Setting

Mrs Julie Newby Headteacher Marshlands Primary School Hall Road Old Goole Goole DN14 5UE

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School, East Riding of Yorkshire

Following my visit to your school on 11 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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School, East Riding of Yorkshire

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

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School, East Riding of Yorkshire

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, East Riding of Yorkshire

 Continue to build on the partnership with the better performing school.  Involve governors in the formal review of progress with the local authority.

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Evidence

During the visit, I held meetings with you, the deputy headteacher, a middle leader, four members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. I evaluated the post inspection action plan and looked at a range of evidence including information on pupils’ progress, samples of pupils’ work, lesson observation records and the minutes of governing body meetings. You accompanied me on a tour of the school and we CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566937 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email :[add ISP e mail address ] spent a short amount of time sampling teaching, which included visiting all classrooms and sampling some pupils’ work.

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Context

There have been no changes to the school’s context since the last inspection. However, the headteacher has secured the post of headteacher at a larger school within the local authority and will leave at the end of this term.

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Main findings

A post inspection improvement plan, with clear actions, timescales and milestones has been put together to address all of the areas requiring improvement. Senior staff know where most improvement is needed and understand the importance of actions leading to improved achievement for pupils. There is considerable evidence of the early impact of the school’s work:

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Main findings

 The pupils were able to talk about the ‘improvement pledge’, which identifies in child friendly language what pupils are expected to do in order to produce their best work. Sampling of a small number of books indicates that work across a range of subjects is now of improving quality and quality.

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Main findings

 Expectations of pupils are being made explicit and pupils know the consequence of not producing enough work of an acceptable standard.

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Main findings

 Tracking of pupils’ levels shows that progress and attainment are improving and where progress slows for any individual pupil this is identified and extra support provided.

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Main findings

 The evaluations of teaching over time is now more thorough and in addition to lesson observations takes account of work scrutiny, tracking of pupils’ levels and checking on the learning of individual pupils.

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Main findings

 Teachers are being more robustly held to account for the progress of pupils in their class.

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Main findings

 The work of middle leaders is improving and they have a clear understanding of their role in improving teaching and raising standards.

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Main findings

 Governors know the school reasonably well and aware of where most improvement is needed. They understand their role and have begun to check on the impact of planned improvements through regular review meetings with the headteacher. They are aware that they need to develop their role in better understanding data and in evaluating the impact of planned improvements.

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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 officer knows the school very well and has been proactive in both challenging and supporting the school. For example, by identifying a better performing school and funding some school-to-school improvement work. Consequently, work with Highlands Primary School, Hull means that the systems to closely track the attainment and progress of pupils, aspects of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage and some aspects of the teaching of reading have all improved. However, this partnership is not formalised beyond the current academic year and given the forthcoming change of headteacher it is important that staff continue to build on improvements so far. There are sensible plans in place to support the acting headteacher until a substantive appointment is made.

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External support

The local authority provides appropriate challenge and support through termly meetings to check on progress and improvement. This has helped to identify other schools with particular strengths which are helping to develop the skills of staff. However, these termly reviews do not always include the involvement of the governing body in evaluating the impact of planned improvements.

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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 the East Riding of Yorkshire.

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