliet Cooper The Headteacher Kilmorie Primary School Kilmorie Road London SE23 2SP

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Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 30 September 2010 , for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Could you also convey my thanks to the pupils I spoke to, the Chair of Governors and the School Improvement Partner .

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Primary School

A new chair of the governing body was appointed in September 2009.

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Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 7–8 July 2009, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement, which are set out in the annex to this letter.

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Primary School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made:

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Primary School

satisfactory progress in making improvements

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Primary School

good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Primary School

In 2009 a lower-than-average proportion of pupils achieved levels of attainment which were in line with national expectations at the end of Year 6. However, in 2010 pupils’ attainment did improve in some subjects, although it remains below the national average. In 2010, attainment of more able pupils who achieved Level 5 has improved, especially in English. Less able pupils attained as well as their peers in reading but not in writing and mathematics. The level of progress pupils made in Tribal 1–4 Portland Square BRISTOL BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0845 123 6001 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email :Fiona.allan1@tribalgroup.com Page 2 their learning in 2010 demonstrated an improvement on 2009. The school’s data for Key Stage 1 for 2010 indicate an improvement in attainment in reading and writing. The proportion of pupils who achieved higher levels also improved. Evidence from

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Primary School

learning observed in lessons indicates that current pupils are making improved progress, with many lessons observed judged to be good. In the better lessons, pupils learned well and enjoyed lessons because teachers enabled them to work independently and at a challenging pace. In these lessons pupils knew how well they were performing and could identify what National Curriculum levels they were achieving. There were good examples of pupils using peer assessment, and peer discussions enabled them to effectively exchange ideas. The slower pace of a few lessons prevented pupils from learning as well as they could.

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Primary School

Pupils feel that that the school keeps them safe and that behaviour is good in lessons. Pupils were of the view that teachers supported them well to improve their achievement. One pupil stated that ‘every day our vocabulary expands’. The level of attendance improved in 2010, although it remains broadly average. The school has worked hard to reduce the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school.

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Primary School

Teaching and assessment are starting to improve the rate at which pupils progress in their learning. The method of assessing pupils’ progress is working effectively and positively impacting on how lessons are planned to address pupils’ different learning needs. The quality of marked work is variable across the school. Where marking is good, teachers give pupils a detailed understanding of what next steps they need to take to improve their performance. In one lesson, marked work seen was detailed and asked pertinent questions of pupils’ understanding and performance. This level of detail was not observed in all lessons.

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Primary School

The curriculum is developing well and leaders are making well-informed decisions so as to ensure that the curriculum will be creative and is mapped across different subject areas. The number of mixed-age classes has reduced since the last inspection and the school has put sound measures in place to identify the level of skills pupils should achieve. However, it is unclear how the school is ensuring how effectively pupils in mixed groups are progressing and developing their skills across the curriculum.

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Primary School

Under the focused leadership of the headteacher, leaders and managers have accelerated their actions and have made good efforts to improve the standard of teaching and learning in the school. More effective measures to monitor lessons have been implemented and these are making a positive impact on teaching and learning. New assessment methods are precisely assessing how well pupils make progress. Moderation of pupils’ assessment is undertaken rigorously and has resulted in the school accurately predicting pupils’ results in their end-of-year standard assessment tests. There is now an improved focus on learning, which has enabled the school to make clear judgements about how well pupils are achieving in lessons and to demonstrate a better capacity for sustained improvement. Overall, monitoring Page 3 and evaluation of the quality of teaching and assessment is systematic, with clear links to pupils’ outcomes. However, leaders have not always been timely in

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Primary School

monitoring and evaluating the impact of the actions put in place to improve weaker teaching. The relatively new chair of the governing body is working to improve the level of challenge governors provide. The governing body has been restructured, with new subcommittees now in place, but the full impact of this restructuring is yet to be seen.

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Primary School

The local authority has provided good support to the school and has been effective in its challenge to the school’s work.

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Primary School

I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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place in July 2009

 Improve standards in English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 2, particularly for the more able pupils, by:

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place in July 2009

- ensuring teachers use challenging targets and assessments to match work in lessons to the needs of all pupils

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place in July 2009

- securing a curriculum that promotes good progression in skills for all pupils in mixed-age classes

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place in July 2009

- focusing the leadership team’s monitoring and evaluation of lessons on the progress made by all pupils.

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