OFSTED Parents Meeting July 2014

1. OFSTED Parents Meeting July 2014

2. Vision for the School • Every child is the best they can be. • Create an exciting, engaging curriculum. • Develop effective and reflective teaching and learning. • Create a safe, rich learning environment. • Develop and enhance leadership capacity and impact. • Build mutually beneficial partnerships.

3. Parents Forum - Have you noticed a difference?

4. New Leadership Structure

5. Reasons • Increased capacity for further improvement • Clear lines of communication • Clear first point of contact • (will be in newsletter to inform all parents)

6. What is achievement like in the school now? Quotes from the report • “ All pupils are making good and for some better progress” • “Achievement is improving rapidly in all subjects but over time it has not been good” • “ A marked rise in standards and rapidly improving rates of progress for all groups of pupils” • “Leaders have set challenging targets ….. which are bringing about rapid improvements in all areas” • “Present Year 6 are on track to exceed national expectations” • “Attainment in mathematics has improved rapidly in the last few months” • “The most able pupils are currently making much better progress across the school”

10. Attendance (and punctuality) The difference between Autumn/Spring 12/13 and this year amounts to 1537 additional pupil days in school (or on average 6 days for every pupil!) Persistent lateness also down significantly this term.

11. Other Achievements • 2 sports teams in County Finals – Tennis and Cricket • Lots of other sporting events taken place • Extensive clubs programe • 11 children (35%) of Year 6 passed 11+ and achieved a place at Grammar School • Year 5 – Queen’s Baton Relay project. • Logo designed for the Marden Medical Centre Patients’ Group • Charity Fundraising. Three charities chosen for the year. Local: Kent Air Ambulance –raised £202. World: WWF: raised £167. Help the Heroes- sponsored assault course Monday 14th July. • Year 6 team entered into the Invicta Maths Challenge- got through to the finals and came 5th. • Inter-Schools Choir Competition at Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School Monday 23rd June.

12. What is teaching like in the school now? During the inspection 14 lessons were observed. All 14 were judged as good or better by the inspectors 6 were judged to have outstanding elements with 2 outstanding overall In the last two rounds of internal lesson observations in the summer term carried out in school for each teacher now teaching at the school (one for each teacher carried out with an officer from the Local Authority) All 23 were good or better with over half showing outstanding elements The areas for further development are really things needed to improve teaching to outstanding rather than good. The three new teachers have all been observed teaching prior to appointment and I am confident will maintain this standard of teaching.

13. What did OFSTED say about leadership? • Leadership and management are good because, in a relatively short time, they have brought about rapid changes and improvements to the school. • Since his appointment, the headteacher has developed a strong vision and a strong and clear drive for improvement. This has resulted in a marked rise in standards and rapidly improving rates of progress for all groups of pupils. • Leaders have set challenging targets for both the school and teachers, which are bringing about rapid improvements in all areas. • The headteacher and senior leadership team have worked hard to eliminate any teaching that does not come up to standard and make sure that all teaching is now good. • The school works effectively with parents and they are positive about the school and the service it provides. • Governors monitor the school effectively and provide robust challenge and support to the leadership of the school.

14. (And why is this so important) • The school leaders have delivered the improvements over the last 4 terms which have accelerated further over the last 2 terms. • The school leaders will ensure the improvements continue to be delivered • Governors monitor these improvements and challenge school leaders So its really important that we are effective! Good leadership will continue to raise achievement and the quality of teaching further – it has already done so, OFSTED have recognised this very clearly in the report and I hope we have demonstrated this is still rising.

15. Comments from Governors present on Leadership

16. What does the school need to do to improve (even) further? 1 Raise the amount of good and outstanding teaching by making sure that: a) all teachers maintain a brisk pace of learning so there are good and better rates of progress in lessons b) teachers make full use of the other adults who support learning in their classrooms to help pupils progress further in their learning c) teachers adapt activities as their lesson progresses, when necessary, to make sure that all pupils understand the work and can achieve at the highest possible levels. 2 Raise attainment and achievement further by making sure that: a) all teachers improve pupils’ progress and attainment in writing through providing more opportunities for pupils to write longer pieces of work in different subjects b) effective strategies are employed to raise the attainment of pupils entitled to the additional pupil premium funding, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

17. Progress of SEN/Pupil Premium children

18. School Improvement Plan Priorities 2014/15 Priority 1 Develop the capacity and impact of all leaders within the school (within new leadership structure) Priority 2 Raise the amount of good and outstanding teaching (OFSTED) Priority 3 Develop the implementation of the new National Curriculum to ensure coverage, resourcing and enrichment. Priority 4 Ensure effective strategies are employed to raise the attainment of pupils who have special educational needs Priority 5: Further raise attainment in Writing Priority 6 Develop a communications strategy to actively promote the image of Marden as a successful, popular school with parents/carers and the wider community

19. Vision for the School • Every child is the best they can be. • Create an exciting, engaging curriculum. • Develop effective and reflective teaching and learning. • Create a safe, rich learning environment. • Develop and enhance leadership capacity and impact. • Build mutually beneficial partnerships.

20. In Conclusion I hope you can see (and feel) things have continued to improve. We know the areas for further development. We continue to work on the aspects identified in the inspection report. I am very proud of the staff team we have at Marden and what we have achieved so far – we look forward to new challenges.

21. Any Questions?