Setting

Mrs Jan Pollard Headteacher Ley Top Primary School Avenel Road Allerton West Yorkshire BD15 7PQ

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Education act 2005 to Ley Top Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 21 November 2012, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report on the findings of my visit. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Education act 2005 to Ley Top Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in September 2012. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the headteacher and designate headteacher, other senior leaders, a group of pupils, governors, and a representative of the local authority. The inspector evaluated a range of documentation including: the school improvement plan; the tracking of pupils’ progress; monitoring reports; a sample of pupils’ work ; records of lesson observations and documentation about performance management. In addition, the headteachers took the HMI on a tour of the school to look at teaching and learning and the changes made to classrooms since the inspection.

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Context

The headteacher will leave the school at the end of this term. A new headteacher has been appointed and will commence duties at the start of the spring term in January 2013. CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22, West Lancashire Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email : hcarnall@cfbt.com

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Main findings

Following the September inspection, senior leaders and governors have taken a range of appropriate measures to improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress. The increased emphasis on raising the profile of mathematics is leading to increasing numbers of pupils making better progress than previously. Senior leaders have also focused effectively on pinpointing the aspects of teaching that require improvement by coaching and supporting teachers in developing their practice. Leaders have correctly identified that the next step is to agree the key principles of what makes effective learning for pupils in all lessons.

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Main findings

Senior leaders report back regularly to staff on the quality of lessons seen with clear supportive messages and guidance to help bring about improvement. Increasingly, this information is used to inform the professional development of teachers. Further improvements are required in how senior leaders make judgements on the achievement of pupils and groups of pupils in lessons.

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Main findings

The school improvement plan has been realigned well since the inspection to match the areas identified for improvement. Clear priorities are in place to drive the school forward. Nevertheless, the targets and criteria for measuring success overtime within the plan are not as sharp as they could be to fully inform staff and governors about how effectively the school is improving.

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Main findings

Increasingly governors are more aware of what goes on in school. There is still some further work to be done to increase the confidence of the governing body to act as a critical friend to school and hold senior leaders to account.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. Following the visit to the school, HMI recommend that further action is taken to:

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Main findings

 sharpen measurable success criteria and targets in the school improvement plan  improve observations of teaching by identifying more clearly the achievement of pupils in lessons and agree key principles of effective practice in teaching and learning.

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Main findings

Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The local authority is providing an effective level of support to the school, co- ordinated well by the school improvement partner. For example, the school draws effectively on support from local achievement projects and links with other schools. The impact of this work can be seen in the increasing confidence of staff and in the improvements to teaching and learning. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Bradford.

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