Setting

Martyn Lightwood Millbrook Primary School Grainger Drive Leegomery Telford TF1 6UJ

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Education act 2005 to Millbrook Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 05 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 Millbrook 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, other senior leaders and seven members of the governing body, including the Chair of Governors. A meeting was also held with a representative of the local authority. The school improvement plans were evaluated.

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Context

A number of changes in the school’s context have taken place since the section 5 inspection. Several teachers including the special needs coordinator have left the school. New additional members of the governing body have been appointed.

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Main findings

The headteacher has responded well to the areas for improvement and with the support of the local authority, he has: Serco Inspections Colmore Plaza 20 Colmore Circus Queensway Birmingham B4 6AT T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T :0121 679 9162 Direct email : siobhan.garrattley@serco.com  developed a well-focused action plan concentrating on what needs most improvement  taken swift action to eliminate inadequate teaching by managing teachers’ performance more effectively  increased his visits to classrooms to check on how well teachers are helping pupils to learn  involved governors in checking the impact of the school’s work  begun to check the progress that different groups of pupils are making.

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Main findings

Teachers have a better understanding of the progress that pupils need to make in their class. They are more aware of how to support those pupils who speak English as an additional language to make faster progress in their learning but teachers recognise that there is still more work they need to do. Teachers know that while improvements have been made in some areas, these improvements are not evident in every class, particularly in the teaching of the sounds that letters make (phonics). Governors are asking the right questions of the school’s leadership team particularly when checking on pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching.

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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

 make sure that subject specific vocabulary is translated into the pupils’ first language  improve further the teaching of phonics across the school particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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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

There is an excellent balance of support and challenge provided by the local authority and the consultants working in partnership with the school. Regular review meetings by the local authority enable its officers to keep a very careful check on the school’s ability to plan for improvement. Good quality training has been provided on how to ‘get to good’ quickly, equally effective support and training has improved the ability of governors to ask difficult questions and for the headteacher to take decisive action when faced with poor practice in classrooms.

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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 Telford and Wrekin.

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