Setting

Mrs Nicky Robinson Headteacher Nutfield Church CofE Primary School 59 Mid Street Redhill RH1 4JJ

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 21 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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Primary 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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Primary 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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Primary School

 sharpen the school action plan so that it is clear exactly what senior leaders expect to happen at each stage and so governors can use it more effectively to challenge and check how well the school is doing  ensure all teachers use classroom displays, practical resources and target cards effectively so that they benefit pupils in lessons.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with you, other senior leaders, four members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action 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 taken since the last inspection. The action plan was evaluated. I visited each class to see the school at work and met a group of pupils to talk about their work in mathematics.

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Context

Since the section 5 inspection a newly qualified teacher has been appointed for one class and two part time teachers have also been appointed to provide cover for staff in their preparation, planning and assessment and leadership time, and to teach music.

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Main findings

Since the inspection you have worked relentlessly to start the necessary improvements to the school. You have rightly involved the staff and governors in creating the school action plan which is targeted on the correct areas for development. The staff team is fully behind you.

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Main findings

Governors are very supportive of you and the school. It is helpful that governors have extended your position as acting headteacher for the full academic year. This is providing a period of stability so that you and the staff team can focus on improvements. Lead governors monitor key aspects of the school’s work but the action plan is not always clear enough what they should expect to see at a given point. This makes it hard for them to ask challenging questions and check how well the school is making progress.

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Main findings

All teachers have a shared understanding of what is expected of them because you have worked with them to create an agreed checklist for effective teaching. You have also introduced a system of ‘supervision’ whereby leaders guide teachers about what aspects of their work they need to improve. This is usefully linked to teachers’ targets, although it is too early to see the impact of these systems on improving teaching or raising standards.

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Main findings

Subject leaders for English and mathematics welcome the greater opportunities you are giving them to develop their leadership skills. They monitor their subjects more effectively to help them decide on key priorities, for example improving spelling across the school. The time you give them to carry out their leadership roles is enabling them to make the necessary improvements.

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Main findings

You have rightly focused on mathematics teaching as an important area to develop. Additional practical resources are proving helpful in some classes, as are the new ‘working walls’ for display, and target cards which show pupils what to work on. However, all are at an early stage of development and teachers do not all know how to use them well enough. You use support from other schools effectively to drive improvements, for example working together to check teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work are accurate and training opportunities. I am pleased you are arranging visits to other schools so teachers can see what is possible. A teacher said, “People’s imagination is captured by what they’ve seen at other schools.” Already, good practice seen elsewhere is being put into place at Nutfield, for example pupils are encouraged to move on to more challenging work at an earlier stage.

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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 recognised the school needs more support than it was receiving before the last inspection. Support from the local authority is rightly targeted at improving teaching and developing leadership. Subject leaders welcome the strategically planned support and training they receive. The school’s advisor has carried out joint lesson observations to help improve teaching, which the acting headteacher has found helpful. Further support should continue to be targeted closely at the school’s identified priorities for improvement.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for Surrey and the Diocese of Southwark.

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