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Improvements needed at Kintbury St Mary’s, says Ofsted





In each category - quality of teaching, leadership and management, pupils’ behaviour and safety and pupils’ achievement - the verdict was the same.
Nevertheless, West Berkshire Council described the Ofsted report as “positive.”
Under new criteria introduced in September, if a school has been judged to require improvement at two consecutive inspections, and is still not providing a good education at the third, it is likely to be placed in ‘special measures.’
Ofsted will therefore expect such schools to improve to ‘good' within four years.
Among the criticisms levelled by inspectors were the following:
* progress in mathematics is hampered by a lack of challenge for pupils in some lessons
* in a number of lessons, teachers are slow to make changes to tasks that pupils find too easy or too difficult
* pupils are occasionally bored and restless
* targets set by school leaders are insufficiently aspirational
However the report also listed a number of strengths, including good teaching in the Early years Foundation Stage and the fact that almost all pupils make progress in line with national expectations in English; that teachers create a positive climate for learning in most lessons and that pupils behave well and try hard when they are interested and engaged.
Spokeswoman for West Berkshire Council, Peta Stoddart-Crompton, said: “Kintbury St Mary CE Primary School has received a positive Ofsted report following an inspection last month. The school was one of the first in the area to be inspected under the new Ofsted framework.
“The Ofsted report acknowledges that school leaders are committed to moving the school forward and that there has have been improvements in writing and increased achievement of the higher attaining pupils in school since the last inspection.”
School head teacher Tina Norton said: "Whilst we accept the judgements under the new, more stringent framework, we will continue to work very hard to implement the improvements needed to take the school to 'Good' and beyond.
"Our priority now is to ensure that the many strengths highlighted in the report are built on so that pupils make greater than expected progress. A number of enhancements have already been put in place since the inspection and, together with the support of governors and parents, we are confident that we will succeed in our ambition."
West Berkshire Council's Executive Councillor for Education, Irene Neil (Con, Aldermaston), said: " The school has worked well through the added pressures and disruption of extensive building work which was essential to move the school forward. They are now in a strong position to address any issues raised by the inspectors. The Local Education Authority is fully supporting them so that they may do this as quickly as possible."
The schools new building will officially open on October 25.
The £2.5 million project is a remodelling and expansion of the existing building to accommodate extra pupils, more than half of which was covered by Government funding.
The school will receive a monitoring visit within the next six weeks from an Inspector who will look at the School Development Plan to give a view as to whether the actions proposed will secure progress to ensure a judgement of ‘Good’ or better at the next full inspection.



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