Setting

David Farrar Headteacher Shrubland Street Community Primary School Shrubland Street Leamington Spa CV31 2AR

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Education Act 2005 to Shrubland Street Community Primary School,

Following my visit to your school on 17 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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Education Act 2005 to Shrubland Street Community Primary School,

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.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior leaders, representatives from the governing body, and a representative of the local authority. The school improvement plan was evaluated. A range of documentation was reviewed, including feedback to teachers following lesson observations and reviews of pupils’ work.

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Context

Since the inspection, a new teacher has been appointed in Year 1. 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 9162 Direct email :siobhan.garrattley@serco.com

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Main findings

School leaders have responded swiftly and effectively to the outcomes of the school’s recent inspection. A new school improvement plan has been written. The plan contains suitable actions and is strongly focused on raising pupils’ achievement. However, it does not indicate who will evaluate the school’s work.

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Main findings

Senior leaders are more regularly checking the impact that teachers are having on pupils’ achievement. Meetings to discuss the progress of different groups of pupils have helped to raise teacher’s expectations of the progress that pupils should make. These meetings are also enabling school leaders to check the impact of additional support for pupils. While class teachers receive individual and precise feedback following lesson observations, this is not always the case following reviews of pupils’ work.

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Main findings

The governing body has increased its level of challenge following the local authority’s review of its work. Members of the ‘school improvement working party' are now regularly checking the impact of the school’s actions on pupils’ progress. The headteacher is revising the way in which information is presented to governors in order to help governors ask more searching questions about pupils’ progress.

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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 the school’s improvement plan indicates who will be responsible for checking on the effectiveness of the school’s actions  ensure teachers always receive the precise guidance they need to further improve their practice  work with the local authority to further develop governors ability to ask school leaders more searching questions about pupils’ progress.

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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

The local authority provides an effective level of support and challenge. Suitable training for teachers and for the governing body is having a positive impact. The school’s adviser meets regularly with the headteacher to discuss the actions that need to be taken to move the school towards good. The headteacher has established links with a number of successful schools who are providing teachers with the opportunity to observe good practice.

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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 Warwickshire.

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