1. Welcome and Agenda Ali Mansfield Chair of Governors
Manor Fields Primary School
Ofsted Parents’ Meeting
5thth December 2016

2. Agenda Welcome and introductions Ali Mansfield Chair of Governors
Background Tracey Warner
Senior School Effectiveness advisor
Summary of Inspection Tina Jarman
Headteacher
Helen Smith
Deputy Headteacher
Governors’ response Ali Mansfield
Key Issues and LA support Pat McAteer
Strategic Lead - Primary Achievement
Opportunity for questions Ali Mansfield

3. Senior School Effectiveness advisor
Background
Tracey Warner
Senior School Effectiveness advisor

4. Background
In September 2014, overall the school was judged to ‘Require Improvement’ (RI). All aspects were judged to be good except for leadership, which was judged to require improvement.
The report summary said:
‘Following a comprehensive restructure, the governing body is in the early stages of rebuilding its capacity so that it can provide effective governance that fulfils its core functions’ and ‘The governing body has not been thorough in checking that all statutory requirements are met and that new guidance is implemented promptly’.
RI judgement:
Key priorities –
Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is consistently good or better by making sure that:
pupils understand their targets for improvement - DONE
teaching assistants are always deployed to best effect to assist pupils’ learning - there has been improvement but this is STILL AN ISSUE
pupils always respond to the guidance they receive from teachers’ marking of their work - not consistent yet
younger readers are taught to apply their knowledge of the sounds letters make when reading new words - DONE
work in lessons always provides challenge for the more able. - not enough still
 Tighten arrangements for monitoring and managing pupils’ behaviour, especially at lunchtimes. - DONE
 Sustain the impact of leaders and managers on the current improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement by:
driving through the improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement so both are at least consistently good by July 2014
making sure that assessment of children’s progress when they leave the Early Years Foundation Stage is accurate so as to guide teaching in Year 1, by senior leaders sampling assessments and working closely with other schools and the local authority to verify the accuracy of the assessments made. - DONE

5. In December 2014, the school received a “section 8” monitoring visit from an HMI. The letter recording this visit was very positive. The school was judged to be ‘taking effective action’. Further improvements to the action plans were suggested
In March 2015, HfL undertook a review in the school to evaluate improvements to the issues identified by Ofsted. This review was positive
In late March 2015, the school received a further visit from an HMI. This visit was to monitor progress with the actions from December 2014, but also to review progress from the Ofsted issues. The note of visit recorded that ‘The issues around the school’s action plan have been addressed well’.

6. The HMI also judged that ‘Governors show good knowledge and understanding of the school’s current position and what it needs to do next’
In October 2016, the school was inspected under Section 5 of the Ofsted framework
At the time it was believed that it was well placed to aim to attain a judgement of good.
Instead it was placed in Special Measures. This was due to several issues identified in the school’s safeguarding procedures.

7. Summary of Inspection Outcomes
Tina Jarman & Helen Smith
Headteacher & Deputy Headteacher
Nest full inspection Feb 2016

8. Key points Children are safe at this school Teaching and attitudes to learning are strongly good Outcomes (attainment) are good All issues from the previous Ofsted have been successfully addressed
We have two key messages that we want to reassure you of.
1. Your children are safe at this school. Behaviour of pupils is good, Health and Safety is good. There is no evidence of bullying
Children report that they feel safe.
2. Teaching and learning at this school is strongly good with all issues identified at the last Ofsted addressed through the hard work of leaders, teachers and our children.

9. If children at this school are safe, what is ‘safeguarding’
If children at this school are safe, what is ‘safeguarding’? Safeguarding is sometimes called Child Protection, includes recruitment, staff checks, training, polices and procedures Our Child Protection Policy is updated annually and is available on the website. Safeguarding is a limiting judgement. However good every other aspect of a school is, it cannot be deemed ‘good’ if procedures and processes for safeguarding are not deemed to be good.
The judgement of ‘inadequate’ relates to our procedures and processes relating to ‘safeguarding’’ – perhaps I can clarify what we mean when we use that term.
Safeguarding relates to children’s overall welfare in and beyond school and the process to be followed when children disclose to us a concern or when we notice physical signs such as bruising or changes to a child’s behaviour which might indicate they are suffering harm, or are at increased risk of harm.
In this situation our safeguarding procedure is that a written record is made by the staff member who have noticed anything that might be a cause for concern – and this is passed to one of the designated members of staff: Ms Jarman, Mrs Smith, Mrs Hind.

10. The following appendix to our Child Protection Policy details this process.

11. Safeguarding
‘Leaders, managers and governors have failed to establish effective systems for ensuring pupils’ safety and welfare. Arrangements for the thorough recording of all concerns about pupils’ welfare and actions taken to address them, are not robust’. ‘Concerns about pupils’ welfare are not always reported quickly enough to the appropriate designated safeguarding staff member, or if needed, to appropriate agencies’
‘Training arrangements for safeguarding have not been effective for staff and some leaders’.
The following issues were identified in the recent Ofsted report

12. Areas to be addressed: 1. A culture reliant on people rather than processes. 2. The robustness of paperwork. 3. Additional checks on the validity of ID. 4. Automatic referral. Steps already taken…….
We accept that the following aspects of our safeguarding procedures need to be improved – it is these four things that have resulted in the ‘inadequate’ judgement.
The culture of the school has perhaps been over reliant on ‘people’ rather than procedures. Following staff training completed on the first day of term all staff were confident that concerns should be raised with ourselves. When questioned some staff were not able to show the same confidence about how they would deal with a disclosure in our absence – for example when offsite or out of school hours, including eekend visits. It has been made clear to us that ALL staff including MSA’s, volunteers and cleaners have to be very clear what action they need to take to safeguard a child if we are not available to refer to – including making a direct referral to social services or the police if necessary.
Meeting minutes following our discussions with parents when safeguarding concerns were raised were not as robust as they needed to be to give a full picture of how we monitor a child after disclosures are made. Keeping that paper trail complete so that it clear to anyone – even in our absence – is vital.
Additional checks refers to using a UV light to check the authenticity of photographic ID
The fourth aspect is one that is currently very high profile in our society. We rightly have a responsibility to refer to the local authority when a child makes a disclosure of harm or we believe a child is at risk of harm or has experienced harm. We have always felt secure in the guidance we have sought and our professional judgement to make referrals to the appropriate Child protection service, or to seek additional sources of support and guidance, to work in partnership with parents who may be experiencing difficult circumstances. We will continue to work with you but it has been made very clear that if a child has suffered harm, is at risk of suffering harm or even fears they might suffer harm, we have to first and foremost make an immediate referral to Children's services before onforming the parent.

13. “It Could Happen Here…”
Action plan to address the recommendations hs been written:-
Safeguarding Governor – experienced HT and delivers safeguarding - Internal audit of policies and procedures under way
TJ met with the LADO to discuss protocols and referrals –
Training – Governor training with a specific focus on safeguarding planned; all staff received additional face to face in school training on protocols and precedures and developing a ‘culture’ of it could happen here.- in school from DSPs; further additional training in the spring term from the LADO; half termly staff training / review of training :- Concern forms completed in timely fashion – handed immediately to DSP - Referrals have been made
Systems and procedures are being addressed – eg All documentation and records are being reviewed and colour coded – shared with all appropriate staff
External audit of recruitment showed all staff are suitable to work with children - now have a UV light to check authenticity of photographs.

14. The main body of our Ofsted report
When you read the main sections of the report and look beyond the headlines; there are an overwhelming number of positives for the school community to feel rightly proud of!

15. Governors’ Response
Ali Mansfield
Chair of Governors

16. Governors’ Response Introduction
Governors have already started addressing the key priorities
Achievements and successes are highlighted in the report
Governors recognise the significance of the outcome for the school

17. Key Issues, Support and Monitoring

18. Strategic Lead - Primary Achievement
Patrick McAteer
Strategic Lead - Primary Achievement
Herts for Learning

19. What Happens Next?
Herts for Learning on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council will submit a statement of action (SoA) to Ofsted. It will outline how it will support the school
Action began immediately after the inspection.
Academisation

20. Support and Monitoring
A programme will be devised to include the following:
Regular monitoring, challenge, support and, where necessary, intervention from the District School Effectiveness Adviser dedicated to helping remove the school from special measures
Visits by Herts for Learning subject advisers and consultants
Monitoring directly and indirectly the quality of safeguarding procedures, teaching and other aspects of the plan where indicated, at least once a month initially

21. Questions
Ali Mansfield
Chair of Governors

22. The way forward on behalf of the local authority
Staff, families, governors, and Herts for Learning are all committed to rapidly improving Manor Fields Primary School and to sustaining the best possible education
for all it’s pupils, those here now and those who attend Manor Fields in the future.