Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 1231231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566862 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: rcowley@cfbt.com

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Mr Mark Hinchliff Headteacher Brook House Junior School School Road Beighton Sheffield South Yorkshire S20 1EG

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School, Sheffield

Following my visit to your school on 7 March 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 November 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

ensure the school improvement plan includes specific targets for the achievement of each year group, so that the school’s progress on the journey to ‘good’ can be measured and evaluated  ensure senior leaders have sufficient non-teaching time to support other teachers to improve their practice and to evaluate the impact of actions in the school improvement plan.

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Evidence

During the visit I held meetings with you, other senior leaders, members of the governing body, including the Chair and vice chair, a representative of the local authority and a group of pupils, to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. You accompanied me on a tour of the school. We saw mathematics lessons and spelling lessons taking place and observed the pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. I evaluated the school improvement plan and looked at a range of other documents including information on pupils’ progress, the quality of teaching and minutes of governing body meetings.

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Context

Since the inspection one teacher has resigned and will leave the school at Easter. There have been no other changes in staffing. The headteacher recently visited Oughtibridge Primary School and has begun to forge links to support the development of leadership and management. An external review of governance has taken place and, as a consequence, the governing body has re-structured and formed a number of new committees.

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Main findings

You have put together effective plans and are taking decisive action to tackle the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection. The improvement plan identifies appropriate actions and the impact of these are beginning to be seen, for example, in the improved rates of progress pupils are making in reading, and in the more rapid progress of pupils supported by the pupil premium. However, whilst the plan includes some useful milestones, it does not include targets for the achievement of each year group that would allow leaders and governors to check the school’s progress on the journey to ‘good’.

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Main findings

In January you invited the local authority to undertake a review of teaching and this confirmed there are still inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, as seen in the last inspection. Following the review you have put in place support for teaching that is not yet at a good standard, although it is too early to know whether this support is having a positive impact. In addition, teachers have received training on the teaching of phonics, reading strategies and collaborative learning strategies. Pupils told me literacy and numeracy lessons are more interesting and they feel they are making better progress. Pupils are very aware of the high profile the school has placed on reading and they are engaging enthusiastically with programmes such as ‘reading champions’. You have also made arrangements for the most able pupils in Year 6 to be taught each week by teachers from the secondary school to help them achieve the highest grades in English and mathematics.

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Main findings

Some senior leaders are being trained as coaches so that they can better support improvements in teaching and you hope to begin coaching programmes in the summer term. However, senior leaders do not have sufficient time to deliver this support at present and you have not yet planned how you will create the time and opportunity for senior leaders to undertake this role.

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Main findings

Systems to track the progress of pupils across the school are much improved. Consequently, pupils making slower progress in reading, writing or mathematics are now identified sooner and are more quickly placed on additional support programmes. You have re-directed the work of teaching assistants so that they have more responsibility for the delivery of these programmes. This is proving to be successful, as many pupils in receipt of this support are making accelerated progress.

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Main findings

An external review of governance has been completed and the governing body has its own action-plan. A re-structure of the governing body has been completed and a new committee structure is in place. This is ensuring governors check on the quality of teaching and progress of all pupils more regularly. Governors have undertaken training to strengthen their understanding of performance data. The governors are highly committed to moving the school to good and are providing senior leaders with the necessary challenge. For example, governors have challenged senior leaders to improve the quality of provision in Year 3 to ensure all pupils hit the ground running as soon as they start in September.

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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 is providing appropriate challenge and support to ensure the school takes the necessary steps to become a good school. In February 2014 the local authority issued a warning notice requiring the governing body to submit a plan demonstrating how they will ensure the school makes the necessary improvements. The plan has been submitted and the local authority is in the process of evaluating it to determine whether it meets requirements. The progress the school is making is being monitored by the local authority every half-term. A consultant headteacher employed by the local authority has supported the school to develop the school improvement plan and will conduct joint lesson observations with the headteacher in the near future. Governors also intend to ask the consultant headteacher to support a review of the leadership structure to ensure senior leaders have sufficient non-teaching time to drive the necessary improvements forward. The

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External support

school has bought in the services of local authority consultants to provide training and resources to improve and support literacy and mathematics teaching.

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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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