Setting

Mr D Griffin Dyson Perrins CofE Academy Yates Hay Road Malvern WR14 1WD

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection visit under section 8 of the

Education act 2005 to Dyson Perrins CofE Academy.

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection visit under section 8 of the

Following my visit to your school on 19 April 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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Requires improvement monitoring inspection visit under section 8 of the

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in February 2013. 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 and deputy headteacher, representatives of the governing body, the head of mathematics and a group of Year 11 and Year 12 students. The school action plan was evaluated. A sample of work was examined to assess the quality of marking and a learning walk of short classroom visits was made to eight lessons.

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Context

There has been no material change to the context of the school since the February 2013 inspection. Serco Inspections 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 9159 Direct email :lisa.parkes@serco.com

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Main findings

Since the inspection school leaders have arranged training for teachers to improve the quality of teaching. There is evidence that this has been effective. An analysis of student work shows a large measure of consistency in the way students are now responding to teachers’ marking across all subjects and ability groups. The training has included planning lessons which involve students more in their learning. Students have noticed that their lessons have changed in style. Wide student participation was apparent in the learning walk. The curriculum plan for Year 10 and Year 12 has been remodelled to improve the way the curriculum meets the needs of students as recommended in the inspection report.

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Main findings

School leaders have written a good plan which meets all the areas for improvement in the inspection report and should bring about the necessary improvement within a year. This plan is supported by more detailed plans in key areas. Mathematics was identified as an area needing improvement in the inspection and the action plan for mathematics indicates how the subject is being improved on a week-by-week basis. School leaders currently have the post-Ofsted action plan running in parallel with the school development plan. Sensibly, they intend to merge these two plans to make monitoring and evaluation easier. The plans do not currently contain enough interim success criteria, or milestones, and this makes it harder for senior leaders and governors to assess the impact of the plan, as against merely checking that actions have been completed.

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Main findings

The governing body has set up a committee which meets regularly to monitor the action plan, and its members have a detailed understanding of what has been done and its quality. It has acted to improve the way the performance of teachers is managed so that there is a much clearer link with the quality of teaching and the progress that students make. The governing body has a perceptive understanding of the progress made by students and is working to improve the way that data is used in school. The governing body monitors spending closely, including the pupil premium.

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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, I recommend that further action is taken to:

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Main findings

 formulate a brief strategy for evaluating the success of the school’s action plan using succinct and measurable success criteria at appropriate intervals over the next 12 months.

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Main findings

I intend to visit the school again later in the summer term 2013 to review the schemes of work in mathematics. Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The school has made good use of an external consultant to guide its improvement, particularly in developing the role of the governing body and in strategic leadership. A second consultant will advise the school further on the development of teaching and learning. Further external support may be needed in mathematics, and I will aim to help broker this.

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External support

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

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Appropriate authority - Chair of the Governing Body/Interim Executive Board  Local authority – (including where a school is an academy)  Diocese – for voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools  The Education Funding Agency (EFA)  The person or body responsible for appointing foundation governors if the school has a foundation  The lead inspector.

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