Setting

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 566933 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: ggleaden@cfbt.com

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Mrs Sara Walker Headteacher Westwood Park Community Primary School Vaughan Street Winton Eccles Manchester M30 8DH

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Education act 2005 to Westwood Park Community Primary School, Salford

Following my visit to your school on 30 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 Westwood Park Community Primary School, Salford

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, the deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. The school action plan was evaluated and other documentation relating to the monitoring of standards was scrutinised.

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Context

Since the Section 5 inspection one teacher has left. There have been no other changes to staffing.

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Main findings

School improvement planning is not sharp enough. An action plan was drafted in response to the section 5 inspection but it is unclear and inaccessible to some staff and governors. Planned actions do not match closely enough to the criteria by which the school will measure success. Systems for monitoring have been refined but teachers’ planning is still not checked regularly enough.

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Main findings

Although regular lesson observations take place, senior leaders do not have robust records pertaining to the current quality of teaching in school. Procedures for lesson planning have been revised to give greater focus to meeting the needs of all pupils and to give more diagnostic feedback about how work can be improved. The curriculum has been adjusted at Key Stage 2 so that all children now receive six hours extra per week of literacy and mathematics.

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Main findings

Governors have insufficient knowledge and understanding of school data or the school improvement plan. They are seeking training to help them challenge senior leaders more rigorously and ensure that standards continue to rise.

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Main findings

Senior leaders, governors and the local authority are not taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the last section 5 inspection and plans are not sharply focused on rapidly bringing about improvement. The school should take immediate action to:

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Main findings

ensure that the school improvement plan is more coherent, sharply focussed, and illustrates clearly progress made against key priorities

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Main findings

 undertake a National College for Teaching and Leadership review of governance to help the governing body challenge school leaders more effectively

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Main findings

 increase the support from the local authority to review progress, the current quality of teaching, self-evaluation and school improvement planning.

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Main findings

 ensure all staff and governors understand the roles and responsibilities of senior leaders

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Main findings

 check teachers’ planning thoroughly and regularly.

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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 has provided support through a School Improvement Partner who is supporting the school for one day per month. Two members of staff are taking part in the improving teacher programme at an outstanding school in another authority. The headteacher is working with the National Leader of Education from this school. The local authority should increase its support for this school. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children's Services for Salford.

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