Setting

Tribal Group 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0845 123 6001 F 0845 123 6002 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 edhelpline@ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs Debra Bailey Headteacher Chilvers Coton Community Infant School Fitton Street Nuneaton Warwickshire CV11 5RB

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Introduction

Following my visit with Judith Matharu HMI and Marion Wallace, Additional Inspector, to your school on 15 and 16 November 2006, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector to confirm the inspection findings.

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Introduction

The visit was the third monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures in September 2005.

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Introduction

This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website. Please inform the Regional Inspection Service Provider of any factual inaccuracies within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter.

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents including the school’s self evaluation form (SEF) and the Single Integrated Development Plan (SIDP). We looked at pupils’ work in books, observed 16 lessons, and two assemblies. We met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, five subject leaders, members of the non teaching staff, parents, pupils, the chair of governors, external support agencies, and a representative from the local authority (LA).

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Context

The two teachers seconded by the local authority remain at the school, one has become a full time member of staff and the other will retire at Easter 2007. A permanent headteacher was appointed in March 2006 and took up post in September 2006. The acting chair of governors has been appointed as chair. Falling roles have allowed the school to reorganise into six classes, one Nursery, two Reception classes, one Year 1, one Year 1 and 2 mixed, and one Year 2 class. No class is now taught by part time or supply staff. There have been no other staff changes since the last visit.

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Achievement and standards

Children join the Nursery with well below average standards and often with very poor levels of language. Progress in the Nursery and Reception is satisfactory. Children respond to the clear expectations of behaviour and daily routines and make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They make reasonable progress towards achieving the early learning goals, although standards remain well below average by the start of Year 1. Although the results in the Key Stage 1 national tests in 2006 were below average , this indicates satisfactory progress as pupils move through the school. The school has put robust measures in place to remedy the slow progress. These have not had sufficient time to make a full impact on standards. Pupils with learning difficulties make satisfactory progress in improving specific skills through small group work. Progress remains satisfactory overall.

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Achievement and standards

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in September 2005:  raise standards in English, mathematics, science, ICT and RE – satisfactory.

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Personal development and well-being

Pupil attitudes are positive towards learning. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school is good. In developing independent learning, more independent activities are now planned, and pupils clearly enjoy these, displaying confidence in ‘pair and share’ activities and a good variety of group tasks. However, the learning potential of such activities is not maximised. Similarly there are increasing opportunities for pupils to assume responsibility and make positive contributions to school life, for example the school council is blossoming and there are plans to continue to develop the pupil voice further through work towards Healthy Schools’ accreditation and an Eco School initiative.

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Personal development and well-being

Data confirms that attendance has continued to improve in response to the school’s actions. It is now at a satisfactory level, in line with the national picture. This represents good progress.

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Personal development and well-being

Pupils move around school sensibly and play cooperatively at lunchtimes, when a range of play equipment is available for them. However, the current playground is unstimulating and there remain uneven surfaces that pose potential trip hazards.

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Personal development and well-being

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in September 2005:  improve attendance – good  improve pupils’ independence and initiative and involve them and their parents in helping to make decisions about how the school can improve – good.

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Quality of provision

Teaching has improved and continues to do so. Inspectors observed nine good and seven satisfactory lessons. None were unsatisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in the Nursery and Reception, consequently children make sound progress. The Nursery outdoor area is a stimulating learning environment and is well used. Teachers are keen to refine their teaching skills and have worked very hard to improve the quality of their work.

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Quality of provision

Teaching assistants and teachers work well together to ensure all pupils are involved in class activities. Teachers have risen to the challenge to use new strategies in their teaching and some of these approaches, such as encouraging more independent learning, are beginning to bear fruit. They manage pupils well and consequently pupils behave sensibly. They use questions well too, but pace, expectation and the level of challenge are not yet sufficient to ensure pupils make consistently good progress. There is still insufficient focus on the pace of learning and specifically what children will learn.

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Quality of provision

Teachers are starting to use interactive whiteboards in some classes to enrich learning. Throughout the school there are effective systems to track progress and identify areas to develop. Better and more regular assessment has begun to give teachers more detailed information about what pupils can do and what they need to learn next. Teachers are already using this information to help them plan the next steps in the pupils’ learning and the school recognises that this remains a priority for this year. Older pupils are beginning to know some of their learning targets.

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Quality of provision

The curriculum is satisfactory and meets the needs of most pupils. Teachers are now matching work to ability well, for different ability groups. There are exciting new initiatives to develop learning across the curriculum such as the Curriculum Enrichment Day, although this is still in its infancy. Planning to ensure a progression in skills for all curriculum areas is still being developed. The curriculum for children in Reception is satisfactory and reflects a balance between children being taught skills directly and finding out by exploration. The carousel organisation of activities in Reception however, does not ensure all children are challenged because adults often miss opportunities to intervene and challenge learning. Although provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has improved, resources remain inadequate as only half classes can be taught in the computer suite. The school makes

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Quality of provision

satisfactory provision for enrichment activities. Pupils enjoy the well planned visits such as the recent Reception trip to Coombe Abbey. Teachers use this experience to enhance learning, for example pupils learn about hedgehogs and hibernation. Pupils learn about other cultures through initiatives such as the creative arts.

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Quality of provision

Care, guidance and support are good. Teachers know their pupils well and provide good pastoral care for their safety and well-being. Health and safety matters and procedures for safeguarding children are thorough and inspectors made the school aware of a potential security issue. Pupils say they know which adult they need to go to for help should they need it.

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Quality of provision

There is good liaison with a range of external agencies to support vulnerable pupils. In particular, the school has an inclusive approach and works hard to support pupils with a range of learning difficulties. Bilingual support for pupils at an early stage of learning English continues to be good.

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Quality of provision

Academic guidance resulting from the careful and systematic monitoring of pupils’ progress is currently satisfactory but improving. More robust measures are being put in place, but it is too early to judge their impact. The guidance and support for gifted and talented pupils is currently underdeveloped and is insufficiently robust to meet their needs.

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Quality of provision

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in September 2005:

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Quality of provision

 ensure that teaching and the learning activities meet the needs of all the learners in Years 1 and 2 so that they do as well as they should – satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

The new headteacher, in post for only nine weeks, has made an immediate impact and has successfully built on the work of the previous acting headteacher. She is leading the school very well and has already established many new initiatives that have motivated the staff. There is now a strong team ethos of working together to improve the provision for all pupils. She has an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The SIDP is detailed and focused on the key areas for improvement. It is a very useful development tool. The SEF has been completed but is too descriptive and lacks sufficient judgements. The headteacher has ensured that the deputy headteacher is aware of her roles and responsibilities. The deputy headteacher has risen to the challenge, grown in confidence and is now very accountable for her role in assessment, literacy, pupil tracking and intervention strategies, although her responsibility for the more able pupils

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Leadership and management

remains underdeveloped. Monitoring of teaching is now regular, more rigorous and carried out by more staff.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has established ‘MIC’, a new self-evaluation and review strategy to develop the roles of subject leaders. They are required to audit their subject and decide what needs to be ‘Maintained, Improved or Changed’. This has started with history, and it is planned that subject leaders in turn present their findings to governors and create a development plan. This is a good initiative, also used with governors, and provides a reliable and consistent framework for development.

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Leadership and management

Teaching assistants have been given more responsibility since the last visit, for example in planning and leading on aspects of the fortnightly curriculum days. This has made them feel valued and developed their skills and interests. These curriculum days provide another opportunity for pupils to develop their independent learning skills.

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Leadership and management

All of these positive features have been established in a short period of time. It is clear that the determined energy of the headteacher and those with responsibility and accountability now have secure plans to make the necessary changes and drive the school forward with the improvement agenda.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has improved, is better organised and informed, and increasingly holds the school to account for the standards achieved. The governors question more now about the impact of new initiatives. Parents too, feel a stronger part of the school. They value the weekly newsletters, and have had more opportunities to come into school, for example, sharing assemblies, a Sunday circus workshop, Eid celebrations, and curriculum evenings.

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Leadership and management

There is convincing evidence that everything is now in place for the school to improve quickly. It is, however, too early to judge the impact of all these initiatives in further raising standards.

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Leadership and management

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in September 2005:  ensure that the agreed developments are implemented and monitored effectively and that the curriculum meets statutory requirements – satisfactory.

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External support

The external support provided by the local authority has been good. Transition mentoring arrangements for the new headteacher have been good as well, for example, involving regular meetings with the previous acting headteacher. Literacy and numeracy strategy advisers have supported subject leaders well, notably with shared observations of teaching. Mentoring support has been arranged for the deputy headteacher to work with another experienced deputy headteacher in another school. The LA now has to ensure that the school maintains its positive impetus and that they support the headteacher to collect clear evidence that measures the impact of the new initiatives to inform the next HMI monitoring visit.

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Main Judgements

Progress since being subject to special measures – good.

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Main Judgements

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – satisfactory.

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Main Judgements

Newly qualified teachers may be appointed.

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Priorities for further improvement

In all lessons, develop teaching skills to:

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Priorities for further improvement

 increase the pace and challenge of learning  have higher expectations of learning outcomes  check for understanding more often.

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Priorities for further improvement

I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the chair of governors and the Director of Children, Young People and Families for Warwickshire.

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