Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566868 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: pnuttie@cfbt.com

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Mrs Wendy Wallace Headteacher Crow Lane Primary and Foundation Stage School Crow Lane Milnsbridge Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD3 4QT

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Education act 2005 to Crow Lane Primary and Foundation Stage School, Kirklees

Following my visit to your school on 8 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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Education act 2005 to Crow Lane Primary and Foundation Stage School, Kirklees

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 and deputy headteacher, middle leaders, governors, a group of pupils and two representatives of the local authority. The inspector evaluated a range of documentation including: the school improvement plan, the tracking of pupils’ progress and records of lesson observations. In addition, senior leaders took the HMI on a tour of the school to look briefly at teaching and learning and the changes made since the inspection.

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Context

Since the inspection in February there have been a number of changes to roles and staffing. Governors are in the process of appointing a new member of staff with responsibility for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The assistant headteacher has returned to a fulltime teaching commitment with Year 3 and another member of staff remains on long-term absence.

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Main findings

The school has responded positively to the previous inspection report. Senior leaders agree that the issues identified for improvement are the right ones for the school. As a result, the pace of change has accelerated, no time has been lost and significant steps to prioritise actions have been taken. There are positive signs in lessons and from school data that improvements to provision, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage is accelerating the pace of learning for all pupils, including the more able. This is because of a better understanding by teachers of what constitutes effective practice and of the progress pupils should make. As a consequence, there are signs that teachers’ expectations are higher and pupils are rising to them.

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Main findings

The school improvement plan closely follows the areas for priority identified in the inspection in February and is suitably underpinned by milestones and success criteria by which actions can be monitored and evaluated. However, some of the targets are not as sharp and precise as they could be.

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Main findings

Systems to check effectively on the quality of teaching have been tightened. All teachers are provided with clear targets for improvement as required with links to the new Teachers’ Standards and to pupils’ progress.

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Main findings

Governors are aware of why the school is not yet good and understand what is being done to bring about improvements. Their actions are demonstrating a clear resolve to challenge and hold senior leaders to account.

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Main findings

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, HMI recommend that further action is taken to:

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Main findings

● fine-tune the school improvement plan to include further detail of how success can be measured overtime.

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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 continues to provide effective support to the school which is tailored well to the school’s most pressing priorities. The work of consultants and links with other schools has provided valuable professional development for all staff and has led to improvements in provision and a strengthening of leadership.

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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 Kirklees.

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