Setting

Mrs Dawn Wilson Headteacher Bredenbury Primary School Bredenbury Bromyard HR7 4TF

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School

Following my visit to your school on 16 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 May. 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, five representatives of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. The school improvement plan was evaluated along with a summary of the school attainment and progress data. Brief visits were made to three classrooms. A meeting was held with pupils from Reception Class – Year 6.

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Context

Since the last inspection one teacher has left the school and has been replaced with a temporary teacher who is leaving at the end of the academic year. A newly qualified teacher has been appointed to start in September. 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

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Main findings

The action plan includes the key issues identified for improvement in the recent inspection. It states who will monitor the impact of the actions and includes measureable targets. The timescales are not yet sufficiently detailed.

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Main findings

Governors are knowledgeable about the actions that are being taken to improve the school. Governors have begun to visit the school more regularly to check for themselves the improvements that are being made and are developing their own monitoring schedule to run alongside the action plan. Curriculum committee meetings are being rescheduled to ensure that they take place after the school has collected assessment data for each class. This will enable governors to find out more frequently how much progress pupils are making.

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Main findings

Training has been provided for teachers on the features of good teaching and on planning activities that meet the needs of the more able pupils. The timetable is being reorganised to make specific time available for pupils to respond to marking and make the improvements that teachers suggest.

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Main findings

Planning formats for mathematics and English have been adapted to enable teachers to include information about the levels that pupils are working at. This is to help staff to plan learning activities that are well matched to the needs of all pupils. A list of ‘non-negotiables’, expectations that must be met by staff, has been developed for writing. This is to promote a consistent approach to the teaching and marking of writing. Your monitoring identifies that not all teachers are implementing these, but appropriate action is being taken to address this.

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Main findings

Teachers have received training on the new computer system for analysing pupil progress. Evidence from the recent local authority review shows that this is helping middle leaders, particularly the special needs co-ordinator, to more effectively lead the areas for which they are responsible.

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Main findings

While actions have been taken to address the areas for improvement, and a clear plan of action is in place, there has been a delay in some monitoring activities to assess the impact of these actions. This has meant the school has no secure evidence of the impact of its work. It is important that these monitoring activities begin sufficiently promptly in the new academic year to ensure that improvements are sufficiently rapid.

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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:  include precise timescales in the school’s action plan to ensure that all actions are well planned and teachers are aware of the expectations for implementing any changes  ensure monitoring takes place in a timely way to identify the actions that are making a difference to pupils’ progress  make sure governors regularly visit the school to find out for themselves the progress that is being made.

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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 provided effective support for the school. Teachers have benefitted from visits to local good and outstanding schools and from local authority consultant support.

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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 Herefordshire.

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