Setting

Mr G Raffle Otterburn First School Otterburn Newcastle-Upon Tyne Tyne and Wear NE19 1JF

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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 27 April 2010 and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. I found our on-site preparation on the afternoon of the 26 April very useful Please pass on my thanks to the Chair of the Governing Body, the local authority adviser, pupils and staff for talking to me during the inspection. I observed all three teachers’ lessons and scrutinised a range of school documents, including safeguarding and child protection policies, the school’s post-Ofsted action plan and the local authority’s revised statement of action. Pupils’ attendance and assessment information was also reviewed as well as pupils’ work seen in lessons.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

Following the inspection in December 2009, the Chair of the Governing Body resigned and a new chair was appointed. An executive group of governors was set up to lead the improvements.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

As a result of the inspection on 2-3 December 2009, the school was asked to:

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

 ensure that all safeguarding procedures, including those for the Early Years Foundation Stage, meet statutory requirements  increase the skills of the governing body so they can challenge and support the school and carry out their statutory duties effectively.

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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 good progress in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising the pupils’ achievement.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

The school took urgent action to tackle the administrative errors in the single central record. A robust and thorough record that meets statutory requirements was secured before the inspection report was published. All safeguarding and child protection policies have been rigorously reviewed by staff and governors and, where CfBT Inspection Services 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 566934 Direct F 01695 729320 gtunnicliffe@cfbt.com Page 2 necessary, new policies have been developed so that procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils are clear to all. The designated teacher for safeguarding has completed the required training and all appropriate staff are fully trained in child protection and safeguarding procedures. Detailed risk assessments, including those related to the Early Years Foundation Stage, school routines, the

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

school site and visits out of school are in place and added to when necessary to minimise risks to children both in school and when they are out on visits.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

A wide range of actions have taken place to increase the skills of the governing body and they are now well placed to challenge and support the school and carry out their safeguarding duties more effectively. Two governors have designated responsibility for safeguarding. All governors have quickly developed their understanding by attending appropriate local authority training on safe recruitment, safeguarding and child protection and on how to be a more effective governing body. This has not only strengthened governors’ understanding of their statutory role in safeguarding, it has also ensured they are now in a much better position to hold the school to account. The governing body is further developing its contribution to school improvement through more training, fuller involvement in the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement planning processes and in monitoring the impact of the school’s work on pupils’ attainment, learning and progress.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

All of these procedures together with the very positive relationships between staff and pupils, between pupils themselves, and the nurturing ethos of the school mean that pupils feel safe and cared for well. Pupils talk with conviction about actions the school takes to help them feel very safe and understand risks to their own personal safety. They say bullying is not an issue because the school is small and everyone is friendly to one another. They are confident their teachers are always there to help them if they have a concern or a problem. Pupils’ behaviour continues to be good and they are very caring and supportive of one another. Pupils’ good attitudes to learning together with good teaching and generally effective use of assessment information is ensuring that they are maintaining the good level of progress evident at the previous inspection.

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Ofsted monitoring of schools with a notice to improve

Following review by Ofsted, the local authority’s statement of action was amended satisfactorily and is fit for purpose. Local authority advisers, consultants and the School Improvement Partner have worked effectively with the school to tackle the two key issues and together have successfully met the challenging deadlines for improvement identified in the school and local authority action plans.

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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. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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