Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 1231231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566933 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: ggleaden@cfbt.com

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Miss Andrea Nuttall Head of Academy Pheasant Bank Academy West End Lane Rossington Doncaster South Yorkshire DN11 0PQ

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Doncaster

Following my visit to your school on 9 December 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report on the 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 academy since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Doncaster

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the academy was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in September 2014. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. At its previous section 5 inspection the academy was also judged to require improvement.

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Doncaster

Senior leaders, governors and the sponsor are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. The academy should take further action to:

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Doncaster

improve the precision in monitoring so that leaders check more sharply on the impact of developments.

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Evidence

During the visit, I held meetings with you and the Executive Principal, two members of the Education Advisory Board, which holds responsibility for governance, and two representatives of the sponsor to discuss the action taken since the last inspection. I evaluated the post inspection action plan and looked at a range of evidence including information on pupils’ attainment. I met with two groups of pupils. You and the Executive Principal accompanied me on a tour of the school, which included visiting almost all classrooms, talking to pupils and sampling some pupils’ work.

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Context

One new teacher has been recruited along with a new parent representative on the Education Advisory Board.

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Main Findings

The outcome of the most recent inspection was in line with the academy’s self-evaluation and the sponsor’s evaluation. An extensive development plan is in place and has been re- drafted to take account of the recommendations following the last inspection. Although all of the areas requiring improvement are addressed in the plans there is limited information to indicate how teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning will be raised and communicated to pupils. The last inspection identified the positive impact of the Executive Principal and Head of Academy in a very short space of time. They are clear much needs to be done if they are to maintain the pace of improvement and ensure the academy is good at the next inspection.

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Main Findings

Leaders and managers are correctly using a broad range of approaches to gauge the quality of teaching. For example, in addition to lesson observations leaders and managers take account of work scrutiny and the tracking of pupils’ levels of attainment to gauge the effectiveness of teaching. However, some activities do not identify precisely how the impact will be judged. For example, although mathematics books have been scrutinised and checks made for compliance with the marking policy leaders did not check on the impact of marking or on the quality of problem solving. Nevertheless, there is on-going evidence of the impact of the school’s work, some of which is identified below.

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Main Findings

 The use of display has improved. There are many examples of displays used effectively to showcase good quality pieces of work that reflect the raised expectations of presentation and handwriting. Within classrooms ‘working walls’ reinforce learning points and model expectations for pupils. Pupils say classroom displays are a helpful reminder of key learning points.  Lesson planning has improved and teachers are identifying more clearly how they will challenge pupils of all abilities. Learning intentions are clearer and routinely shared with pupils.  The behaviour of pupils observed on the tour was largely appropriate or good. Each classroom has a display with classroom rules. However, not all pupils are clear about exactly what constitutes good learning behaviour.  The use of additional adults continues to be effective. For example, a teaching assistant was observed to effectively probe pupils’ understanding of a text they were

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Main Findings

reading.  Work in books is generally well presented. Reminding pupils and staff about the academy’s policy for presentation and handwriting is paying off. Most handwriting is legible and uses a joined script.  The scrutiny of books shows teachers are regularly, and conscientiously, marking pupils’ work and providing written feedback. However, the impact of marking is inconsistent. The feedback provided by teachers identifies what pupils have done well and how pupils should improve future work or, to a lesser extent, correct their current piece of work. Where feedback identifies pupils should correct their most recent piece of work the response of pupils is not always evident. 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

Academy leaders and staff are engaging well with the sponsor. The sponsor is helping to provide training and development for new leaders, who took up their posts just before the last inspection, as well as bespoke support to individual teachers. Close links with both the co-located infant academy and the local secondary academy continue to be strong and are contributing to improvement. The Executive Principal has responsibility for the infant academy and has been instrumental in sharing resources across both academies. For example, the inclusion manager now works in both the infant and this academy promoting more effective transition for pupils with special needs.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Education Advisory Committee, the sponsor, the Academies Advisers Unit and the Director of Children's Services for Doncaster.

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