Dear All

Interim Executive Board Notice of Appointment

St Andrew and St Francis C of E Primary School

The local authority’s application to the Secretary of State seeking consent to appoint an Interim Executive Board (IEB) at St Andrew and St Francis C of E Primary School has been approved. I am therefore writing to give notice of your appointment to the IEB with effect from Monday 10 November.

The IEB’s main function is to secure a sound basis for future improvement in the school and this should include the promotion of high standards of educational achievement. Its overall duties are to:

• Accelerate improvement in standards and attainment
• Provide challenge to the leadership of the school to secure rapid improvement
• Take on the responsibilities of a normally constituted governing body including: the management of the budget, the curriculum, staffing, pay and performance management and the appointment of the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

The Department for Education expects the IEB to actively consider a sponsored academy solution. This is because the department considers that such an arrangement will secure the long-term future of the school.

All IEB members are appointed by the local authority, which may add other members in due course. The members of the IEB are:

John Galligan - Chair of IEB

Richard Walton - IEB member

Evelyn Chua - IEB member

On Friday 12th December the children of St Andrew & St Francis had their very own school disco that was held in our Francis hall! The children were dancing with energy and were impressing us with their incredible dance moves!

Thank you to all who came. You deserved it!

A special thank you to Ms K. Ramsammy for providing the music and equipment and to all staff that helped make the Disco a night to rememeber for the children.

Below is a copy of HMI's letter to the school following our first monitoring visit.

HMI was tasked with making 3 decisions: (1) is the local authority's action plan good enough, (2) is our action plan good enough and (3) can we take on Newly Qualified Teachers to staff yet?

Since the actions plans were first draft, HMI decided that they were not far enough forward looking and did not have enough measurable steps towards bringing the school out of Special Measures. He has then judged that the plans are "Not fit for purpose" (the official jargon). However, he has given us specific direction on how to re-write the action plans in order that they are "Fit for purpose". These will be ready by the deadline given of 1st September 2014.

Also, HMI has decided that as yet the school does not have the capacity to successfully mentor Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs).

However, HMI was pleased with the actions which have already been undertaken and he can see that the school is already moving forward from the judgements made by OFSTED in February 2014.

Please click on the link below to read the report from our school's recent OFSTED inspection.

 Our target is 96%. Lets keep up the good attendance figures.

If your child is ill or has an appointment, please make sure to call the school office or to send a letter with your child. (Appointment cards will be needed as proof of absence.)

We strongly discourage families from taking time off during the term. Any families considering this must make an appointment to talk with Mr. Richard Roberts.

Have you read your latest Stan and Fran?

Please clink on the link at the side to find the latest edition