Tealby School

Tealby School Front Street, Tealby, LN8 3XU

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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.  Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. They start school with skills in line with expectations for their age and make exceptionally good progress to reach well above average standards by the end of Year 6.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage receive very effective help and soon gain confidence so that they develop a love and enjoyment for learning.  Teaching is outstanding and brings out the best in each pupil. Teachers have high expectations and pupils rise to meet them, readily tackling demanding activities and challenging questions.  Pupils from different groups, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and those who receive additional funding, make excellent progress because their needs are quickly understood and skilled support is put in place.  Pupils’ behaviour, attitudes to learning and respect for each other are outstanding.  The school gives pupils rich and stimulating

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

learning experiences, and the innovative range of topics and themes is driven by their own interests. This helps to motivate pupils and contributes strongly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Leadership is outstanding. School leaders are highly committed to continually improving the school, and are powerful role models for staff and pupils.  Staff support for the headteacher has driven up standards and improved the quality of teaching across the school. The school has not yet put into practice its plan to make sure all teachers develop leadership skills. The governing body plays an important and successful role in supporting and challenging the school, to help drive improvements.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons, three jointly with the headteacher and saw all of the teaching staff. She also observed support sessions for pupils who need extra help with their learning.  The lead inspector attended two school assemblies, one in the village church celebrating Mothers’ Day and another which celebrated pupils’ achievements for the week.  The inspector listened to pupils read in class, and was present during the weekly ‘school meeting’ attended by all pupils and staff. She spoke informally with pupils during the inspection, gathering their views and experiences of school life. She spoke with the Chair of the Governing Body, a school improvement adviser and school staff, including senior and subject leaders.  The inspector noted the views of 29 parents and carers who responded to the online Parent View survey. She also spoke to parents and carers who were bringing their children to school,

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Information about this inspection

were present during the Church service and one by telephone.  The inspector noted the contents of seven staff questionnaires completed during the inspection.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ current progress, planning documents, checks carried out by leaders on the school’s effectiveness, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  A visit was made to the school’s breakfast club.

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Inspection team

Aune Turkson-Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Tealby is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  A much higher proportion of pupils than average join the school during the school year.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well below the national average and the proportions of pupils supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs are close to the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding provided for looked after children, those known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils with a parent in the armed forces, is well below the national average.  There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2013 to compare the school’s performance with the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Put into practice the plans to ensure that all teachers develop the necessary skills to take on a leadership role.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children join the Reception class with skills and abilities that are generally in line with expectations for their age. They quickly settle into the very stimulating classroom and outdoor area and rise to adults’ high expectations of their learning. Children embrace the school’s routines and become confident, willing learners, making good and often outstanding progress.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 There were no pupils eligible for the pupil premium in Year 6 last year to compare their attainment with that of their classmates. Equivalent pupils currently in the school achieve well and gaps in attainment between these pupils and their classmates are closing quickly. They are currently working at similar levels to their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics and are making excellent progress. The additional funding is used effectively to provide highly skilled support staff who lead extra sessions two to three times a week.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Year 1 pupils consistently achieve results that are well above national expectations in the annual screening check on their knowledge of phonics (the sounds that letters make). The small numbers of pupils who repeated the test in Year 2 were equally successful in exceeding national expectations.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Attainment at the end of Year 2 varies somewhat from year to year because of the small number of pupils in each year group. In 2013, results were broadly average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. Attainment at the end of Year 6 has generally been well above average in recent years.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ standard of reading has continued to rise consistently and is well above average for all groups currently in the school. Pupils have very positive attitudes and high levels of enthusiasm about their enjoyment of reading. Boys in particular have benefited from the innovative use of new technologies to stimulate their interest and secure their reading at levels well above those seen for boys nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Writing standards are high, and writing is woven into all class activities, visits and topics studied. Pupils apply to join the ‘young journalist academy’ and are inspired by the regular visits of a ‘real life’ journalist. They write for a range of purposes with competence and confidence and use their own active learning experiences, such as the outdoor environment of the Forest School to stimulate exciting pieces of writing.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils use information and communication technology to great effect to source information, and they say that they can quickly create a piece of writing, re-draft and edit their work, prior to writing it neatly and accurately into their books. They say that this helps them to work efficiently and to keep on improving.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 In numeracy, pupils have excellent opportunities to apply their skills and choose their own methods to solve problems. Their skill in applying previous learning across a range of topics to build on and further develop understanding contributes well to raising pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The new additional sport funding is used well to develop and enhance teachers’ and pupils’ skills. Teachers are working with a specialist coach to raise their own expertise and confidence and pupils gain the junior sports leadership award. Sport has an increasingly high profile in the school and greater numbers of pupils are now joining teams and competing with other schools.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive exceptionally good-quality support and achieve well as a result. Additional funding to provide specialised adult support for smaller groups daily has been highly effective in promoting these pupils’ success.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils joining the school part way through the year soon settle into the welcoming environment and they quickly catch up with their classmates, making at least good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The most-able pupils are being very effectively challenged and current Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve Level 6 results in reading, writing and mathematics ahead of national figures.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 School leaders have placed a strong focus on teaching and learning and this is one of the main reasons why the quality of teaching has improved and is now outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers express their high expectations and lessons are packed with an excellent variety of challenging activities and opportunities for pupils to be involved throughout. Pupils are highly engaged by the imaginative and creative contexts which underpin their lessons, such as using drama and information and communication technology to develop a trailer for a scary film, which boosted their use of descriptive and emotive vocabulary.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage soon start to make their own choices and become deeply involved in different learning activities. They regularly use prompts around the room and resources in and out of the classroom to help develop their skills and understanding. Adults encourage this and their early reading and writing skills develop particularly well and provide an excellent basis for their next steps in learning.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils learn exceptionally well because they know what is expected of them. They immerse themselves in developing their reading, writing and mathematical skills across different subjects. They are highly responsive when teachers and supporting adults question them closely to encourage them to think more deeply. They are frequently encouraged to work things out for themselves.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is greatly enhanced by the effective use of an excellent range of resources, including new computers, interactive whiteboards, and other technological equipment. This provides variety in the ways pupils learn and helps to prepare them for their next steps when moving on to secondary school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching assistants make a huge contribution to pupils’ excellent learning and progress. They know their pupils well and are sensitive to their needs, providing the right amount of support at the right time. As a result, they help to ensure that all pupils make the very best progress that they can.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers are very effective in linking activities with pupils’ targets so that they understand exactly what is expected of them and how they can achieve greater success. Pupils understand their targets for each subject, refer to them in their books and use prompts about how to succeed when regularly reviewing and checking their own work. They readily show that they have the highest motivation to achieve their absolute best.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Marking across the school is excellent, in all lessons and subjects. Comments refer to what has been achieved and what must be done to make further progress. Pupils understand ‘yippee yellow’ and ‘green for growth’ and use the time given in lessons to review and make their response, which helps them to continue to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Homework is regularly set across all years, and tasks are suitably demanding but realistic. Pupils accept it is a regular feature and extension of their work in class.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of the pupils is outstanding. Pupils have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning and act responsibly in managing their own and helping with others’ behaviour in the school. All pupils participate in the weekly school meeting and freely express their views about standards of behaviour and the importance of showing respect for each other and for all that the school provides them with. This contributes to the warm and friendly atmosphere of the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils have an excellent awareness of how to keep themselves safe in school and outside, are knowledgeable about e- safety and understand the potential dangers of misusing the internet. They readily refer to school assemblies and talks which have raised their awareness, such as fire safety around bonfire night with a campfire on the school field providing a memorable experience.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are exceptionally positive in their attitudes to learning and take great responsibility for their own and others’ behaviour in the school. Older pupils volunteer as monitors and look after the younger ones in before- and after-school clubs. This contributes to the warm, family atmosphere.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Parents, carers and staff agree that pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school is excellent. Pupils’ attendance levels have risen since the last inspection and are above average because the school is quick to follow up absences, and holidays during term time are not tolerated. The school works closely with parents and carers, and the importance of coming to school is mutually agreed by the whole school community.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Bullying is very rare and dealt with effectively when it occurs. Pupils understand that if they cannot resolve conflicts themselves, they can rely on staff to intervene quickly. Racist language and discrimination in any form are not tolerated.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are very proud of their school. The school buildings and grounds are impressively litter free, bright and filled with stimulating resources, so that even on a ‘wet play’ day, the pupils say that there is plenty to do. Pupils all speak positively about how much they enjoy and value being a part of the school and this is evident in their smart appearance, and their impeccable manners.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 School leaders have been highly successful in continuing to improve the school, so that all aspects of its work are now outstanding. They work together with a clear vision and commitment to continuous improvement. Their high expectations are reflected throughout the school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leadership roles have evolved and strengthened and the headteacher and senior teacher currently apply their extensive experience and skills to successfully lead literacy and numeracy across the school. The successful development of the Early Years Foundation Stage leader has led to sustained improvements for the Reception children. However, plans to develop the leadership skills of other teachers are in their early stages. Staff are resoundingly positive and praise the leadership team.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school reviews all aspects of its work thoroughly and acts quickly to address any gaps so that the speed of improvements remains rapid. School development plans are realistic and sharply focused. Plans to raise standards are linked to close checks on the quality of teaching, learning and progress and these are shared by all staff in the school. Excellent staff training, and the highly effective recruitment of talented newly qualified staff in recent years, have led to marked improvements across the school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders make sure that teachers’ pay and performance link directly to whole-school priorities and pupils’ progress. This has helped to improve the quality of teaching so that all is now consistently at least good and increasingly outstanding.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Activities in lessons are supplemented by a vast number of extra-curricular clubs and activities. These are enhanced by involvement in Forest School, and visits to many performances and thought- provoking events, such as a performance at the Royal Opera House, where young journalists went backstage and interviewed the lead trombonist. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in overnight trips to London and to a farm park, encouraging their appreciation for different environments and cultures.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness exceptionally well and the promotion of health through sport has a high profile, with more pupils than previously attending clubs and representing Tealby.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Equal opportunities are rigorously promoted and no pupil is denied access to anything the school has to offer.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school improvement adviser has supported the school very well in evaluating the quality of teaching and checking that teachers’ assessments are thorough and accurate across all years. In recognition of the school’s improvements, the support partnership will now focus on appropriate aspects to improve further, such as developing a programme for future leaders.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly committed to continuing to improve the school. The governors work very closely with school leaders and the school improvement adviser to ensure that raising the quality of teaching and learning remains at the heart of their work. They have an excellent understanding of information on pupils’ progress, and undertake regular training to refresh their knowledge and skills.  Governors use the most recent data to make comparisons with other schools, locally and nationally, and actively challenge school leaders where dips occur. They meet with key staff, and make regular visits to check directly on important areas of the school’s work. Governors have been highly supportive in driving forward the use of the very latest technologies in order to raise pupils’ enthusiasm and desire for learning.  Governors ensure that financial resources are efficiently managed, know how the pupil

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The leadership and management are outstanding

premium and sports funding is being spent and monitor the impact of these initiatives on achievement. Governors see that targets to improve the performance of staff are reviewed carefully and that teachers’ pay is linked to how well pupils are doing. They are highly motivated and visible in the school and check that safeguarding meets statutory 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 120480 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 429573

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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 76 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kelly Smith Headteacher Denise Popplewell Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2009 Telephone number 01673 838330 Fax number 01673 838330 Email address enquiries@tealby.lincs.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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