27 September 2012 Mr G Roser Headteacher Primrose Hill ... - Ofsted

Tribal
1-4 Portland Square
Bristol
BS2 8RR
27 September 2012
Mr G Roser
Headteacher
Primrose Hill Church of England Primary School
School Crescent
Lydney
GL15 5TA
Dear Mr Roser
T 0300 123 1231
Text Phone: 0161 6188524
enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Direct T 0117 3115319
Direct F 0117 3150430
Direct email:matthew.parker@tribalgroup.com
Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of Primrose Hill Church of
England Primary School
Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school
on 26 September 2012 and for the information which you provided during the
inspection. Kindly pass on my thanks to everyone who helped me during the day,
including the pupils, staff, members of the governing body, a representative from
the local authority and a National Leader in Education.
There have been several changes in staffing since the previous inspection. Two
teachers have left the school and the former deputy headteacher relinquished her
role to become the part-time Special Educational Needs Coordinator. Two teachers
have returned from maternity leave and three other teachers have joined the school,
including the substantive deputy headteacher. In September 2012, the school
increased the number of classes from eight to nine.
As a result of the inspection on 1 February 2012, the school was asked to address
the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this
letter.
Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school is
making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising
the pupils’ achievement.
The school’s assessment procedures were revised in March 2012. The school’s
information on pupils’ achievement shows that pupils’ attainment is generally lower
than was thought previously. In a number of year groups, the proportions of pupils
that securely reach the expectations for their age in reading, writing and
mathematics are much lower than other schools. This is largely because teachers
now have a more accurate view of what is required and have identified several
pupils to be attaining just below the expected levels. It is also due to a legacy of

weaker teaching in some classes. That said, the school’s most recent progress
information and pupils’ work seen in a sample of books confirm that rates of
progress have picked up across the school and most pupils are on track to make the
progress expected in English and mathematics across Key Stage 2. Brief
observations of literacy lessons show that training for staff in teaching writing is
making a difference, particularly for boys, and significant proportions of pupils
regained ground in the last term. The attainment of Year 6 pupils that left the school
in July was in line with most schools in English and mathematics and around a third
had made exceptional progress across Key Stage 2 in reading and mathematics.
Improvements to teaching are not yet established. While pupils made strong
progress in some year groups last term, the improvement was less evident for
others.
Pupils believe that the new system of sanctions and rewards has improved behaviour
and that weekly reward time is more purposeful. They commented positively on the
lengths that teachers go to, to make their learning interesting. In lessons, pupils
listened attentively and were keen to answer the teacher’s questions.
The headteacher, supported by external partners, has implemented a robust plan for
improving the quality of teaching and raising pupils’ achievement. The senior
leadership team meets frequently with a member of the governing body to review
the difference that actions are making. Leaders have higher expectations of the
progress that pupils should make and have adopted a more systematic approach to
checking the school’s work. Comprehensive pupil tracking systems are at the early
stages of implementation. Assessment information is used increasingly to inform
lesson planning, but it is not used routinely to hold teachers to account.
Initially slow to start, the pace of improvement has quickened because other leaders
play a greater role in making the changes needed. During the summer term, the
newly appointed deputy headteacher worked alongside teachers to follow up
development points arising from lesson observations. Middle leaders are released
more regularly to pursue their responsibilities. For example, the Early Years
Foundation Stage leader has trained staff and carefully tracked children’s knowledge
of sounds that letters make (called phonics).
Members of the governing body have a much clearer idea of what is working well
and where further improvement is needed. They visit the school more frequently to
review the progress that pupils are making and to monitor the difference that
actions are making. During a recent visit to monitor the implementation of new
learning targets a member talked with pupils and examined their work in books.
These first-hand experiences ensure that the governing body is increasingly well
placed to assist and challenge senior leaders.
Observations of sections of lessons, carried out with the headteacher, showed that
teaching is becoming more consistent. They also confirmed the accuracy of the
headteacher’s view of the strengths and relative weaknesses in lessons. Phonic

sessions are well structured and adults annunciate phonemes correctly. Learning
moves on rapidly and is supported by engaging and practical resources. In one
lesson observed, Year 1 pupils blended the individual sounds within simple words by
pressing corresponding ‘sound buttons’ underneath. However, adults do not always
observe and listen to individuals carefully enough to identify and correct errors. Key
early literacy strategies are not promoted rigorously at every opportunity.
Where pupils’ learning was at its best, observed in a Year 3 and Year 4 class,
different tasks enabled the more capable pupils to start promptly on more
demanding work. The learning was brisk so pupils listened carefully in order to keep
up. The teaching assistant moved systematically around the room checking pupils’
understanding while the teacher questioned individuals and adjusted her teaching in
response. This enabled pupils’ learning to be matched carefully to their needs and
capabilities. In other lessons, the pace slows and the learning objective is not
sufficiently refined to provide a consistent challenge for all pupils.
A more focused approach to learning targets has improved pupils’ understanding of
place value and their ability to write more complex sentences. Pupils know their
targets and use the weekly ‘target lessons’ to apply what they have learned.
However, pupils were not always sure how their targets will help them to reach the
next level. Pupils’ work in books showed that teachers use highlighter pens and
comments more effectively to show pupils what they have done well and what they
need to improve. Pupils use success criteria to evaluate their work, but the
statements are not always detailed enough for pupils to check how well they have
done.
The local authority’s statement of action and plan of support meet requirements.
The school’s leaders speak highly of the substantial support they have received from
a range of external partners including a National Leader in Education, and staff from
a National Support School and a local primary school. Opportunities for other staff to
attend training and observe colleagues in partner schools are equally valued. The
progressive reduction in external support reflects the school’s growing capacity to
direct its own improvement.
I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your
school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.
Yours sincerely
Ian Hancock
Her Majesty’s Inspector

Annex
The areas for improvement identified during the inspection which took
place in February 2012
� Ensure that the school’s leaders, at all levels and including the governing body,
take concerted action to speed up the pace of improvement, by:
− devising a sharply focused plan of action that sets out explicitly what must
be achieved over the next twelve months and which includes clear means
of measuring success
− raising expectations of the amount of progress that pupils will make over
time
− using a variety of formal and informal methods to check the quality of
teaching more regularly and systematically and to support teachers in
improving their practice
− using assessment information to hold teachers to account for pupils’
progress and to plan the next steps for individuals and groups
− checking that agreed strategies are included in teachers’ plans and
implemented in classrooms
− evaluating rigorously the impact of any actions and interventions.
� Raise the quality of teaching so that by December 2012, the majority of pupils
make good progress and their attainment rises by ensuring that:
− teachers’ lesson plans take full account of pupils’ prior learning and
attainment, so that activities are precisely matched to their learning needs
and no-one struggles or marks time
− additional adults are deployed to maximum effect throughout lessons
− time is not wasted at the start or end of lessons
− teachers use a range of methods to keep pupils fully involved and
challenged throughout lessons and make sure that objectives for learning
are matched to pupils’ different needs
− when teaching phonics (the sounds letters make), adults model the
sounds correctly, insist that the pupils do the same and make sure that
the pace is brisk and lively.