Setting

Mrs K Piatkowski Headteacher Westmoor Junior School Church Lane Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF13 4EW

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Thank you for the help which you, your staff and your pupils gave when I inspected your school on 19 June 2008, 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 Grade 3 schools

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 Grade 3 schools

As a result of the inspection in February 2007, the school was asked to:

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

 raise standards and pupils’ achievement in English, mathematics and science  focus the school's key priorities on improving pupils’ achievement  improve the accuracy and rigour of the school's monitoring and tracking systems at all levels of leadership  increase the proportion of good and better teaching.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

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.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The school is robustly tackling the issues for improvement and, as a result, there are now significant aspects of good practice in setting priorities, assessment and teaching. However, the overall impact on improving achievement and standards, so far, is satisfactory. There is an increase in the proportion of pupils making good progress and the school is on track to achieve higher standards in the 2008 national tests than it did in 2007, but there are significant peaks and troughs in pupils’ progress because the good practice is not yet consistently in place across the whole school.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The senior leadership team has a very strong focus on improving pupils’ achievement, which is particularly evident in their raising attainment plan. Their CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 hcarnall@cdbt.com priorities are based on a rigorous and accurate analysis of strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ achievement. The impact of the plan is measured using challenging success criteria for accelerating the progress of all pupils. An indicator of the effectiveness of the plan is the school’s data showing that most of the pupils with a learning difficulty and/or disability have improved their progress and it is now good.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The senior leadership team has established a very systematic approach to collecting data on pupils’ progress. They use this effectively to identify priorities for improvement and to plan support for underachieving pupils. A particular strength is subject leaders’ use of the data in pupil progress meetings with teachers. It enables them to give strong leadership in improving pupils’ progress by holding teachers to account and by providing guidance on how to intervene with pupils who are beginning to fall behind. The use of assessment to provide pupils with targets is still at an early stage of development. While there are strengths in a minority of classes, most pupils do not have a clear understanding of their short-term goals. The pupils making the fastest progress are in those classes where target-setting is most effective.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The school’s monitoring records, supported by inspection evidence show that the majority of teachers provide lessons that are good or better. However, their overall impact on pupils’ achievement is satisfactory because they are not all ‘pulling in the same direction’. Inconsistencies in approach are leading to peaks and troughs in pupils’ progress. The most significant area of inconsistency is in lesson planning. Different formats are used, not all of which place sufficient emphasis on how teachers will adapt tasks and success criteria to meet the range of learning needs in their classes. As a result, groups of pupils in some classes are not making as much progress as they might. Important strengths, found in most classes, are that teachers are enthusiastic and they provide enjoyable, interesting lessons with effective strategies for engaging pupils in discussion and practical activity. The management of challenging behaviour is consistently good, with behaviour support

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

staff making a significant contribution to this. Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their ability to work independently are good. In a minority of classes, teachers are developing some very effective approaches to continuously assessing pupils’ progress and adapting their teaching accordingly.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The local authority is providing good support, particularly through its provision of the National Strategy Intensifying Support Programme. The school is making effective use of this support.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

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

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