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 566850 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: dmccarrick@cfbt.com

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Mrs Melany Holmes Headteacher Westways Primary School Mona Avenue Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 1NE

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Sheffield

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 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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Sheffield

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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Sheffield

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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Sheffield

sharpen the analysis of achievement information, with a focus on the progress of different groups of pupils

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Sheffield

ensure that all leaders are able to play a full part in driving school improvement.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, five governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority. Lessons across all key stages were visited briefly with the headteacher. A number of documents, including records of monitoring activities, achievement data and governor information, together with pupils’ workbooks were scrutinised.

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Main findings

Since the previous inspection, school leaders have raised the profile of mathematics and also the provision for and achievement of those pupils eligible for pupil premium funding.

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Main findings

A nominated senior leader now has responsibility for the achievement of those pupils eligible for the funding across all key stages. Teachers’ planning clearly identifies these pupils and their performance is constantly monitored to check any underachievement and the impact of intervention. Staffing changes for September 2014 will include new designated personnel, including teachers and teaching assistants, to further develop the quality of provision and the achievement outcomes for these pupils. The school’s current data indicates that an increasing proportion of this group of pupils are starting to make at least expected progress, particularly in mathematics, in both key stages, although the picture remains inconsistent between year groups.

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Main findings

Teachers have received whole school and targeted professional development in mathematics, with a focus on practical activities, mathematics in real life situations and the use of key words to support pupils’ understanding across the curriculum. The informative learning environment across the school also reflects the new approach to mathematics, and in lessons pupils are encouraged to question and discuss their mathematical thinking. However, work in pupils’ books and the school’s data indicates there is some way to go to tackle the legacy of variable performance, particularly in Key Stage 2.

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Main findings

School leaders hold extensive data on pupils’ performance; achievement information and the quality of teaching are regularly checked. However, despite this wealth of information, the analysis of the pupils’ data overall and in subject areas is not sharp enough to swiftly tackle underperformance. Information on the progress of different groups, for example lacks clarity and some information is contradictory. This situation is compounded further by the limited knowledge that some senior and middle leaders have on achievement data, hampering their ability to play a full part in driving the school’s improvement agenda.

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Main findings

The school’s action plan addresses all the priority areas and actions have been rigorously checked. This short term plan should now be developed further to include more quantifiable targets to be regularly checked by leaders and governance over the next five terms.

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Main findings

Following an external review of governance by the local authority and the recent inspection, the governing body has developed an action plan, with a focus on greater challenge and holding leaders to account. As a result, a number of targeted meetings and learning walks have now taken place, focusing notably on teaching, mathematics and pupil premium funding. Governors are starting to develop a better understanding of the key issues in these areas. More recently, there has also been an external review of the use of the pupil premium funding led by a National Leader of Governance. A final report for action has not yet been completed.

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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 supports and monitors the school’s work very closely and is fully aware of the key issues on achievement analysis and developing leaders across the school through the half-termly ‘monitoring, performance and impact’ meetings, attended by senior and linked local authority personnel and school leaders. The ‘locality network’, a group of primary schools, supported by the local authority, has now designated funding to further support the school’s development and discussions are currently ongoing with the school in this regard. The local authority has also brokered support in mathematics from a local partner primary school, Parsons Cross CE Primary School. The impact is already evident in improved lesson planning, with a sharper focus on practical work and challenge for pupils of different abilities. An external consultant has also supported the school’s work in the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and in improving the learning environment.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children's Services for Sheffield.

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