Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that recent improvements in governance are sustained, particularly through sharper evaluation of the use of the pupil premium funding
  • further developing the curriculum to ensure that breadth and balance are consistent across all subjects
  • promoting positive relationships between staff and parents to get the very best for all pupils
  • addressing the remaining weaker teaching so that it meets the needs of all pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders monitor teaching effectively. They use a range of information to identify where teaching needs to improve. They take action when teaching is not good enough and provide teachers with a range of effective support and training. As a result, teaching has improved in a number of classes. However, there are still a few areas where teachers’ expectations are not high enough.
• Leaders of mathematics and English are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of teaching in their subjects. They have introduced changes to the curriculum that have improved the quality of teaching. Pupils achieve well as a result.
• Leaders have worked effectively to raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in their written work. Where expectations have been too low in the past, leaders have intervened with clear impact. Most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, now make strong progress.
• Leaders have developed a range of effective additional support for pupils with SEND. Adults are well trained to deliver this support. As a result, activities are well matched to pupils’ needs so that pupils achieve well.
• Leaders have worked with teachers to develop the teaching of reading. Pupils read confidently and are now able to use evidence from texts to explain their thinking. They achieve well.
• Leaders have ensured that a curriculum that meets pupils’ needs is in place. Pupils have access to a wide range of engaging learning experiences in subjects including history, geography, science and religious education (RE). However, this quality of experience is not consistently available across all subjects. For example, there are not enough opportunities for art, and teachers’ expectations in this subject are not high enough for some year groups.
• There is a strong emphasis on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Leaders ensure that there are a range of activities in place that help pupils think about values and develop an understanding of equality. Pupils feel that the school is welcoming and they are proud of this.
• There is a good tradition of sport in the school. Leaders have used additional government funding to ensure that levels of participation in extra-curricular sports and competitions are high.
• While the majority of staff feel supported, there are a small number who do not feel fully supported by leaders, particularly with regard to the behaviour of pupils with high needs. They feel that communication from leaders is inconsistent.
• Leaders have taken actions to improve communication with parents. The majority of parents feel that these have been effective. Most are happy with the school and the progress their children are making. However, a minority of parents lack confidence in the communication with the school, and several do not feel that their concerns are listened to or addressed.

Governance of the school

Safeguarding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is strong in most classes. This is as a result of the actions taken by leaders following the dip in standards in 2017.
• Teachers have worked effectively to develop good subject knowledge in mathematics. They mostly provide work that is well matched to pupils’ needs. Teachers plan learning that builds on what pupils already know, can do and understand. As a result, most pupils are developing a secure understanding of numbers and the number system.
• Most teachers have high expectations for pupils’ written work across the whole curriculum. They insist that pupils get the basics right and then challenge pupils to improve further. Teachers provide pupils with a range of interesting topics to write about, and pupils respond positively. The pupils who made less progress in the past, including boys and disadvantaged pupils, are catching up well.
• Teachers explain tasks clearly and show pupils how to do things. They intervene well when pupils are struggling. This helps pupils to overcome barriers to their learning and succeed in lessons.
• Additional teaching for pupils with SEND is effective. Teachers and teaching assistants break learning down into small steps that are precisely targeted to address pupils’ needs. This helps pupils with SEND to make good progress. A range of effective strategies are in place to support pupils with high needs. These enable pupils to gain essential independence and self-management skills.
• The school’s ‘In-Reach’ group provides a calm and structured learning environment for pupils with SEND who are significantly behind their peers. This carefully planned support helps pupils to overcome barriers and make good progress.
• Phonics is well taught. Pupils achieve well as a result. They are then able to apply these phonics strategies to their reading and develop good levels of fluency.
• Improvements made to the teaching of reading have had a clear impact. Pupils are given opportunities to practise more challenging reading skills. They respond well to this and say that they find it helpful.
• In the small number of classes where teaching is less effective, teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can do. Teachers do not use assessment information sharply enough to ensure that work is matched to the pupils’ needs.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

Behaviour

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics rose in 2018. Pupils’ progress is improving across all subject areas.
• Pupils read well and with fluency. They use their phonics knowledge confidently and are enthusiastic about reading. They are developing good comprehension skills as a result of carefully planned teaching.
• Teachers set challenging tasks that are well matched to pupils’ needs in mathematics. Pupils, including the most able, develop a secure understanding of number as a result. Work in pupils’ books shows that they make good progress from their starting points. They take pride in their work.
• Pupils achieve well in writing. Groups of pupils that made less progress in the past, such as boys and disadvantaged pupils, are now making strong progress in most classes. This is because teachers have raised their expectations of what pupils can, and should, achieve.
• Pupils with SEND make good progress, often from very low starting points. This is because of the sensitive and well-targeted support they receive.
• Most pupils are making strong progress because of the focused and ambitious teaching they receive. In the small number of classes where teaching is not good, some pupils do not make consistently good progress because expectations are not high enough. However, this is not typical.
• Pupils’ work demonstrates that they develop skills in a range of subjects. This is not consistent across all subjects, however. For example, in art, teaching does not help pupils to build upon their prior learning effectively enough.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership of early years is effective. Leaders monitor provision accurately and are clear about the strengths and weaknesses within the early years team. They support the team effectively and teaching has improved as a result.
• Children make good progress in all areas of the early years curriculum. Teachers ensure that activities are well matched to children’s needs. Teachers are able to do this because they have an accurate understanding of what pupils know and can do.
• Children have access to a range of carefully planned activities that they find interesting and exciting. They show high levels of engagement and, as a result, are able to sustain concentration for extended periods of time.
• Teaching assistants are used well to support children’s learning. Where they are most effective, they use incisive questioning both to engage and to challenge children. This helps develop children’s thinking and supports their progress.
• Challenging activities within the early years classrooms help to capture children’s interest. These ‘challenge’ activities help children to think deeply and develop their skills in a range of areas.
• Children practise writing skills well, often with focused adult support. This helps prepare them well for transition into Year 1.
• Adults provide high-quality support for children with SEND. This support helps the children to overcome barriers to their learning. As a result, children with SEND make good progress, often from low starting points.
• Children’s safety is given a high priority. All staff have appropriate first-aid and safeguarding training. Staff have carried out detailed risk assessments and have put care plans in place to ensure that children are safe.
• Parents are actively involved in their children’s learning. They share information about their children with school staff online and they value this opportunity to be active partners in their children’s learning.
• Leaders have worked effectively to develop the pre-school. It is a well-resourced and stimulating environment. All children, including two-year-olds, are well supported to make good progress.
• Good teaching in the pre-school supports children’s development and helps them to become more independent. Children are interested and active in their learning.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority 115654 Gloucestershire Inspection number 10053005 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 Voluntary controlled 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 388 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Beryl Thomas Carolyn Scott 01684 292309 www.tewkesbury-primary.co.uk/ admin@tewkesbury-pri.gloucs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26 February 2018

Information about this school

• Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School is larger than the average primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The school runs a pre-school provision for children aged two years and upwards.
• The school runs an on-site breakfast club, which is managed by the governing body.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited lessons and observed learning in classes across the school, including in the pre-school setting. Most observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour on the playground at breaktimes and around the school.
• Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders and members of the governing body. They also looked at a range of current pupils’ work from different classes across the school.
• Inspectors analysed 286 responses to questionnaires completed by staff, parents and pupils. They also talked to pupils in class, around the school and in small focus groups.
• The inspection team looked at a wide range of documentation provided by the school. This documentation included risk assessments, the minutes of governing body meetings, policies, behaviour/attendance records as well as the school’s own self-evaluation documents.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to parents during the school day.

Inspection team

Nick Sheppard, lead inspector Paula Marsh Sarah Foulkes

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector