Setting

Mike Follen Headteacher Lowe's Wong Anglican Methodist Junior School Queen Street Southwell NG25 0AA

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Anglican Methodist Junior School

Following my visit to your school on 20 June 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection 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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Anglican Methodist Junior School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in March 2014. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Anglican Methodist Junior School

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the chair and vice-chair of governors, the school’s literacy and numeracy coordinators, and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. I evaluated the school improvement plan. Also, I toured the school, visiting all classrooms and holding discussions with pupils.

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Main findings

You have responded energetically and systematically to the areas for improvement from the inspection. You have planned a coherent response, tackling appropriate priorities in a structured way. You improvement plan sets out pertinent and practical 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 : 01216 799153 Direct email : naik.sandhu@serco.com actions to be taken. It is a comprehensive and detailed plan, set out over a timescale with a clear intention for the rapid improvement of the school.

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Main findings

You have clarified the role and responsibilities of year-group and subject leaders and enhanced their responsibilities. The subject leaders have got to work quickly with those new responsibilities and undertaken a series of activities that are leading to improved teaching. The checks they make on the quality of the teaching are being carried out more quickly than previously and feedback is being provided to the teachers much more promptly. As a result, they have been able to make important changes to their practice already.

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Main findings

An example of the improved practice is the new marking policy. The new approach to marking has been established rapidly and the work of the subject leaders shows a good level of consistent practice already. The pupils are finding the new approach more helpful. It is giving them a better understanding of how well they are doing and what they need to improve. They are also discussing their work more effectively with their teachers, which is leading to improvements.

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Main findings

You are making more-focussed use of better-quality data on the pupils’ progress. As a consequence, you have been able to change the way that those pupils who need it get additional support. The discussions you are having with the staff about the pupils’ progress mean that the teachers are now planning more clearly for how they will raise the pupils’ achievement. Consequently, your data indicate that the pupils’ achievement is now increasing.

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Main findings

You have altered the teaching timetable to ensure that there is sufficient time for teaching mathematics. The pupils are finding that they are able to get more out of the lessons, as a result. You have also taken some action to increase the range of opportunities for the pupils to develop their writing and mathematical skills in different subjects and a major initiative is planned for this, starting in September.

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Main findings

Similarly, you have begun work to improve the information provided to parents about their children’s progress. A well-attended parents meeting was held promptly after the inspection and parents have been informed about the new marking policy.

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Main findings

The governing body has been closely involved in the work and is evidently supporting the drive for rapid improvement. It has realigned some of its activities to correspond with the areas for improvement from the inspection and is, as a result, well informed about the developments that have taken place so far. It is making effective use of the school’s new data on the pupils’ progress, which is increasing its capacity to hold the school to account.

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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

You have received focussed, good-quality support from the local authority, which has contributed well to your improvement plan and supported the governing body. The support has been particularly effective in bringing the improvements to the school’s data on the pupils’ progress. The local authority has also arranged a partnership with another, outstanding provider, providing some funding for this, but I acknowledge that the school has also made funding available, so that the partnership can happen, which illustrates your level of commitment. A plan of appropriate activities has been drawn up and some of the activities have taken place. You are also closely involved with a range of networks with other schools and are in the process of identifying for yourself how they can support improvement at Lowe’s Wong.

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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 Nottinghamshire and the director of education for the Southwell and Nottingham diocese.

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