Setting

Mrs Julie Wills Headteacher Upton-upon-Severn CofE Primary School School Lane Upton-upon-Severn Worcester WR8 0LD

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CofE Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 22 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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CofE Primary School

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, I met with you, the deputy headteacher, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority. I spent a short amount of time in each classroom, spoke to pupils at lunchtime and to parents on the playground at the end of the school day. I also evaluated the school’s development plan and other documents related to pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching.

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Context

Since the time of the last inspection, there have been no significant changes. Currently, a part-time Year 1 teacher is not in school and an experienced teacher is covering this absence. 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

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Main findings

Your determination for this school to be good means that leaders and teachers have quickly started to tackle the issues identified in the last inspection. As headteacher, you set high expectations and lead by example.

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Main findings

Teaching is improving. This is because of the good quality support and training teachers have received within school as well as from the local authority and a local outstanding school. Leaders and teachers have also made sure that pupils are having more opportunities to develop their writing skills and to read a wider range of texts. Some teaching is still not good enough. However, senior leaders are successfully tackling these weaknesses including by encouraging teachers to share what works well.

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Main findings

Achievement is also improving as a result of the better teaching. The school’s records of how well pupils are achieving show that there are now more pupils making quicker progress in reading, writing and mathematics than in the past. This has strengthened how well leaders know where there are any weaknesses in teaching.

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Main findings

The development plan makes very clear which aspects of the school’s work need to improve and how these improvements are to be achieved. Governors are making frequent checks to see what progress is being made with the actions in the development plan. This means that senior leaders are being held to account for their work and governors know what work needs to continue.

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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. The school should take further action to:  increase the opportunities for teachers to observe what is working well in different classrooms.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further visits and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

Leaders are making good use of the support available from the local authority. As well as giving advice on teaching, local authority officers have offered helpful suggestions on systems to check how well pupils are achieving. You have established good links with successful schools in the local area and are using these to make a difference in this school.

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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 Worcestershire. Yours sincerely

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