Setting

Version 1 – September 2007 7 November 2007

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Mrs D Gallagher Headteacher Ingrow Primary School Broomhill Avenue Keighley West Yorkshire BD21 1BW

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

Thank you for the help you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 13 November 2007, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information you provided before and during my visit. It was very helpful to talk to the pupils, who were extremely polite and responsive. I also appreciate the time given by the chair of governors and representatives from the local authority.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

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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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

As a result of the inspection on 26 and 27 March 2007, the school was asked to:

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

 raise standards in English, mathematics and science in Years 1 to 6 and in all aspects of pupils’ writing;  use the information on pupils’ attainment to set appropriate targets for learning, and to ensure that teaching meets the needs of all pupils well  improve the consistency of marking in Years 1 to 6 to ensure that all pupils know clearly what they have to do get better  ensure that the quality of management and leadership by subject leaders is of a consistently high standard throughout the school  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 in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising pupils’ achievement. Good support from the local authority has led to effective action plans being established which are beginning to result in improvements in the school’s provision. It is too soon to fully measure the impact of these on the standards which CfBT Suite 22 West Lancashire Investment Centre Maple View White Moss Business Park Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566939 Direct F 01695 729320 glaw@cfbt.com pupils achieve. Changes to the roles and responsibilities of teachers have brought about fresh enthusiasm and new ideas. Governors are holding the school to account by seeking information for themselves by visiting the school, and by asking pertinent and challenging questions when they evaluate the school’s progress. Key to the

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

school’s progress are the commitment and determination of the school’s senior leaders to address the issues raised by the last inspection.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

The school has suitable strategies to raise the standards which pupils attain. The results of the most recent national tests for pupils in Year 6 show that standards remain well below average in English, mathematics and science. Teacher assessments of pupils in Year 2 also confirm that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are well below average. However, these are figures derived from tests taken shortly after the last inspection and are an unreliable guide to the current impact of the school’s strategies. A very thorough tracking system records teacher assessments of pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics each half term. This data, when analysed, demonstrates that most pupils are making satisfactory progress in Years 1 to 6. In writing, the school has increased the amount of curriculum time, introduced a consistent scheme of work for handwriting, created many opportunities for pupils to write for different purposes and given a significant

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

emphasis to the display of pupils’ work in classrooms. Pupils who spoke with me were very clear that they write much more often and enjoy these activities far more than was previously the case. Observations during the inspection confirm the good range of opportunities given to pupils to develop their writing.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

A newly established policy for marking and giving feedback to pupils is in place. Pupils are knowledgeable about the `three stripes’ and `wish system’ which uses different colours to indicate the level of pupils’ learning and guidance for how they may improve their work. This is now used well in most classes for English and mathematics and occasionally for science. It is not yet consistently used by all staff. Comments in pupils’ books are often constructively aimed at informing pupils about how to improve their work but there is variation across classes and subjects.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

The pupils who spoke with me clearly know the National Curriculum level at which they are working and the target towards which they are aiming in English and mathematics. In most pupils’ English and mathematics books, curriculum targets are pasted into the front providing a constant reminder of the class aims. There is inconsistency in how these are used however; for example, some teachers highlight some of the targets while others do not, and in some classes marking links effectively to the targets but this is not always seen. Teaching is similarly varied in the use of targets for pupils’ learning. Teachers’ planning conscientiously outlines the learning intention, which is always made clear to pupils, but often this is not linked to the levels of pupils’ attainment. Consequently, pupils are clear about the content of the lesson but it is difficult for them to understand the level of their learning. This

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

variation in the quality of teaching between classes is recognised by the school, and achieving consistently good practice remains the key to raising the standards quickly.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

The subject leaders in English and mathematics are increasingly effective in their monitoring role, and management time is provided for this. Observations of teaching have targeted the areas for improvement from the last inspection report. Good analysis is made of the outcomes of monitoring to identify and prioritise plans for improvement. For example, observations in literacy highlighted the need for teachers to strengthen the teaching of phonics for the lowest attaining pupils and, as a result, staff training has been arranged.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

The school has a good range of strategies to encourage pupils to attend school. Close working practices with the education social workers mean that protracted absence is rigorously followed up by a home visit. Holidays taken in term time, a significant proportion of the absence percentage, are discouraged by the school. Good attendance is celebrated in school assemblies and a chart is displayed in the hall to highlight the current levels of attendance in each of the classes. It is too soon in the new school year to establish the impact of these initiatives on the attendance figures.

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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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