Setting

Mrs H Clarke Headteacher Potley Hill Primary School Potley Hill Road Yateley Hampshire GU46 6AG

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School

Following my visit to your school on 23 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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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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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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School

 include specific milestones in the school improvement plan linked to the expected gains in pupils’ progress for all classes and groups of pupils across the school  provide information to pupils on what they need to include in their work to reach the next level of attainment and involve them in determining the success of their own learning  ensure marking and feedback to pupils is consistently constructive and provide sufficient time for pupils to respond to marking comments and show improvements in their work. 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 01173115323 Direct email :suzy.smith@tribalgroup.com

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with you and the deputy headteacher, three 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. We walked around all classrooms and met staff and pupils during lessons. I met with a group of pupils to gauge their views on the improvements that are being made and looked at some of their work with them. The school improvement and action plans were evaluated. I considered pupils’ progress data for the current year and the last academic year.

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Context

Since the section 5 inspection, at the end of the summer term, the headteacher retired. You took up your post in September 2013. Two teachers joined the school in September, one full-time and one part-time. One of these teachers is leaving at the end of October. There are two teachers who job-share in a Year 3 and 4 class at present. However, one of these teachers is leaving at the end of December; the other teacher will be supporting planning, preparation and assessment time for teachers from January 2013. Another full time teacher has been appointed to teach this class from January. Two learning support assistants are leaving at the end of October. One new learning support assistant took up her post in October 2013.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and members of the governing body accepted the outcome of the inspection. You acted swiftly and decisively to devise a suitable school improvement plan to support staff and governors to sharply focus on the areas for improvement that were identified at the inspection. The plan clearly identifies actions and timescales with resources and monitoring arrangements in place. Although there are milestones in the plan, these need to be more sharply focused on the expected levels of attainment and progress for all groups of pupils in all year groups across the school, to ensure that the first area for improvement from the inspection report is addressed.

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Main findings

The governing body are well-organised. They have set out a governing monitoring plan to ensure the school improvement plan is systematically checked. They have developed a new style of report to enable governors to inform the full governing body when they have completed a monitoring visit to the school.

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Main findings

Phase leaders have devised meaningful achievement plans for their phase of the school, in order to increase rates of progress, through planned strategies and additional support, particularly for pupils whose progress has been more limited. Subject leaders have also formulated appropriate plans, linked to the school’s priorities, in order to increase their leadership skills through monitoring activities, and to build their capacity to drive improvements across the curriculum.

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Main findings

You have already carried out a number of lesson observations to determine the quality of teaching. Areas for improvement have been identified and training and support has been planned to help teachers to improve their teaching. Training and support has also been provided for learning support assistants to increase their skills and enable them to support learning in lessons. They have also received training to deliver a range of intervention strategies for individuals and groups of pupils. You have discussed pupils’ progress with class teachers and set achievement targets for pupils. Parents are now provided with information on the current level of attainment for their child in reading, writing and mathematics. The target level of attainment in these subjects is also shared with parents. However, at present, pupils are unclear about the target level they are expected to reach, and also what they need to

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Main findings

include in their work to achieve the next level of attainment. Pupils understand teachers’ marking comments, but teachers do not always make it clear what pupils need to do improve their work, particularly in mathematics. Sometimes pupils do not have enough time to show improvements in their work.

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Main findings

The behaviour policy has been reviewed. Pupils report that this new policy has helped to improve behaviour in lessons and around the school. They are positive about the improvement they have noticed this term and recognise that you, the teachers and learning support assistants are all helping them to improve their learning.

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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 (LA) is providing effective support to the school. The LA decided to increase the level of support prior to the inspection. The local authority officer has provided support to you as part of your induction and also to check the school improvement plan. The English and mathematics advisors have begun to provide support for teachers to improve planning and to the English and mathematics subject leaders to develop their leadership and monitoring skills. However, this is at an early stage of development and the impact of this work is yet to be evident.

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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.

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