Setting

Mr Leif Pallister Headteacher Bincombe Valley Primary School Culliford Way Littlemoor Weymouth DT3 6AW

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 6 November 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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Primary School

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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Primary 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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Primary School

 share the outcomes of the school’s work more widely with parents  ensure the actions planned for by middle leaders are fully incorporated within the main school improvement plan.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, your senior and middle leaders and representatives from the governing body and the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the most recent inspection. Together we carried out brief visits Tribal Kings Orchard One Queen Street Bristol BS2 0HQ T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 311 5359 Email : christina.bannerman@tribalgroup.com to lessons, and spoke with pupils. The current school improvement plan was also evaluated.

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Context

Since the inspection a headteacher, a senior leader with responsibility for special educational needs and three class teachers have been appointed. Two of the class teachers are newly qualified. A new nursery has been created for two year olds and the governing body has restructured in order to hold the school more effectively to account. An additional parent governor representative has also been appointed.

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Main findings

In the short time you have been in post you have acquired an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. You have won the trust and confidence of your staff, governing body and local authority. You are now working determinedly to secure teaching that is consistently good throughout the school. Training for staff has raised teachers’ expectation of the quality of their own practice. There is a greater openness amongst staff to share ideas and support one another. You have successfully begun to devolve leadership responsibilities to other members of staff. For example, the school now has a designated leader for English. The most recent checks on pupils’ progress indicate improved rates of progress for all pupils.

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Main findings

You have successfully re-written the school improvement plan. It now includes the recommendations made in the inspection report. A school improvement timeline has also been introduced which makes clear to staff and governors how much progress the school is making. Although the work and progress of the school are being rigorously reviewed by senior leaders the outcomes are not regularly shared with parents. Similarly, subject leaders have written their own action plans for improvement. However, their plans are not currently incorporated within the main improvement plan.

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Main findings

Together with your senior leaders you are looking at ways to engage pupils more in their learning. For example, teachers make clear to pupils the lesson objectives and how they might demonstrate their successful working. A review of the new national curriculum requirements has brought about greater challenge for pupils. Subject leaders now ensure additional support for the most-able pupils in developing their mathematics and reading skills so that they might reach the higher levels they are capable of making. Teachers mark pupils’ work conscientiously. Too often the comments written by teachers do not promote pupils’ further learning well enough because they are not focused on helping pupils understand what they need to do to improve their work. This strategy is at an early stage of development. Members of the governing body who met with me confirmed the inspection has resulted in all staff working much more closely together and with raised expectations

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Main findings

of what pupils might achieve. Designated governors meet regularly with subject leaders to gain a better understand of the work of the school. This improved communication means governors are in a stronger position to provide more effective challenge as well as support to the school.

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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 has provided timely and effective support to the headteacher and other leaders. It has brokered support for the school’s subject specialists to coach teachers and strengthen the quality of teaching in Key stage 2. New governors are receiving appropriate training and support from the local authority in order to become more confident in their roles.

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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 Dorset.

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