Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: hcarnall@cfbt.com

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Mrs Susan Jackson Headteacher Nether Green Junior School Fulwood Road Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 3QA

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School, Sheffield

Following my visit to your school on 14 January 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report on 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, Sheffield

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

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School, Sheffield

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, Sheffield

devise an annual monitoring and evaluation cycle which shows how the actions for improvement will be monitored and which provides numerical evidence of improvement

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School, Sheffield

 plan the ways in which governors will collect first- hand evidence to demonstrate that the school is improving

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School, Sheffield

organise personalised programmes to help teachers improve their practice so that more teaching and learning is good or outstanding

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School, Sheffield

embed changes so policies, including the marking and feedback and planning policies are followed rigorously and consistently.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior leaders, members of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. The school action plan and other documents provided by the school were evaluated. The headteacher took HMI on a tour of the school.

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Context

A new deputy headteacher started in January 2014. A personal assistant has been appointed for the headteacher.

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Main findings

The action plan clearly identifies what needs to be done to address the areas for improvement; with milestones linked to success criteria for pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching and learning. The half-termly evaluation of impact needs to be improved by the inclusion of quantifiable evidence, for example the percentage of teachers or pupils who have reached a milestone. A monitoring and evaluation cycle for the year needs to be written.

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Main findings

The headteacher has carried out lesson observations to identify the strengths and areas for development in teaching and learning. Useful forms have been developed to feedback this information to teachers. There is a whole school review of teaching and learning planned for February 2014 in liaison with the local authority. This will develop the skills of senior leaders in lesson observation and moderate their judgements. Plans need to be put into place quickly to provide personalised support to help teachers improve their practice so that more is good and outstanding. Teachers are being offered useful training courses and there are plans to enable them to observe good practice in their own and other schools.

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Main findings

A new planning sheet has been developed which identifies different pupil groups so activities are planned to improve the progress of pupils of all abilities. The timetable has been reorganised this term to enable teachers of a particular year group to plan together. This encourages the sharing of good ideas. The new deputy headteacher will monitor planning weekly. Evidence provided by the school shows that while some teachers planned a good range of activities for pupils of all abilities others did not do this effectively. Individual teachers need training in this area.

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Main findings

Marking and feedback have improved. There are clear expectations of how teachers will mark work and how pupils will respond to feedback to help them make better progress. Pupils understand this process and it is starting to be used well, although it is not yet consistently embedded. Regular scrutiny of pupils’ books is providing useful pointers to teachers about how to improve their marking. The presentation of written work has been tackled effectively. Very neat, well presented work was seen in pupils’ books during the tour of the school.

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Main findings

There has been appropriate training to improve achievement in writing and mathematics. Pupils have targets for writing and mathematics which they refer to when they are working. There is a focus on developing the most able readers in Year 6 so that they can reach the highest levels, as well as booster classes for those who need extra help to reach their targets. Problem solving is starting to be more widely used by teachers. A new data tracking system is in place and is starting to help teachers and leaders to monitor pupils’ progress more robustly. The new deputy headteacher has identified which pupils need support to make better progress. Teachers will analyse the data and discuss the progress in their class at pupil progress meetings. This process is at an early stage.

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Main findings

Leaders are working well together in a focused way to improve the school. Governors were involved in writing the action plan and have offered parents helpful opportunities to discuss the Ofsted report with them. They plan to meet monthly to monitor the impact of actions taken to improve the school. The Chair of the Governing Body is meeting the headteacher weekly to discuss improvements. Governors need to consider how they will collect first- hand evidence to demonstrate that the school is improving.

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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 monitors and challenges the school through termly performance and impact meetings at which they evaluate pupil progress and teaching and learning. The authority has signposted the school to other schools with good practice in relevant areas and organised a review of teaching and learning for February 2014. The school is part of a group of local schools which provide a useful network to develop teaching and learning.

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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 Sheffield.

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