Setting

Mr J Withers Headteacher Landywood Primary School Holly Lane Landywood Walsall WS6 6AQ

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School

Following my visit to your school on 3 July 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report 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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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, meetings were held with you, other senior leaders, the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. The school action plan was evaluated. A joint learning walk with you looked at some lessons and samples of pupil work. I looked at records of meetings of the governing body, and information about the current attainment and progress of pupils.

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Context

Since the previous inspection the assistant headteacher has been on long-term leave of absence. Links have been established with two local outstanding primary schools Serco Inspections Colmore Plaza 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 01216 799158 Direct email :rachel.dayan@serco.com

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Main findings

The action plan lists activities to address points for improvement set by the inspection in February, but lacks measurable criteria to demonstrate the impact of those actions. It lacks a sense of longer term development, and includes some actions not directly connected to improving learning. The four ‘phase leaders’ of Early Years, Key Stage 1, and upper and lower Key Stage 2 are now evaluating teaching. They report pupil progress to the governing body, but these reports lack succinct evaluation of the effectiveness of the many helpful actions taking place. Governors now receive straightforward information about pupil progress across the school. Further governor training is due shortly, to help them evaluate this data.

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Main findings

Nevertheless teaching is improving because lessons are more accurately planned to challenge and motivate all abilities of learners, and much less time is wasted at the start. Teachers are better at balancing the time to reinforce pupils’ learning against the need for swifter progress onto new tasks, and this is leading to good learning in four out of five lessons. Teachers consistently write good feedback to pupils on strengths and areas for development although some advice is too general for pupils to make a detailed response. By observing good practice in other schools, teachers have seen the need for pupils to have time to respond, and the majority of pupils are writing responses to their teachers’ advice. Teachers have benefitted from training on improving pupils’ speaking skills. This has led to more time in lessons for pupils to talk about their learning. More accurate teacher assessment of pupil

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Main findings

progress is driving intervention for underachieving pupils, including effective one to one tuition.

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Main findings

School data shows an increase in pupil progress across all Years in this summer term, compared with the spring and autumn. It also shows that end of Year 6 attainment in English is broadly average but in mathematics is still too low. An analysis of Year 6 mathematics test papers might confirm the diagnosis that problem solving skills are the main cause of this underperformance.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent inspection. The school should take further action to:

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Main findings

 assign measurable milestones to the action plan that connect directly to pupil learning outcomes so that leaders and the Governing Body can evaluate the impact of the actions.

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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

The local authority has set up good partnerships with two local primary schools that have already helped to improve teaching. About half the staff have already benefitted from observing and discussing with colleagues some outstanding teaching seen in these schools, and all staff should be given that opportunity. In addition, good local arrangements have helped teachers to accurately moderate the work of pupils to ensure reliable assessments of the standards that pupils have achieved.

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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 Staffordshire and as below.

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