Setting

Paul Capstick Executive Headteacher Mountford Manor Primary School Bothwell Road Walcot Swindon Wiltshire SN3 3EZ

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Education act 2005 to Mountford Manor Primary School, Swindon

Following my visit to your academy on Friday 14 December 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 Mountford Manor Primary School, Swindon

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the academy was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in October 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 federation executive headteacher and the academy headteacher, other senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor. The academy action plan was evaluated. The executive headteacher took the HMI on a tour of the school. Documents relating to the performance of teachers were discussed.

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Context

The academy is part of a federation with six other local schools. It is a teaching school. Since the inspection there is a new leader for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. There is an additional full-time teacher in Key Stage 1 and so pupils are now taught in single age classes. The Key Stage 2 leadership post is now permanent. A parent liaison officer has been appointed to a part-time post, which is partly paid for by extra government funding, known as pupil premium. A 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 0117 311 5307 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email : emma.thomson@ tribalgroup.com member of staff from within the federation is being bought in to work with teachers on planning for more able pupils. The head of the specialist base for behaviour has more time available to coach other staff in managing pupils’ behaviour.

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Main findings

The executive headteacher and senior leaders have set to work to tackle weaknesses in behaviour and teaching in a forthright way. Leaders have concentrated on raising teachers’ expectations of how pupils should behave in lessons. The new behaviour policy links behaviour and learning together and provides a whole school approach to rewards and sanctions. The head of the specialist base is working with staff on ways to encourage pupils to have constructive attitudes to their learning. Staff say they feel better equipped to help pupils behave positively. The smaller classes in Key Stage 1 enable teachers to give pupils more individual help. Reception class teachers now plan activities together.

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Main findings

Leaders have raised expectations about the way teachers mark pupils work to help them improve. Teachers are expected to come to meetings about pupils’ progress, having prepared information about how pupils are doing. This, together with raising expectations of teaching and managing pupils’ behaviour, means that teachers are more accountable for the progress of pupils in their classes.

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Main findings

The school’s improvement plan focuses convincingly on improving behaviour and teaching and learning. Governors are clear about their monitoring role but the precise evaluation of actions taken is not always recorded.

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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

 Strengthen the work with other teaching schools and schools and academies locally to learn from ways of planning for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, as well as working on shared issues.  Tweak the school action plan to add an evaluation column, which summarizes whether actions taken are successfully raising achievement and improving behaviour by giving a few pertinent examples.

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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 academy uses support from individuals who have specific expertise within the federation and from teaching schools, such as planning learning activities for more able pupils. Staff have welcomed visits to other schools and 3 teachers are following a programme focused on improving teaching. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Swindon and as below.

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