Setting

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

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Miss Sarah Addison Headteacher Tetney Primary School Humberston Road Tetney Grimsby Lincolnshire DN36 5NG

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School

Following my visit to your school on 20 June 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 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

 rapidly improve the quality of governance  revise its planning to focus on the key actions that will have the greatest impact on rapidly improving the school  ensure that all leaders receive the training and coaching they need in order to carry out their roles successfully  ensure that safeguarding arrangements and associated paperwork meet requirements  ensure that provision within the early years continues to improve but at a more rapid pace  ensure that pupils’ progress is accurately tracked and is regularly reviewed by leaders  ensure that external support to the school is of high quality and that it is closely monitored to check that it is having the required impact at the rapid pace that is needed.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with you, the chair and three members of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. I evaluated the school’s improvement plan along with other leadership documentation. The single central record of staff and volunteers was scrutinised. We discussed the arrangements to safeguard pupils’ welfare. I reviewed appropriate documentation. You and I walked through the school and visited each class to observe the learning taking place.

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Context

Since the inspection in May 2016, the previous headteacher and deputy headteacher have left the school. The interim leadership arrangements ended in March 2017. One member of teaching staff and one teaching assistant have left the school. You were appointed to the school and took up the post in April 2017.

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Main findings

The pace of school improvement has been far too slow. You have been in post since April 2017. In a short period, you have started to tackle the very many areas that need to improve in order that the school becomes a good school. Many of these areas should have been addressed much sooner than this. There are still too many areas of the school requiring significant improvement.

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Main findings

Governance is weak. Governors have not kept close enough oversight to make sure that the school quickly improves. They have not made sure that the support to the school is having the required impact and is cost effective. They do not yet have the knowledge they need in order to hold leaders closely to account and to ensure that all pupils make the progress that their starting points would indicate. Governors have responded to the external review of governance. However, the review and governors’ response to the review have not improved their effectiveness. You have quickly improved the systems to safeguard pupils’ welfare. More unified processes are in place. However, you have inherited too much disorganisation. The safeguarding policy is now fit for purpose. The single central record of all staff and volunteers now better meets requirements. The systems to refer any issues relating to the most vulnerable pupils are now more cohesive and followed by all staff.

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Main findings

There is now a centralised overview of issues relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety. However, there is still more to be done to ensure that all staff receive the appropriate updates to their training and some paperwork still requires attention. Quite rightly, you have made this work the focus of your first weeks as headteacher. You have had a great deal to address before being able to embark on the many strategic actions required.

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Main findings

A school improvement plan is in place. You have accurately identified the issues. The plan, however, is too weighty and does not focus closely enough on the key actions that will have the greatest impact. The milestones for when the success of actions are checked are not frequent enough. This hinders leaders’ ability to understand if actions are having the required impact quickly enough.

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Main findings

Other leaders within the school have not had the leadership development they need in order to conduct their roles effectively. These leaders have shown dedication to the school and an aptitude for their roles but they do not yet have the skills required to drive the rapid improvements that the school requires.

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Main findings

You recognise that the provision within the early years is not good enough. There are some signs of improvement, for example the most recent and moderated assessments indicate that a greater proportion of children will make a good level of development by the end of this academic year. However, there is much to do to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, the learning environment and the outdoor provision. Leadership of the early years is not yet good.

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Main findings

Assessment systems are not fit for purpose. There is insufficient leadership overview of the progress that individual pupils and groups of pupils are making. Therefore, leaders are unable to spot pupils’ underperformance and quickly address this. Some pupils, particularly the most able pupils, did not make the progress that they should at the end of key stage 2 in 2016.

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Main findings

Leaders and teachers have had the opportunity to work with each other and with teachers from other schools to check the accuracy of their assessments. Moderation reports indicate that teachers’ assessments are increasingly more precise.

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Main findings

All policies are up to date. This was an area identified to improve at the previous inspection. You are aware that the challenge is to now ensure that all staff consistently implement these policies. An example you cited was the assessment policy. Staff implement this policy inconsistently. The special educational needs coordinator has received effective support. The provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has improved.

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Main findings

The school environment has improved within the main school. Teachers take time and effort to display and celebrate pupils’ achievements. The environment within the early years provision, however, requires significant improvement.

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Main findings

You have been successful in engaging with parents. There are now regular opportunities for parents to visit the school and to celebrate the achievements of their children. You have taken the time to speak with parents and to gain their views as to how the school can improve. Importantly, you have responded to their views and addressed many of their initial concerns. During this inspection, parents praised your efforts and were keen to state the difference your leadership has made.

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External support

The local authority has failed to ensure that sufficiently effective actions have taken place since the previous inspection. This has hindered the school’s progress towards becoming a good school. Immediate action is required to address this.

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External support

I intend to conduct a further monitoring visit.

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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 Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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