Tetsworth Primary School

15 High Street, Tetsworth, Thame, OX9 7AB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ progress compared to their starting points is good with a number making faster progress and working at a higher standard than is usually expected for their age group. Children of Reception age make good progress and achieve well in all areas of learning because of good teaching and effective support from staff.  Teaching is typically good, with teachers taking care to plan for different needs and age groups in the class.  Pupils receiving additional support through the pupil premium are making good progress so that they achieve expected standards.  The needs of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs are speedily identified and addressed. The progress they are making is now similar to that of other pupils.  The two classes in the school contain pupils of different ages and with a broad range of abilities and needs. The school takes advantage of this to create a family

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

environment in which all pupils feel safe and well cared for. As a result, pupils want to learn and share a sense of responsibility for each other. The attendance of pupils is high.  Pupils behave well and feel safe in school. They are keen to learn and do as well as they can. They work cooperatively in groups and with staff so that every pupil is included.  All leaders, including governors, are rigorous in monitoring how well pupils are doing across the school and in all subjects. This means that leaders have quickly identified and addressed areas where improvements are needed.  The federation has proved advantageous to this small school enabling sharing of resources, expertise and training across the schools.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet sufficiently challenging to enable enough pupils to reach the highest levels.  Marking does not always give pupils clear guidance on how to improve their work and, even where the next steps for improvement are given, pupils do not get the opportunity to respond.  Individual pupils who have a disability or special educational needs and who are supported by an adult in lessons do not work often enough with other pupils in lessons. This hinders their independence and makes them too reliant on guidance from the adult.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in eight lessons or part lessons.  She held discussions with the executive headteacher, the head of teaching and learning, staff, governors, pupils and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of 17 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and correspondence from parents. She also took account of seven responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector observed the school at work and examined policies and records, information about pupils’ progress and attainment, teachers’ planning, pupils’ work and the school’s priorities and planning for improvement.  Tetsworth Primary is part of a federation of schools, which includes John Hampden Primary School. John Hampden Primary was inspected by a different team at the same time as Tetsworth Primary and some inspection activities, such as meetings with leaders involved in both

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Inspection team

Sarah Conway, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Tetsworth Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  It is part of a federation of schools including John Hampden Primary School in nearby Thame and they share a governing body. The head of teaching and learning has day-to-day responsibility for leadership and management of the school, while the executive headteacher has overall responsibility for the schools in the federation.  All pupils come from a White British background and there are none who speak English as an additional language.  There is a below average proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children or children of service families.  The school has a high proportion of pupils who have a disability or special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action, school action plus or with a statement

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Information about this school

of special educational need is well above average.  The school population, although very small, has risen in recent years. Pupils arrive at different times of the year. Consequently, a number of pupils have not been in the school from the start of their school life.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by ensuring that:  work in lessons is sufficiently challenging for higher attaining pupils so that more can achieve the higher levels  when marking their books, pupils are told exactly how they can improve their work and then time is given to them to put the advice into practice  more opportunities are planned for those pupils who have a disability or special educational needs to work with other pupils in lessons to help them to learn how to work independently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The very small numbers of pupils in each year group mean that the published results of end of key stage national tests and assessments can appear misleading. In addition, a higher than average number of pupils join the school during Key Stages 1 or 2 and the school has a high proportion of pupils with complex learning needs.  Children join the school at Reception age with skills and understanding that vary from year to year. The skills of those children who joined this year were broadly typical for their age. Adults promote a very supportive atmosphere and ensure the children’s programme of learning is well planned so that the children become happy and confident learners. Careful checking of the progress of individuals means that by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage all children achieve well in all areas of learning.  Pupils at Key Stage 1 apply their knowledge of phonics (the sound that letters make) to read

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The achievement of pupils is good

unfamiliar words and make good use of punctuation to make sense of what they are reading. All pupils enjoy reading and older pupils confidently discuss their views about events and characters in novels.  The 2012 Year 6 national test results were broadly in line with national averages in both English and mathematics and all pupils made at least expected progress, taking into account pupils’ starting points. Most made good progress. This reflects a trend of improvement over recent years.  Standards achieved by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 have been improving over the last three years and all pupils without a disability or special educational needs achieved standards in reading, writing and mathematics above national averages in 2012.  The school’s tracking data for this year and the work in pupils’ books show that almost all pupils are making expected progress and the majority are making more than expected progress in both

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The achievement of pupils is good

English and mathematics across all age groups. Despite this improvement in the rates of progress being achieved, not enough pupils are realising their potential and reaching the highest available levels of attainment. There are no significant differences between boys and girls.  Teachers and teaching assistants take great care to ensure pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are well supported so that they make good progress. Leaders are further developing their expertise in meeting the needs of these pupils so that some pupils are now making much more than expected progress and making up for ground lost in the past.  Pupils who are supported by pupil premium funding make good progress and achieve standards similar or better than their peers. The funding has been spent to good effect on additional staff so that pupils can be taught in smaller groups in English and mathematics. The gap between

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The achievement of pupils is good

their performance in English and mathematics and that of their peers has closed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The consistently good quality teaching experienced by all age groups is now promoting good progress in English and mathematics across the school. All parents and carers share this view.  Reception age children mix well with Years 1 and 2 pupils in the same classroom and become confident and happy learners. They work well together in developing their reading and language skills. In one mathematics lesson children from Reception and pupils from Key Stage 1 were working enthusiastically making and exploring the properties of different shapes. A Year 1 pupil was fascinated by the range of different shapes that she could create with two triangles.  Recognising that pupils were not making as much progress in reading as other areas, teachers have made more effective use of guided reading sessions to develop pupils’ understanding of the use authors make of events and characters to deliver a message. During the inspection pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

from Years 4, 5 and 6 enjoyed a discussion with the class teacher about why The Iron Man is a modern fairy story.  Pupils are provided with a range of different activities in which to practise their writing. In addition, teachers ensure that pupils have regular extended periods to write at length. This has led to rapid improvement in the quality of writing, particularly of older pupils.  Questioning is used well, both to check pupils’ understanding and to encourage pupils to explain their responses.  The work planned is usually well matched to the different ages and learning needs of all groups, but occasionally teachers do not provide enough opportunities to extend pupils’ skills and understanding, particularly those of higher attaining pupils. In one lesson observed a Year 2 group lost interest in a reading task because it was too easy.  The high proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement means that a

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The quality of teaching is good

large number receive individual support from an adult in lessons. Opportunities for them to work with others or in groups are few at the moment and this is limiting the development of their ability to work independently.  All pupils, including those with a disability or special educational needs, talk confidently about their termly targets for improving their learning or behaviour which they have agreed with teachers. However, although teachers mark work regularly, they do not routinely include advice on the next steps in learning that pupils need to make from lesson to lesson. In addition, pupils are not given time to respond to teachers’ advice when it is given in lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils love learning and say how much the school has improved in recent years and this is reflected in their high levels of attendance.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They take responsibility for themselves and are tolerant and supportive of others whose complex learning needs mean that they struggle to maintain concentration for even short periods of time. Pupils and parents and carers are rightly proud of the sense of family promoted by teachers and other adults, leading to a harmonious community of learners with a range of abilities and needs.  Routines are well established in the two classes so that all pupils quickly settle to their learning. Occasionally, a very small minority of pupils’ attention wanders when activities in lessons lack challenge.  The playground is tightly supervised so that pupils of different ages, needs and abilities play and socialise safely and happily together. The school takes care to ensure there is no discrimination

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and that all pupils are included.  Pupils acknowledge that sometimes one or two pupils might be unkind to each other but this, they say, is rare. They are confident that adults will quickly deal with these isolated incidents and, as a result, they feel safe and secure.  Pupils understood the importance of keeping themselves safe from the risks of everyday life. Older pupils had a good understanding of how to protect themselves when using the internet and know what to do should cyber bullying occur. All pupils were appreciative of the worry box located in the school hall which they could use to alert adults to any concerns they might have about anything.  Pupils play a full part in caring for each other and the environment. They have a highly developed sense of the need to protect the environment, as demonstrated by their responsible attitudes towards recycling. They contribute to a number of village events and enjoy

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

participating in activities, sporting and musical, shared with the schools in the federation.  Presentation in books is generally good, reflecting the pride pupils show in their work and in their school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The head of teaching and learning, well supported by other senior leaders and governors, communicates high expectations for both achievement and behaviour. All members of staff share her ambition for pupils and pupils are enthusiastic about the help they receive from adults to learn.  All leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to improve through their regular and robust reviews. This informs their improvement planning which is appropriately focused on raising pupils’ achievement further. They make sure that planned actions happen and check to ensure that they lead to improvement. The success of their actions is evident in the faster progress pupils are making in writing and in reading.  The school tracks how well each pupil is doing on a termly basis from the moment they enter the school. This enables teachers and leaders to adjust teaching and provide additional help to

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The leadership and management are good

those pupils who struggle with their learning. This ensures all pupils, including those with a disability or special educational needs and those eligible for pupil premium, make good progress. This improvement, together with those referred to above, shows the school’s good capacity to improve.  Leaders are making increasingly good use of outside agencies drawing on specialist expertise to ensure that the high proportion of pupils with a disability or special educational need are effectively supported.  Leaders monitor the quality of teaching regularly. The federation provides a broader context in which staff can develop their leadership skills and enables staff to access a wider range of training than would otherwise be possible in a small school.  A good range of sporting activities and visits to places of interest enriches a varied curriculum which provides pupils with opportunities to apply their basic skills in meaningful ways. They are

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The leadership and management are good

encouraged to research different topics at a level appropriate to their age. For example, a wall display in Class 1 showed all pupils had enjoyed finding out about the habits of bats.  Representatives from a school in the Gambia, with which the school has developed a link, have visited pupils and shared what learning is like in the Gambia. Links with local schools and through the federation have provided other opportunities for pupils to mix with pupils from different backgrounds. The school uses assemblies, religious studies and links with the local church to give pupils an understanding of different cultures and religions. Pupils have a highly developed sense of their role as citizens of a wider community particularly with regard to protecting the environment.  Parents hold the school in high regard and value the family atmosphere promoted by leaders.  The local authority has provided light touch support for this good school. Membership of the

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The leadership and management are good

federation and a local consortium of schools have helped staff to share and develop good practice.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good level of expertise and an awareness of the school’s information on pupils’ performance. They work closely with the senior leaders to analyse data regularly and prioritise the allocation of school funds effectively to improve pupils’ outcomes. Governors visit the school regularly. They know about the quality of teaching and what is being done to tackle any areas of underperformance and are fully aware of their responsibilities regarding teachers’ pay and the systems for setting targets for teachers. Governors ensure that all the school’s funds, including the pupil premium, are spent wisely to help all pupils to achieve well. They ensure that the procedures for keeping pupils safe meet requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 123031 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 400385

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 33 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary Stiles Headteacher Alison Charlton (Head of Teaching and Learning) Alan Haigh (Executive Head) Date of previous school inspection 11 March 2010 Telephone number 01844 281328 Fax number 01844 281883 Email address office.2456@tetsworth.oxon.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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