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 566939 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: glaw@cfbt.com

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Mr Peter O'Hare Headteacher St Andrew's CofE (VA) Junior School Waterloo Road Brighouse West Yorkshire HD6 2AN

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Junior School, Calderdale

Following my visit to your school on 24 March 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report on 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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Junior School, Calderdale

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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Junior School, Calderdale

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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Junior School, Calderdale

 ensure that impact measures in your action plan and self-evaluation focus on the proportion of pupils and groups of pupils making expected and better than expected progress, so that more accurate checks can be made on how well pupils are doing.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with you, other senior leaders, the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. The school improvement plan was evaluated. We looked at other documentation such as the school’s own self-evaluation and the most recent assessment information for each class. We visited lessons, spoke with pupils and staff and looked at pupils’ work.

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Context

There have been no staffing changes since the inspection.

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Main findings

All leaders are committed to ensuring the school moves to good sooner than later. During my visit, we were able to see some of the improvements being made. We discussed and agreed what you still need to focus on.

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Main findings

The school’s development plan makes clear the journey the school will take to become good and takes into account the areas for improvement identified at the Ofsted inspection in November 2013. You state clearly your expectation of pupil progress and attainment and the amount of good and outstanding teaching you want to see along the way. However, you need to ensure that you measure outcomes based on the proportion of pupils making expected and better than expected progress. Using the cohort’s average point score for this can mask underachievement.

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Main findings

You have taken action to address underachievement by using carefully targeted interventions, but you are also focusing on improving teaching across the school through well-planned support and training. You are also holding teachers to account more robustly for the progress pupils are making.

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Main findings

You are undertaking regular checks on the quality of teaching and pupil progress and providing opportunities for staff to develop and improve teaching, particularly in writing. We visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. Through this we were able to see pupils’ skills and knowledge being developed systematically, with marking and feedback being used to help pupils improve their writing. We agreed that this is not yet consistent across school. Some improvements have been made in handwriting and presentation, but not all pupils are taking the pride in their work you would expect. Some teachers are not regularly addressing this when marking work to ensure all pupils present their work well. Pupils are using working walls and class based resources to support them with writing, which is increasing their independence to write for extended periods of time. They are much more aware of their targets now. This indicates that new approaches to planning, teaching and assessing

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Main findings

pupils’ progress in writing are beginning to have an impact.

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Main findings

In mathematics planning and pupils’ books, we saw work that was better-matched to pupils’ abilities, but not as consistently as it needs to be. We found that sometimes pupils still undertake work they can already do and opportunities to challenge them are missed. We agreed that this indicates that the new teaching, learning and assessment strategy is not yet fully embedded in practice. Teachers are now marking work in line with policy and procedure, but not all teachers are giving pupils the time they need to address misconceptions or tackle the challenges given.

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Main findings

A new tracking system for pupil progress and attainment is allowing you and other staff to track more carefully the progress of individual pupils and groups. However, you have discovered some issues with the system. This has resulted in you losing faith in its reliability and effectiveness to give you the information you need. You have taken action to address this as a matter of urgency.

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Main findings

A review of the governing body was undertaken in February and actions are planned to ensure it has the skills and knowledge to make the necessary checks on the school’s progress and provide the challenge needed. New appointments are further strengthening the capacity of the governing body to do this. The governors spoken to have a very clear view of where the school is at and how they can provide the support and challenge needed. 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 support and challenge through the work of the school’s education officer who has an accurate view of the school. The school has been successful in its bid to fund work with a partner school to improve leadership. This has supported developments in action planning, self-evaluation and the tracking of pupil achievement.

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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 Calderdale and as below.

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Her Majesty's Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:   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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