Setting

Mr Macey Fair Oak Junior School Botley Road Fair Oak Eastleigh SO50 7AN

p.1

School

Following my visit to your school on 4 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.

p.1

School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in May 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the national support school leader, four year leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. The post inspection action plan was evaluated and the inspector also looked at documents used by leaders to monitor and evaluate the school’s work. The inspector also accompanied the national support school leader on a tour around the school visiting a number of lessons.

p.1

Context

You will be leaving the school at the end of this term. Following the inspection, a national support school leader joined the school and is leading the strategic improvement of the school. They will also be leaving the school at the end of this term and an interim headteacher will be joining the school in September. The 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 5316 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Email : Shannyn.sachse@tribalgroup.com governors are currently in the process of recruiting a new substantive headteacher for January 2014.

p.1

Main findings

The national support school leader has provided clear and effective strategic leadership to the school since their arrival a few weeks ago. He has quickly gained the support of senior staff and together they have started to address the areas of weakness identified by the previous inspection report. They have written a post inspection action plan that identifies sensible and well-timed activities to drive improvement in the school. The plan contains suitably challenging and measurable success criteria against which the impact of actions can be measured. However, the role of governors in evaluating the impact of actions is not sufficiently well defined in the plan.

p.2

Main findings

The national support school leader has had a clear focus on improving the quality of teaching in the school. Expectations of good practice have been made clear to staff and a robust process of monitoring teaching has been instigated. Those staff whose teaching is not good have been provided with opportunities to observe other teachers in order to help improve their practice. Steps are underway to establish clear guidelines to staff on what constitutes good marking and feedback to pupils. This work is at an early stage of development.

p.2

Main findings

The role of year leaders is a being developed well. They are now more effectively involved in monitoring teaching and tracking the progress of pupils. Sensible plans are in place for year leaders to use information on pupils’ progress to hold class teachers more accountable for pupils’ achievement next academic year.

p.2

Main findings

Governors have responded positively to the inspection report. A review of governance has been undertaken and an action plan is in place to improve their practice. Training has been arranged for all governors to improve their skills in the analysis of pupil progress data. The national support school leader is ensuring that governors are provided with clear and detailed information on the progress being made by all groups of pupils. As a result, governors are now just beginning to evaluate the progress of all groups of pupils.

p.2

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:

p.2

Main findings

 ensure the school’s post inspection action plan clearly identifies the role of the governing body in evaluating the impact of actions taken  ensure that the changes in the leadership of the school over the next few months do not slow the implementation of the post inspection action plan. Ofsted may carry out further visits and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection.

p.2

External support

The governors and the local authority are working well together to improve the school. An adviser has made regular visits to the school since the inspection, and provided support for leadership and management. The national support school leader has been instrumental in setting the school on a course to improvement since the inspection.

p.3

External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Hampshire.

p.3