Setting

Nick Sharp Headteacher Yapton CofE Primary School North End Road Yapton Arundel West Sussex BN18 0DU

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School

Following my visit to your school on 12 February 2015, 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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School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in December 2015. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 ensure that its improvement plan:

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School

 refers directly to each of the areas identified in the inspection report, with details of the action to be taken and how governors will check and measure improvement  includes targets for the achievement of different groups of pupils with the aim of closing the identified gaps  sets out prompt action to develop effective systems for assessing pupils’ progress accurately, in reading, writing and mathematics. 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 The local authority should consult with the headteacher and the diocese to arrange a suitable partnership with senior leaders from a school which has recently improved to be good.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with you and the deputy headteacher, and with the Co- Chairs of the Governing Body. I spoke on the telephone with representatives of the local authority and the diocese. I visited all the classrooms, looked at some pupils’ books and talked with others about their work. I examined a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and staff development, the school’s records of checks on teaching, governing body minutes and local authority visit reports.

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Context

There have been no changes to staffing since the inspection.

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Main findings

You and the deputy headteacher have acted quickly to reinforce the important message that pupils’ progress needs to improve, especially for the groups identified in the inspection report. You have introduced a helpful system to record and summarise information about pupils’ achievement and now discuss this information with teachers at regular intervals. Importantly, these meetings review progress for under-achieving groups of pupils and the support teachers are providing for them. However, current targets are the same for all pupils, regardless of the progress they need to make, and this limits their value.

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Main findings

Some positive early signs are emerging of changes to the way teachers work. You have made sensible changes to the way teachers record and review their planning for what pupils will learn. You have provided a helpful record for teaching assistants to use when feeding back to teachers about pupils’ progress during lessons. Importantly, you are also promoting improvement in teachers’ marking and feedback, to accelerate pupils’ progress and boost their pride and interest in their work.

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Main findings

You have provided staff with clear information about the features of good teaching and learning you wish to promote. You have provided helpful guidance to teachers after visiting classrooms informally and after a small number of focussed observations. However, you do not yet routinely check teaching comprehensively across the school to identify strengths as well as weaknesses. Furthermore, the checks you make do not focus well enough on the aspects of teaching identified for improvement in the inspection report, or the progress of under-achieving groups of pupils. You are taking effective action to improve attendance, with some notable success. Parents and pupils are responding positively to your direct contact and to the interest you show in their circumstances.

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Main findings

Some older pupils have responded well to recent activities designed to inspire higher levels of ambition and aspiration. You are working closely with the diocese to develop pupils’ experience of religion in the world, including providing helpful training for staff. However, your plans do not focus well enough on pupils’ cultural development through the wider curriculum.

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Main findings

You have devised a summary action plan to steer the improvement of the school, which includes relevant actions. Nevertheless, the current document does not provide enough detail about what is to be done in each area identified for improvement, or describe clearly enough the improvement which will be seen as a result. Furthermore, the plan does not provide measurable targets for pupils’ achievement, including for identified groups, and lacks a sufficiently urgent approach to developing the underlying systems needed for the better use of assessment.

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Main findings

Governors are well organised and committed to see the school improve to be a good school as soon as possible. As a result, they are ready to check improvement, including through visits to the school. An annual calendar of monitoring activities is in place, and roles and responsibilities are clear. However, exactly how governors will check improvement is not set out well enough in the school’s improvement plan.

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External support

Local authority consultants have provided helpful training for staff about the teaching of reading, and specialist support for teachers working with pupils who are learning English as an additional language. The school is a high priority for the local authority, but support is lacking for leaders’ improvement planning, and the prompt development of assessment procedures to match the new curriculum.

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External support

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

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Director of Children’s Services for West Sussex and the Diocese of Chichester.

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