Mill Meadow

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

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Miss Emma Laflin Acting Headteacher Mill Meadow Mill Road Gazeley Newmarket Suffolk CB8 8RW

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

Following my visit to your school on 26 April 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s recent section 5 inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in November 2015.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

The local authority’s statement of action is fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

The school’s improvement plan is fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Mill Meadow

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

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

 Improve the quality of leadership and management at all levels by: – as a matter of urgency, ensuring that all safeguarding arrangements are firmly in place – increasing the accountability of senior leaders for securing prompt improvements throughout the school – increasing the school’s capacity to drive improvements in subjects and the management of pupils’ behaviour – reintegrating more pupils back into mainstream schools or other suitable provision – rigorously monitoring the quality of teaching and evaluating the impact it is having on pupils’ progress, behaviour and welfare – providing more curriculum time for English and mathematics, and for raising pupils’ awareness of fundamental British values so they are suitably prepared for life in modern Britain.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – gaining an accurate overview of the current strengths and weaknesses of teachers and instructors, and putting in place plans to make teaching far

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

more consistent – ensuring that staff have the skills they need to deal effectively with pupils who have challenging behaviour – enabling newly appointed staff to improve their effectiveness through training and support, and by observing good teaching within the school and other school settings – clarifying what senior leaders expect to see in lessons, including effective planning, management of pupils’ behaviour and checking of their books – providing staff with further curriculum advice and guidance to reduce their over-reliance on basic texts and simple worksheets.  Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and well-being by: – strengthening policy and procedures so that pupils understand fully the expectations of them – implementing staff training on managing behaviour consistently and effectively – introducing step-by-step procedures for dealing with those who are unable to behave in lessons and making other arrangements to help them calm down

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

and continue their learning until they are ready to return to the classroom – monitoring attendance much more effectively and taking further action to tackle persistent absence from school.  Raise achievement by: – creating a positive environment for learning in lessons so that those who are willing and keen to learn can do so – raising expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving and providing them with suitably challenging work – identifying how pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills can be reinforced in all subjects – checking routinely the quality of pupils’ writing and mathematics in their books and explaining to them how they can improve their work.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management can be improved.

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Evidence

The inspector visited lessons accompanied by a senior leader, during which she looked at pupils’ work and talked to them about their learning and behaviour. She met with the acting headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the student engagement leader as well as the chair of the management committee and a lead standards and excellence officer from the local authority. The inspector scrutinised safeguarding arrangements, including the register of staff suitability to work with children, as well as the school’s improvement planning, monitoring documents and assessment information. She met with staff and two pupils, and spent time with pupils and staff at lunchtime.

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Context

Since the previous inspection there have been a number of changes in staffing. The deputy headteacher retired and an acting headteacher took up post in January. The headteacher of a local pupil referral unit provided stabilising support at the start of the spring term for two weeks while the interim headteacher was recruited. A new senior leadership team has been established, with a deputy headteacher and the student engagement lead being appointed from within the staff team at the start of February. Two members have left the management committee and a new chair has been appointed. Pupil numbers have been reduced; there are currently 16 pupils on roll. There are no girls on roll.

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Context

Consultations for the school to become a sponsored academy have been started.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The acting headteacher rapidly identified the most important aspects of provision that need to improve. She has acted quickly to address these. As a result, Mill Meadow is a calmer and safer place for both pupils and staff. Plans for improvement address these key priorities and are based on change being achieved at a good pace. Members of the management committee and staff know what is expected by when, and how improvement will be measured.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Urgent action has been taken to address the shortcomings in safeguarding arrangements identified at the previous inspection. The safeguarding and child protection policy is up to date. It provides clear guidance to staff on what is expected of them and on how they should manage safeguarding concerns. Through this, and the training they have received this term, staff know what they should do and are confident they can take appropriate action if necessary. Displays for visitors on entry and for pupils and staff around the school make clear who is responsible for dealing with any concerns. The student engagement lead has painstakingly improved the record of staff suitability to work with children and has ensured that the few remaining gaps in information are not a threat to pupils’ safety. Procedures to manage site security and safety have been put in place and appropriate checks implemented. The erection of temporary fencing around the borders of the site,

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

and to prevent pupils accessing play equipment, is unsightly but effective in securing their safety.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The acting headteacher has allocated responsibilities to the newly appointed senior leaders who understand the expectations set for them. The improvements in pupils’ behaviour are already evident and indicative of the capacity of leaders to take effective action. The student engagement lead keeps records of incidents of poor behaviour and also records when pupils are rewarded for positive attitudes and approaches to their learning. These are starting to provide a useful analysis of how well the new policy and procedures for managing pupils’ behaviour are working.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The acting headteacher is well supported by the headteacher of a successful local pupil referral unit and by a standards and excellence officer from the local authority. New procedures for monitoring teaching are rigorous and informative. Staff receive good advice on how to plan to meet pupils’ learning needs and on how to improve their teaching. Their hard work, recognised at the previous inspection, is now better supported and directed by leaders. As a result, although improvement is at the early stages, pupils are already making better progress. Staff have particularly appreciated the opportunities they have been given to share concerns and strategies for managing behaviour and learning together. Expectations are higher and there is a strong ethos of shared responsibility for ensuring that all pupils can be successful.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders have restructured the timetable. Pupils start learning earlier and spend an appropriate amount of time improving their English and mathematical skills. Leaders have implemented a new programme of work to develop pupils’ understanding of moral and social issues and to ensure that they understand fundamental British values. Displays around the school show that they have already considered truthfulness, tolerance and the rule of law. Wider curriculum subjects have not been reviewed, although pupils say they are learning more in English and mathematics. They are also aware that the curriculum they are offered and the resources available to support their learning, for example in science, are limited.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The new chair of the management committee has the appropriate knowledge and expertise to help move the unit forward quickly. As a national leader of governance, she brings the necessary skills to review and develop the work of the committee. An action plan for managers is in place with appropriate targets and actions to both challenge and support leaders in their work to improve provision. For example, a recent visit by a member of the management committee to scrutinise the quality of improved safeguarding arrangements was well planned, included discussion with staff and appropriately reviewed the impact of leaders’ work.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Leaders have given staff guidance on what they expect to see in lessons. Teachers say that they appreciate the advice and the opportunities they are being given to develop their practice through training, discussion and through visiting other schools. The acting headteacher has implemented procedures to manage their performance. Agreed expectations for whole-school priorities and individual staff’s personal development are now in place. Leaders and staff know there is still much to do to secure good teaching. Expectations of what pupils should achieve in lessons are not shared with pupils clearly enough or reviewed with them well enough to enable pupils to make the progress they could.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

In a short time, leaders and teachers have worked together to develop new procedures for planning for pupils’ learning. There is still not enough challenge for pupils. However, activities are better matched to each pupil’s needs so teachers and learning support assistants can focus with pupils on what they need to do to make progress. New systems for assessing pupils’ learning and progress have just been implemented. These are helping staff to understand expectations for pupils’ achievement, to plan for pupils’ learning so that they can build on what they know, and to identify what gaps there are in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Targets have been set for individual pupils in English and mathematics and pupils are being made aware that they need to strive to achieve these.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Because staff are managing behaviour better, there is now time in lessons to focus on pupils’ learning. In the majority of instances seen, pupils were concentrating on their work and trying hard. In one classroom there was a particularly harmonious atmosphere, pupils worked hard to solve mathematical problems and recorded their work neatly. The teacher and the learning support assistant questioned pupils carefully about their learning; this drew out what pupils knew and understood, built their confidence and helped them to use their knowledge to find answers independently.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders have implemented the new policy for managing pupils’ behaviour with care. Procedures are clear and easily understood. Teachers and staff are taking much greater responsibility for managing the behaviour of pupils. Senior leaders step in to help at an identified point which ensures that staff are not placed in situations that are too challenging for them to manage on their own. Pupils understand the expectations of them and know what will happen if they do not meet them. They can earn rewards for positive attitudes and academic achievement as well as being given time out when their behaviour deteriorates. Rewards are social occasions with their classmates, for example picnics and swimming trips. As well as helping behaviour, these support pupils’ social development effectively. Parents and pupils were involved in putting together the approaches to managing behaviour so have a good knowledge of how they work.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Parents are informed when their child is successful, as well as when there are problems, which helps them understand their child’s personal development as well as their academic achievement.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Behaviour support plans incorporate a range of useful information, including the triggers for challenging behaviour. This information is not always used quickly enough to prevent poor behaviour from escalating. Although teachers set targets for pupils’ behaviour, they do not draw on the information in the plans well enough to ensure it improves as quickly as it could. Incidents of challenging behaviour have reduced, so too has the disruption to learning. Pupils say that the school is safer and that they feel safe. One pupil said that school is better because the adults are in control now rather than the pupils. This is a good step forward. Behaviour between lessons and at lunchtime during the inspection was calm and pupils socialised well together. Staff eat lunch with pupils, model expectations and through this build trusting relationships in which they support pupils to address the causes of their difficulties.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

A member of staff always accompanies pupils who are educated off site through one- to-one tuition. Welfare calls are made daily to ensure that pupils are safe if they are not in school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils’ attendance is not good enough. A more rigorous approach to addressing the absence of pupils has been implemented. As a result of this, and of pupils’ greater engagement in their learning, attendance is improving, in some instances markedly so.

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Outcomes for pupils

New assessment procedures have been implemented. These have not been in place long enough to enable leaders and staff to demonstrate how much progress pupils are making. However, pupils’ books show they are making better progress than they were at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils are taking more care in the presentation of their work and they are achieving more in lessons. This is because teaching is better matched to their needs and there is less disruption to learning from poor, unmanaged behaviour.

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Outcomes for pupils

Much greater focus and time has been given to developing pupils’ literacy and mathematics skills. For some pupils, expectations are still too low. However, there is evidence in most pupils’ work that their skills in these subjects are developing at a faster rate and are more in line with the expectations for their age. As their confidence increases, teachers and learning support assistants are using what pupils know and are interested in to enhance their learning. For example, in a geography lesson, a learning support assistant used a pupil’s excitement about knowing key cities and the names of ports gained from a computer game to extend his learning.

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Outcomes for pupils

Some action has been taken to reduce the number of pupils at Mill Meadow while improvements are made. This has included finding suitable provision for those who had been at the unit for a long period of time. Leaders are clear that their responsibility is to support pupils to address their difficulties and to move on to other appropriate provision. Because some pupils do not behave well enough when they are together in their classroom base, they are moved to work on their own in different places around the school. This means they are not being well enough supported to develop the attitudes, engagement and resilience that will help them be successful when they move on. The new focus given to understanding values such as truthfulness, tolerance and respect is enabling pupils to develop some of the skills they will need to be successful in wider British society.

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External support

The local authority did not take robust action last year to support staff to manage the increased number of pupils and prevent Mill Meadow’s decline. Since the inspection in November, extensive action has been taken and appropriate support has been established. In part, this has resulted in the improvements seen during the monitoring inspection.

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External support

The acting headteacher is employed by the local authority and has been seconded to the school. She is leading improvement with rigour and tenacity. In addition, the standards and excellence officer is providing increased capacity to monitor the school’s work and to provide training to help staff improve the quality of their work. The local authority has also sourced the new chair of the management committee who is providing good support as well as rigorous challenge to leaders. The very effective support of the local teaching school alliance and the headteacher of the pupil referral unit, brokered by the local authority, is ensuring leaders and staff have access to the expertise they need to bring about improvement.

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