Setting

Mrs Anne Parker The Headteacher Holbrook Primary School Wych Lane Bridgemary Gosport PO13 0JN

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

Thank you for the help which you, your governors, pupils and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 21 October 2008, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. 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 the pupils’ achievement. 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

The school continues to experience fluctuating numbers of pupils on roll meaning it has to be flexible about its class organisation and approach to the challenges of mixed-age classes. In addition, the school has had some further staff changes since January 2008 when the substantive headteacher returned from a secondment to another school causing concern. The lead teacher for information and communication technology returned from maternity leave. A new Chair of Governors was appointed from May 2008. Almost half of the pupils are registered as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities, which is much higher than found normally. These difficulties include emotional and behavioural problems as well as delay in learning.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

As a result of the inspection on 21 January 2008, the school was asked to:

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

 Ensure that the systems for tracking pupils’ progress are used to set challenging targets and raise achievement and standards in English, mathematics and science, particularly in Years 5 and 6 and especially more able pupils.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

Good systems are in place for tracking pupils’ progress through the school. Although these were in place at the time of the last inspection, they are now more firmly Prospects Learning Services Ltd Prospects House 19 Elmfield Road Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 020 8315 1250 Direct F 020 8315 1279 Linda.Kelsey@ofsted.gov.uk Page 2 embedded in the school’s analysis of how well pupils are progressing at the school. Teachers are more confident about using the information from the tracking to help them plan lessons. As a result, challenging targets have been set for the pupils currently in Year 5 and 6.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

Standards have improved in the Key Stage 2 2008 national tests from a very low and declining point in 2007. While they are below national average and local authority averages overall at the end of both key stages, they are broadly in line with national averages for pupils achieving expected levels at the end of Key Stage 2. However, there are still few pupils achieving the higher levels. While more opportunities are now offered for independent and more challenging work, not all pupils respond to this well enough in lessons. There is some low level chatter in some of the classes for older pupils.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

The provisional 2008 data indicates that pupils have made satisfactory progress from Key Stage 1 but the progress pupils are making in lessons and over time is still inconsistent. While progress is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1, it is currently only adequate in Key Stage 2.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

 Improve the consistency of teaching so that it is at least good throughout the school.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

The satisfactory teaching is still too variable across year groups and is not yet consistently good throughout the school. It is good in some years such the EYFS, Key Stage 1 and some classes in Key Stage 2. Expectations of pupils’ work are not always high enough for the most able in class and work planned does not always build on pupils’ previous knowledge. Teachers are not always rigorous enough in monitoring what pupils are doing or understanding or to stop them from becoming ‘off-task’. In better lessons, teachers and teaching assistants are working more confidently. They use the information about pupils to plan activities to challenge individual needs of different groups of learners and then monitor their progress and adapt tasks if necessary to ensure good progress is maintained at all times.

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Leadership and management

School leaders, in partnership with the local authority, have addressed the issues. The actions taken have stemmed the decline in standards experienced in 2007. Procedures for improvement have been identified and action has been taken to improve teaching and learning and to keep better track of pupils’ progress over time. This has had greater impact in EYFS and Key Stage 1 than in Key Stage 2.

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Leadership and management

The school has assessed itself accurately in many areas and has identified what more needs to be done to bring about further improvement. Its judgement about standards overall are too generous when compared to national averages because of the small number achieving the higher levels of attainment overall at the end of the key stages. Governors remain keen to help the school. They are beginning to develop their role in holding the school to account by seeking thorough information Page 3 about standards, achievement and progress of individuals and groups of learners over time. The local authority action and support is satisfactory overall.

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Leadership and management

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

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