Setting

Judith Clarke Weston Lullingfields CofE School Weston Lullingfields Nr Baschurch SY4 2AW

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CofE School

Following my visit to your school on 21 November 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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CofE School

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

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CofE 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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CofE School

 ensure that pupils take greater responsibility for correct spellings, punctuation and grammar in all their written work  ensure that the school improvement plan includes small, measurable steps which tie in with the monitoring of pupils’ progress so that the headteacher and governors can check on the impact of the school’s actions  ensure that the minutes of the governing body clearly show the challenge the governors are providing to the headteacher and that follow up actions are recorded. 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 Direct T : 0121 679 9161 Direct email : ann.morris@serco.com

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with you, the Chair and members of the Governing Body, pupils and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the previous inspection. The school improvement plan was evaluated. Brief observations were made with the headteacher of parts of three lessons. Pupils’ exercise books were scrutinised. The school’s information on pupils’ progress was evaluated.

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Context

There are no significant changes in context since the previous inspection.

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Main findings

Since the previous inspection, you have acted swiftly to address the development issues highlighted in the report. Your improvement plan is detailed but it does not have small, measurable steps linked to the collection of half termly progress information that would enable you to monitor more closely the impact of your actions. You and your staff are relatively new to the school and you are encouraging staff to work collaboratively and identify their own development needs. This is supported well through the links you have made with a nearby school and the local teaching school.

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Main findings

You have raised expectations of teachers’ planning so that work is better matched to pupils’ starting points and provides better challenge for higher attaining pupils, particularly in mathematics. Support to pupils in class has improved. It encourages pupils to think for themselves and so they are working more independently. Teachers follow the new marking policy more consistently. Feedback to pupils is clearer and so pupils understand better what they need to do to improve their work. The renewed attention to improving pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar, and presentation of their work is leading to higher quality pupil writing. Not enough pupils are yet identifying their own spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes. One result of this is that the spelling of common words is not improving. Determined action has been taken to ensure that pupils have a greater awareness of how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. Pupils stated they understood the

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Main findings

importance of talking to staff and their parents if they noticed something on the internet that made them uncomfortable.

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Main findings

The governing body has examined the committee structure and the work of link governors to ensure all governors are well informed and understand the information you give them. Governors have had training on looking at learning in lessons. They have used this to restructure their visits to lessons. The minutes of governing body meetings are detailed but do not clearly indicate how governors have challenged you, nor the outcome of any resulting actions. 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 provides timely and measured support to the school. It has brokered links with a nearby primary school and a teaching school. This liaison is providing staff with opportunities to observe good practice in other schools and to consider how it might inform their teaching. This work is in its early stages and it is too soon to see any impact.

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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 Shropshire and the Diocese of Lichfield.

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