Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs 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

p.1

Mrs Debbie Wilson Headteacher Springhead School Barry's Lane Scarborough North Yorkshire YO12 4HA

p.1

Education act 2005 to Springhead School

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.

p.1

Education act 2005 to Springhead 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.

p.1

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 action plan was evaluated and minutes of governors meetings were reviewed.

p.1

Context

There have been no significant changes since the section 5 inspection, which judged the school to require improvement.

p.1

Main findings

School leaders have revised and standardised working practice amongst all staff in telling parents about serious incidents involving children. The action plan addresses all of the areas for improvement identified in the recent inspection. Planned actions and success criteria are clear and are underpinned with specific tasks. However they do not always identify the impact that the actions are intended to have on the progress of specific groups of pupils. Governors have established a working group to monitor progress. Almost all vacancies on the governing body have been filled and this has strengthened the capacity for them to undertake this work. The clarity of the plan is usefully helping governors to monitor implementation and school leaders have already set in train a programme of staff training, support and other developments focused on higher expectations of pupils’ progress and learning in literacy and numeracy. Pupils’ progress in subjects other than literacy and

p.2

Main findings

numeracy is under review and middle leaders’ responsibilities have recently been reallocated. Some planned actions and timescales in the current plan do not continue much beyond January 2013. Minutes of the governors working group and discussions with them demonstrate a good understanding of the detail of the issues.

p.2

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:

p.2

Main findings

● take forward the detailed action plan to the end of the academic year and strengthen success criteria to reflect the impact that actions are intended to have on the progress of different groups of pupils  make sure that middle leaders know the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ progress to support their drafting of subject action plans.

p.2

Main findings

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

p.2

External support

Local authority support has been effective in guiding and providing specialist assistance to the headteacher, senior leaders and governors to inform their understanding of data and their responsibilities in reporting behaviour incidents. As a result leaders are using a wider range of measures to track pupils ‘progress and attainment over time. Governors and school leaders have strengthened reporting and updated the behaviour policy to reflect changes to procedures. Further support is recommended to develop governors understanding of best practice in holding teachers to account about their performance. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children's Services for North Yorkshire and as below.

p.2

Her Majesty's Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

p.3

Her Majesty's Inspector

● Janet Crossley - Chair of the Governing Body ● Director of Children’s services North Yorkshire Local Authority ● Pauline Hilling-Smith - The lead inspector.

p.3