Setting

Mr M Ridlinton Headteacher Grove Primary School Pickersleigh Grove Malvern WR14 2LU

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Education act 2005 to Grove Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 17 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 Grove Primary School

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, other senior leaders, the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority. The school improvement plan was evaluated. Visits were made jointly with the headteacher to parts of lessons across the school. Records of Governing Body minutes, notes of local authority visits, teachers’ planning files, and curriculum plans were scrutinised.

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Context

The reorganisation of leadership and management has been completed with the appointment of a role of access and improvement, including the coordination of special educational needs, to begin in January 2013. Serco Inspections Cedar House 21 William Street Edgbaston Birmingham B15 1LH T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Main findings

The school was given a notice to improve in September 2011. It started a successful improvement programme that led to the removal of the notice in October 2012. The governing body now knows how to hold the school to account, through effective one-to-one local authority training of the Chair of governors, and additional training for the full governing body. Governors are frequent visitors to classrooms, observing alongside professional teachers. The school improvement sub-committee meets monthly, receiving and challenging pupil progress data presented by subject leaders. Subject leaders have benefitted from local authority training on how to monitor provision. They now conduct regular lesson observations, work scrutiny, and checks on teacher’s planning. Teachers accurately assess the standards of pupils’ work, with their judgements moderated externally. School leaders are tackling the key issues raised at the October inspection well.

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Main findings

For the most part, pupils are fully occupied with interesting activities. Those activities are matched well to the prior learning, and abilities, of different groups of pupils. There is a strong emphasis on improving writing standards. The ‘homework log’ is an effective and enjoyable way for pupils to extend their learning. It develops good independent learning, and improves their communication skills.

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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

 refine the success criteria in the school development plan to include specific pupil performance data, quality of provision judgements, and key dates.

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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

A range of good external support activities from the local authority has continued to secure rising attainment for pupils across the school, as outlined above, and is sufficient to sustain further 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 Worcestershire.

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