Setting

Ms Ruth Worswick Headteacher Holme Church of England Primary School Openfields Headley Bordon Hampshire GU35 8PQ

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England Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 22 October 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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England Primary School

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

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England Primary School

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection in order to become a good school. The school should take further action to:

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England Primary School

 refine the school development plan so that it sets out clearly what will be done, when and by whom, and gives appropriate milestones in order to measure success.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with you and the assistant headteacher, other leaders, two members of the governing body and a representative of the trust. I visited classrooms and looked at pupils’ work with you and the assistant headteacher. I spoke with some pupils about their learning. I looked at range of documents and evaluated the school development plan. Ofsted

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Evidence

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Context

Since the last inspection, two teachers have left and one teacher has joined the school. You are currently teaching a Year 2 class in the morning because the governing body was unable to recruit an additional teacher. The governing body has elected a new Chair of the Governing Body.

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Main findings

Following the recent inspection, you have strengthened your resolve to secure high quality teaching and excellence in learning. Your commitment to teach Year 2 pupils this year is evidence of your determination to give pupils the best possible chance to succeed. You have high expectations of everyone and these are clearly communicated. Pupils are included in this. You are helping pupils to understand that they are in control of their learning. As a result, pupils are starting to show better attitudes. As one older pupil said, ‘We used to be quite negative but now we are much more positive about what we can do.’

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Main findings

Teaching is improving. Pupils are writing at greater length because teachers are giving them more opportunities to do so. Teachers are giving pupils tasks that motivate them to write extensively. Year 2 pupils were very excited about the letters that they received from ‘Plop’ the owl, and were eager to reply to him.

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Main findings

When you started in September 2014, you rightly focused on ensuring that teachers have an accurate understanding of what pupils can and cannot do. Since the inspection, you have continued to put into place systems to ensure that careful checks take place before, during and after pupils’ learning. Teachers are starting to use this information to plan tasks that better match pupils’ abilities. In classes where teachers do this well, such as the Year 5 and Year 6 class, pupils’ progress is beginning to accelerate. You have also sustained your efforts to make sure that teachers give pupils feedback that helps them to make progress. Teachers are now giving pupils time to respond to marking. Nevertheless, the quality of this feedback and pupils’ responses to it is not yet consistent across the school.

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Main findings

Some necessary changes have been made to the early years classroom. The indoor and outdoor areas have been extended. The early years leader has a plan to develop the outdoor area and create opportunities for children to enjoy activities that cover all of the areas of learning. However, these plans are yet to be implemented because there are not enough resources available. Adults are providing some appropriate outdoor activities to develop children’s learning. For example, children were encouraged to order numbers in a fishing game. Teachers challenged children to consider which numbers come before and after a given number.

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Main findings

Middle leaders have very recently taken on new responsibilities. You took advice from the headteacher of Waverley Abbey Church of England Junior School and have given middle leaders specific tasks to enable them to develop their leadership skills. Middle leaders have responded positively to these new challenges, appreciated training and have started to take action. It is too early to see the impact of this work.

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Main findings

The school development plan is not a useful working document. It does not reflect the efforts that have been undertaken to improve the school so far. The plan does not show in detail what actions are planned, who is leading them or by when they will be completed. While the plan makes clear how success will be measured, it does not break down what is expected at key milestones over the coming year. Nevertheless, the plan does address each of the areas for improvement and states how leaders will monitor its implementation.

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Main findings

Governors are striving to provide appropriate challenge and support to leaders. They have a sound understanding of their responsibilities and the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This is because governors play an active part and regularly question the headteacher about progress made so far. Governors have taken an area each of the school development plan to evaluate, but are not able to carefully check progress because the plan lacks sufficient detail.

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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 Good Shepherd Trust has an aspirational vision for the school. This is based on substantiated knowledge that is gained through regular monitoring of the school’s performance. The trust provides effective support to leaders and is committed to securing the long-term future and success of 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 Hampshire and the Chief Executive Officer of the Good Shepherd Trust.

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