Setting

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

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A Vinnicombe Long Lee Primary School Cherry Tree Rise Long Lee Keighley West Yorkshire BD21 4RU

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School

Following my visit to your school on 1 July 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 January 2016. 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 last section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with the strategic leader, other senior leaders, pupils, the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. The school improvement plan was evaluated. A range of lessons were observed and writing samples were scrutinised. The recommendations of the pupil premium review were also looked at.

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Context

Since the time of last inspection, two staff have gone on maternity leave and other staff have given in their resignations to take on new positions from September. Leaders have recruited seven new members of teaching staff to cover the gaps created and will be fully staffed from September 2016.

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Main findings

Leaders have acted quickly to tackle the areas identified for improvement at the last inspection. They have created a new action plan which details all the key areas and prioritises what needs to be done. They are well on the way to implementing the improvements required and can demonstrate where their actions are already being effective.

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Main findings

You have revised the way in which leaders collect information about the progress pupils are making and are now analysing this information quickly. This is helping leaders to target support more quickly, so that gaps in attainment and progress are being addressed. Teachers are being held more accountable because you have clear expectations about what good progress looks like.

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Main findings

Alongside the timely progress reviews, governors are being given this information in a clearer format so that they can understand and challenge the progress different groups are making. You are working closely with key governors to train them on how to understand the information they are being presented with. As a result of this, governors are now more knowledgeable about the progress disadvantaged pupils are making, and that of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Governors are questioning the progress information they receive from leaders, and if they are not satisfied, they request that leaders return to the next meeting to show evidence of improvements. This is ensuring that leaders of all phases are being held fully accountable.

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Main findings

You and your leadership team are working hard to ensure there is a consistent approach in the quality of teaching across the school. You are using staff from your federated school to further strengthen the quality of teaching through monitoring and sharing best practice. Further improvements are being brought about through training and observing practice in other schools.

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Main findings

Greater capacity for improvement has been secured by four middle leaders becoming specialist leaders of education. This has strengthened their knowledge and skills so that they are now contributing more fully to raise expectations and support improvements to teaching, learning and assessment. Middle leaders are now reviewing information with more rigour, presenting their information to governors and targeting training where it is needed. Improvements to the presentation and quality of writing are already evident. Middle leaders are enthusiastic in their roles and can demonstrate where they are already having impact in their subjects. You are utilising their key strengths to support developments across the federation.

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Main findings

Early years outcomes are being strengthened through closer tracking and monitoring. An early focus on developing key skills is helping to improve outcomes in writing. More opportunities for children to write are being provided across all the areas of the curriculum. A separate early years action plan shows how leaders are tackling key areas and regular moderation is ensuring greater consistency. Next steps are being identified and appropriate targets are being set.

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Main findings

The school should take further action to:

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Main findings

 ensure that the large number of new staff joining the school in September receive timely and effective support and training so that they can hit the ground running and continue to raise standards and improve outcomes for all pupils.

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External support

The local authority is working with the strategic leader to provide support and check that improvements are in place. Support is light touch because the capability and skills of the strategic leader are ensuring that improvements are happening quickly.

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External support

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

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