Setting

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

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Ashley Taylor Headteacher Osgodby Primary School Main Street Osgodby Market Rasen Lincolnshire LN8 3TA

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School

Following my visit to your school on 12 October 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 March 2017. 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 recent section 5 inspection in order for the school to become a good school.

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School

The school should take further action to:

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School

 ensure that governors quickly develop a secure understanding of their roles and the responsibilities of the governing body in order to hold the school to account more effectively  make sure teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding of mathematics by practising and applying their skills in other subjects.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings were you, middle leaders, two members of the governing body and your education adviser. I had a telephone conversation with the locality leader for the local authority, who is supporting the school. I spoke with several pupils while they played at breaktime. We observed learning in classrooms throughout the school and I looked at a sample of pupils’ work. I evaluated a range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plan and its latest self-evaluation of the school’s performance. I evaluated the school’s arrangements for safeguarding.

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Context

There have been changes to staffing since the last inspection. The previous headteacher has retired. You were appointed as a headteacher in April 2017. One other teacher has retired. There is a new teacher for the class covering Years 5 and 6. You have restructured classes so that there is now a separate Reception class. There is a new leader for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. You have reviewed middle leadership and some leaders have subsequently changed roles.

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Main findings

Your determination and vision for the school is clear. You are well supported by the staff, who share your ambition to support pupils to achieve their best. You have taken swift and effective action to tackle the areas of priority. Planning for improvement is focused and you have linked it well to your new checks on pupils’ progress. Improvements to the leadership structure under your clear direction provide a secure basis for the school to move forward.

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Main findings

You have rightly made improving the quality of teaching and learning the central focus of the school’s work. You have developed the roles of middle leaders so that they take greater responsibility for their subjects. You have put into place a focused programme of training to help staff improve their practice.

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Main findings

Teachers are developing higher expectations for pupils’ progress. They are beginning to plan activities which challenge pupils more effectively than previously. This is clear from work in pupils’ books, evidence in lessons and the school’s information about pupils’ progress and attainment. You are aware, however, that this is not yet consistent. In some lessons, particularly in mathematics, the most able pupils are not challenged soon enough. This means they are not given time to extend and deepen their learning. Staff training and rigorous monitoring by you and the leader for mathematics are beginning to have an impact. Teachers are also not providing enough regular opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in other subjects. As you and other leaders recognise, the many effective actions have not yet had the time they need to be fully effective. You have introduced a new phonics scheme in the Reception and key stage 1

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Main findings

classes. This is improving standards in reading and writing. Leaders’ work to promote opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills across the curriculum has been successful. Pupils write for different purposes and in a range of genres. Your plans to develop writing across the school are in place. Your close analysis of pupils’ progress in writing has accurately guided the school’s new approach to the teaching of writing.

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Main findings

Teachers use teaching assistants effectively. You have ensured that teaching assistants are effectively trained. They are better informed by being involved in whole-staff training and meetings. Their work has had a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The new special educational needs coordinator carefully checks the use of teaching assistants and pupils’ personalised learning plans. These checks focus on the subsequent impact on pupils’ learning.

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Main findings

You have effectively improved the standards of behaviour throughout the school by introducing a new behaviour policy. As a result, staff consistently reinforce high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand the expectations for behaviour. The pupils I spoke with told me that they value the rewards for good behaviour, such as the ‘gold coins’. They understand the sanctions used by teachers and say that behaviour has improved. They said that poor behaviour rarely occurs now but, when it does, teachers deal with it promptly.

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Main findings

We agreed that the very small playground area can affect pupils’ readiness to learn. When the weather is wet, pupils cannot always use the field and so they are limited to the playground. This is very small for the number of pupils in the school. Older pupils, and particularly boys, do not have the opportunities to ‘let off steam’ while they play. Consequently, they are not always ready to learn when they return to the classroom.

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Main findings

The quality and consistency of teachers’ feedback to pupils have improved. Pupils have regular opportunities to respond to teachers’ suggestions and improve their work. You and other leaders effectively check how teachers’ feedback has helped pupils’ learning. You are aware, however, that the impact on pupils’ learning is less clear in key stage 1 than in key stage 2.

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Main findings

Governors have supported your induction and the many effective changes you have made. They have an appropriate range of necessary skills and knowledge. The governing body has an increasing understanding of its accountability for the performance of the school, including the progress of pupils. You provide them with clear, specific data for the progress and attainment of different groups of pupils.

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Main findings

The recently restructured governing body has not yet developed the ways in which it will support and challenge the headteacher more effectively and rigorously. The locality leader for the local authority is supporting the governing body in this. Training through the National Governance Association has been arranged. Since the last inspection, governors have visited the school more often.

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External support

The school has received support from the local authority’s locality leader to develop middle leadership and governance and support improvement planning. The locality leader has also supported you in a ‘new to headship’ induction programme. An experienced local headteacher has mentored you in data analysis and scrutiny of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. An education adviser has worked closely with you on evaluating key areas in the school’s improvement plan.

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External support

This support has been effective in helping school leaders to take action in the areas identified as needing improvement. Middle leaders feel empowered and strive to secure high-quality provision for pupils. They greatly appreciate the opportunities and time given for them to develop and improve their practice. You have been well supported in your new position and in your ambition to secure sustainable improvements.

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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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