2015 / 2016 and beyond

 1. High quality leadership drives school improvement  2. Quality of teaching and learning  3. Quality of maths provision  4. Outcomes for pupils

 Leaders and Governors have created an uncompromising culture of excellence for pupils and staff and constantly communicate this to staff through feedback and support and at meetings.  All leaders set ambitious targets for the quality of teaching and pupil progress, communicate a sense of urgency in rapidly securing improvement and establish improvement structures within school to drive improvement  Senior leaders in staff meetings and during daily interaction, communicate ambition for their area of responsibility, urgency in improvement and feedback regularly to staff in a manner that promotes further development.  New systems for performance management use a range of monitoring evidence to inform staff of the strengths and weaknesses in their teaching, set clear targets and expectations for improvement and provide support to meet these.  Under performance is appropriately challenged. Examples of good practice are spread throughout the school

 The Headteacher has a clear overview of where the school is and the steps required to move forward.  The school has appointed an ‘outstanding’ DHT  The school now has an accurate self- evaluation system in place  Effective monitoring systems in place which ensure the school/staff are meeting targets  School improvement plans demonstrate progress towards the success criteria

 Subject leaders have a clear overview of their subject areas and provide support where necessary.  The school leadership meet regularly to discuss school priorities and monitor impact.  A wide range of professional development has taken place to develop teacher’s knowledge and understanding of the new curriculum

 All teaching is triangulated as ‘Good’ or better by July 2016  Planning demonstrates a clear and coherent learning journey across the week because: ◦ It accurately reflects pupil’s starting points ◦ It demonstrates the teacher’s clear understanding of the progression of skills across a topic ◦ The pitch of work is appropriate to ensure that all children make good progress across a unit ◦ It shows where teaching has been adapted based on accurate AfL, based on pupil responses.

 Pupils are provided with a clear understanding of the learning objectives of each lesson, the success criteria for their work and are given appropriate time to assess whether they have achieved them.  Teacher questions challenge and deepen pupil thinking. Children are given plenty of opportunity to share ideas and articulate their understanding.  Marking informs pupils of their success against the learning objectives and informs them of how they can improve.  The classroom culture promotes urgency to learning, develops pupil’s capacity to learn from their mistakes and independently extend their work.  Teachers value the professional development opportunities they are given and can articulate the impact these have on improving their teaching and learning.

 Monitoring activities that have taken place over the course of the year is showing that the quality of teaching and learning is continuing to improve.  All teachers are now producing detailed and engaging plans that show clear differentiation and high expectations of all learners.  Pupil’s attitudes to learning are good, pupil progress rates are continuing to improve. A focus on learning behaviours has been introduced (based around school values) and where teaching is good, pupils demonstrate improved levels of concentration and resilience.

 All staff now have a clear understanding of the assessment procedures that have recently been introduced to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum. Work sampling has indicated that marking and feedback is now consistent and informative.  Lesson observations have shown when teaching and learning is good there is effective use of a range of AFL strategies to assess the children’s knowledge and understanding. This has led to lessons being adapted more readily to meet the learner’s needs and a more fluid approach to grouping. This has been a particular CPD focus.

 Teachers are observing ‘good’ teaching through peer observations, visiting other schools and CPD being delivered from another school. It is clearly evident that this has had a significant impact and there is now a greater consistency across the school.  Evidence in books shows a dramatic improvement between last years books and this years books.

 All Maths teaching is triangulated as ‘Good’ or better by July 2016 because:  Teachers demonstrate their understanding of the progression of skills by producing weekly plans that are matched to the starting points of groups and individuals and show a coherent learning journey that secures good rates of progress across the concept.  Teaching provides opportunities for the children to use and apply their mathematical skills across a range problem solving concepts, giving pupils opportunities to generalise and explain their mathematical thinking.  Teaching ensures that pupils have a detailed understanding of the models and images associated with mathematical concepts and consequently are able to articulate their mathematical understanding.

 The Headteacher has taken the responsibility for maths as this is a key area for school improvement.  Maths provision is improving following a heavy focus in terms of CPD. Whole school INSET focused around planning units of work with interlinked objectives. Staff are now increasingly confident in ensuring coverage and raising expectations for all. Teachers are now using ‘cold tasks’ at the beginning of each unit as a key driver for AFL which has resulted in higher expectations and in turn securing good rates of progress.

 Book scrutiny shows appropriate pitch in the majority of classes and where this is not the case the maths manager is working alongside the teacher’s both in the classroom and at the planning stage.  Pupil progress meetings focussed heavily on progress in maths and staff spoke in greater depth about pupils and their barriers to learning. Where children were not making sufficient progress a tighter ‘rigor’ of using RAP’s (raising attainment plans) has been introduced.

 Heuristics (a maths tool kit for problem solving) have been introduced and staff are using these with growing confidence. There is greater evidence of rich mathematical tasks which provide children with the opportunity to develop ‘what if?’ questions and them in turn taking a greater responsibility for moving their learning forward.  Children are increasingly able to articulate what they are learning and how they know whether they have been successful in meeting their targets.

 The proportion of pupils making and exceeding expected progress in English at Rucstall School are close to or above national figures for each year group, i.e. At least 85% are achieving in-line with age related expectations and 10% are exceeding.  A rich base of evidence exists in books from which accurate judgments against ARE can be made.  Teachers demonstrate confidence in making ARE judgments and can articulate the strategies that are using to accelerate the progress of pupils that are behind expectations  Book scrutiny demonstrates the progress of individuals.  Children can articulate what they must do to improve.

 Through book scrutiny, pupil progress meetings and monitoring of subject leaders there is a rich base of evidence in books to show that accurate judgements against ARE are being made. Teachers demonstrate confidence in making ARE judgements and can articulate, with increasing confidence, the strategies that are being used to accelerate progress.

 Average % of children on track is 82.6%, increasing from 79.5% in the Autumn term.  All classes are now exceeding their interim ‘on- track target’.  The number of children at ‘secure +’ (a concern in the Autumn) has strengthened in all classes.  Progress achieved despite significant turbulence in several classes and the departure of some more able pupils at Christmas.  Number of PP children on track has increased by 13% since the Autumn and has exceeded the Feb target.

 Average % of children on track is 78.3%, increasing from 75.6% in the Autumn term.  All classes are now exceeding their interim ‘on-track target’.  The number of pupils at ‘secure+’ has improved since the autumn term.  In Y2 & Y6, the number of pupils at ‘secure +’ has significantly improved.  Number of PP children on track has increased by 6% since the Autumn and has exceeded the Feb target.

 Average % of children on track is 82%, increasing from 81.2% in the Autumn term. Average on track attainment is now only 0.6% behind reading.  In Year 2, the number of children on track has improved and now meets the target of 82%. This had been a concern in Autumn and demonstrates impact.  Number of PP children on track has increased by 6% since the Autumn and has exceeded the Feb target.

 The school continues to drive improvement forward and closely monitors impact in all areas of school life.  Governors continue to rigorously hold the Headteacher to account.  The Local Authority continue to monitor the school closely and meet regularly to ensure rapid whole school improvement

 Please take the opportunity to add any thoughts or ideas to the board. Please make sure these are whole school ideas.  If you would like to discuss things on an individual level please contact your child’s class teacher or the office to arrange a meeting with me or me