Setting

Mrs Lynne Wright Headteacher Hollesley Primary School School Lane Hollesley Woodbridge IP12 3RE

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School

Following my visit to your school on 9 July 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

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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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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School

 ensure that systems for checking the work of the school are rigorous and cover all subject areas  ensure that pupils have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and develop understanding in a wide range of subjects  include, in the action plan, the support and training that will be provided for teachers and teaching assistants.

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Evidence

During the inspection I met with you and other school leaders. I also met with two governors and spoke to a representative of the local authority, to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. I evaluated the school’s action plan and looked at 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 679 9146 Direct email : clare.benson@serco.com pupils’ work. I also toured the school with you to observe teaching and met with the school council.

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Main findings

Although disappointed with the outcome of the previous inspection, senior leaders, including governors, accepted the judgements and have taken prompt action to address the weaknesses that were identified.

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Main findings

You created an action plan to address each of the areas that require improvement. The plan includes specific, measurable outcomes so that senior leaders, including governors, can check how well the school is doing. However, the plan fails to identify the support and training that will be provided for teachers and teaching assistants so that they can make the required improvements to the quality of teaching and learning.

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Main findings

Changes that you have implemented are already beginning to have an impact. For example you reviewed the school’s marking policy and the work I saw in writing and mathematics books, particularly in Key Stage 2, showed that many pupils are now making rapid progress. This is partly due to improvements in the quality of teachers’ feedback, which has resulted in pupils receiving more precise information about how to improve their work. You are also making more regular checks on the work of teachers and have involved middle leaders in this process. These checks have been useful in helping the school to identify strengths and weaknesses. However, you have not yet established a cycle of monitoring activities to ensure that the checks you make are systematic and cover all aspects of the curriculum, not just English and mathematics.

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Main findings

The school’s own records, and provisional assessment results, indicate that achievement has improved significantly in reading, writing and mathematics over the past year and more pupils are now achieving higher levels. These improvements were not seen in other subjects where the quality of written work and teachers’ marking require improvement.

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Main findings

A review of governance has taken place and has provided governors with an action plan to ensure that their work becomes more effective. This has already had a positive impact. Governors report that they now have a better understanding of their role and a clearer understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. During this inspection they were able to demonstrate how their work is now more tightly focused on raising standards, for example they understand how pupil premium funding is being used to support learners in danger of falling behind. Governors have also received training on performance data which they found useful. Some governors also attended training on appraisal, as this has previously been a weakness, particularly in relation to their responsibilities relating to the headteacher’s performance. 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

Over the past year the local authority has provided support to the school in the form of a challenge partner who has worked with the headteacher to review the school’s performance. She has also supported the school in planning actions to address the recommendations made at the previous inspection. The school has recently developed useful links with a local network of schools, through which teachers are accessing training and opportunities to observe best practice.

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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 Suffolk.

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