This letter outlines the findings from the monitoring inspection of Bell Lane Primary School, which took place on January 26, 2023. The inspection was conducted on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills, following a previous judgment of requires improvement. The inspection involved meetings with the headteacher, executive headteacher, senior leaders, governors, and a representative from the local authority. The discussions focused on the actions taken to improve the school since the last graded inspection and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the inspection, the inspector reviewed improvement plans, observed phonics lessons, and listened to pupils read. The provision for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities was also examined, along with discussions about changes to the wider curriculum with subject leaders. The inspector spoke with groups of pupils and considered all gathered information to reach a judgment.
The overall conclusion is that Bell Lane Primary School continues to require improvement. While leaders have made progress in enhancing the school, further work is necessary for it to achieve a good rating. The school must take additional steps to ensure that staff consistently implement the agreed phonics program effectively. This includes ensuring that reading materials are well-matched to the sounds pupils have learned. Furthermore, staff need to consistently apply the planned curriculum to support pupils in learning and retaining knowledge over time.
Since the last inspection, there have been several changes in staffing and governance. The headteacher was appointed in March 2022 and is collaborating closely with the executive headteacher, who leads another local primary school, to secure necessary improvements. A priority has been placed on enhancing pupils’ reading skills, with staff receiving additional training in early reading. Support has been provided for weaker readers to help them catch up. However, there remains variability in how well staff implement the phonics program, and the reading materials used by pupils do not consistently align with the sounds they have learned. This inconsistency is affecting the accuracy and fluency of some pupils' reading.
The headteacher has carefully considered what pupils need to learn and remember across different subjects. This knowledge has been logically sequenced to allow pupils to revisit, practice, and embed important concepts. However, the implementation of this work is still in its early stages and has not yet achieved the desired impact. The headteacher and other school leaders are aware of these challenges and have appropriate plans in place to address existing inconsistencies.
Changes have also been made regarding the identification and support of pupils with special educational needs. A training program has been established to ensure greater consistency in expectations for these pupils to access a broad and ambitious curriculum. The headteacher has worked closely with the local authority and governance bodies to identify the right priorities for improvement. The plans to address these priorities are well thought out, and recruiting additional staff has increased the capacity to tackle these issues. Other leaders, governors, and staff are committed to the improvements being made.
The headteacher has actively sought support to enhance the quality of education. Collaborating with the executive headteacher and school improvement partner has increased leaders’ capacity to develop the curriculum. Additionally, useful connections have been established with a local secondary school to support the development of the science curriculum.
The letter will be shared with the chair of the governing body, the regional director from the Department for Education, and the director of children’s services for Barnet. It will also be published on the Ofsted reports website. The findings indicate that while progress has been made, significant work remains to ensure that Bell Lane Primary School meets the standards required for a good rating. The commitment of the leadership team and staff to ongoing improvement is evident, and with continued focus and support, the school can work towards achieving its goals.
