Setting

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

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Mrs Loraine Allen Nassington Primary School Church Street Nassington Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE8 6QG

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School

Following my visit to your school on 25 April 2017, 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 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 most recent section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, subject leaders and the acting chair and vice-chair of the governing body, to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. You and I visited all classes and examined pupils’ writing books, as well as talking to pupils, to evaluate the quality of their learning. In addition, I scrutinised the school’s safeguarding arrangements and records, including the school’s record of safeguarding recruitment checks on staff. I evaluated the school’s documentation in relation to pupils’ attainment and progress and reviewed the school’s own evaluation of its work, improvement plans and minutes of the governing body. I also considered the external review of governance and the monitoring reports from the local authority and your school improvement partner.

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Context

Since the previous inspection, five governors, including the chair of the governing body, have left the school. An acting chair of the governing body was appointed in March 2017. The age range at the school has increased, and this year there is a Year 6 cohort for the first time.

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Main findings

You have taken appropriate steps to act on the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection report. You have a precise and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and an appropriate action plan in place to support further improvement. You have ensured that all policies are up to date and that all staff are clear on what is expected of them.

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Main findings

There has been a strong focus on providing subject leaders with the opportunity to share good practice and to check on the quality of teaching in their subject areas. Subject leaders work more closely together to share knowledge, discuss good practice and support each other in developing their leadership skills. For example, you have appointed a member of staff to work alongside you as the special educational needs coordinator. She has led whole-school training and supported staff to help remove any barriers to pupils’ learning and ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make consistently good progress.

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Main findings

You have ensured that all staff are focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning and you have provided a range of training opportunities for staff. You have successfully developed a culture of trust and collaboration. We saw together that all staff are consistent in their application of school systems and policies. This is helping to improve the progress which pupils make during their time at the school.

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Main findings

You have made developing pupils’ writing a whole-school priority and provided additional training for all staff. The subject leader for literacy has ensured that teachers are now much more confident about the new national writing standards and what pupils need to do to achieve them. Teachers make sure that pupils have a clear understanding of the features of different types of writing and how to plan and organise their work. Teachers consistently emphasise the importance of using correct grammar and spelling to pupils; this is helping pupils to improve their writing. Classrooms are attractive; displays celebrate pupils’ work and provide them with helpful prompts and examples of how to make their work better. Pupils develop their key numeracy and literacy skills through the wider curriculum. In 2016, pupils’ attainment in writing at key stage 1 was above the national expectation.

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Main findings

You have ensured that there is an effective assessment and tracking system in place, that provides you with a clear analysis of the progress and attainment of each pupil. Teachers have worked with other local schools to ensure that their assessments are accurate. Teachers use assessment information about pupils to plan learning that takes most pupils on from what they already know and can do. The subject leader for upper key stage 2 has found working with local schools particularly beneficial in supporting the school’s first cohort of Year 6 pupils this year.

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Main findings

Governors have been quick to undertake an external review of their leadership role within the school. Governors now have a clearer understanding of their role in checking the impact on pupils’ progress of any actions senior leaders undertake. All policies are now regularly reviewed and verified by the governing body. Governors have completed recent training to ensure that they have the appropriate skills to provide you with support and challenge.

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Main findings

Your single central record meets statutory requirements.

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External support

The local authority has conducted two visits to the school to assess the speed of improvement and these have proved useful in focusing work on the key areas that need to improve. You have also brokered effective support from an external consultant to advise on governance and developing subject leaders. You have worked closely with local schools to complete external moderation to validate the school’s assessments. This has helped staff to become more confident with the new assessment measures introduced last year and to prepare for the school’s first cohort of Year 6 pupils. Staff have also visited other schools to share good practice, for example looking at writing before introducing a new whole-school approach to the teaching of writing.

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External support

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

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