Special measures for Nyewood

Failings in maths and English teaching have led education inspectors to place a Bognor Regis school in special measures.

The inability of pupils at Nyewood CoE Junior School to make progress in the essential subjects has been noted with concern by the watchdogs from Ofsted.

Lead inspector Janet Sinclair said: "Standards are broadly average but pupils across the school are not achieving well enough in mathematics and writing. This situation has continued over several years.

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"There has been a slight improvement in mathematics this year due to some of the actions taken by the school, such as greater attention to mental arithmetic and computation skills.

"However, there remains much to do to ensure pupils achieve as well as they should in this subject.

"Similarly, in writing, the school has recently introducted 'ten minute' writing tasks and termly assessments.

"There is evidence of this having a positive impact on pupils' writing skills in some classes.

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"They make broadly satisfactory progress in science and reading."

To improve the situation, Ms Sinclair said the school needed to ensure maths and English lessons are planned to provide activities which precisely match the needs of all pupils at all ability levels.

Rigorous systems also needed to be developed to track and analyse pupils' progress to provide information that precisely informs teachers' planning and target setting.

More effective monitoring and self-evaluation systems were needed as well to enable the school to exactly pinpoint how provision could be improved.

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The curriculum also needed to be improved by providing more interesting and exciting activities to boost the enjoyment, interest and motivation in learning of the pupils.

These will build on recently introduced changes at the school which have boosted standards, though too slowly in Ms Sinclair's judgment.

Father Andrew Wadsworth, the school's chairman of governors, said: "The contents of the report have been acknowledged by the senior management team, staff and governors who are all determined to move the school forward as quickly as possible.

"The priority for us all must be to provide the best education for our children.

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"The coming year will be demanding and testing but, together, we will emerge a stronger and better school."

Being placed in special measures means Nyewood CoE Junior School, headed by Jane Wells, has drawn up a detailed plan of action with a timetable for improvements, with local education authority support.

The school will be monitored during the next two years and re-inspected. It will then either be removed from special measures or can be closed by the government's education secretary.

The unwelcome status follows Ms Sinclair's visit to the Brent Road school of 274 pupils aged 7-11 in mid-October in its first inspection since June 2004. Her report was published last week.

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She has criticised the school's ineffective monitoring which has led to a lack of understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

However, there are many good aspects of the education provided there.

"The school provides a caring environment ensuring most pupils are happy to come to the school, feel safe, and are confident of adult support should they need it," Ms Sinclair stated.

A good range of clubs, visits and visitors '“ to whom pupils were polite and friendly '“ enriched the curriculum.

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She said she had found no evidence to back the concerns of some parents about bullying and supported the school's procedures relating to the issue.

n A separate Inspection of Anglican Schools report is positive about the Christian ethos of the school and its religious education.

It states that Mrs Wells and Fr Wadsworth have a clear plan to further raise the school's profile as a church school.

"The school has begun its self evaluation and it is intended that this process will help to raise still further the quality of religious rducation and the impact of Christian ethos on the life and work of school," it adds.

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