Setting

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

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Liam Jackson Acting headteacher Reedness Primary School Reedness Goole DN14 8HG

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School

Following my visit to your school on 22 September 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 February 2016. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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School

At its section 5 inspection before the one that took place in February 2016 the school was also judged to require improvement.

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School

Senior leaders and governors are not 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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School

The school should take further action to:

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School

 address additional concerns raised during the inspection about the implementation of safeguarding procedures  ensure that governors meet their statutory duty to publish information about the school’s policy and the provision they make for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities  closely monitor the current provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that their needs are being assessed and met  ensure the action plan that has been developed to address areas for improvement has clear timescales and measurable success criteria, so that governors can check that rapid progress is made to catch up for the time lost since the inspection in February 2016.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. The school action plan was evaluated. Meetings were held with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and the three teachers. I observed pupils and talked with them during playtime. We undertook a joint learning walk, visiting the three class groups during the morning session. During the visits, I listened to pupils read and reviewed their work. Discussions were held with parents as they brought their children to school. The documents relating to the recruitment of staff and other safeguarding records were checked.

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Context

Shortly after the inspection in February the executive headteacher secured another position and left at the end of the school year. His departure concluded the school- to-school support recorded in the last section 5 inspection report. The governing body have worked with the local authority to secure the current staffing arrangements. You were appointed as acting headteacher at the start of this term and you work in the school for two days a week. Of the three teachers, two are new to the school. The third teacher now has the temporary role of assistant headteacher. The governing body plan to keep the staff structure under review.

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Main findings

In the six months following the inspection, progress towards improving the school stalled. Governors focused on the recruitment of staff but, at that time, did not challenge leaders enough to secure the progress needed. Leaders did not bring about improvements in the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment quickly enough. As a result, pupils did not reach the standards that they were capable of from their starting points in reading, writing or mathematics. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities were not fully assessed, so they did not receive the help they needed.

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Main findings

A scrutiny of records indicated weaknesses in implementing safeguarding procedures. During this inspection you arranged for essential training and support to be put in place. However, it remains the case that governors had not taken effective action to fulfil their statutory duties. Since the last inspection the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has given rise to concern from parents. You have deployed an experienced SENCo to ensure that the needs of these pupils are identified and appropriate plans are put in place to enable them to make better progress. There is much catching up to be done in this area of work. The governors have not ensured that they have met their statutory duty to provide information for parents about the provision they make for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Main findings

The initial action plan the governors adopted was not structured clearly enough to enable them to check if teaching, learning and assessment were improving fast enough. As progress stalled in the first six months of the implementation of the plan, it is essential that the revised plan systematically addresses the areas for improvement so that progress can be measured.

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Main findings

Since the start of this term you have had an incisive and positive impact. You have ensured a level of optimism and enthusiasm in the community, among parents, staff and pupils, for the future of the school. The foundations for their enthusiasm were clear during visits to lessons and when looking at pupils’ books. Improvements are quickly emerging because of your challenge and support.

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Main findings

Pupils are showing more enthusiasm for learning because you have developed the range of subjects taught and improved how they are taught. Pupils’ interests are captured so they are motivated. While it is very early days, there are signs that pupils are rising to the challenge to work harder, think more deeply and achieve more. One clear example of this is the very high standard of work older pupils produced in the summer holiday to get ready for this term’s project.

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Main findings

The very small team of teachers have accepted responsibility for developing key areas of the school’s work. They are working with pace and enthusiasm. The process for marking pupils’ work and the expectation that pupils will correct their own work are developing, and some early impact is seen in their books.

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Main findings

Pupils’ mathematics books show that they are developing their calculation and number skills and learning to use and apply their knowledge in different ways. The younger pupils are showing positive developments in their handwriting and keenness to write. They use their phonics skills to spell accurately.

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Main findings

Pupils continue to enjoy school. They feel safe and for the most part engage in learning and conduct themselves well at playtime and in lessons.

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Main findings

Everybody connected to the school recognises the urgency with which the staff team has to address the areas for improvement. You accepted the need to include the additional issues identified in the school’s action plan.

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External support

The local authority has provided support to the school through regular monitoring visits and supporting the recruitment process for the current acting headteacher. Sadly, support in relation to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the leadership of safeguarding and implementation of safeguarding procedures has not been as effective.

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External support

The reports provided by the local authority representative during the spring and summer term last school year were shared with the governing body. Unfortunately the findings were not shared with the staff team so they did not have the impact they could have done. You now share all monitoring information with the staff.

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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 East Riding of Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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