News Low standards found at primary school
A recent Ofsted inspection visit to Thorne Moorends West Road Primary School found its overall progress to be inadequate since special measures were introduced in January.
The latest report comes as the result of a visit that took place in July, in which inspectors observed the school's work, visited lessons and two assemblies, and scrutinised documents and samples of pupils' work.
Meetings were held with the acting head teacher, a group of teaching and non-teaching staff, and pupils. Discussions also took place with the vice-chair of governors, a representative from the local authority and the senior managers seconded to the school.
The reports states that the school had experienced significant 'turbulence' in staffing over the past 18 months and, for a year before the school became subject to special measures, the head teacher was absent through ill-health. To cover his absence, the deputy head teacher was appointed acting head teacher.
The latest visit found that pupils entered the school with levels of attainment that were well below average. During the Foundation Stage children get off to a good start and make good progress, although standards remain below average overall. As a whole, some pupils are broadly on track to meet their individual targets, while for others there has been minimal progress.
Teachers and support assistants are very clear about their roles and provide interesting opportunities for children to collaborate, to practise their speaking and listening, and to develop appropriate levels of independence. But there has been a lack of continuity in staffing that is also affecting progress, with some classes experiencing six different teachers over the past term.
The local authority is providing a good level of support to the school and, as a result, the school is benefiting from support for teaching, learning, and literacy from a range of the local authority's advisers and consultants.
Overall, the visit found an inadequate improvement in the quality of teaching so that pupils of all capabilities are fully challenged and understand how to improve their work, inadequate improvement in curricular arrangements for literacy and the provision for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, and inadequate establishment of stable staffing arrangements.
Published on 27th September 2007 in News.
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