Setting

PROTECT-INSPECTION

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 1231231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: hcarnall@cfbt.com

p.1

PROTECT-INSPECTION

Mrs Hanora D'Rozario Principal Don Valley Academy and Performing Arts College Jossey Lane Scawthorpe Doncaster South Yorkshire DN5 9DD

p.1

Education act 2005 to Don Valley Academy and Performing Arts College

Following my visit to your school on 11 March 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.

p.1

Education act 2005 to Don Valley Academy and Performing Arts College

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in December 2012. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the Principal, other senior leaders, members of the Governing Body, the academy’s improvement officer, a representative of the sponsor and a small group of Year 10 students. A brief tour of the academy was taken, key documentation was scrutinised and the academy’s development plan was evaluated.

p.1

Context

Since the last inspection, an acting assistant principal has been appointed to focus on improving students’ behaviour for learning.

p.1

Main findings

The academy’s leaders, including governors, confirm that the recent inspection outcome was as expected. The senior leadership team is now more established and temporary additional appointments are providing increased capacity to help drive improvement rapidly. The academy’s improvement plan has been revised in response to the findings of the inspection and planned actions are appropriate. However, some targets and success criteria are not sufficiently challenging to ensure the academy is on course to secure good achievement for all students. A lack of milestones to track progress towards overall targets for attainment, progress and teaching quality make it more difficult to check the academy is on course to achieve planned improvements. Approaches to monitoring and evaluation are increasingly rigorous and the management of teachers’ performance is more robust. For example, a broader range of evidence, including lesson observations, scrutiny of students’ work and

p.1

Main findings

analysis of performance data, is being used to evaluate teaching quality.

p.2

Main findings

The outcome of the academy’s most recent review of teaching quality suggests that some staff who need support to improve their teaching may not have been identified. Data are beginning to be used more effectively to identify underperforming students and hold curriculum leaders and class teachers to account for the progress that students are making. Approaches to target setting have been improved to ensure expectations for students’ attainment and progress are sufficiently challenging. The governing body has established an ‘academy improvement group’ to focus more sharply on monitoring progress in relation to the areas for improvement identified at the last section 5 inspection.

p.2

Main findings

Senior leaders, governors and the sponsor have begun to take 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

- review the academy’s improvement plan to ensure all targets are sufficiently challenging and identify clear milestones to evaluate progress towards overall targets - further refine approaches to identifying teachers who need of support to improve their teaching to be consistently good or better.

p.2

Main findings

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

p.2

External support

Since the inspection the sponsor has increased its level of support for the academy. An improvement officer is working with academy staff one day per week to provide support for middle leadership and improve the use of data. A representative of the academy is also working with the governing body to provide additional expertise and model effective strategies to enable governors to develop their skills in challenging and supporting the leadership team.

p.2

External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and as below.

p.2

Her Majesty's Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

p.3

Her Majesty's Inspector

 Appropriate authority - Chair of the Governing Body/Interim Executive Board  the academy chain where relevant  The Education Funding Agency (EFA) if the school has a sixth form  The person or body responsible for appointing foundation governors if the school has a foundation  The lead inspector.

p.3