Post-Ofsted Parents’ Meeting

1. Post-Ofsted Parents’ Meeting Wednesday 6th May 2015

2. Welcome Helen Williamson Headteacher Alison Sutton Chair of Governors Serena Nicholls Deputy Headteacher Clare Edwards Assistant Head KS1 Leader Jacquie Wattam Assistant Head KS2 Leader Mel Walker Leader Of EYFS Deborah Angeli Inclusion Leader (SENCo) James Collinson Leader of Maths Claire Wilson Leader of English Lucy Andrews Leader of Computing

3. What has happened since the last meeting with parents? • Section 8 Monitoring visit January 2015with Inspector Eileen Chadwick • Monitoring visits from the Local Authority

4. Ofsted Section 8 Monitoring: • The Headteacher has high expectations and sets high standards for teaching and learning • All leaders, staff and governors have a strong common purpose to ensure this school becomes the best it can be • The new curriculum is vibrant and there is systematic teaching of literacy and numeracy whilst ensuring that one subject underpins another • The performance of staff is well managed and has been effective in promoting improvement

5. Teachers new to the school are well supported and, consequently they get off to a good start • Marking of work is a strength and helps pupils to correct their mistakes • Senior leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching • Improvement in maths stems from school leaders’ good management of the help provided • School leaders are rightly focused on improving the teaching of writing

6. The proportions of pupils reaching higher levels are improving • Pupils handwriting and presentation have improved • Governors make regular visits to the school. They look for evidence to substantiate the school’s view of itself • Governors have fully supported the Headteacher in holding teachers to account and ensuring pay is linked to performance

7. And Behaviour… • Pupils behave well in and around the school • Trends in behaviour for individuals and groups are carefully evaluated, recorded and acted upon. • The new curriculum greatly interests pupils and they make every effort to do their best • They show enthusiasm for learning and work hard to tackle their tasks • Pupils get on well together and there is a strong sense of community

8. What Section 8 said we needed to do next.. • Teachers do not consistently help pupils apply phonics when writing so their spelling is not improving quickly enough • Pupils in some classes do not have enough opportunities to write at length • The reading scheme for lower attainers in Key Stage 2 is not sufficiently tightly structured to provide continuity from Key Stage 1

9. Our immediate response… • As a staff we have reviewed our marking policy to ensure that we are identifying spelling corrections required to support children in editing and applying their knowledge • The Talk for Writing project is developing opportunities for children to write at length and to further develop a love of writing • We are researching the reading scheme for Year 3 to ensure we have the best resources available. We have reviewed and tightened our approach to ensuring those who have not met the phonics level in Year 2 receive support and intervention to make up the ground quickly

10. Results: Summer 2015 EYFS: On track to achieve 70% of children attaining a Good Level of Development (2014 was 62%)

11. KS1: on track for Level 2b+: • Reading 96% (WS 81%) 2014 92% • Writing 87% (WS 71%) 2014 75% • Maths 97% (WS 81%) 2014 90% • Level 3 all subjects on track to exceed last year significantly

12. KS2 on track for Level 4+ • Reading 94% (WS 90%)2014 92% • Writing 81% (WS 85%) 2014 82% • Maths 87% (WS 86%) 2014 92% Level 5+ • Reading 50+% (WS 50%) 2014 42% • Writing 30% (WS 33%) 2014 19% • Maths 45% (WS 42%) 2014 36%

13. KS2 on track for 2 levels progress: • Reading 98% (WS 89%) 2014 78% • Writing 96% (WS 91%) 2014 78% • Maths 91% (WS 86%) 2014 83% More than 2 levels progress: • Reading 52% National 2014 35% • Writing 53% National 2014 33% • Maths 28% National 2014 35%

14. Improve the Quality of Teaching • Milestone has been met • Nearly met targets of 100% (96%) good or better teaching and 25% (23%) outstanding in April • New teachers have settled in well and making a very positive contribution • Ensure consistently and strongly good with higher levels of outstanding teaching

15. Raise standards • Milestone has been met • Continuing work with National Maths Partnership to build on successes in maths for 2015 • BPS Year of writing is exciting writers and engaging those who did not previously like writing • New curriculum embedded and implementing new expectations and strategies for spelling

16. Behaviour • See very positive Section 8 report! • Behaviour is good or outstanding in 93% of lessons • Conduct is excellent • Children with behavioural difficulties have behaviour plans which support them and protect the safety of all

17. Leadership • Positive impact of the full leadership team is evident in the improving results and the comments made by Section 8 inspector Eileen Chadwick • Extending subject leaders opportunities to observe lessons in their subjects throughout the school through dedicated leadership time • Governors and leaders ensuring the drive continues to aim for good at the next full Section 5 Ofsted inspection

18. Challenges • No increase in funding from the last year, a slightly reduced number on role from the previous year and unfunded increases in employment have led to a very challenging financial situation this year • One intervention teacher has not been replaced, reductions in office hours, curriculum resourcing and improvement work have taken place to save money

19. Staff Reductions • Unfortunately this has led to an unavoidable situation where we have to reduce Teaching Assistant hours • Currently have a higher number of teaching assistants than most other schools • Having to reduce to be more in line with other schools with each class receiving approximately 8 hours a week • New structure will ensure the levels of staffing are sustainable beyond the next financial year

20. Staff Reductions • Obviously impacts on both TAs and teachers • Done everything possible to avoid such action now when we are making such progress towards our aims • All focused on ensuring there is no impact on the children whilst we go through these changes

21. Questions received How are you addressing the Ofsted concern about more advanced children being suitably pushed? • Firstly through improving the quality of teaching for all • Through improving the level of challenge for all through greater choice, opportunities for independence and application of skills • Through raised expectations of every child: our more than expected progress data shows this is having impact as well as higher levels of attainment for more children in Level 5 and 6 tests • Developing the new curriculum so that it is exciting and engaging; the curriculum raises expectation from previous curriculums • Helping parents understand the changes to the curriculum and assessment with workshops run by our Assessment Leader, Miss Nicholls

22. Thank you very much for coming!