Setting

Mr Stephen Poole Woodfield Stoneleigh Road Coventry CV4 7AB

p.1

Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Woodfield

Following my visit to your school on 15 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.

p.1

Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Woodfield

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

p.1

Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Woodfield

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 ensure that in the secondary school:

p.1

Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to Woodfield

 all teachers and teaching assistants have accurate information about what students know and can do when they join the school, particularly in mathematics  school leaders and teachers regularly monitor, evaluate and review the progress of students, using this information to adapt and modify lesson plans and interventions to support students’ learning, particularly in mathematics  leadership structures are finalised and that senior leaders monitor, evaluate and review the performance of subject leaders and those new to leadership positions.

p.1

Evidence

During the visit I met with you and the deputy headteacher to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. Meetings were held with three members of the governing body including the Chair of Governors and school leaders with 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 responsibility for learning and teaching and English. A telephone discussion was held with a representative of the local authority. You showed me around the school and I visited classes in Year 11 English and Year 7 mathematics. During these visits to classrooms I looked at the work in students’ books and talked to them about their learning. I evaluated the school’s priority areas for development. I looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s information about students’ progress.

p.1

Context

You took up your post as headteacher in September 2014 after the retirement of the previous headteacher. Since the inspection in May 2014 one teacher has joined the secondary mathematics department. One primary teacher left the school and has been replaced in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The school’s leadership arrangements are being restructured. This monitoring inspection visit took place in the secondary phase of the school.

p.2

Main findings

The headteacher worked alongside his predecessor in the summer term 2014. This transition arrangement ensured that the issues for improvement identified in the recent inspection were tackled.

p.2

Main findings

School leaders are collecting information about students’ knowledge, skills and understanding. However, this information is not always accurate. Information from Woodfield’s Primary School, or the students’ previous school, is not used consistently in the transition to Woodfield’s Secondary School. As a result, the work students are set is not always appropriate for their ability, particularly in mathematics.

p.2

Main findings

School leaders are prioritising improving the quality of teaching through improving teachers’ planning, marking, feedback and the monitoring of students’ progress. Students say that the teachers’ comments are now better in helping them improve their work, particularly in English. Information provided by the school shows that students are making better progress by the end of Year 11, particularly in English. However, in mathematics students do not make the progress expected of them. The work in students’ books in mathematics shows that there is an over reliance on worksheets and that work is not adapted to meet the needs of individual students. Senior leaders have made the expectations for assessment arrangements clear. As a result, the checking of students’ progress by subject teachers and leaders is improving. However, this is not done consistently across the school.

p.2

Main findings

The headteacher has quickly identified staff in school that have the knowledge and expertise to take responsibility for leadership positions. As a result, the arrangements for school leadership are being restructured. In discussions with subject leaders it is evident that they have high expectations for students’ outcomes and that improvements in students’ progress by the end of Year 11 is apparent, particularly in English. However, the restructuring has not yet been completed and the procedures for monitoring and evaluating the performance of subject leaders and those new to leadership positions is not yet clear.

p.2

Main findings

Governors provide appropriate challenge and support to school leaders. Governors have supported the transition and induction of the new headteacher and ensured that the issues identified in the recent inspection have remained a high priority. Governors support the restructuring of the school’s leadership arrangements.

p.3

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.

p.3

External support

The local authority provides effective support for the school by commissioning the support of an improvement partner and links with other schools and special schools. School leaders say that the school has received good support for children looked after by the local authority, for example through providing training and information about students’ needs. The school is working with a local secondary school’s mathematics department in order to improve the teaching of mathematics at Woodfield.

p.3

External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for insert local authority name and as below.

p.3