Setting

Headteacher King William Street Church of England Primary School King William Street Swindon SN1 3LB

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Church of England Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 16 June 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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Church of England Primary School

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

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Church of England Primary 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:

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Church of England Primary School

 include specific progress targets for pupil groups for each of the milestones in the school development plan  record which governors are responsible for evaluating the impact of each action taken to improve the school and how and when this monitoring will take place.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with you, other leaders, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body, to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. I evaluated your school development plan, and a range of documents including governing body minutes, teachers’ planning and information about pupils’ progress. Together with the subject leaders, I looked at pupils’ work in English and mathematics books. We visited 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 01173115246 Direct F 01173150430 Direct email :Sara.Whalley@Tribalgroup.com lessons in all year groups to observe learning and discuss the improvements you are making.

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Context

There have been no changes in staffing since the last inspection.

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Main findings

You have made an appropriate start in addressing the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Staff and governors share your vision to be good at the next inspection. You are working together effectively as a team to achieve this outcome. You have raised teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve to quicken the pace of improvement. Staff are positive about the changes being made and this supports improvement.

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Main findings

The school development plan focuses on the key areas for improvement. You have set clear and appropriate timescales for improvement. However, you have not set targets for the progress of pupil groups. This makes it difficult for leaders and governors to check the impact of your actions. Also it is not clear precisely who will evaluate the impact of each action and how and when this will be done.

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Main findings

You are sharply focused on improving the quality of teaching of mathematics to quicken progress for all pupils. Together with your leaders and the support of your external consultant, you have introduced strategies to deepen pupils’ mathematical understanding. This is helping pupils to use and apply the skills they learn more effectively, particularly when solving problems. Work in books shows teachers plan work more precisely to stretch and challenge pupils’ thinking. Although it is too early to see the full impact of this work, the school’s information shows that the most able pupils are making better progress. Also, the gap between disadvantaged pupils and that of their peers is closing.

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Main findings

Following the inspection, you quickly put plans in place to improve the quality of writing. With the support of the Diocesan adviser, the staff agreed ‘non-negotiables’ in writing for each year group. As a result, teachers plan opportunities for pupils to write each day, using a range of genres. Pupils, and particularly boys, are more motivated to write; topics such as ‘Castles’ and ‘Superheroes’ engage and inspire them to write. Work in books shows an improvement in the quality and quantity of writing since the inspection. Pupils like this increased challenge and say teachers’ higher expectations are helping them to learn more. However, you have recognised continued inconsistency in pupils’ presentation and in teachers’ marking. These non- negotiables are not yet in place which is slowing the pace of improvement.

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Main findings

You have tightened the rigour and quality of your systems to check and record pupils’ progress. This helps staff know in detail how well their pupils are achieving. Leaders check teachers’ planning, the quality of their teaching and work in pupils’ books regularly. You and other leaders meet with staff to agree actions that teachers need to take, particularly if pupils are at risk of falling behind. This enables teachers to know and understand pupils’ different rates of learning so they can adjust activities to help them learn well. Although this is a positive way of working, it is too soon to see the impact on achievement in English and mathematics.

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Main findings

Governors offer increased levels of challenge. They ask probing questions to ensure they are better informed and have a deepening knowledge of the school’s performance. They have booked an external review of governance and demonstrate a determination to extend their knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They visit the school regularly to check on the performance of the school. However, the school development plan does not yet set out exactly, when, how and which governors will check leaders’ actions so that the school improves quickly.

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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 and your governors took decisive action following the inspection to improve the quality of the school’s external support. Positive developments in tackling the quality of teaching in writing and mathematics demonstrate the effective support given to the school by the external consultants you now employ. In addition, the local authority adviser, also commissioned by the school, visits regularly to evaluate the impact of actions taken and the pace of improvement. Comprehensive reports, written by all external consultants, detail the school’s progress. They provide clear and appropriate guidance to drive improvement at the required pace.

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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 Swindon and as below.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

 Local authority – including where the school is an academy  Diocese – for voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools  For academies [ CausingConcern.SCHOOLS@education.gsi.gov.uk ]

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