Setting

Mrs Jenny Pickering Imperial Avenue Infant School Imperial Avenue Leicester LE3 1AH

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Infant School

Following my visit to your school on 4 February 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 school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Infant School

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

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Evidence

During the visit, I held meetings were with you, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the last monitoring visit. The revised school improvement plan and other school documentation were evaluated. We conducted short observations of classes in Key Stage 1.

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Context

Since the previous monitoring inspection in November 2013, one new teacher has been appointed to work in Year 2.

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Main findings

School leaders at all levels have responded swiftly and positively to the findings of the previous monitoring inspection in November 2013. They have acted immediately to review and improve the school improvement plan. This now contains challenging 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 9146 Direct email : clare.benson@serco.com targets for the progress pupils should make and the standards they should reach by the end of each school year. Leaders have started to monitor the extent to which they are on track to meet these targets and have installed a new information management system that provides clear analyses of the progress pupils are making across reading, writing and mathematics. This is already proving to be effective in identifying groups of pupils who are in danger of underachieving. The headteacher

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Main findings

has responded immediately to this information by organising additional support for these pupils.

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Main findings

Leaders have reviewed the processes they use for monitoring the quality of teaching across the school. They now have in place a fully transparent system that brings together first-hand monitoring activities alongside planned challenge and support from governors. Since the last monitoring inspection, the headteacher, alongside the local authority’s adviser, has conducted a series of lesson observations. They have quickly reported the findings of these to staff and an individualised plan of support is in place where this is appropriate. Subject leaders are supported well to become more fully involved in the process of monitoring the progress pupils make in English and mathematics.

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Main findings

More opportunities are now in place for school leaders and teaching staff to learn from good practice elsewhere. Visits to schools have increased teachers’ knowledge of a range of strategies to use to engage pupils and to accelerate their progress. It was evident during observations that teachers have embraced these opportunities. However, the headteacher is aware that they need additional support to plan lessons that clearly develop the knowledge, understanding and skills of all pupils over time.

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Main findings

Governors continue to improve their understanding of the effectiveness of the school, and report that they now receive more detailed information about pupils’ progress. The Chair of the Governing Body has been instrumental in securing the support leaders needed to quickly put in place the new information management system. Governors are now fully informed of the findings from local authority visits. Because of this, they have a clearer picture of the quality of teaching.

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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 adviser has put in place an extensive range of support for the school since the previous monitoring visit. She has supported school leaders at first hand through jointly observing teaching and analysing information on pupil progress with subject leaders. She has provided direct support to governors in order to improve their understanding of school data and has brokered support for leaders through other local schools. This support has underpinned the swiftness of the response to the previous monitoring inspection findings. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Leicester.

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