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 566939 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: glaw@cfbt.com

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Mrs Ruth Wackett Headteacher Snainton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Pickering Road Snainton Scarborough North Yorkshire YO13 9AF

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School, North Yorkshire

Following my visit to your school on 1 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.

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School, North Yorkshire

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 Early Years Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1 leader, two governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority. The school’s improvement plans and supporting documents were evaluated.

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Context

Since the previous inspection, there have been no staff changes at the school. One new governor has joined the governing body.

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Main findings

The school’s post-Ofsted action plan clearly indicates all the key areas for improvement identified following the inspection in February. The plan includes intended actions, monitoring activities, timescales and expected outcomes. However, although some specific targets and timescales are indicated, school leaders, including governors, recognise that these need be more explicit to ensure improvements can be regularly and rigorously monitored over time.

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Main findings

The school’s actions to promote improvement have included a full review and scrutiny of marking across the school, the development of ‘linked learning’ books to record pupils’ cross curricular work, staff training on e-safety, and the further development of a monitoring programme to ensure regular scrutiny of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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Main findings

The governing body has undertaken a ‘self-review’ and developed an action plan. The Chair of the Governing Body is currently working with a local junior school, a link brokered by the local authority. Governors have had the opportunity to attend training on schools ‘requiring improvement’ and achievement data. Governors have regularly monitored both achievement and teaching information presented by the headteacher, notably through the standards committee. Working with the local authority, the governing body has also actively tackled staffing issues. The governors, however, recognise the need to continue to identify good quality external provision to support their continued development.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and governors 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 within one school improvement plan, the impact of the school’s work can be regularly measured so that leaders, governors and staff can rigorously monitor improvements over time in all key areas

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Main findings

 identify appropriate external provision to further support the development of governance.

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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

Since the section 5 inspection, the school has received regular visits from the local authority’s education development adviser. Further support has included visits from consultants in mathematics, information and communication technology, and English, together with specific advice from the human resources department on personnel issues. The local authority recognises the need to review their support plan, particularly in relation to improvement planning, governance and external provision.

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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 North Yorkshire.

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