Setting

Mr Steve Gallaway Headteacher Old Clee Primary School Colin Avenue Grimsby Lincolnshire DN32 8EN

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School, North East Lincolnshire

Following my visit to your school on 8 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 academy since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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School, North East Lincolnshire

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the academy 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, North East Lincolnshire

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:

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School, North East Lincolnshire

 ensure that the plan makes more explicit links between the actions the academy is taking and the planned impact on teaching, learning and progress  identify precisely how, who and when leaders will check on the impact of the plan, and how this will be reported to governors  identify more clearly how teaching is to be improved  learn from a more effective school, national or local leader of education.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, assistant headteachers, and members of the governing body to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. I evaluated the post-inspection action plan and pupil progress data. I CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566 937 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: jsimmons@cfbt.com visited classrooms with you, speaking with pupils about their learning, and looked at pupils’ work. A discussion was also held with pupils during a visit to the playground.

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Context

At the time of this inspection, three full-time temporary teachers were in post, two in Key Stage 1, supported by one of the permanent assistant headteachers, who is teaching almost full-time.

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Main findings

A post-Ofsted action plan has been written to address areas requiring improvement identified during the last inspection. A timeline supports the plan but it is unclear about who will be responsible for each area, and how the impact of actions will be evaluated. Success criteria lack sufficient detail about what success will look like for pupils and staff. This means that it is difficult when looking at the plans to identify how attainment will improve as a result of work done, and as a consequence, governors cannot always pinpoint how well the academy is improving over time. There is some evidence of early impact of the academy’s work.

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Main findings

 You have introduced a new system of assessment and data collection to measure progress that pupils are making, and are working through the challenges that this is presenting. Analysis does not show progress of specific groups of pupils, such as boys, girls or disadvantaged pupils, leading to a potential lack of precision in teaching and provision for those pupils.

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Main findings

 Teachers are held to account for the progress their pupils make, and you have planned to make this process more rigorously focussed on removing barriers to learning for individual pupils.

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Main findings

 A revised marking policy is in place. The application and impact of the policy is being monitored by you and the leadership team. As a result, some pupils in Key Stage 2 are responding well and improving their writing in particular. However, the impact of marking remains inconsistent, particularly in reading comprehension and mathematics.

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Main findings

 There is some evidence of more opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills in a wider range of subjects.

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Main findings

 A timetable for monitoring some aspects of the academy’s work has been devised, and leaders have monitored data and pupils’ books. Leaders have conducted learning walks and observed lessons to identify strengths and areas for improvement in teaching. Through this, you have identified the need for further work on defining learning objectives so that pupils and teachers know exactly what learning should take place in each lesson. However, because the purpose of each monitoring activity is not precise, leaders are unable to demonstrate improvements in teaching.

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Main findings

 Senior leaders are unsure about how they are using performance management to improve individual teachers, and teachers’ targets lack clarity in how to raise the attainment of groups of pupils.

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Main findings

 Teaching assistants have received some training. The impact of this training has been variable and staff and governors recognise that some staff have been resistant to change, leading to variable impact upon pupils’ learning.

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Main findings

 You are working with staff to improve pupils’ knowledge of cultural diversity through the personal, social, health and citizenship education curriculum and through assemblies and special events. A positive aspect of this was the academy- wide hustings and elections which gave pupils first-hand experiences of the democratic process.

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Main findings

 Pupils report that they are happy at the academy, there is little falling out and that if pupils do have difficulties they are well supported by staff.

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Main findings

 The governing body are involved in the life of the academy and make regular visits to find out about the work of the academy. They recognise the issues raised during the last inspection and are working with leaders to develop greater accountability. They are aware of the need for more frequent and detailed information about the impact of the academy’s work to improve teaching and to measure the progress of pupils, in order to gauge progress against the plan. Governors recognise the need to develop a partnership with a better performing school to support improvements at Old Clee.

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Main findings

Although there is evidence of some improvement, this has been slow to start due to a lack of urgency in the planning stage. The need for leaders to focus more sharply on improving the quality of teaching and on the achievement of pupils remain priorities.

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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

You have worked with three external advisors to help develop the work of the academy. The academy also has links with three local schools, and works in collaboration with these schools to provide training for staff. It is not clear how these arrangements challenge and support leadership at Old Clee to develop an accurate understanding of the academy’s strengths and weaknesses. There is not a formal partnership with a better performing school or academy or with a national or local leader of education. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, and the Director of Children’s Services for North East Lincolnshire.

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