Ambleside Primary School

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

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Mrs Karen Hannon Headteacher Ambleside Primary School Minver Crescent Aspley Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG8 5PN

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Ambleside Primary School

Following my visit with Claire Stylianides, Ofsted Inspector, to your school on 21 and 22 November 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Ambleside Primary School

The inspection was the second monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in November 2016. The full list of the areas for improvement that were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Ambleside Primary School

Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Ambleside Primary School

Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Ambleside Primary School

The school’s improvement plan is fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Ambleside Primary School

Having considered all the evidence, I strongly recommend that the school does not seek to appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Ambleside Primary School

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

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place in November 2016

 Strengthen the impact leaders, managers and governors have on pupils’ learning by ensuring that:  there are robust self-evaluation processes in place that will give leaders an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and how well it is performing compared with other schools nationally  governors increase their understanding of how well pupils are achieving so that they are able to challenge leaders more effectively and hold the school to account for pupils’ outcomes  the actions that leaders take are focused on the key priorities identified through self-evaluation  leaders take a more strategic role in overseeing improvements.  Improve teaching in order to accelerate the progress that pupils make and raise their attainment, especially in reading and mathematics, by:  ensuring that the work that teachers set for pupils is more challenging, especially for the most able pupils  making better use of the pupil premium funding to support

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place in November 2016

disadvantaged pupils in their learning  making sure that teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work is accurate and is used more effectively by teachers to check what pupils know and what they need to learn next  providing opportunities for pupils to use and explain their reasoning behind how they solve mathematical problems  ensuring that children take note of written guidance provided by the teacher through their marking. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Evidence

During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the two assistant headteachers, the inclusion leader, the two early years leaders, four members of the governing body, a national leader of education and a group of pupils. Inspectors spoke informally to parents before the start of the school day. Teaching and learning were observed in all classes and the pupils’ work in books was reviewed. Inspectors considered the school’s most recent assessment information. Documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and arrangements for safeguarding pupils was also considered. The inspectors also scrutinised information relating to the monitoring of teaching and learning and minutes from governing body meetings.

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Context

Five new teachers joined the school in September 2017. A new assistant headteacher was appointed in November 2017.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Spearheaded by the resolute actions of the headteacher, senior leaders have sustained the momentum of improvement indicated at the first monitoring inspection.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The focus of leadership and management since the first monitoring visit in June has been to improve the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics. Leaders have set ambitious targets for teachers for their pupils’ progress. This reflects a spirit of high ambition for the school’s pupils and an intolerance of low standards. Leaders have been uncompromising in refusing to accept inadequacy. They have not shirked from taking tough decisions about staffing. There are clear indicators that this is having an impact on pupils’ progress, although overall standards are still low.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The systematic implementation of the school’s improvement plan is securing the necessary changes in atmosphere, ethos and expectations of what staff must do and what pupils are capable of achieving. As a result, the school’s vision ‘to achieve, be proud and succeed together’ is being enacted.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

All teachers’ performance is managed robustly by senior leaders. Teaching staff have a performance target linked to the progress of all the pupils in their class. All teaching assistants also have targets linked to pupils’ progress. Senior leaders are ensuring that the work of all staff is rooted in the progress the pupils are making.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Senior leaders are using highly effective systems to monitor teaching and learning. This includes monitoring of pupils’ books, monitoring of teachers’ planning, lesson observations, informal lesson drop-ins, discussions with pupils and regular pupil progress review meetings with teachers. Senior leaders are identifying precisely the support and training that individual teachers need in order to improve further. Most teachers are responsive to the feedback and guidance they receive. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning across the school is improving rapidly.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The mathematics subject leader has driven rapid improvements in mathematics. She has urgently, passionately and successfully challenged colleagues to improve their work. She has been involved in monitoring, leading staff training and helping individual teachers to improve their practice. This has equipped her with a well- informed overview of the quality of teaching, learning and outcomes across the school in mathematics. As a result, she is making a strong contribution to accelerating progress and raising standards.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The subject leader for English is new in post. He joined the school only two weeks before the monitoring inspection. Nonetheless, he already knows the school well and is communicating a clear vision for improvements to reading and writing in order to build on the school’s success with mathematics.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The deputy headteacher and the lead teaching assistant are keeping a close check on the progress of disadvantaged pupils. They are ensuring that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is being used effectively to raise their achievements. They make a careful assessment of how well pupils are doing. Activities are not allowed to continue if they are not making a difference. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are being well supported to catch up more quickly.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The quality of governance continues to improve. More robust systems are now in place to monitor, challenge and support the school’s improvement and hold senior leaders to account. Minutes of governing body meetings show an improvement in the quality of dialogue and challenge in meetings. Consequently, governors are clearer about the effectiveness of the school’s provision. Governors are regular visitors to the school. They are successfully raising their profile by ensuring that there is a strong governor presence at all school events.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The re-brokering of the academy to the Raleigh Trust is currently scheduled for 1 February 2018.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Safeguarding documents were checked during the monitoring visit and meet current requirements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

The actions taken to improve the quality of teaching and learning are bearing fruit. Lesson observations during this inspection indicate that there have been many improvements in the quality of teaching. The quality and rigour of the school’s assessment systems have improved. Staff are responding well to a range of training and mentoring. As a result, there is a much higher proportion of teaching which is having a good impact on learning and this is reflected in pupils’ faster progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

At its best, teaching is exciting, precise and unambiguous because teachers have high expectations and share the intended learning clearly with pupils. Lessons are planned on accurate assessment of what pupils know and can do. Teachers keep a close check on how well pupils are learning during a lesson in order to provide additional support, or add challenge, as needed. Pupils are becoming ambitious, more confident and can persevere when they find work difficult. As a result, pupils’ rate of progress is more rapid.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

The teaching of phonics has improved. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge. They address any misconceptions quickly. Pupils are enthusiastic about learning phonics. They use their phonic knowledge well to read new words with confidence. As a result, the school’s most recent monitoring indicates that pupils are achieving better with their phonic skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Pupils are enthusiastic mathematicians. There is a sharp focus on improving pupils’ mathematical skills of problem-solving and reasoning about number in order to deepen their mathematical understanding. For example, in Year 5, pupils were challenged to use precise mathematical language to explain why they knew that chicken was the sandwich filling which boys and girls liked equally. In Year 6, pupils were working confidently with mixed numbers and improper fractions. They could explain how they used this knowledge to solve pizza and pyramid problems. Pupils explained how ‘Big Investigations’ are helping them to solve mathematical problems in real-life contexts. Pupils were excited about a recent investigation where they worked out the individual cost of muffins and cookies in a shop where three muffins cost the same as two cookies. Pupils’ books show strong practice in many year groups in mathematics. However, senior leaders recognise that this is not yet

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

consistent in all classes. Consequently, this remains a priority area for improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching assistants provide effective support for learning and as a result, have an impact on the progress of pupils. They contribute to the planning and evaluation of learning and have a clear understanding of what pupils need to do next to improve their work.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

In the early years, the indoor classroom areas in both the Nursery and Reception classes have been reorganised and are magnets for learning. All staff are becoming more confident at providing a narrative during children’s play. This is reinforcing key concepts and extending children’s vocabulary more effectively. The early years leaders recognise that the outdoor environment does not yet provide children with the opportunities they need to make good progress in all areas of learning. Consequently, an overhaul of the physical outdoor learning environment has been identified as a priority for development this year. In most classes, teachers are reviewing pupils’ work in line with the school’s marking policy. The presentation of pupils’ work is improving and most books are neat, tidy and well organised.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils’ behaviour around the school is good. The headteacher greets all pupils she meets and they respond pleasantly in turn. Pupils are polite and courteous to other pupils, adults and visitors. Relationships are positive throughout the school. Pupils report that they enjoy good friendships because there is little intimidating behaviour and they feel safe at the school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils say that behaviour in class is mostly good. Where teaching is stronger, pupils show a keen enthusiasm for learning. In lessons where teaching is less than good, pupils’ behaviour is compliant rather than engaged in learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The school is continuing to work closely with parents and pupils to improve attendance. Senior leaders are highly vigilant and monitor the attendance of individual pupils, groups and classes meticulously. This enables them to identify trends and patterns and take swift action to provide support to bring about improvement. The school is relentless in promoting good attendance with pupils. Older pupils are regularly reminded of the damage absence can have on their progress and attainment. Despite this, the overall attendance of pupils remains below the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils

Senior leaders have introduced robust systems to track the progress pupils are making. Standardised testing is used across the school. Teachers are being given opportunities to moderate their judgements with other schools to ensure the accuracy of their assessments. Leaders are assured that teachers’ judgements are sufficiently accurate in all classes. They are using this information rigorously to ensure that all groups of pupils receive the interventions and challenge they need to make the progress of which they are capable.

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Outcomes for pupils

The school’s latest assessment information shows that pupils are making faster progress than they were when the school was judged to require special measures. The pace of pupils’ progress varies across year groups and within subjects. These inconsistencies reflect the historic quality of teaching and learning. Pupils in key stage 2 have a greater legacy of underachievement and many have significant gaps in their learning.

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Outcomes for pupils

There are examples of accelerated progress, for example in Years 5 and 6. Consequently, pupils are rapidly recovering the lost ground in their learning. Nonetheless, even with this better progress, pupils’ levels of attainment, when set against national age-related expectations, remain below average. This is continuing to disadvantage pupils when they transfer to the next stage of their education.

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Outcomes for pupils

The school’s records of children’s learning in the early years show clearly what children know, understand and can do. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of the summer term 2017 was 58%, compared to 43% in the previous year. This is a result of the good-quality teaching and support which children are receiving. Children are being much better prepared for their transition to Year 1.

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External support

A national leader of education is continuing to provide robust challenge and effective support to senior leaders. He knows the school well and has a good strategic overview of the school’s strengths and areas for development. His weekly visits have been instrumental in helping the school to make rapid improvements. An independent consultant has provided tailored support to the early years team. She has supported them in considering how staff can extend children’s vocabulary and develop children’s thinking more effectively, and in reviewing the effectiveness of the outdoor provision. Senior leaders have visited a number of good and outstanding schools. These visits have resulted in senior leaders appreciating that they must have higher expectations of teaching and learning. As a result, the school is clearly demonstrating improvements at a rate that would enable special measures to be removed within the required timescale.

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