Setting

Mrs C Spencer Headteacher Salendine Nook High School Academy New Hey Road Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD3 4GN

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School Academy, Kirklees

Following my visit to your academy on 23 January 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the findings. 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 academy since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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School Academy, Kirklees

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

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School Academy, Kirklees

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. The academy should take further action to:

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School Academy, Kirklees

 amend the academy development plan to ensure that all aspects are clearly aligned to each of the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection  ensure that the revised plan includes specific and discreet monitoring and evaluation procedures and precise and quantifiable impact measures  as a matter of urgency, plan the in-house and external training required so that the academy’s teachers and students can benefit from a high quality and focused professional development programme, which includes appropriate school-to-school support  clarify within the development plan the precise role of governors in ensuring that the actions identified bring about the necessary improvements so that the academy is judged at least good at its next inspection. CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

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School Academy, Kirklees

www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566939 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: glaw@cfbt.com

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with you, other senior leaders, and members of the governing body to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. A conference call was held with an educational consultant employed by the academy to undertake specific improvement work. The academy development plan was evaluated. A range of additional documentation was also reviewed, including governing body minutes, latest performance data and the proposals for improving marking and feedback by teachers for students. A tour of the academy, which included visits to a number of lessons, was also undertaken.

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Context

A new assistant headteacher joined the academy in January 2014. There are currently two vacancies on the governing body.

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Main findings

Senior leaders and governors have responded quickly to the outcomes of the inspection. They are clear about what needs to be achieved in the coming months. They have high expectations of all staff and are focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning and the effectiveness of leadership and management and governance. Senior leaders have moved promptly to revise the policy on marking and feedback. The ‘Making Marking Matter’ policy has established clear expectations of all teaching staff in the way that they give feedback to students and require students in return to reflect and respond. The impact of this will be monitored in a whole academy scrutiny later this term. An intervention team has been created to focus exclusively upon the progress and achievement of students eligible for the pupil premium. This team will determine the additional support required to ensure that these students achieve the highest grades possible.

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Main findings

Senior leaders have amalgamated the areas for improvement identified by the inspection team into their current academy development plan. However, the revised plan does not include all aspects of the areas for improvement. In addition, monitoring and evaluation procedures are not identified adequately and the plans give little indication as to precise governor involvement. Discussions were held on the importance of amending the plan accordingly by senior leaders and governors.

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Main findings

Senior leaders are aware of the importance of using the best practice from within the academy as well as from other schools to improve the quality of teaching, further develop skills of leaders and managers and improve the impact of their work on students’ achievement. However, they have yet to formalise in detail the nature of the support from beyond the academy and the in-house training programme that will be required.

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Main findings

Governors receive regular reports from senior leaders and are developing a clearer understanding of what needs to be achieved to ensure the academy is judged at least good at its next inspection. They have already engaged a National Leader of Governance who is in the process of undertaking the review of governance as recommended at the last inspection. They recognise, though, that that they have not challenged academy leaders on all aspects of school improvement with equal effectiveness. Governors have revised their committee structure and created a curriculum and monitoring committee. However, the criteria they will use and the process they will follow to monitor and evaluate the academy development plan are not sufficiently clear.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further visits and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the academy until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

The academy has already employed two consultants to support specific developments, one to work with science and the other to support improvements in teaching and learning and in governance. Senior leaders have yet to decide the details of the school-to-school support that they require to ensure that the initiatives outlined in the development plan are fully realised. As a result, the academy is not yet accessing all the guidance and assistance available to help it move forward.

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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 Kirklees and as below.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Appropriate authority - Chair of the Governing Body/Interim Executive Board  Local authority – including where the school is an academy  Contractor providing support services on behalf of the local authority - where appropriate  The Education Funding Agency (EFA) if the school has a sixth form  Diocese – for voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools  The person or body responsible for appointing foundation governors if the school has a foundation  DfE - Academies Advisers Unit [ colin.diamond@education.gsi.gov.uk ] – for academies

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