Setting

Madeleine Wilkinson Headteacher Court Farm Primary School Tedbury Crescent Erdington Birmingham B23 5NS

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Education Act 2005 to Court Farm Primary School, Birmingham local

Following my visit to your school on 14 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 Court Farm Primary School, Birmingham local

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, five governors, and a representative of the local authority. The school’s improvement plan was evaluated. A range of documentation was reviewed, including senior leaders’ notes of lesson observation, the latest information on pupils’ achievement. HMI also visited some classrooms with the headteacher, and talked to pupils about their learning.

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Context

The teacher with responsibility for literacy has relinquished her responsibilities. The assistant headteacher is leading literacy until a permanent appointment is made. 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 9165 Direct email :victoria.mortimore2@serco.com

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Main findings

The revised school improvement plan responds appropriately to the weaknesses identified in the recent inspection. Actions for improving the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of leadership, including governance are suitable. In their plan, senior leaders have not identified who will evaluate whether the planned actions are improving pupils’ learning.

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Main findings

Staff have a better understanding of what is expected of them. This is because the headteacher and deputy headteacher regularly check the quality of teaching and identify necessary improvements. Teachers are getting better at planning more interesting activities to engage pupils’ interest. They are also making sure that when they mark pupils’ work, they identify what pupils have done well and correct any errors. Activities are not consistently set at the right level for pupils’ of different abilities. This is not always helping pupils to make the progress of which they are capable.

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Main findings

Senior leaders discuss regularly the progress of pupils with class teachers. Nevertheless, these discussions do not include the specific actions teachers will take to raise achievement for different groups of pupils.

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Main findings

Governors have a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities because of local authority training. Senior leaders provide governors with clear information about pupils’ progress. This is enabling some governors to ask pertinent questions. Governors are not sufficiently involved in evaluating that the actions to improve pupils’ learning are being effective.

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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

 make sure the school improvement plan clearly identifies who will be responsible for evaluating the impact of planned actions  work with the local leader in education and the local authority to ensure teachers more closely match learning activities to pupils’ different abilities  identify the actions teachers will take to raise achievement for different groups of pupils during discussions about pupils’ progress  work with the local authority to make sure that all governors have the necessary skills to effectively fulfil their role and responsibilities.

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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 is providing a suitable level of support. The local authority has arranged for senior leaders and teachers from Court Farm to work with a local leader in education and staff from a local school. This work is helping senior leaders and teachers to steadily improve their practice. The local authority’s recent review of the governing body is helpful. It correctly identifies where further improvement is required. HMI recommend that the local authority arrange for senior leaders to visit other schools in order to learn from their successful practice.

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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 Birmingham.

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