Setting

Mrs K Brooks Weston Turville Church of England School School Approach Aylesbury HP22 5RW

p.1

school requiring improvement

Following my visit to your school on 20 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. The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in February 2013.

p.1

Evidence

During the visit I met with you, the deputy headteacher, the Chair of Governors, and two representatives of the local authority. You showed me around the school and we visited every class to see the pupils at work. I looked at a number of pupils’ books. I evaluated the school’s improvement plan. I looked at a range of documentation, including records of the training staff have received since the inspection and the school’s information about pupils’ progress.

p.1

Context

Since February 2013, one teacher has left the school and another has taken up post. A new parent governor has been appointed.

p.1

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. Tribal 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 311 5359 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Email : christina.bannerman@tribalgroup.com Senior leaders have acted swiftly to improve teaching. Pupils are challenged more because teachers have higher expectations of what pupils should be achieving in lessons. A new marking policy is in place, and as a result teachers are becoming better at letting pupils know precisely what to do to improve. Pupils now have targets for English and mathematics which are matched to their abilities. Teachers use these targets to make sure the work they set pupils is hard enough. Teachers know what the elements of good and outstanding teaching are because of the

p.1

Main findings

training they receive from senior leaders. Teachers are beginning to put some of these elements into practice.

p.2

Main findings

All leaders monitor teaching. They observe lessons regularly and give useful feedback to teachers to help them to improve. Leaders have started to evaluate the effects improvements are having on pupils’ learning, and they have begun to develop the process for tracking and analysing pupils’ progress. However, the impact of the extra support for pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority and those with a parent serving in the armed forces) has not yet been measured.

p.2

Main findings

Actions in the new improvement plan are clear and appropriate. They address the areas requiring improvement pinpointed by the inspection. Targets for improving the achievement of most pupils are ambitious but realistic. However, targets are not challenging enough for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and those for pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium. Also, the dates by which specific targets will have been met have not been set and it is unclear who will be evaluating progress towards targets.

p.2

Main findings

Following the visit to the school, HMI recommend that further action is taken to:

p.2

Main findings

 measure the impact of the extra support for pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding  set more challenging targets for the achievement of disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, and those pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding  clarify who will be evaluating particular improvements, how and by when, specifying clear roles for the governing body and the local authority.

p.2

Main findings

Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection.

p.2

External support

The local authority provides effective support for the school. The school improvement adviser and the school improvement consultant measure the progress the school is making by collecting first-hand evidence, for example through looking at pupils’ books and by observing lessons. They give leaders useful advice and strategies which are helping the school to improve. An advanced skills teacher works alongside some teachers. Another adviser has helped teachers to improve the quality of the marking and feedback in pupils’ books. More support is planned for the future, including help to improve the teaching of phonics.

p.2

External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Buckinghamshire and as below. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3

Her Majesty’s Inspector

The letter will be copied to the following:

p.3

Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Appropriate authority - Chair of the Governing Body  Director of Children’s Services for Buckinghamshire  Diocese of Oxford

p.3