In May 2007, OFSTED said in order to improve further we needed to:
1. Ensure improvements are monitored and result in raised standards
2. Raise standards in Mathematics in KS2
3. Ensure the curriculum coordinators have the skills to bring about
improvements
The Governing Body have approved the detailed action plans which are
now well underway to improve these areas. We are moving the school
forward into a definite “Good” category and aim to be “Outstanding” in
many areas. This is a summary of what we are doing:
1. Ensure improvements are monitored and result in raised
standards
We have rewriting all the monitoring sections of our development
plans to include extra steps to rigorously monitor and measure the
improvements that are in place or are put in place in the future.
All the lessons in KS2 were either “Satisfactory or “Good” in the
inspection. We want all the lessons to be “Good” or better as soon
as possible. Intensive mentoring and coaching is being given to the
teachers to help them achieve this consistently from Christmas 2007
onwards.
2. Raise standards in Mathematics in KS2
We have researched best practice in local schools and applied the
findings at GUCS. We are applying the same must, could and should
layered targets that have been so successful in raising standards in
writing last year, to maths from September. The biggest change that
the children have noticed is the introduction of a new scheme of
work with work books for the younger children and text books for the
older ones. There are IT based planning tools for the teachers and
built in tests of progress. It has homework sheets and interactive
white board resources. The target for improvement at the end of KS2
is to maintain the good percentage Level 4+, whilst improving the
L5’s by 10% over two years, with corresponding targets in all year
groups.
3. Ensure the curriculum coordinators have the skills to bring
about improvements
Following a self evaluation exercise, INSET days in September were
given over to training and workshops on subject management and
resulted in a complete documentation of all the changes we have made
in the past year to ensure the curriculum meets the requirements of
the “excellence and enjoyment” agenda. Curriculum development plans
have been rewritten to comply with 1 above to ensure the
improvements are all measurable.
All the above actions will be regularly reviewed and progress
reported to the Governing body so that they can monitor the progress in
each area. The timeframe for all of this work is that 1 and 3 will be
completed in less than a year and we will be half way to achieving 2,
with a further year to complete 2, although an improvement should be
immediately apparent. We will of course, keep parents informed of
progress at regular intervals through the newsletter.
The Governors and I are confident that in a year’s time all this work
will bring the school up to the “Good” category that we had self
evaluated ourselves to be in prior to the OFSTED in May. From that
platform we can then look at what we need to do further to move to
“Outstanding”.
Tim Heaton
Headteacher
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