Setting

Mrs Barbara Deacon The Headteacher King's Stanley CofE Primary School Broad Street King's Stanley Stonehouse GL10 3PN

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School

Following my visit to your school on 17 September 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the school’s recent section 5 inspection.

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School

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in May 2013.

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Evidence

During this inspection I held meetings with you, three governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body, and two representatives of the local authority. I also met three senior teachers. The local authority’s statement of action and the school’s raising achievement plan were evaluated, along with supporting documents. You accompanied me on a brief tour of the school

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Context

There have been no changes to the context of the school since the last 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

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Appropriate actions are underway to set the school on the path to improvement. You, other leaders and the governing body have accepted that the outcomes of the last inspection must be addressed and you are determined that pupils’ progress will improve and standards rise.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The local authority’s statement of action and the school’s plans for improvement include the key priorities from the last inspection and clear targets for improving teaching and raising achievement. The local authority plan is clear about the action they are taking to support the school and substantial arrangements are in place to monitor the impact of their work.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

You and the governing body are aware that the raising achievement plan is now the school’s single plan and the key document for monitoring progress. There are weaknesses in how well the plan meets these requirements. The objectives, especially for improving teaching and leadership, are too broad and do not precisely identify the weaknesses identified in the Ofsted report or take into account what your monitoring of lessons and pupil progress tells you. Whilst the actions identified are realistic, and are taking place as intended, there are no timescales for checking on their progress. Without these it is difficult for governors to hold leaders accountable for the pace of improvement. There is the intention to identify the resources required to advance the action, but this is not completed for the majority of the plan and there is no reference in this section to the role local authority support is to play. The section for recording impact is not sufficiently evaluative and

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

makes little reference to how the work undertaken is benefiting pupils’ learning.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The tracking of the progress of all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and pupils in receipt of the pupil premium is now much sharper. The implementation of a new policy for target setting and marking is already having a positive impact, with many pupils now aware of what they have to do to improve.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Governors have received some training and worked with a local authority trainer to review the quality of their work. They are now more aware of their role in driving improvement. Most governors have now received training in how to review progress tracking data and compare this against national expectations. They are using this to begin to hold teachers to account for the quality of their teaching. Performance management arrangements are not yet strong enough to underpin the drive to improve teaching. For example there is no clear link, when reviewing teachers’ performance, between the extent to which teachers meet the relevant professional standards and their contribution to the school’s raising achievement plan. Support and guidance from the local authority have contributed substantially to improvements so far. The local authority has acted judiciously to explore additional leadership support, should the need arise. Meetings with local authority consultants

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

and a consultant headteacher are helping teachers and governors improve their skills and are raising expectations of leaders. The school leaders report that the additional training for teachers and teaching assistants in developing reading skills has had an immediate benefit.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The governors have commissioned their own external consultant to work with the school. The terms of reference have not been clarified with the project board so that revisions can be made to the strategic support and challenge being provided by the local authority.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Following the monitoring inspection the following judgements were made.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The local authority statement of action is fit for purpose.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The school’s raising achievement plan is not fit for purpose.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection. This is to be reviewed at subsequent visits.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Gloucestershire, and the Diocese of Gloucestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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