Setting

Mr Jason Anderson Headteacher Romsey Primary School Mercer Way Romsey SO51 7PH

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Education act 2005 to Romsey Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 7 February 2013, 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 Romsey Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in November 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; the two assistant headteachers; three members of the governing body including the Chair and Vice- Chair and a representative of the local authority. A learning walk was undertaken alongside the headteacher. The school’s improvement plan was evaluated and the school’s single central record scrutinized.

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Context

Since the section 5 inspection the former acting headteacher, who had been seconded to Romsey Primary, has returned to her school. The new headteacher started working at the school in January 2013.

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Context

The school is currently restructuring the middle management team. 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 3115319 Direct F 0117 3150430 Direct email :matthew.parker@tribalgroup.com

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Main findings

The smooth transition between the school having an acting headteacher and the arrival of the new substantive headteacher has enabled improvements in the school to continue. Although the headteacher has only been in post for five weeks, he is already having a positive impact on the quality of education provided by the school. The headteacher has started to distribute roles and responsibilities more evenly amongst leaders and managers. He has established himself as a leader of learning, helping to raise teachers’ expectations about their own performance and what pupils are capable of achieving. Consequently, aspects of teaching and learning are beginning to improve. Many teachers ensure they do not spend too long talking at the beginning of each lesson, and the quality and presentation of pupils’ written work is getting better. The headteacher is rightly focusing on managing the performance of staff more rigorously to ensure the school provides better value for

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Main findings

Governors have a clear view of where aspects of the school require improvement. They have become more sharply focused on the need for the school to improve the quality of teaching and learning, and to raise standards. They have accurately identified the need to restructure the senior leadership team to help build leadership capacity. They also recognise the additional need to review special educational needs within the school.

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Main findings

The post-Ofsted action plan provides an overview of how the school will be helped to improve. The plan includes targets for every class. However, the plan does not specify who is leading, monitoring or evaluating school initiatives. It does not identify different groups of pupils within classes. Although the plan includes deadlines, it is not always clear when checks against progress will be made or how progress will be measured.

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Main findings

The school continues to ensure that all the required checks are made to ensure the suitability of staff to work with children.

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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

 Ensure the school develops a strong senior leadership team who all contribute equally as well to accelerating rates of improvement.  Strengthen the post-Ofsted action plan by: - clearly identifying within the plan who is leading, monitoring and evaluating school initiatives - including targets for groups of pupils within classes - identifying when checks against progress will be made and how progress - will be measured. Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The school makes effective use of support provided by the local authority. Teachers in Key Stage 1 benefit from the guidance provided by the literacy consultant. The headteacher welcomes the opportunity of attending meetings focused on helping schools to become good. The Leadership and Learning Partner ensures that the support provided to the school is appropriately focused on the school's needs, such as improving the quality of teaching and learning.

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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 Hampshire.

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