The Tynings School

The Tynings School Eastleigh Close, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 4SG

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently good across the school which means that pupils do not always make good progress.  Too few pupils are reaching standards at or above the levels expected for their age.  Pupils with special educational needs do not get the extra support they need regularly enough to help them catch up with their peers.  Information about pupils’ achievement is not always used quickly enough to identify when pupils are not making enough progress.  Teachers do not always use questions to find out how well pupils understand the new learning in lessons to make sure that the work is not too easy or too difficult.  The current plans for improving the school do not provide clear enough guidance on the actions that need to happen to bring about the improvements and how leaders will measure whether they are being successful.

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The school has the following strengths

 Some teaching is securely good and some is outstanding.  Pupils enjoy the interesting activities which they are given to do.  Pupils are clear about how well they are doing because teachers mark their work carefully and give them guidance on their next steps.  Pupils have targets for improving their writing which are regularly changed and teachers are good at reminding pupils to check whether they are meeting their targets.  The school is a very caring place in which to learn. Pupils feel safe and they enjoy coming to school.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are respectful and polite to each other and to adults because that is how adults treat them.  Leaders in school and governors have a clear understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to improve.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 18 lessons and parts of lessons.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other leaders in school, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, parents and carers and pupils.  Inspectors took account of 70 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) as well as the views of parents and carers in the playground.  Information about how well school leaders know how good the school is and their plans for making it better, as well as assessment information, minutes of meetings of the governing body, teachers’ plans, pupils’ work and safeguarding procedures, were examined.  Inspectors analysed 29 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Jeanne Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Beddard Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Tynings is an average-sized primary school.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher were both absent from school for extended periods of time between December 2010 and May 2012.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which is additional funding provided for children in local authority care, children of service families and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below average.  There are currently no children in local authority care or from service families on the school’s roll.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of good and outstanding teaching by:  sharing the good practice that already exists in the school  using questioning in lessons more consistently to identify whether pupils of all abilities are making good progress in their learning and then adjust the teaching to provide more challenge or more help, as necessary.  Raise standards in English and mathematics by:  using information about how well pupils are doing to identify as quickly as possible when progress slows and take immediate steps to reverse the trend  providing regular extra help for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs so that they catch up with their peers.  Develop a long-term plan for the continued improvement of the school, supported by short-term plans which clearly show how and when the improvement will happen.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the past, the achievement of too many pupils has not been good enough. This has resulted in much underachievement and standards which are too low, particularly in writing.  This year, there have been rapid improvements in the progress pupils make in reading, writing and mathematics and, as a result, standards are rising.  When children start school, their basic skills are below those expected for their age. The nurturing, safe environment in the Reception classes means that they settle quickly and make better than expected progress so that by the end of the year, more children are reaching expected levels than at the beginning.  Pupils in other year groups are now working at levels that are broadly in line with the national average, though attainment in writing is still below reading and mathematics. This is in spite of the extra focus that there has been on improving writing through developing pupils’ skills in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

lessons and through the good opportunities they have for practising these skills in other subjects.  Teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is giving younger pupils the skills they need to become fluent readers. They are able to use their skills well to read unfamiliar words, as well as to help them when they are writing.  Careful records are kept about how well pupils are doing, both from assessments and from the regular meetings teachers have with leaders to discuss pupils’ work. The school uses this information to check whether groups of pupils who are underachieving are catching up with their peers. However, teachers do not always react quickly enough when progress slows and so valuable time is lost.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making better progress than last year but the support they receive is not always regular enough to enable them to make

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

rapid enough progress in their learning and so they are not yet reaching the standards expected.  The progress and attainment of pupils who are eligible for the additional funding through the pupil premium are broadly in line with their peers. This is because they are being given the extra support they need to catch up. In lessons, they often work in small groups with support from teaching assistants. This helps them gain confidence because the adults mostly make sure that the pupils are made to think for themselves and solve their own problems.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching has improved, though it is not yet consistently good enough across the school. However, the good and outstanding teaching which exists provides the school with the opportunity to share the quality of teaching from which all pupils should be able to benefit.  All teachers plan carefully and lessons have good pace because teachers do not spend too much time explaining the new learning before they let the pupils work independently.  In lessons, many teachers use questions well to find out how much pupils know and understand but occasionally they do not check carefully enough. This means that sometimes less able pupils are not able to get on with their work because they have not understood the new learning, or that more able pupils are given tasks which are too easy before they are allowed to move on to more challenging work.  Teachers have secure subject knowledge which they use to plan interesting activities. In the

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

best lessons, teachers give pupils a real purpose for learning. For example, in a lesson in Year 2, pupils were engrossed in weighing the ingredients which they needed to make scones to serve at the school garden party the next day.  Expectations are mostly high, though they could be even higher. Sometimes teachers accept pupils’ answers to questions without fully evaluating whether the answer could have been developed to extend learning even further.  Teachers share with the pupils very clearly what they should learn in the lesson and how they will know if they have been successful. When teachers mark pupils’ books, they clearly identify what the pupils have done well and what they need to improve, which helps the pupils to understand the next steps in their learning.  Pupils have targets to help them to improve their writing. The targets are on cards which are kept in the writing books and pupils can talk knowledgeably about them. The targets are

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

regularly checked and changed as soon as pupils are confident, and teachers keep the targets meaningful by referring to them in lessons.  There is a very positive atmosphere in all classrooms and pupils have good attitudes to learning. Relationships are very good. Adults all model high levels of respect which the pupils willingly and consistently reflect back, as well as to each other.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour around the school and in lessons is consistently good and is sometimes outstanding. Pupils are respectful, courteous and polite to each other and to adults at all times. Most parents think that pupils behave well, though a few parents who responded to Parent View disagreed.  In lessons, pupils work well together and they enjoy talking about their learning and their ideas. They willingly help each other and there is a very strong sense of harmony. Teachers use the school’s behaviour policy almost imperceptibly to deal with the very occasional minor disruptions in lessons.  In the playground, the extensive open space available for pupils to play in, together with the Play Pod, the Trim Trail and the maze, mean that there is plenty to do and pupils enjoy the opportunities to mix socially with one another.  Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and that if they were worried about anything, they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

know that the teachers would listen to them and help them. Pupils know about different kinds of bullying and what they should do if it ever happens. They know about how to keep themselves safe, including when they are on the internet, because they are taught what they need to know both in lessons and through posters displayed around the school.  An appropriate record is kept of the few incidents of unacceptable behaviour and parents are informed when appropriate. There have been two short fixed-term exclusions in the last two years.  Attendance has steadily improved and is at least in line with the national average. Concerted efforts have been made to ensure that pupils and parents know about the importance of regular attendance through letters to parents praising good attendance, telephone calls home when there is unexplained absence, breakfast club and direct support for families who are going through challenging circumstances. One child summed up his thoughts about attendance by

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

saying, ‘We don’t have to be encouraged to come to school. We just want to.’

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The school has recently been through a turbulent time with regard to leadership. Consequently, less attention than was necessary has been given to checking on the progress and attainment of pupils and achievement has fallen as a result.  Since the situation has stabilised and the leadership team has been restructured to take advantage of the skills of the new members, there have been rapid improvements. All leaders, including governors, have a clear understanding about what the school does well and where it needs to improve and they have rightly given their time to improving the quality of teaching, particularly in writing. This focus has been successful but there is still a considerable way to go to ensure that there is enough good and outstanding teaching for pupils to achieve the high standards in all subjects of which they are capable.  Leaders regularly observe teaching and learning and they accurately identify the successful

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The leadership and management require improvement

aspects of practice and where it needs to improve. The written feedback teachers receive helps them to reflect on their teaching, and the clear objectives which they have as part of the management of performance ensures that they are held accountable for making any necessary improvements.  This year, there is a short-term plan in place which details how the school intends to raise standards and improve teaching by the end of the academic year. However, there is no long- term plan for the sustained improvement of the school over the next few years. This limits the school’s ability to be sufficiently strategic and to identify the targets the school is aiming to reach, the actions that will be taken and how everyone will know if the school is successful. Leaders are aware of this gap and are now starting to develop a more coherent approach. It is important that all members of the school community are involved in sharing their ideas so that

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The leadership and management require improvement

everyone feels part of the improvement journey.  The curriculum provides pupils with a broad range of experiences. There are regular visits to places of interest connected with the topic pupils are learning and there are a number of special events throughout the year, such as African week. These opportunities contribute effectively to the development of pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding as well as raising pupils’ awareness of discrimination. Music features highly and the school has achieved platinum standard in the ‘Sing Up’ award, which is a rare occurrence.  Leaders have focused on providing effective support for all groups of pupils so that there is equality of opportunity. The improved standards which are evident this year demonstrate that the school has capacity for further improvement.  Parents mainly have very positive relationships with the school, which are promoted from the

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The leadership and management require improvement

time children enter the school, through the well-attended weekly ‘Stay and Play’ sessions. There are many opportunities for parents to become involved in the life of the school, including celebration assemblies, information sharing events and concerts, both in the school and in the local community.  Pupils are being given the skills they need to become lifelong learners through the development of learning skills which teachers regularly refer to in lessons. Pupils can recognise when they need to show various characteristics of learning, such as resilience, creativity and curiosity, and this understanding contributes well to their personal development.  The local authority has provided well-measured and effective support during the period of instability and transition to the new leadership team.  Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are exemplary.  The governance of the school:  The appointment of a very experienced Chair of Governors has made a very significant

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The leadership and management require improvement

contribution to the improvements evident in the school this year. He and other newly appointed governors, as well as more established members of the governing body, are providing a good balance of challenge and support to school leaders. They have undertaken a wide range of training to make sure that they all have the skills they need and they are diligent in carrying out their roles. They know how the pupil premium is used and what difference it is making. They make sure that the school’s budget is spent wisely and they are aware of the quality of teaching and how teachers are rewarded for good performance through progression through the pay scales. They understand what the information about achievement is telling them about how effective the school is, and they are very ambitious for its future success. They know what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance.

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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 109034 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 412975

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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 262 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jim Lott Headteacher Ashley Yates Date of previous school inspection 20–21 October 2009 Telephone number 01454 866525 Email address thetynings@sgmail.org.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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