Setting

Ashley Yates Headteacher The Tynings School Eastleigh Close Staple Hill Bristol BS16 4SG

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to The Tynings School

Following my visit to your school on 17 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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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to The Tynings School

The visit was the third monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in June 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Requires improvement: monitoring inspection visit to The Tynings School

Senior leaders and governors are continuing to take effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, other senior leaders and the Chair of the Governing Body to discuss the action taken since the last monitoring inspection. The inspector also met with a group of pupils and looked at their work books.

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Context

Since the last monitoring inspection there have been some further staffing changes with two teachers and three support staff appointed. A new clerk to the governing body has also been appointed. The deputy headteacher no longer has responsibility for teaching a specific class. 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 5323 Email : suzy.smith@tribalgroup.com The major building work at the school has been completed to provide additional classroom accommodation and office space. The school has also opened an after- school club to supplement the school’s breakfast club.

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Main findings

The school has made good progress implementing its improvement plans. Over the summer break the staff worked hard to ensure that the new building was operational, ready for the start of the autumn term.

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Main findings

The 2014 results of the Year 1 phonics assessment are very encouraging with most pupils reaching the standard expected. However, the results show that girls did slightly better than boys.

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Main findings

Results at the end of Key Stage 1 show that pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with the national average. These results show that the school’s improvement strategies are being successful. There is now a four-year trend of improvement for pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1. Another positive development is that in 2014, the school has significantly increased the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels, so that the school’s results now match the national figures. Again, girls managed to out-perform boys achieving higher results in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Main findings

The 2014 results show that standards are continuing to improve for the Year 6 pupils who completed the Key Stage 2 tests. Pupils’ attainment is now broadly in line with the national average, although a small proportion than found nationally pupils managed to reach the higher levels in reading and writing. Pupils with special educational needs performed well and in line with expectations.

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Main findings

The improvement in pupils’ achievement is a direct result of the school’s efforts to strengthen the quality of teaching. Teachers increasingly plan lessons that enable pupils to practise and refine their skills. There is a strong and appropriate focus on ensuring that the presentation of pupils’ work meets the standards expected. The initiatives to improve the quality of pupils’ work are being successful, as the work in pupils’ books demonstrates.

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Main findings

The introduction of a whole-school marking policy has ensured a common approach that is working well across the different year groups. Pupils’ work is checked regularly and teachers highlight areas of strength and identify how work can be improved. Pupils are very clear about the system and respond accordingly, checking their corrections and acting on the teachers’ advice. This approach is ensuring that pupils understand how well they are performing and helping them to make progress. The school’s special educational needs coordinator is making a strong contribution to pupils’ development. She has a good overview of the progress being made by pupils with special educational needs. Regular review meetings ensure that the additional support provided to this group of pupils is evaluated carefully to determine whether it has helped them to meet their targets.

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Main findings

The decision to take the deputy headteacher out of class has strengthened the school’s leadership team. The senior leaders, working with the other members of the leadership team, have created a strong vision for the school’s development. Morale across the school is good with all the staff motivated to make a strong contribution to the school’s work.

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Main findings

Staff are held to account effectively for their pupils’ achievement. Additional support and training are being provided as and when necessary. This approach is a positive move that is helping to improve the quality of teaching and thereby raise pupils’ standards.

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Main findings

Senior leaders are providing governors with increasingly detailed information about the school’s performance. Governors appreciate the level of detail that they are receiving and comment that they are fully informed about the impact of the school’s recent improvement initiatives.

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Main findings

The governing body is continuing to provide training to individual members, so that they are enabled to take on additional responsibilities. Members of the governing body are working closely with the school’s senior leaders to ensure that the performance of different groups of pupils is being monitored closely. The governors’ long-term plan for the school is well founded and includes extending the school’s development plan and planning ahead for a new Chair of the Governing Body.

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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 school has received appropriately focused support from the local authority. Recently, this has included training events that focused successfully on increasing the governing body’s knowledge and understanding of government led initiatives.

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External support

Local authority advisers have also worked closely with the school’s literacy and numeracy lead teachers to introduce specific teaching strategies, for example developing pupils’ calculation skills. This approach has helped ensure that teachers are confident to teach the school’s preferred strategies. As a result, pupils’ mathematics results have improved across the school. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for South Gloucestershire.

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