Setting

Mrs A Perriam Headteacher Vigo Infant School Vigo Road Churchill Way Andover Hampshire SP10 1JZ

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Vigo Infant School

Following my visit to your school on 7 October 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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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Vigo Infant School

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

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Vigo Infant School

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:

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Vigo Infant School

 ensure the targets and actions within the school improvement plan are specific and sharply focused on improving pupils’ learning  clarify who is responsible for leading each action within the school improvement plan, so that staff can be held accountable for their success  separate responsibilities for leading and monitoring the progress towards achieving the plan  sharpen the focus when lesson monitoring on the learning and progress of different groups of pupils within lessons  follow up areas for development previously identified in the monitoring of the quality of teaching, to ensure the advice, support and challenge results in improvements to the quality of pupils’ learning in lessons. 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 5323 Direct email :suzy.smith@tribalgroup.com

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with you, four members of the Governing Body, including the Chair of Governors, and a representative of the local authority, to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. The school improvement plan was evaluated. I considered minutes of meetings of the governing body, external reports from the local authority and the pupils’ progress data for the last academic year. I also met with a group of pupils from Year 1 and 2 to discuss their learning. We toured the school and briefly observed pupils in lessons.

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Context

At the end of the summer term, two teachers left the school. The headteacher left at the end of August 2013. Two teachers have been appointed and a long-term supply teacher is now on a full-time temporary contract. The deputy headteacher, who took over the leadership of the school in January 2013, is continuing to lead the school as the acting headteacher. There is a new Chair of Governors and one new member of the governing body. From September, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are being taught in separate age classes. There are two Reception classes, three Year 1 classes and two Year 2 classes. There are five members of teaching staff on the senior leadership team.

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Main findings

Prior to the inspection in July 2013, the acting headteacher had begun to take decisive action to improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement. The results at the end of the summer term 2013 show that these actions are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Main findings

Since September governors have focussed on increasing their monitoring activities and checking the progress of the school. They make regular focused visits to the school and provide helpful reports to the governing body. The acting headteacher has provided a wide range of information to the governing body to enable governors to develop a good understanding of the work of the school. Additional training has also empowered governors to provide greater challenge and question school leaders in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions the school is taking to improve. A recent check on the skills of governors has enabled members of the governing body to use their strengths to effectively work together in the new committee structure. This has strengthened the work of the governing body.

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Main findings

The acting headteacher regularly checks on the quality of teaching, which is improving. It is now necessary to place a greater focus during the monitoring of teaching on the learning and progress of different groups of pupils within lessons, to ensure teachers plan activities carefully and enable all groups of pupils to make good progress. In addition, to increase the impact on the quality of teaching, previously identified areas of weakness need to be rigorously followed up to ensure the cycle of improvement successfully and consistently strengthens the quality of teaching.

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Main findings

The new senior leadership team is beginning to develop their leadership potential. The local authority is providing effective support to increase their skills in order to enable them to accurately judge the quality of teaching and provide supportive and constructive feedback to teachers. In addition, the local authority has brokered the support of the English and mathematics subject leaders from a neighbouring outstanding school. These leaders are working alongside the school’s English and mathematics subject leaders to guide them in the monitoring activities.

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Main findings

The school improvement plan is linked to the key areas from improvement identified in the inspection report. However, the plan would be strengthen by sharply focusing all actions on the impact they are expected to make on improvements to pupils’ learning. At present, although the staff members responsible for checking progress has been recorded on the plan, the staff responsible for implementing the actions within the plan are unclear.

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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 a range of support through the leadership and learning partner (LLP) in developing the skills of senior leaders. The LLP has brokered the support of a local leader of education to guide and support the acting headteacher in her leadership of the school. The local authority is also supporting the governing body to secure the appointment of new experienced governors, increase their governor skills and guide them through the process of securing a substantive headteacher. Good links have been established with an outstanding primary school, which facilitates teachers to visit the school to observe good and outstanding teaching. The English and mathematics subject leaders are benefitting from the support of two outstanding leaders in these subjects from other schools.

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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 Hampshire and as below.

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