Serco Inspections
Cedar House
2 1 William Street
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 1LH
Ofsted
T 0300 123 1231
Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 e nquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Serco tim.ogbourn@serco.com www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0 121 683 3888
6 A pril 2011
Mr D M O wen
T he Grove Primary School
A sfordby Road
Melton Mowbray
LE13 0HN
Dear Mr Owen
Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools: monitoring inspection of T he Grove
Primary School
T hank you for the help which you and your staff gave w hen I inspected your school on 5 A pril 2011 , for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection.
T here are no significant changes in the context of the school since the inspection.
A s a result of the inspection on 1 and 2 O ctober 2009, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter.
Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the sch ool has made satisfactory progress in making improvements and satisfactory progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.
Pupils enter the school with knowledge, understanding and skills which are generally well below those found nationally. In 2010, the attainment of Year 6 pupils improved in mathematics to be broadly average but was well below average in English. Pupils m ade satisfactory progress overall but slower progress in English. Results for Year 2 pupils improved, especiall y in writing, and were broadly average. The school’s assessment information indicates that current Y ear 6 pupils are on track to achieve their challenging targets, m aking good progress and improving attainment, especially in English. In other year groups, pupils are making at least expected and often good progress. This is as a result of the school’s effective efforts to improve the teaching of writing and the curriculum.
In lessons, pupils behave well and work together effectively. They show enthusiasm for practical tasks such as giving directions using mathematical language or developing stories in groups. They also work well independently, for example when writing a paragraph concentrating on a character’s feelings.
September 2010
PROTECT- INSPECTION
P age 1
PROTECT -INSPECTION
T he quality of teaching is improving because of the strong focus on pupils’ writing.
T eachers make their expectations clear . They demonstrate how pupils should structure their writing and use language more effectively. Pupils are familiar with their literacy targets and confident in using success criteria. The grouping of pupils by ability for some English lessons has allowed teachers to match work more closely to pupils’ differing capabilities, for example higher attaining pupils. T he project to improve pupils’ confidence in speaking and listening is still developing. T he school has adopted a creative approach to the curriculum, such as using a puppeteer to engage pupils, and this is working well, especially for boys. There are increasing opportunities for pupils to apply their writing skills in other subjects.
T here is now a consistent approach to teachers’ marking across the school. Teachers identify and correct important errors in pupils’ work, especially in their writing. They provide clear guidance to pupils on what they should do to im prove their work, including regular reviews of their progress. Pupils increasingly assess their own work and that of their peers, making suggestions for improvement.
T he headteacher and senior staff have established a clear vision for improving the school based on the main recommendations from the last
