Setting

Mrs Caroline Rodgers Headteacher Brockley Primary School Clowne Road Shuttlewood Chesterfield S44 6AF

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School

Following my visit to your school on 1 May 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 January 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.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, subject leaders, four representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. I held a specific discussion with you about the use of your pupil premium funding. I evaluated your school improvement plan. We conducted a book scrutiny and tour of the school together, visiting all classes to see pupils and staff at work. At the beginning of the inspection two pupils took me on a tour around the school site. 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

You started as Headteacher twelve days before the last inspection. Following the outcome of the inspection and as part of your strategy to improve the school you have redesigned staff roles throughout the school.

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Main findings

You have undertaken a substantial amount of work since the last inspection, and this is having a noticeable, positive impact, on improving the school’s work. Your relentless approach to evaluating the school’s provision has informed your plans for improvement. Your high expectations mean that staff and pupils are now clearer about what is expected of them. You have clarified roles and responsibilities by ensuring the school has leaders for the early years, assessment, mathematics and English.

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Main findings

Governors have reconstituted their membership and undertaken further training. They demonstrate a strong sense of commitment to the school and a determination to lead it through the next stage of its development. Governors recognise that the information they have received in the past has not always been accurate. They now have clearer responsibilities which are allowing them the opportunity to get an accurate view about the strengths and areas for improvement of the school.

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Main findings

You have worked closely with senior leaders to improve the way in which pupils’ work is assessed. Consequently, teachers have a better understanding of where gaps in pupil attainment exist and are planning appropriate actions for improvement. You monitor teaching regularly and carefully. Your feedback focuses on how well teachers have enabled pupils to make progress in their learning. The full impact of this has yet to be seen on improved outcomes for pupils. You report that teachers are responding positively to the increased levels of accountability and support they are receiving from school leaders.

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Main findings

Reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling are starting to be taught in a systematic way. A literacy scheme established in September 2014 is now being embedded into day-to-day practice. You have recently implemented a ‘big write’ scheme. Pupils now get the opportunity to develop the skills they need when writing at length more regularly. This work has had a positive impact on the quality of writing done in other subjects. In order to develop pupils’ mental calculation skills you have recently put in place a new structure to support the teaching of these skills. As yet the impact of this work is not clear.

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Main findings

Most teachers are now applying the school’s marking policy to ensure that the feedback they give to pupils in their books challenges them to improve. This is most evident in the books of pupils in Key Stage 2. More detailed feedback and marking is helping pupils to review their work, correct mistakes and develop their ideas. School leaders are working with a local cluster of schools to moderate pupil’s attainment in writing within Key Stage 2, to develop your calculation policy and to improve your approach to assessing children’s starting points when they join the early years.

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Main findings

You have quickly reduced the amount of low level disruption in lessons. You have ensured that staff consistently apply the behaviour policy. Pupils report that the use of golden time motivates them to work hard in lessons and the anti-bullying champions are having a positive impact.

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Main findings

On the 6 th March a pupil premium review took place. As a result, there is a clearer approach to how monies are allocated to support the learning of individual pupils. Your most recent pupil assessment information demonstrates early signs that these approaches are working well.

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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.

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External support

The local authority has provided timely and appropriate support since the last inspection. The local authority has provided support from a teaching and learning consultant, an early year’s specialist and has established links for you with a local teaching 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 local authority.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Chair of the Governing Body  Local authority

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