Setting

Mrs S Boulton Headteacher Oakfield Primary School Morecambe Avenue Scunthorpe Lincolnshire DN16 3JF

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Serious weaknesses first monitoring inspection of Oakfield Primary School

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 confirm the outcome and inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the school’s most recent section 5 inspection.

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Serious weaknesses first monitoring inspection of Oakfield Primary School

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to have serious weaknesses in January 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the Chair and three members of the Governing Body and the senior school improvement officer of the local authority. The local authority’s statement of action and the school’s action plan were evaluated.

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Context

The new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been in post since September 2012. The headteacher had previously been the deputy headteacher in the school. Since the inspection which judged the school to have serious weaknesses there have been no changes to the number of teaching staff in the school. There have been some changes in roles and responsibilities of teaching staff. CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View White Moss Business Park Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566937 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email : jsimmons@cfbt.com

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The school’s leaders have responded positively to the judgement of serious weaknesses and are implementing plans to bring about improvement. The leaders have worked in close collaboration with the senior school improvement officer and other local authority staff. The school improvement planning has been carried out jointly with local authority officers and is of good quality. It is found at the heart of the local authority’s statement of action. There are clear priorities addressing the areas of improvement identified in the inspection report. One key response is to ensure there is closer monitoring and analysis of performance data.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The data are now collected on the basis of individual pupils and analysed to show the progress they make. The performance of pupils in different groups is informing judgements about the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Groups considered include those on pupil premium (money from the government for vulnerable children) and those making below expected progress. A greater range of methods is being used to check progress and promote improved teaching and learning, for example, the use of peer coaching and peer observations. The leaders are striving to bring about consistency and so they have conducted joint observations with local authority officers and subject leaders to ensure observations are carried out to the same standard.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The increased rigour with which monitoring is carried out is seen in the introduction of pupil progress meetings involving class teachers, subject leaders and senior leadership. At these meetings a wide range of evidence is considered and clear decisions about improvements are made and the next steps needed are planned. The outcomes of the meeting are used as a baseline for further monitoring. Subject leaders are being trained on monitoring in their subject areas in collaboration with the local authority. Staff are now more accountable for their work and the improvements set out in the action plan are being monitored by a regular progress meeting between the headteacher and deputy headteacher, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body and local authority school improvement officers.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The increased rigour of monitoring has been fuelled by training all teaching staff and governors on the analysis of performance data and its use in evaluation. Since the inspection a new Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body have been appointed. The governors have made a positive response to the judgement of serous weaknesses and have recognised the importance of their role in providing challenge to the school’s leaders. The training received and planned is aimed at enabling them to interrogate data and to expect answers to the questions that analysis raises. The governing body has created a standards and achievement committee to focus on raising attainment and improving the quality of teaching. Governors have been assigned in pairs to the key areas of development. The Chair of the Governing Body now meets frequently with the headteacher and greater involvement of governors in their allocated subject is evident and more is planned.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Following the monitoring inspection the following judgements were made:

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The school’s action plan is fit for purpose.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The local authority’s statement of action is fit for purpose.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body, Director, Children and Young People's Service of North Lincolnshire.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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