Setting

Mr Bernard Moore Headteacher Woodcock Hill Primary School Farwood Road Northfield Birmingham B31 1 BS

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 25 February 2010 , for the time you gave to our phone discussion, and for the information which you provided before and during my visit . Please pass on my thanks to those people I spoke to, including the chair of governors, members of staff and pupils.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

As a result of the inspection on 6-7 March 2008, the school was asked to improve the achievement of pupils across the school by ensuring that all teaching is of a consistently good quality and that pupils have more opportunities to work independently; improve attendance by targeting support at a greater number of pupils and their parents; improve leadership and management by ensuring that the effectiveness of initiatives is checked more quickly .

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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 has made:

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

In the most recent assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 attainment was broadly average overall and in reading and mathematics but below average in writing. Pupils have made good progress so that results in the most recent tests at Key Stage 2 standards were above average overall, including in mathematics and science, and broadly average in English. These results show continuing improvement in achievement for pupils from a position where results were previously below average. Serco Boundary House 2, Wythall Green Way Wythall Birmingham West Midlands B47 6LW T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct Tel: 0121 683 2347 Amelia.baker@serco.com September 2009 Page 2 In lessons seen pupils made good progress in their learning. The school has ensured that a higher proportion of teaching is now good. This has been achieved by close monitoring of lessons and provision of additional support to improve satisfactory

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

teaching to good. Teaching assistants have been effectively deployed to the areas of greatest need. Learning objectives are shared regularly with pupils and lesson planning ensures that objectives are set to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. Marking is used well to inform pupils how they are doing and how they can improve. Development questions are posed well by teachers for pupils but these are not always followed up by teachers or pupils. Relationships between teachers and pupils are consistently good. Partner talk and role play is used well to provide opportunities for pupils in speaking and listening. Lessons increasingly enable pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and evaluate how well they are doing via of a traffic light system for pupils to feedback to teachers.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Since the last inspection the school has worked well in partnership with other local schools to appoint an attendance support worker. The school and governing body have reduced the proportion of holidays taken in term time by introducing a strict policy which is closely adhered to. The school has promoted attendance effectively through a ten week challenge with rewards and incentives for pupils to attend regularly. Attendance has improved and is now broadly average. The proportion of persistent absences has fallen since the last inspection.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Under your headship the leadership and management of the school has been enhanced and its capacity to improve strengthened by the delegation of roles further to other members of the senior leadership team. Senior leaders are involved in formal monitoring of teaching. Data is used well to track the progress and attainment of pupils. Improvements in monitoring and tracking have led to a greater consistency in the way policies and initiatives are carried out by all staff. The school is regarded by the local authority as requiring little intervention and consequently their involvement has been limited. The governing body are fully supportive and knowledgeable and hold the school to account for its performance. Safeguarding arrangements are rigorous and robust.

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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. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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