Setting

Neil Elson Martinshaw Primary School Forest Rise Groby Leicester LE6 0BB

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School

Following my visit to your school on 11 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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School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in December 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

 urgently carry out an external review of governance  make sure that the findings from the review of governance lead to actions which improve this aspect of leadership and management rapidly.

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Evidence

During the visit, I held meetings with you, the deputy headteacher who is also leading on mathematics, three members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body. I also met with a representative of the local authority. We visited all classes to look at the learning that was taking place. I looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s information about pupils’ progress, a sample of pupils’ work and the school action plan. 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 9153 Direct email : naik.sandhu@serco.com

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Main findings

The school’s response to the findings of the last inspection is positive. Staff are determined to secure improvements in teaching and learning. The headteacher and other leaders are taking actions that are well-considered, for example, making sure that previous inaccuracies in teachers’ measurements of pupils’ progress are rapidly corrected. This is leading to the setting of higher targets, particularly for the more- able pupils. The headteacher is proactive in getting suitable support from an outstanding school to help improve the quality of teaching and learning. Both the headteacher and the deputy are specialists in mathematics and are modelling best practice for staff.

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Main findings

The impact is seen in pupils doing more demanding work, including problem solving, and this is helping to raise pupils’ achievement. In all of the classes we visited during this inspection, pupils were keen to learn and concentrated well. Evidence from pupils’ work shows an improvement in the quality and quantity of their work in literacy and mathematics. Governors are making sure that the purchase of some new computers and further updating of resources is helping to improve pupils’ literacy and technological skills across a range of subjects.

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Main findings

A revised school improvement plan incorporates most of the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection and there are suitable criteria for measuring success. However the plan has two weaknesses: it does not include in detail the actions being taken to show how the governing body is holding the school to account for its performance; and the plan lacks clear criteria for measuring the success of governance. These weaknesses reflect the tardiness of the governing body in addressing this area for improvement.

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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. Her Majesty’s Inspector will monitor the impact of governance on improving the school.

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External support

The local authority has facilitated training for governors on understanding pupils’ performance data. Senior leaders are drawing well on support from successful schools to help improve teaching. The governing body would benefit from working with the local authority in accessing external support to help improve this aspect of school leadership and management.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children and Family Services for Leicestershire. Yours sincerely

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Chair of the Governing Body  Local authority

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