Setting

Nord Anglia Inspections Anglia House Carrs Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 2LA T 0161 491 4191 F 0161 491 9677 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045

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Mr David Mitchell Headteacher Fleetwood Charles Saer Community Primary School Grange Road Fleetwood Lancashire FY7 8DD

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 14 November 2006, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during my visit.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

As a result of the inspection on 4 May 2006 the school was asked to improve achievement by raising the overall quality of teaching through sharing best practice within the school. In addition it was asked to ensure that challenging targets were set for pupils and their progress was monitored robustly. The school was also asked to improve attendance.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school is making satisfactory progress. However, now that the foundations have been put in place there is a need to ensure that progress accelerates.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

There are clear systems for monitoring the quality of teaching. The headteacher, supported by the local authority’s advisers, now has a good awareness of the quality of teaching and the areas for development. Subject leaders are being trained to monitor teaching in their areas. However, some written evaluations include insufficient reference to standards and achievement, and judgements on the overall quality of teaching and learning are not always explicit.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

Actions to increase the proportion of good teaching are beginning to make an impact. A clear policy for teaching and learning has been developed to define good practice and to set clear expectations for staff. The implementation of this has been supported by successful professional development, drawing on the expertise of school staff and external consultants and advisers provided by the local authority. There is now a focus on setting clear learning objectives for children in all lessons and these are displayed in classrooms. Lessons are structured to provide a range of activities and resources to accommodate different learning styles and to meet the needs of the full range of abilities. Children are generally enjoying their learning and making progress. However, the school leadership recognises that these improvements are yet to be consistently embedded in all classes and that there is inconsistency in the quality of planning. There are robust plans to address

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

A new system for monitoring progress has been established and there is a challenging improvement target for each pupil. Regular assessments are used to gauge and to identify pupils who are underachieving. A system for moderating these assessment results is not yet in place, but the school recognises this as a priority for action over the current half term. Pupils who have been identified as underachieving are being supported through a range of additional help. Teachers are making effective use of the information from tests and other assessments to identify areas for improvement. Targets in literacy and numeracy for different groups of children are clearly displayed in classrooms and pupils refer to these when explaining what they have to do to improve. However, due to the limited time the initiatives have been in place, evidence that overall achievement has improved is not yet available.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

Attendance has improved and in the first half of this term was just below the national average. There are systems for rewarding good attendance which children value. The school makes effective use of its family learning mentor and a weekly newsletter to reinforce the importance of attendance with parents. There are now positive working relationships with the educational welfare service, following a period of inconsistent support due to long-term absence, and additional support is being provided through the pupil attendance support team this term.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

The school has received effective support from the local authority. Its statement of action complements the school’s improvement plan well. It considers all the options available and makes well-founded decisions on how to best support the school. There is an appropriate range of strategies to improve teaching and raise achievement. Procedures for monitoring and evaluating progress are clear and there is a well-established system for holding the school to account.

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OFSTED MONITORING OF SCHOOLS WITH A NOTICE TO IMPROVE

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your school.

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