Tanners Brook Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Develop the support and challenge for the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, across the curriculum so that: they deepen and embed their learning across the curriculum

their attainment is significantly higher than the national average in reading, writing, mathematics and science.

• Improve the support for disadvantaged pupils in key stage 2 so that they make rapid progress to attain at least in line with other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Develop effective systems for managing the extreme behaviour of a very small number of pupils so that the number of fixed-term exclusions reduces.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• In collaboration with her three deputy headteachers and the Portswood Primary Academy Trust, the headteacher has led sustained improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the curriculum.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in all curriculum areas. Through frequent monitoring and reviews, they provide support tailored to the needs of teachers and teaching assistants. Consequently, teaching is now good.
• The Portswood Primary Academy Trust provides effective challenge and support to school leaders. It complements effectively the professional development provided by the school. The trust knows the school well.
• Middle leaders are enthusiastic and passionate about their respective subjects. Their vision for pupils’ success is effectively disseminated to staff. Senior leaders and the trust provide effective support to develop middle leaders’ monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in their subject areas. For example, the key stage 2 phase leaders have successfully led training in the teaching and learning of reading. As a result, teachers and teaching assistants support pupils’ understanding of texts effectively.
• Pupils’ outcomes have continued to improve in all areas of the curriculum because of leaders’ constant focus on raising achievement. Leaders evaluate pupils’ progress over time effectively and use this information to provide tailored support to pupils who fall behind.
• Leaders have created an engaging and exciting curriculum for pupils in all year groups. Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. For example, pupils in Year 4 study the history of Ancient Egypt by exploring historical artefacts, while pupils in Year 5 develop opera singing skills in music. Leaders have also adapted the curriculum to provide pupils with an informed understanding of their physical and social environment by studying the Southampton docklands.
• Support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is highly effective. Leaders ensure that pupils receive appropriate care and support to participate fully in classroom learning. Teaching assistants work collaboratively with teachers to provide additional high-quality support. Leaders review pupils’ educational plans effectively to ensure that pupils can progress.
• Leaders ensure that pupils develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally through assemblies and throughout the curriculum. For example, pupils study Islamic art in Year 6 and the impact of the weather on societies in Africa in Year 2. Pupils develop a strong understanding of fairness and equality through campaigning for election to the student council and applying for the role of prefect.
• The leadership of early years is a strength of the school. With an inspired vision, leaders have created a stimulating and language-rich environment within which children thrive. Consequently, most children are well prepared for study in Year 1.
• Leaders have used the pupil premium funding effectively resulting in disadvantaged pupils making better progress across the curriculum than in the past. However, they do not ensure that they make rapid progress to attain at least in line with other pupils nationally.
• Although leadership of the curriculum is strong, the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, do not have consistent support to enrich their understanding, skills and knowledge of subjects across the curriculum.
• Leaders have created effective behaviour systems resulting in good pupil behaviour both in the classroom and around the school. However, leaders have not secured effective arrangements and procedures to manage the bad behaviour of a very small number of pupils. As a result, the school temporarily excludes more pupils than the national average.

Governance of the school

• Governance at Tanners Brook Primary School is good. In collaboration with the trust, it has a clear, strategic focus ensuring that its priorities are the same as those in the school development plan. Governors raise pertinent and challenging questions about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Governors monitor effectively the expenditure for pupil premium and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities enabling pupils to make good progress.
• Governors also monitor the expenditure of the sports premium funding effectively. Pupils have additional dance lessons and a range of sports opportunities to develop their physical health.
• Governors receive appropriate training so that they can evaluate accurately the improvements in teaching, learning and assessment at the school.
• Governors are regular visitors to the school. They gather valuable information to inform governor meetings. They are committed to raising pupils’ achievements.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils are enthusiastic learners at Tanners Brook. They enjoy their lessons and are curious to learn about the world around them. One pupil’s appreciation of his experience at the school was echoed by many others, ‘I like learning lots and lots and lots at this school.’
• The teaching of reading has improved markedly. Pupils’ work demonstrates the sophisticated ways in which pupils can evaluate the language used by authors in a range of texts. Pupils are immersed in a culture of reading at the school. Pupils read frequently to teachers and teaching assistants and pupils who encounter difficulties receive additional tailored support.
• The teaching of phonics is good. Pupils make successful links between the sound of a letter and word and its written form. Effective liaison between Reception and Year 1 and Year 2 teachers and teaching assistants has resulted in pupils learning to read using phonics in clearly sequenced lessons. As a result, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check met the national average in 2017.
• The teaching of mathematics at both key stage 1 and key stage 2 has improved markedly. Through regular evaluation and reviews of pupils’ progress, teachers adapt the curriculum to ensure that the needs of pupils are met. For example, additional support is provided for those pupils with low starting points.
• Pupils develop critical writing skills through redrafting and editing their work. By studying the features of a range of reading texts, pupils can successfully write in different genres.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities currently make good progress in many areas of the curriculum. They receive additional support to ensure that they can access the curriculum successfully. Through regular evaluation of pupils’ progress, teachers and teaching assistants adapt the support provided.
• Pupils develop strong historical skills and knowledge in history and geography. Through the development of questions, predictions and sourcing reliable evidence, pupils articulate conclusions about the impact of weather systems in Year 2 and life in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece in Years 4 and 5 respectively.
• Although disadvantaged pupils make better progress at key stage 2, they do not make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, they do not attain in line with other pupils nationally.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, do not make the progress that they are capable of in many areas of the curriculum such as reading and mathematics. There is often insufficient support to extend their progress more rapidly. Teachers’ guidance does not consistently help pupils to understand what they need to do to deepen their learning in many areas of the curriculum.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and articulate. They cooperate with each other well during lessons and at breaktimes.
• Pupils develop a strong understanding and appreciation of the different needs of others. For example, the student council told an inspector that they really valued the inclusion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Pupils’ work, both in their books and in class, demonstrates a profound pride in their learning.
• Pupils have many opportunities to develop their understanding of the world around them throughout the curriculum. Pupils gain a strong awareness of the history and current society of Britain through visits to Stonehenge and the Isle of Wight alongside the Southampton docklands.
• Pupils recognise that the school keeps them safe. The school has a strong focus on e-safety. Pupils told an inspector that they knew what to do if they were contacted by a stranger online.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The attendance of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, is consistently above the national average. Pupils frequently told inspectors how much they enjoyed coming to school.
• Pupils behave very well in class and around the school. They help each other with their learning and are respectful of the views of others.
• Pupils can define bullying accurately. Pupils learn about bullying and how to deal with it effectively. Pupils are confident that if bullying occurs, staff resolve it promptly and appropriately.
• The behaviour of a very small number of pupils is not managed well resulting in a high number of fixed-term exclusions.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils make good progress in key stage 1. Their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has improved over time and was in line with the national average in 2017 and 2018. Current pupils are making good progress from their starting points.
• The proportion of pupils in Year 1 who meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check has risen year on year and was above the national average in 2018. Current pupils use phonics skills well to develop their reading.
• Pupils at key stage 2 make good progress in writing and mathematics. This was reflected in national assessments, where more pupils attained at the expected standard in writing and mathematics in 2017 and 2018 than seen nationally.
• Pupils’ reading skills have improved markedly over time and outcomes are now in line with those seen nationally. Pupils’ books and observations of them at work demonstrate that they currently make good progress in reading.
• Pupils at both key stage 1 and key stage 2 achieved in line with the national average over the past three years in science. Current pupils continue to develop strong scientific skills across the key stages.
• Disadvantaged pupils are making better progress year on year in reading, writing, mathematics and science but are still not making consistently rapid enough progress to enable them to attain at least in line with their peers.
• The most able pupils at both key stage 1 and key stage 2 do routinely make enough progress in reading, writing and mathematics to attain the greater depth of which they are capable.

Early years provision Good

• The early years setting is very well led. As a result, teaching, learning and assessment are good.
• Leaders have identified the acquisition and development of language as a critical area for support and have embedded this in their planning and teaching. Consequently, the setting is rich in language support. Activities are well structured to stimulate, develop and extend children’s oral language. Additionally, teachers develop children’s early phonics skills through whole-class oral recitation of sounds.
• Leaders have structured a very effective curriculum that enables children to develop strong mathematics, writing and reading skills. In addition, children are provided with effective support to socialise well with other children and adults. The indoor and outdoor areas are well structured to enable children to enjoy learning and develop resilience and key skills.
• Through targeted questioning, well-structured activities and support, children make good progress in the acquisition and development of reading, writing and mathematics skills alongside their social and emotional well-being.
• Children maintain their concentration well and complete activities with enthusiasm. They have very positive attitudes towards learning. The creation of imaginative spaces where pupils can develop their manipulation of tools such as scissors, train tracks, shopping tasks and mark making is particularly well structured. For example, children were observed building a railway track by discussing its formation with each other, making decisions and manipulating each section to fit the next.
• Safeguarding is effective. Children are kept safe and know how to keep themselves safe both within the classroom and in the outside area.
• Children, including those who are disadvantaged or have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. The proportion of children who attained a good level of development was in line with the national average in 2017. The school is assiduous in moderating all assessments both within school and within the trust to ensure accuracy.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 142076 Southampton 10053430 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 474 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address James Adcroft Rita Baker 02380 771 659 www.tannersbrookpri.org.uk info@tannersbrookpri.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average primary school. It opened in 2014 as a part of the Portswood Primary Academy Trust. The school has a local governing body alongside a board of trustees.
• The school has a small hearing-impaired unit.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil-premium funding is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is above average.
• Most pupils are White British.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited classrooms, some with the headteacher and deputy headteachers, to observe learning and to talk to pupils about their work.
• Inspectors met formally with the headteacher, chief executive of the Portswood Primary Academy Trust and other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and the leader of early years.
• Meetings were held with three governors, 18 pupils, student council and parents.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and discussed reading with a range of pupils.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work across the curriculum and across all year groups to determine the accuracy of assessment and the sustainability of pupils’ progress.
• The lead inspector checked the school’s documentation regarding the school’s approach and systems for safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and the quality of teaching. She also considered the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement plans.
• Inspectors took into consideration 37 parent responses to Parent View and 32 free-text responses, and 41 staff responses.

Inspection team

Susan Aykin, lead inspector Jenny Boyd Alan Jenner

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector