Halesowen school back on track after Ofsted criticism
Leaders at a primary school in Halesowen have acted quickly after being told by Ofsted that teaching must improve.
The education regulator said the situation was now improving at Newfield Park Primary School.
Standards were judged to be slipping at the school during an inspection in September. The Whittingham Road school received a 'requires improvement' rating which is just one level above the worst possible grading of inadequate.
Reading, writing and maths results were a concern, while inspectors said children were not always clear about how they could improve their work.
But now, following a monitoring inspection, Ofsted said teachers and governors had responded to the findings 'with urgency and commitment' and that a clear action plan had been put in place. There has also been an increased focus on lesson observation and tracking pupils' progress.
Headteacher Angela Mander said she was disappointed with the original rating given by the watchdog and feels the new report gives a more accurate reflection of day-to-day life at the school.
"Our staff have always worked very hard and we feel this is a truer reflection of our school. Our parents are very much in agreement," she said.
Mrs Mander said not a lot had needed changing in the time between Ofsted's visits and that she was always confident in her teaching team.
But despite the more positive monitoring inspection, the school could spend up to two years with the 'requires improvement' tag.
