Setting

Craig Jansen Moseley School Wake Green Road Moseley Birmingham B13 9UU

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Moseley School

Following my visit to your school on 27 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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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Moseley School

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

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Moseley School

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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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Moseley School

 ensure that planned actions have clear, time-limited milestones that allow the school to measure progress towards the identified outcome.  ensure that the cycle of monitoring, evaluation and review of planned actions is clear, with those responsible at each stage clearly identified.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you and other senior leaders, students and members of the governing body to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority. The school improvement plan was evaluated, a tour of the school was undertaken and a number of short visits made to classrooms.

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Context

There have been no changes to staffing since the last inspection 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 : 0121 6799169 Direct email : mathew.mitchell@serco.com

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Main findings

You are taking effective action to address the key areas for improvement identified in the last section 5 inspection. Although some elements of the report were a disappointment, you, your senior leaders and governors have responded positively and with a shared purpose to the judgements made and have rapidly initiated the actions required to build further on the improvements noted in the section 5 report.

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Main findings

Documentation shows how the school will address the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Plans clearly identify the actions to be taken and show how improvements will be implemented. However, there needs to be greater clarity about how you will check progress made in the short and medium term through measurable milestones and how this will be monitored, reviewed and evaluated.

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Main findings

You have continued to focus on improving the quality of teaching in the school. The rigorous quality assurance system allows the school to hold all teachers and leaders to account for the achievement of students so that there is a clear picture of where improvements need to be made. This term, lesson observations and learning walks have included a focus on areas for improvement identified at the last inspection, such as questioning and marking. The school has also developed a questioning ‘toolkit’ for teachers which includes strategies for developing challenging questions. which has had a positive impact on these aspects of teaching. .

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Main findings

Support for those teachers who are not yet consistently good is targeted to specific areas of need with clear time frames for improvement. This is effectively supported by the whole-school programme of professional development that is well-matched to the school’s priorities. Dedicated time has been provided for staff to access a wide range of training. For instance the Tuesday programme has provided training for improving questioning, for increasing levels of challenge and to support staff in preparing for the new curriculum, particularly in planning and embedding opportunities for extended writing. The implementation of a new intranet-based system for recording and sharing good practice is ensuring that teachers have good models of practice available in a range of areas. Consequently the school’s own data suggests that 85% of teaching is currently good or better.

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Main findings

The marking and assessment policy has been reviewed and has an appropriate focus on improving the ways in which students use the written feedback from their teachers. Expectations of both students and teachers have been raised. For instance, students are now routinely asked to respond to teachers’ comments, showing how they have addressed the ‘how to improve’ aspect of written feedback. Teachers are then required to check that students have applied their new understanding to subsequent work. Although this is at a relatively early stage, the students spoken to said that they are finding this approach both useful and motivating because they know exactly what to do to reach or exceed their targets. In addition, you are trialling a new approach to verbal feedback to ensure that students can ‘capture’ the advice given and demonstrate how they have responded at that point in time.

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Main findings

The shift from teaching assistants to learning and coaching mentors is having a positive impact, particularly for more vulnerable groups. The development of good transition arrangements through summer schools, visits to feeder primary schools and school-based events, you are able to identify those who may have additional needs rapidly. Interventions are therefore put in place early in Year 7, matched to need and with the aim of ensuring that students can progress rapidly to greater independence. As a result, gaps between students receiving additional funding, students with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are reducing and achievement overall is improving. The school’s internal data suggests that 47% of students currently in Year 11 will achieve % A* to C grades, including English and mathematics, compared to 39% last year and that rates of progress will improve significantly to be at least in line with national averages.

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Main findings

Monitoring shows that there is now more consistency in the application of the school’s behaviour management policy across the school. You have invested in a new system for recording and analysing students’ behaviour, including behaviour for learning, which all teachers are required to use. This is enabling senior leaders to track both application of the policy and the behaviours logged. You are now focusing on developing leaders’ ability to analyse patterns of behaviour so that actions taken are well informed by the data collected.

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Main findings

Governors know the school very well. They are kept well informed by you and other senior leaders but also actively seek information for themselves, through visits to the school, and vigorous questioning and challenge. They have a clear sense of their partnership with school leaders and a shared purpose to move the school to good as quickly as possible alongside a realistic view of where the school is now.

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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 support through regular reviews of progress. The school has been proactive in utilising available support from across the teaching school alliance for I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for Birmingham.

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