Setting

Headteacher Chatsmore Catholic High School Goring Street Worthing BN12 5AF

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Education act 2005 to Chatsmore Catholic High School, West Sussex

Following my visit to your school on 18 April, 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 Chatsmore Catholic High School, West Sussex

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in January 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, the governing body and a representative of the local authority. The school action plan was evaluated and the inspector went on a tour of the school.

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Context

There have been no significant changes since the last inspection.

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Main findings

Since the last inspection, the headteacher, his senior team and governors have begun to take some action to improve the areas identified in the report. The school’s action plan is rightly focused on improving teaching, making better use of information about student progress and improving students’ literacy and numeracy. However, further work on improving the action plan needs to be done in order to 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 311 5323 Direct email :suzy.smith@triblagroup.com ensure rapid improvement. The school action plan needs to focus more specifically on improving teachers’ use of information about students’ progress and improving the quality and consistency of day-to-day teaching. Although the action plan includes measurable milestones to track improvements, these need to be checked and evaluated more often than is indicated in the current action plan.

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Main findings

Observations of teaching have taken place and the school records show that teaching is improving. A more effective system for measuring and monitoring students’ progress has been developed and teachers are getting better at tracking progress of students in their classes and identifying groups or students who are not achieving well. The headteacher has drawn up clear lines of accountability for subject and pastoral leaders. A new plan is emerging to promote better literacy and numeracy in the school.

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Main findings

Governors have undertaken some specific training to help them to analyse the school progress data and they are now starting to discuss progress and ask more challenging questions of the school.

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Main findings

Senior leaders, governors and the local authority 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:

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Main findings

 ensure that the current action plan focuses more sharply on the areas identified for improvement at the last inspection and that it is shared with all staff  evaluate the impact of planned improvements more frequently  strengthen the capacity of the senior leadership in order to drive rapid improvements in in the quality of teachers’ work and their use of information about students’ 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

Prior to the last inspection the school benefited from the work of a local authority lead adviser, who has given advice about the action plan and supported specific subject areas. Another local authority associate adviser is currently working in the school for one day a week, setting up the effective data management system. Since the last inspection, this work has been further refined and extended, including some training for subject leaders. A review of English teaching has taken place, including lesson observations by an English adviser. From May 2013 a school improvement partner will begin working with the school. HMI recommend that this work focuses on the key areas of strengthening leadership and ensuring that the improvement plan is implemented effectively and with greater urgency. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for West Sussex Local Authority and as below.

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