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 566868 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: pnuttie@cfbt.com

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Miss Sarah Graham Headteacher Middleton St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Moor Flatts Road Middleton Leeds West Yorkshire LS10 3SW

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Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Leeds

Following my visit to your school on 28 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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Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Leeds

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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Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Leeds

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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Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Leeds

● ensure the school improvement plan better reflects the work the school has undertaken and allows governors to understand more clearly the steps the school still needs to take to get to good or better

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Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Leeds

 ensure leadership arrangements in the school build on the improvements already seen and maintain the momentum that has been established.

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Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the headteacher and senior leaders, a group of pupils, governors and a representative of the local authority. I also met with teaching assistants and a headteacher of a local outstanding school that you are now working with. I evaluated a range of documentation including: the school improvement plan; the tracking of pupils’ progress and monitoring reports. In addition I took a tour of the school to look briefly at teaching and learning and the changes made to provision since the inspection.

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Main findings

You and your senior leaders are resolute in your conviction to improve the school so that it is judged to be good or better when it is next inspected. You have acted rapidly to take appropriate actions to lay the foundations for improvements in pupils’ learning. Actions taken include:

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Main findings

working with external partners to ensure the schools’ own judgements are secure  ensuring that pupils are more aware of their targets and what they need to do next to improve their learning  building on best practice seen elsewhere, for example introducing target boards so that pupils and teachers are using on-going assessment in lessons to support and challenge learning more effectively  developing the role of teaching assistants in supporting all groups of pupils including the most able.

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Main findings

Pupils now view lessons as more challenging and interesting. They have a better understanding of what they need to do next to improve their learning and know what to do if they have difficulties. There are regular reviews of how well pupils are achieving and staff are held to account for the progress their pupils are making. Systems to check on the quality of teaching and learning have been sharpened. This means that the school is better placed to plan appropriate support for pupils and share the best practice of teachers and support staff across the school.

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Main findings

The school improvement plan addresses the areas that need improvement. It gives clear targets to indicate intended outcomes in the short and longer term. Some of the actions you have already taken are not clearly recorded in your plan and some do not have specific dates for implementation. This makes it difficult for governors to know clearly what the school is doing and how well the school may be improving over time.

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Main findings

Governors have held meetings to agree the school action plan and they are knowledgeable about the actions being undertaken by you and your staff. A new committee structure is in place to improve their capacity to review the progress the school is making in a more timely fashion. A Joint Review Group has been established to maintain an overview of the actions taken by the school. A review of governance has also been undertaken and a plan for governors improvement is under way.

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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 support from the local authority has been well targeted and effective. The local authority has supported you in evaluating the impact of recent actions and identifying further refinements to maximise the difference new initiatives are making to the quality of teaching and learning. They have initiated links with an outstanding school and supported a review of governance through the national college. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children's Services for Leeds.

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