Setting

Liz Foster (Executive headteacher) Monyash CofE Primary School Church Street Monyash Bakewell DE45 1JH

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 27 April 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 to 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 February 2015. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The school was also judged to require improvement at the previous section 5 inspection.

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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.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with the executive headteacher, the school’s mathematics coordinator, representatives of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority. A brief conversation was held by telephone with a representative of the diocese. The inspector toured the school, visiting both classrooms and holding discussions with pupils. The school’s improvement plan was evaluated. Serco Inspections Colmore Plaza 20 Colmore Circus Queensway Birmingham B4 6AT T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T : 0121 679 9167 Direct email : farhan.aslam@serco.com

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Context

There have been no changes at the school since the inspection.

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Main findings

The school has experienced a period of significant difficulties in leadership and staffing recently. The local authority has acted successfully to stabilise the staffing and leadership in the short term. The long-term arrangements for the school are still uncertain; however, which is potentially a barrier to the school’s continued improvement.

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Main findings

You have taken several initiatives, which are leading to the required improvements in the quality of teaching. The teachers have been provided with practical advice on the teaching of mathematics. They are now putting the advice into practice. For example, the pupils told me about the ‘maths challenge’ booklets that they are now using.

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Main findings

The teachers have been given some initial opportunities to visit other schools and observe good teaching practice and are using some of the techniques they have observed to set more-challenging work for the pupils. For example, the pupils explained to me how the ‘next steps’ that they are given to do involve them in more- difficult work.

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Main findings

The governing body is increasingly well informed about what is happening in the school. You have helped it to become so by setting up with the governing body a series of purposeful activities, which is helping it to gain at first hand an understanding of the school’s progress. The external review of governance, though planned and offering the prospect of further improvements, has not taken place, however, and the arrangements for it need to be firmed up as a matter of urgency.

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Main findings

You revised the school improvement plan, with the involvement of the governing body, after the recent inspection. The plan, clearly, incorporates the areas for improvement from the inspection. I discussed with you some ways in which the plan could be improved, including by making the proposed timings of activities more precise.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further monitoring inspections and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection. I have recommended that a further visit takes place to monitor the progress of the school, with particular reference to sustaining improvements in leadership and management.

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External support

You have established a close and productive working relationship with the local authority. The support provided, endorsed by the diocese, has been essential to the improvements at the school.

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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 Derbyshire, and the Director of Education for the Derby diocese.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

cc. Appropriate authority - Chair of the Governing Body/Interim Executive Board cc. Local authority cc. Diocese – for voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools

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