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14 November 2013 Mrs Jane Siddall Headteacher Hoyland Springwood Primary School Cloughfields Road Hoyland Barnsley South Yorkshire S74 0ER Dear Mrs Siddall Special measures monitoring inspection of Hoyland Springwood Primary School Following my visit to your school on 13 November 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help your deputy headteacher gave during the inspection and for the time she made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the school's recent section 5 inspection. The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in July 2013. Evidence During this inspection, meetings were held with the deputy headteacher, the headteacher of a nearby teaching school who is supporting the school as a National Leader in Education, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority. Records of behaviour incidents were examined along with the schools data on the progress that pupils are making. The local authority's statement of action and the school's improvement plan were evaluated. Context During the current illness of the headteacher, a National Leader in Education is assisting the deputy headteacher in the leadership of the school. The quality of leadership in and management of the school The inspection in July 2013 raised concerns about the quality of teaching, the progress made by pupils, the quality of leadership and management and the provision for the safeguarding of pupils. The report asked for immediate actions to be taken to address the issues surrounding safeguarding. Some of these have been implemented. The Parent View website and the views of pupils collected by the school indicate that pupils feel safe in

school. However, an analysis of behaviour records shows that there is still too much confusion in the school as to what constitutes a serious behavioural incident. Several incidents have been recorded as minor, but the recorded detail of the incidents suggests that they are significant and should have been reported to parents. The immediate action required to address fully the safeguarding issues has, therefore, not been taken. The local authoritys statement of action in general matches the areas for improvement, and the overview section complies with statutory guidelines. However, the accompanying plan contains weaknesses. The success criteria are vague. The plan is repetitive and does not lend itself to holding the school to account. The plan shows insufficient urgency in monitoring issues related to safeguarding. The schools action plan covers the current term in detail. It is clear and the actions within it are explained in a helpful and effective way. However, it does not make explicit what actions will be taken and how the school will improve beyond this time. It lacks success criteria or milestones for improvement that set a clear trajectory towards the removal of special measures. It also lacks the specific immediate action needed to ensure that behaviour incidents are recorded accurately and that parents are always informed when serious incidents occur. Neither plan provides effective guidance for sustained improvement. During the past three weeks, the progress that school leaders have made towards tackling the areas for improvement has increased substantially. Under the guidance of the National Leader of Education, the roles of senior staff have been rationalised to make senior and middle leaders more accountable. The performance management of staff has been improved, with better access for staff to professional development. Weaknesses in the teaching of mathematics, which are flagged up in the inspection report, are being addressed. Arrangements have been made for a review of governance to be led by an outside professional trainer. The outside learning opportunities for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have improved. Senior leaders have a tighter overview of the progress that pupils are making. Currently, this shows that the progress that pupils are making in Key Stage 2 has not improved, but the accurate monitoring of this progress is the first step towards improvement. The governing body is developing its role and its members are enthusiastic to work for the improvement of the school. Governors have interviewed pupils throughout the school to find their views on their safety, including e-safety. Members of the governing body have a general understanding of the way pupil premium funding is spent and its impact. They also are aware of the schools processes for managing the performance of staff. In these areas, their understanding has not developed significantly since the inspection. It is the intention of the governing body that the review of governance will lead to an action plan for improvement, including the need for greater oversight of these areas. Following the monitoring inspection the following judgements were made: The local authority's statement of action is fit for purpose. The school's action plan is not fit for purpose. The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children's Services for Barnsley. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Robert Barbour Additional Inspector