Setting

Mr Jerome McCormack Headteacher Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury Earles Court Road Salisbury SP4 7LX

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Education act 2005 to Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury

Following my visit to your school on 18 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 Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school 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 headteacher and senior leadership team, members of the governing body and two representatives of the local authority. A discussion, by telephone, was held with an adviser responsible for the school’s improvement. The school’s main plan for improvement was evaluated. The inspector scrutinised the headteacher’s evaluations of lessons, recent data on pupils’ progress and reports by advisers from the local authority.

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Context

There have been no significant contextual changes since the inspection.

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Main findings

The school’s leaders and governors have responded well to the inspection. The new initiatives, noted at the last inspection, have gathered momentum, led strongly by 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 5373 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email : jo-anne.harwood@ tribalgroup.com the headteacher. The senior leadership team’s efforts are sharply focused on improving teaching and pupils’ achievement. The headteacher’s six-weekly reviews are making teachers more accountable for each pupil’s progress. There are now some early signs of progress in reading, writing and mathematics starting to accelerate. This needs to be sustained if pupils’ standards are to improve to average and some wide gaps between the attainment of different groups are to close.

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Main findings

Two new governors have been appointed, one of whom has a background in education and improving schools. Governors have also benefited from training on data and are becoming more familiar with the school’s own information on pupils’ progress. These developments are building governors’ capacity to ask challenging questions of the school. The school’s action plan provides a firm basis for improvement. It is closely linked to the areas the school is required to improve. The plan sets appropriately challenging targets for teaching and pupils’ achievement. The deadlines are also challenging, showing governors’ and leaders’ determination to drive forward improvements quickly, to move the school to good.

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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

 check that boys are learning as effectively as girls, when monitoring lessons and analysing pupils’ progress, and that pupils supported by additional funding (pupil premium) are also making good progress.

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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 school had started to receive support from the local authority shortly before the section 5 inspection. This has continued to be the case. Advisers and consultants have offered well-targeted support and challenge for the school’s leaders. The headteacher has received helpful advice from the local authority on revising the school improvement plan, in the light of the inspection findings. This has had a positive result; the plan provides a clear steer for the school’s ongoing improvement.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Wiltshire and as below.

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