Setting

Janet Meacock Alresford Primary School Ford Lane Alresford Colchester CO7 8AU

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection visit under section 8 of the

Education act 2005 to Alresford Primary School, Essex. Following my visit to your school on 9 May 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. The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in February 2013.

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Evidence

During the visit, I held meetings with yourself and three governors, including the chair of the governing body. I spoke to a local authority representative and evaluated the school improvement plan. We went into classes and spoke to pupils about their work and learning targets.

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Context

There have been no significant changes to the school’s context. A new teacher is due to join the school in September 2013.

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Main findings

The school is making good progress towards becoming a good school. You have devised a detailed plan to bring about rapid improvement. With the governors and senior staff, you are using this strategic plan to monitor progress on each of your priorities. To make the plan more effective you must clarify how you will evaluate the impact of your actions so that all staff, including support staff, see where they have been successful and where more work is required to accelerate pupils’ progress. You must also set clearer targets and milestones for the proportion of good and outstanding teaching. 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 9161 Direct email :ann.morris@serco.com Since the inspection, you have been instrumental in sharing good practice and raising expectation. This is already showing positive impact. For example, I asked a

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Main findings

number of pupils what they thought about their new learning targets. Comments such as ‘I am pleased because I know my reading is improving’ and ‘I know what to do to get better’ typify what pupils said. Because assessment is more precise, teachers match the work more closely to the needs of pupils. However, not all staff are acting upon advice with sufficient urgency. I visited all classes during my visit and spotted some good signs of your renewed drive for improvement. This includes well-defined learning areas and more exciting outdoor facilities for children in the early years, key vocabulary displayed on attractive ‘Word Walls’ and a teacher being adventurous and allowing a whole class to work with water in a stimulating group activity in mathematics. Pupils responded very sensibly to this opportunity. In all classes, I saw pupils’ eagerness and curiosity to learn. The governing body is involved in implementing and updating the improvement plan.

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Main findings

Governors are accessing training and they visit the school regularly. A clear plan for the professional development of staff over the coming year would be helpful to governors. It would enable them to measure the value for money they get from training and evaluate the effectiveness of leadership activities to check that the school is moving in the right direction. 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:  clarify with governors how you will evaluate the impact of your actions on pupils’ progress  specify targets and milestones for the proportion of good and outstanding teaching. Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

You are sharing good practice within your existing networks and staff are observing outstanding practice in other schools. To date, the local authority has not contacted you to discuss the inspection or offer advice on your post-Ofsted improvement plan. The support you might expect is therefore unclear. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Essex.

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