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On Tuesday 07 November 2017, we were inspected, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended). This was a monitoring inspection following the ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement earlier this year. The focus was around whether we are taking effective enough action to improve provision and outcomes.

Whilst monitoring inspections do not result in a new inspection report or new judgement, a follow-up letter is published.

We’re happy to tell you the inspector concluded that senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement … in order for the school to become a good school.

We’re even happier with some of the positive comments from the inspection letter:

You and your senior leaders are tackling the areas requiring improvement identified at the school’s last inspection with focus and resolve. Together with middle leaders and staff, you are a strong and increasingly cohesive and effective team.

Governors are making a stronger and more influential contribution to improving the quality of education at Scholes (Elmet) Primary School. They are working in a more organised and systematic way and are bringing a sense of energetic purpose to the way they support and challenge you and your colleagues.

I could see the impact of [monitoring and evaluating] on pupils’ learning and progress in the lessons I visited with you and your senior leaders and by looking at the work in pupils’ books. The pupils I spoke to said that they find the work they are set interesting and fun.

[The teaching and learning of Maths] is being purposefully and energetically led by a senior leader who is also a specialist leader of education in mathematics.

Your self-evaluation is detailed and comprehensive. The judgements you have made are supported by a good range of evaluative information. It gives a clear picture of the school’s effectiveness.

It is quite normal in such monitoring visits to agree some new recommendations. For us, they are:

• secure rapid improvements in teaching so that all pupils make fast progress from their different starting points in reading and mathematics in key stage 2 – We’re very aware that outcomes need to improve at the end of the key stage, and have been taking lots of steps to address this; this includes recruiting an additional Maths teacher in the mornings meaning that Maths can be taught in single age classes (see News post, 19.10.17) and closely analysing how pupils have previously performed the the statutory tests – and taking appropriate action to address areas.
• develop and implement an effective approach to identifying and tackling errors and misconceptions in pupils’ mathematical knowledge and understanding – This had already been identified as something we can improve in order to speed up pupil progress; the smaller Maths groups will help here, and the fact that teachers can have a sharper focus on a single age.
• update the school improvement plan and pupil premium strategy so that they link more closely to the priorities and actions identified in the school’s self-evaluation – This is something which we suggested so that we can continue to plan for and monitor the much wider range of improvements that are going on, such as the new homework approach and the bnew ways we invite parents and carers into school (homework reviews, Watch us while we work, sessions, Join in Mondays).

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the report, please contact Miss Hague, the Head of School.