Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Marion Clist Woodcot Primary School Tukes Avenue Bridgemary Gosport Hampshire PO13 0SG

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School

Following my visit to your school on 20 April 2016, 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 May 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 previous section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with you, the chair of the governing body and two other governors, middle leaders and a representative from the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. With you, I visited lessons and looked at work in pupils’ books. I evaluated the school improvement plan and reviewed other documentation including minutes of governors’ meetings, monitoring information and reports from the local authority.

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Context

The mathematics leader left the school in December 2015 and the role is currently being undertaken by you. The English leader joined in January 2016. The deputy headteacher is leaving at the end of this term and a replacement has been appointed for September.

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Main findings

You have acted with commitment and purpose to tackle all the areas identified in the previous report. The action plan details exactly what you, leaders, teachers and governors need to do and how that will result in pupils learning more. Each term, you and governors rightly check that these actions are being carried out and that they are having the desired effect. As a result, in almost all classes, pupils are learning more and making faster progress. You know where this is not yet the case and continue to provide effective support and challenge to those teachers.

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Main findings

Middle leaders are much clearer about their roles. They generally identify the correct priorities in their areas of responsibility. With your support, they have produced useful action plans which show clearly what needs to be done and how leaders can judge whether the school is improving. Due to recent and impending changes in the leadership team, there is more work to do to ensure that all leaders are effective in their specific roles.

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Main findings

Pupils’ writing is improving. The introduction of a whole-school approach to the teaching of writing, combined with training for teachers, has resulted in rapid improvements in many classes. Pupils’ work in their books and around the school shows they are learning more. In most classes, pupils are now working at the expected level for their age; in one class, many pupils are working above what is expected. This has helped you, other leaders and teachers to be more ambitious for what can be achieved.

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Main findings

Mathematics teaching is improving. The training and support you have provided to help teachers develop their subject knowledge has enabled them to plan and deliver useful lessons, which are at the correct level for pupils of differing abilities. There has been a noticeable improvement in pupils’ use of vocabulary; they are now using the correct terminology in a range of contexts. Pupils are much more confident in using practical equipment and are now accustomed to independently choosing what they need to help them. You are aware that there is more to do to embed the improvements that have been made and further develop teachers’ confidence to challenge pupils at all levels.

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Main findings

Teachers are involved in analysing the progress their pupils are making but they are not yet taking as much responsibility for this as they should. Teachers use the feedback from leaders to consider carefully how well disadvantaged pupils are doing and take appropriate action to support further progress.

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Main findings

The required pupil premium review was carried out by the local authority. Although the review and subsequent report were not rigorous or evaluative enough to give clear direction, you and governors have sought advice from other leaders and are now ensuring that the funding is having a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils’ progress. Your recent introduction of a new approach to target setting for this group is leading to accelerated progress for many of these pupils.

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Main findings

Governors have responded positively to the governor review, implementing the recommendations made and reflecting on how they can improve further. The questions they ask are appropriate and focused on the right areas. They now visit the school regularly to check for themselves how well the school is improving. They have sensibly put a succession plan in place to ensure continuity.

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External support

The local authority has provided substantial, effective and carefully coordinated support, with which the school has engaged well. The local authority are aware that the exception to this was the review of the pupil premium. This effective support from is planned to continue for the forthcoming year. Additionally, a grant has been secured from the Pioneer Teaching School Alliance and plans are in place to support the school with aspects of staff development, including middle leadership and governance.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the director of children’s services for Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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