1. Plantation Primary School
Parents meeting – OFSTED
4th November 2013

2. Context of grade
1 - Outstanding (10%)April to June 2013 national figures OFSTED
2 - Good (55%)
3 - Requires Improvement (30%)Sat
4 - Inadequate - Serious Weaknesses
4 - Inadequate - Special Measures (4%)
Changes to Inspection framework
Last full inspection –

3. Development Areas
Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better across all year groups and in all lessons in order to enhance pupils’ performance.
Improve senior and middle leadership, including governance, to ensure there is a clear focus on improving achievement.

4. Ensuring that the most able pupils are provided with activities that stretch them and enable them to reach their full potential in all lessons.
Already in place:
Children from Year 2 to Year 6 are streamed for Maths lessons;
Children in Year 5 and Year 6 are streamed for literacy. This means that the most able children are in the same set;
Focused teaching takes place for the most able in Year 2 and Year 6 in readiness for end of Key Stage assessments;
16% of our Year 6 children (July 2013) achieved a Level 5+ in reading, writing and maths combined which compares to 21% nationally.
Achievement at Level 6 was in line with National Averages in Reading, writing and maths.
Challenging the more able was the first priority in our school Improvement Plan and is one of the main priorities in school.

5. Top down planning approach Most able in top sets
Ensuring that the most able pupils are provided with activities that stretch them and enable them to reach their full potential in all lessons.
Next steps:
Top down planning approach
Most able in top sets
Planning for early challenge in lessons
To have a continued focus on challenging the most able through continuous CPD in staff meetings.
Subject leaders to work closely with all teachers to ensure that the most able are challenged through planning and work scrutiny (half-termly)

6. Allowing all pupils to become actively involved in their own learning by providing activities that allow pupils to work independently and in groups to solve problems
Already in place:
Monitoring of teaching has recognised where not enough time is being spent on independent learning. This is now an improving picture across the school
All classes now have individual whiteboards and talk partners for children to use throughout the teacher input. This enables them to share their ideas at all stages throughout each lesson.

7. Continued use of talk partners and individual whiteboards.
Allowing all pupils to become actively involved in their own learning by providing activities that allow pupils to work independently and in groups to solve problems
Next steps:
Continued use of talk partners and individual whiteboards.
‘Learning to Learn’ training
Planning for new curriculum

8. Ensuring consistently high quality marking and feedback is provided so that pupils understand what needs to be done to improve their work and deepen their understanding.
Already in place:
A new whole school Marking Policy has been introduced. This is improving consistency across school;
Marking of writing shows ‘what went well’ and ‘even better if’ comments. This enables children to be fully aware of what they need to do to improve their learning;
Teachers model children’s misconceptions through marking (for example in maths when they complete a calculation incorrectly the teacher will model where they went wrong);
Children’s books are scrutinised every half term and the marking of children’s work is one of the important areas we look at;
Teachers give verbal and written feedback to younger children to make sure that they understand how to improve their work;

9. Ensuring consistently high quality marking and feedback is provided so that pupils understand what needs to be done to improve their work and deepen their understanding.
Next steps:
Continue to embed the good practice already in place in school
Continue to address any inconsistencies in teacher’s marking through work scrutiny

10. Ensuring the school’s approach to monitoring the improvement to the quality of teaching and learning has a greater emphasis on the link between classroom performance and paid progression
Already in place:
Teachers have had appraisal meetings to set annual targets which have a direct link to pupil progress
All teachers understand the success criteria and what needs to be done to ensure that pupils make good progress
Teachers understand that lesson observations will look at the quality of teaching and learning to ensure that the school continues to improve children’s achievements in all subjects
Teachers understand that at the end of the appraisal cycle, the Headteacher will have a discussion about classroom performance in relation to pay progression with the school’s governing body

11. Ensuring the school’s approach to monitoring the improvement to the quality of teaching and learning has a greater emphasis on the link between classroom performance and paid progression
Next steps:
Governing Body to adopt a new Appraisal and Pay Policy (Meeting ).
Teachers will fully understand the above policies and the target setting process for appraisal, linked to teacher performance and pupil progress.
Governors will review teachers’ performance on an annual basis, further to Appraisal. The Headteacher will advise Governors on the performance of all teachers based on this annual review.

12. Ensuring the school’s approach to developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills is applied in all areas
Already in place:
The major focus since January 2013 has been to ensure that the teaching of reading, writing and maths is of high quality and is consistent across the school.

13. Ensuring the school’s approach to developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills is applied in all areas
Next steps:
To develop a new, whole school curriculum in line with the new National Curriculum which comes into force in September This new curriculum will enable the teaching of basic skills to be taught in other subjects.

14. Further developing the skills of governors to enable them to ask searching questions when holding the school to account for pupils’ achievement.
LA to commission an external review of governance. Governors to fully engage with any recommendations.
New/existing governors to attend LA training courses for governors.
HT to continue to provide relevant information and benchmark data to allow governors to hold the school to account for performance.

15. Strengths
The ambition, planning and commitment of new leaders, including governors, putting the school in a strong position to improve further
The behaviour and attitude of children
Recent improvements in teaching and more positive assessment information for current pupils
The promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development including participation in music, singing, art and sport
Pupils achievement in reading
The good start children get in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes)
Tracking and monitoring of pupils who have fallen behind their peers
Support of parents
Collective sense of purpose from all staff to rapidly improve teaching and raise achievement further
PTFA events / communication / changes to teaching in reading, writing and maths

16. What next? Finalise Post OFSTED Action Plan
Monitoring visit from HMI – normally within six weeks of report being published
Support from LA
External support commissioned
Further inspection within two years
Lots more hard work!!