Setting

Mrs Vicki Pearson Principal Kingston Primary Academy Long Lane Carlton-in-Lindrick Worksop S81 9AW

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Academy

Following my visit to your school on 11 September 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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Academy

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

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Academy

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, I held meetings with you and the National Leader of Education who is providing support to the academy. I met with representatives of the Education Advisory Board and from your sponsor, the Schools Partnership Trust Academies (SPTA). We discussed the actions taken since the last inspection. I evaluated the academy development plan and other documentation relating to improving the quality of teaching. I also made short visits to each class.

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Context

Since the section 5 inspection in June, two new teachers have been appointed to work in Years 3 and 4. 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 799154 Direct email : aidan.dunne@serco.com

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Main findings

Leaders have an ambitious vision for improvement, which is reflected in the academy development plan. This incorporates all the main areas for improvement from the section 5 inspection in June. It includes detailed actions, an appropriate timescale and criteria by which leaders can track the progress the academy is making. The principal is entirely focussed on improving outcomes for children. She sets challenging targets for teachers. These embed an expectation that pupils should make rapid progress in order to meet age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Main findings

Although this monitoring inspection occurred at the start of the school year, a detailed programme for teachers’ professional development had started. This will focus on improving teachers’ ability to plan lessons that both enthuse pupils while ensuring that work is set to meet different levels of ability. Teachers have also received training in planning for the new National Curriculum, in a new system for assessing pupils’ progress and in a new scheme for teaching mathematics. This is starting to embed a common approach to planning learning across the curriculum. Leaders have also ensured that ongoing support is available to teachers through a specialist leader of teaching and learning. This, alongside opportunities for teachers to work together to support each other’s practice, means that teachers continue to receive ongoing, practical guidance in order to improve their everyday teaching practice.

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Main findings

The academy sponsor has brokered support for the school through a National Support School and Leader of Education. Leaders have redrawn this agreement since the inspection, and a plan is now in place to build the competencies of the wider leadership team. This concentrates on building senior and middle leaders’ effectiveness in monitoring the quality of teaching and in interpreting pupil progress information. These leaders are now more directly involved in leading improvement across the academy. Similarly, members of the Education Advisory Board will also draw upon the leadership expertise of this partner school in order to improve their ability to evaluate improvements at the academy.

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Main findings

The Education Advisory Board has worked with the Principal to draw up the academy development plan and has allocated members to monitor key aspects of improvement. They understand their role well and recognise they need to be more actively involved in monitoring improvements at first hand. They are suitably supported by the academy sponsor, who has allocated specialists to the Board in order to ensure they effectively challenge senior leaders.

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External support

The academy sponsor, the School Partnership Trust Academies (SPTA), provides effective support to the academy. It has organised, and financially supported, the work of the National Leader of Education, who provides substantial additional short- term leadership capacity to the school at all levels. The SPTA has also enabled teachers and other senior leaders to access a range of networks of support, for example, in introducing the new assessment system. This has enabled the academy to work with other schools and develop a common approach to assessing pupil progress using the new national curriculum programmes of study.

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External support

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

I am copying this letter to Rebecca Hancock, the Chair of the Governing Body, to Anthony May, the Corporate Director for Children, Families and Culture for Nottinghamshire County Council, and to the Department for Education.

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