Setting

Mrs Lynne Blomley Headteacher Colne Primet Academy Dent Street Colne Lancashire BB8 8JF

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Serious weaknesses first monitoring inspection of Colne Primet Academy

Following my visit to your academy on 10 February 2015, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the outcome and inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the academy’s most recent section 5 inspection.

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Serious weaknesses first monitoring inspection of Colne Primet Academy

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the academy was judged to have serious weaknesses in November 2014. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Evidence

During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body (who is also a member of the Pendle Education Trust Board which shares responsibility for governance of the academy), the chief executive of the trust, a school improvement adviser, and a group of heads of curriculum. The academy’s statement of action and related action and development plans were evaluated.

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Context

Since the section 5 inspection, two members of staff have left and one has been replaced by a supply teacher. A deputy headteacher has been appointed on a temporary basis by the trust to increase the capacity of the leadership of the academy.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The headteacher and the academy’s governing body have fully accepted the section 5 report and are beginning to address rigorously the key recommendations for CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: hcarnall@cfbt.com improvement. The academy’s action plans focus clearly on the relevant improvement issues, with identified milestones to indicate when progress is to be expected and evaluated. The academy works in a unique way with the local authority, whose school adviser and school improvement challenge board are beginning to evaluate robustly the academy’s progress. The school adviser also supports the academy well in terms of providing briefing and training sessions for all staff on key aspects of leadership, teaching and learning. He also has helped to arrange other support from

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The academy’s governing body shares responsibility for governance with the sponsor’s trust board. The former has specific responsibility for overseeing improvements in teaching, learning and standards, and it undertakes this work well. The board of directors of the trust have responsibility for finance and resources. Both undertake their roles well. Coherence is achieved because the Chair of the Governing Body is also a member of the trust board. The chief executive of the trust board works with the academy. The required external review of governance has been arranged, but has not taken place. This is also the case with the external review of the academy’s use of the pupil premium funding.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

A major focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning is beginning to have a positive impact on securing higher expectations about what all groups of students can achieve. However, there is still some way to go before these initiatives are consistently demonstrated in all lessons and in all year groups. A good programme of staff training includes coaching and sharing of good teaching and questioning practice with teachers from the local technology college. The academy has begun to address the requirement that heads of curriculum areas monitor more consistently and accurately the quality of teaching and achievement in their subjects.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

A tighter focus on improving attendance and behaviour is beginning to have positive results in both aspects.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Following the monitoring inspection the following judgements were made:

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The academy’s action plans are fit for purpose.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The academy’s statement of action, jointly created by the academy and the director of the trust, is fit for purpose.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body and the DfE – Academies Advisers Unit. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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