Thorne King Edward Primary School

Thorne King Edward Primary School King Edward Road, Thorne, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN8 4BY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  All aspects of this school are highly impressive. Pupils thrive in this high performing but very caring school, which is a first class example of its kind.  Achievement has been rising rapidly for several years. Standards are high by the time pupils reach the end of Year 6 and pupils have made outstanding progress.  While pupils have made overall outstanding progress at the end of Key Stage 1, the school is working to make sure pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar are even better by the end of Year 1.  Teaching is outstanding and much is inspirational. Teachers skilfully question, challenge and inspire pupils so they are able to do their very best.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They show good manners and are considerate towards each other and to adults. They feel extremely safe from any threats of bullying.  The targets set for pupils are very challenging. Any pupils who struggle to meet

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

them quickly receive the support they need to catch up.  The headteacher has improved the school at an impressive pace. He has relentlessly driven up achievement and developed the skills of his senior team so they make an excellent contribution to improving teaching across the school.  An outstanding curriculum ensures pupils develop skills and abilities that makes sure they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Staff morale is high. Teachers and teaching assistants are justifiably proud to be part of this inspirational school. They constantly strive to improve their teaching and generously share ideas with each other.  The governing body challenges and supports the school extremely well. All its members have detailed knowledge of pupils’ achievement as a result of the excellent information they receive from senior leaders.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 24 parts of lessons taught by 13 staff, of which two were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other staff, pupils and members of the governing body. The inspector met with a representative from the local authority and had a telephone conversation with an independent consultant. Additionally, pupils were heard reading.  Inspectors analysed the 28 responses that had been submitted to the online questionnaire for parents, Parent View.  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents including school improvement plans, minutes of the governing body meetings and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Robert Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Matthews Additional Inspector Tony Price Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and 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 below average.  An above-average proportion of pupils is eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  In 2012, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar are as good as they can be by the end of Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children enter the school in the Nursery class with skills and abilities that are below those expected for their age. They make outstanding progress throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage, and learn the essential skills of team work, basic reading and writing and good behaviour. This prepares them very well for Key Stage 1.  In Years 1 and 2, pupils continue to make outstanding progress. The very latest teacher assessments show that standards in all subjects are above national expectations at the end of Year 2.  The school constantly strives to raise achievement even further and is aware that, while standards in reading are high, pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar in Year 1 could improve further still.  Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils continue to make excellent progress in all subjects. They are able to make good links between subjects through following different themes throughout the

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

year. Art work is impressive and pupils sing well in the 40-strong choir.  By the time pupils reach the end of Year 6, their progress from their individual starting points is outstanding and they reach high standards in all subjects. The most able also make excellent progress, particularly in mathematics.  Inspection evidence indicates that this rate of progress is increasing year on year.  The quality of support that is available for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is exemplary. Their progress is meticulously tracked to make sure all achieve as well as they can and, consequently, they make outstanding progress in all subjects. This means that the school’s promotion of equal opportunities is first rate.  This high quality provision also benefits those who are eligible for support through the pupil premium. The headteacher has cleverly designed small rooms around the school and in

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

classrooms which enable teachers and teaching assistants to hold small group and one-to-one interventions to make sure no pupils are left behind. The result is that those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals make at least as much progress as others who are not eligible and reach similar high standards.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The outstanding progress that pupils make is reflected in the overall outstanding teaching. Inspectors observed many examples of outstanding teaching from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Year 6.  Teachers know precisely how much support to give pupils so they have ample opportunities to discuss and solve problems. This improves pupils’ speaking skills and vocabulary well. For example, in the Reception classes, time is devoted to ‘plan, do, review’ sessions where children have an opportunity to talk to others about the work they have done during the day.  When teaching mathematics, teachers make sure that what they teach pupils is very relevant to their lives and is useful. They go out of their way to make sure pupils are fully involved in their own learning. For example, pupils learned about volume through filling beakers and test tubes with different liquids.  Adults listen to pupils reading every day. Those who have difficulty reading are heard more

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

often. Parents receive high-quality information about how they can help their children to read at home.  All teachers make excellent use of their assessment information. This ensures that all abilities are very well challenged. One pupil said, ‘Teachers push us hard, but in a nice way.’ Moreover, any pupils who begin to fall behind are identified quickly and teachers plan a programme of support to make sure those pupils catch up.  Teachers and teaching assistants who run these interventions are well trained. They know precisely how to measure pupils’ abilities when they begin and end the interventions so that they can be sure that pupils make rapid progress.  Teachers question pupils very well. Pupils’ speaking skills improve because they have to use challenging vocabulary and full sentences when they answer.  The feedback that teachers give to pupils about their work is excellent, and particularly

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

impressive in Years 5 and 6. Teachers make sure that pupils immediately read teachers’ comments and make improvements to their work straight away.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour around the school is impeccable. Pupils are proud of their school. They constantly show a thirst for knowledge, which has an excellent impact on their learning.  Inspectors were impressed with pupils’ good manners and how polite and thoughtful they were to each other. One pupil summed this up by saying, ‘We look after each other so that nobody is left out.’  The school has very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Because pupils clearly understand these expectations, teachers rarely need to correct pupils. Inspectors saw many examples of pupils reminding each other not to shout out or to wait their turn to talk.  Pupils who arrive midway through the year from other schools sometimes present very challenging behaviour. The school has an impressive track record of working intensively with these pupils and their parents to improve their behaviour quickly.  Pupils feel very safe in school and free from any threats of bullying. They have a very good

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

understanding of how to stay safe on the internet and when using mobile telephones. Additionally, parents receive excellent advice on how they can help to protect their children from online threats.  A member of the governing body makes frequent surveys around the school with the site manager to make sure that the site is safe and secure.  Attendance has improved and is now above average.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leadership and management throughout the school at all levels are exceptional. The inspirational leadership of the headteacher has significantly raised aspirations for all staff and pupils. This has led to rates of progress and teaching quality that are highly impressive.  Self-evaluation is very accurate. This means that any potential weaknesses are identified early and measures put into place to address them. There is no hint of complacency. Even the school’s strengths are thoroughly investigated to see if they can become better.  Training for teachers is thorough. Staff are eager to share good and outstanding practice with each other and are held very closely to account for the progress of each pupil in their classes.  These high expectations are reflected in the very rigorous systems the school has in place to manage teachers’ performance, which clearly links the quality of their teaching to their pay.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The curriculum has been expertly designed so that pupils of all abilities have their needs met promptly and that they develop high standards of literacy and numeracy throughout their time at the school. Most pupils make use of the superb menu of after-school activities on offer, including a film club, knitting club, numerous music groups and after-school support for studies.  Such activities, alongside ample opportunities in lessons to share experiences and study different faiths, ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.  All current government safeguarding requirements are met.  The school uses the school sports funding wisely to make sure teachers observe and teach alongside specialist sports coaches. This ensures that they are in a good position to take over and teach sports to a high level when the funding ceases.  The local authority is aware that this is a high performing school and, correspondingly, has

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The leadership and management are outstanding

adopted a light touch approach to supporting the school. However, the school has made excellent use of independent consultants to investigate specific areas of the school, such as how well pupils link letters to sounds in Key Stage 1. This has enabled the school to identify and act on any potential weaknesses early.  The governance of the school:  Helped by the excellent information that is regularly passed to them by the headteacher, members of the governing body are able to thoroughly challenge and support the school. Particularly impressive is the governors’ understanding of how the pupil premium is used and what impact it has. Governors have detailed information about achievement data and the quality of teaching in each year group. Moreover, its members make frequent visits to the school to see for themselves how well high standards are being sustained. The governing body challenges school leaders very well on matters relating to the management of teachers’

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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 106750 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 425913

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 379 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Coward Headteacher A Buxton Date of previous school inspection 24 November 2008 Telephone number 01405 813522 Fax number 01405 740873 Email address admin@kingedward.doncaster.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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