STANDARDS and achievements by Year 2 and Year 6 pupils at a Warrington school placed in special measures last year are still not as high as they should be, according to school inspectors.
In Year 2 standards in English are below target, and in Year 6, pupils are below target in maths and English, according to a report by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).
But the school is making progress and the new head teacher, Lynne Mullen, is praised by
inspectors who carried out monitoring at the school in June.
They urge the school to build on improvements being made to the quality of teaching and learning so that a higher proportion of lessons are good or better.
Other areas for improvement included further development to assessment and target setting systems so that they are used consistently across the school and contribute to raising standards, and, to develop the skills of middle leaders to monitor, evaluate and improve their areas of responsibility.
The report says the head teacher has acquired a thorough and accurate understanding of the school’s situation and taken decisive action quicken the pace of improvement.
Pupils also come in for praise for displaying loyalty and support to the school, the staff and the new head teacher.
They are also praised for being “keen to get into their classes punctually in the mornings.”
Inspectors saw evidence of improved progress in key areas of learning such as mental mathematics, stating: “Improvements of this nature reflect the introduction of more robust approaches to the use of assessment to drive up expectations and outcomes.”
Miss Mullen commented: “I feel privileged to have joined Bruche, where it is clear that parents, governors and staff take school improvement seriously. We are very proud of our achievements so far, as highlighted in the report.
“The teachers and children have worked hard to address the points raised in the original inspection. The children are what makes this school so special and they have responded well to our new initiatives. Most of all we are proud of what they have achieved, and look forward to future achievements with a renewed sense of expectation.”
The school continues to receive the support of local authority advisers and consultants.
