The Tynings School

Eastleigh Close, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 4SG

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the previous inspection, the strong leadership of the headteacher and senior leaders has raised standards in pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. This is now a good and improving school.  Achievement is good. Pupils make good progress across the school and their attainment is rising.  Pupils enjoy reading because it is taught well. The younger pupils develop a good knowledge of phonics (the sounds letters make). Pupils’ attainment in mathematics and writing has improved.  Teaching is good because teachers plan activities which motivate and engage pupils in their learning. Pupils’ work shows that they apply their English and mathematics skills well in other subjects.  The pupils behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes. They take responsibility for their own learning. They feel safe in school.  The governors have an accurate view of the school’s work. They effectively use all the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

information to challenge and support the leaders, which is securing improvement in teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Early years provision is a strength in the school. Children get off to a good start because staff plan learning which builds on their prior knowledge.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, pupils are given tasks that some find too hard and others too easy.  Not all middle leaders have established effective systems for monitoring how well pupils are achieving in their subject.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 19 lessons, including four with the headteacher and the acting deputy headteacher.  The inspectors talked to pupils and listened to them read. They also looked at their books.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, teachers and members of the governing body. Inspectors spoke to two representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors took account of 84 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View and the parents they spoke to before the start of school. They analysed 31 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including the school improvement plan, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, and safeguarding.  Inspectors also scrutinised the school’s records of attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Shahnaz Maqsood, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Tynings is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic background is below average and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in receipt of free school meals or in local authority care) is well below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below the national average.  Children in Reception Year attend full-time.  The school is in sports partnership with The Grange School and College of Sports.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils make even more rapid progress by ensuring that teachers set activities which are the right level of difficulty for all abilities.  Ensure all subject leaders develop robust assessment systems for monitoring pupils’ progress, so enabling them to identify further areas for improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has risen very well to the challenge of moving the school forward. Working as an effective team, he and the senior leaders have successfully improved the quality of teaching and raised achievement. The school leaders and governors’ ethos of high aspirations for all has been embraced by the staff and pupils. Discrimination is not tolerated and all pupils are given equal opportunity to succeed. This ethos is reflected in the pupils’ positive attitude and their good behaviour.  Senior leaders analyse pupils’ performance thoroughly each term. This includes checking the progress and attainment of all groups of pupils. Extra support is provided to those pupils who need it, ensuring they achieve well.  Through precise lesson observation and analysis of pupils’ work, leaders have accurately identified the support needed for individual staff. This has resulted in bespoke targets and training which, in turn, have

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The leadership and management are good

led to teaching that is consistently good.  There is effective monitoring of pupils’ performance in English and mathematics. However, not all middle leaders have sufficiently robust systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of their action plans and pupils’ progress in their subject.  The curriculum is vibrant and includes a wide range of experiences for pupils. The well-planned themes engage pupils in their learning and enable them to do well in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils appreciate what they learn about the different faiths and cultures because, as one pupil said, it ‘helps them to understand their friends’. They understand democracy and the importance of voting. Together, this is preparing them well for life in modern Britain.  The government funding for sport is used efficiently to promote active, healthy lifestyles and improve pupils’ achievement in physical education. The sports partner schools provide expertise which has

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The leadership and management are good

increased the subject knowledge and confidence of the teachers. In the ‘Play Rangers’ club, pupils participate in outdoor physical activities in teams which have developed their social skills and improved attitudes to learning.  The additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used well to support small group work in English and mathematics and to help families improve attendance and become more involved in school life. The number of disadvantaged pupils is small but the funding is used well to improve the outcomes for this group.  The local authority has played a key role in the improvement of the school. Following the previous inspection, governance was strengthened and the headteacher was provided with extensive support. The authority provided a rolling programme of training for staff, particularly the English and mathematics leaders. The school acknowledges that their support has been invaluable. This support has recently

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The leadership and management are good

decreased as the school has improved.  Safeguarding meets statutory requirements. The school has a dedicated governor for safeguarding who has received appropriate training and ensures that arrangements are effective and meet regulations. Appropriate systems are in place to check the suitability of staff.  Parents believe that the school is led effectively and that communication is good and they are kept well informed.  The governance of the school:  The governors are knowledgeable about the work of the school. They have good understanding of the school’s performance in comparison to national benchmarks. They are ambitious for the school and ask leaders searching questions.  Governors know about the quality of teaching and check that leaders’ actions are improving teaching. They ensure that teachers’ pay is linked to improvements in pupils’ achievement. The progress of disadvantaged pupils is closely monitored to make sure that the additional government funding is being

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The leadership and management are good

used well.  The governors are fully involved in the strategic planning and make wise spending decisions based on the school’s priorities.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils have good social skills, work well together and are keen to help each other. They are considerate and treat each other with respect.  Pupils spoke enthusiastically about taking charge of their learning and demonstrated high aspirations and a desire to succeed. Inspectors observed pupils make intelligent decisions about their readiness to move to the next steps in their learning. This is accelerating their progress.  At break and lunch times, pupils play sensibly and are considerate of each other, although a few pupils do not conduct themselves as well as they could in corridors.  Parents and pupils endorsed the school’s and inspectors’ views that behaviour is good and their children are safe and well cared for.  Attendance is broadly average and rising. Pupils come to school on time and are punctual to lessons.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe in school.  Pupils have good understanding of the risks that can be found online and through social media and know how to keep themselves safe. They are well informed about cyber- and other types of bullying. They said that bullying was very rare at the school, and inspection evidence supports this view.  Pupils have a lot of trust and confidence in staff to ensure their safety. They were absolutely sure that if they had a worry and told any member of staff, it would be taken seriously and dealt with immediately.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The high quality support and training provided have ensured that teaching over time is good and continues to improve. Good teaching has raised achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers’ expectations of pupils are high, resulting in well-presented work, pupils trying their best and good behaviour in lessons. Teaching assistants carefully monitor the progress of the less able pupils and intervene with effective support and guidance.  Questioning is used well by teachers to ensure that pupils explain their reasoning and extend their answers. For example, in Year 4 pupils played the roles of the lighthouse keeper and an interviewer. The teacher’s skilful questioning enabled pupils to use emotive language and develop their arguments, benefitting their learning greatly.  The school has introduced pupils to a varied range of authors and they read regularly and widely. Pupils told inspectors they were inspired by the visit of authors Jeremy Strong and Katy Krump, who encouraged

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The quality of teaching is good

the joy of reading.  Pupils have a secure grasp of phonics and this benefits their reading; they quickly become fluent and confident readers.  Writing is taught well. Pupils write at length and in different styles, using complex vocabulary. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils used words such as ‘mesmerised’ and ‘overwhelmed’ to describe emotions and feelings. Pupils also benefit from the opportunities given to them for extended writing in different subjects.  Teaching of mathematics is good because pupils are taught skills and concepts and how to apply them to real-life situations. In Year 5, pupils were given questions in which pupils had to ‘do, use and then apply’. Most pupils were seen to move on to the ‘use’ section very quickly once they thought they had done enough practice questions. The most able pupils were given more challenging tasks; they went on to apply their skills to solving complex problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons, teachers plan activities which are not sufficiently challenging for the most able and too difficult for the less able. This slows down these pupils’ progress.  Marking in all subjects is meticulous. For example, in pupils’ writing, errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar are highlighted and in mathematics, teachers question strategies used and set challenges. Pupils amend and improve their work according to the advice given by the teacher, which enhances their learning.  The good relationships benefit pupils because they respond well to adults and hold very productive discussions with each other, which helps them to understand and develop their ideas.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The senior leaders’ focus on improving teaching has had a positive impact on achievement, which is now good. Previously, pupils were not making sufficient progress but in the last two years it has improved. Pupils’ work and the current assessment information demonstrate good progress is being made across the school.  In 2014, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 were average in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment has been rising over a period of four years. This upward trend is set to continue in 2015.  Standards in Key Stage 2 have also improved. Attainment in reading and mathematics was average in the last two years although this has slightly improved. However, attainment in writing rose from well below average in 2013 to average in 2014. Attainment in the current year in all three subjects is higher than in 2014.  Inspection evidence shows that this year, the proportions of pupils making good progress in reading,

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The achievement of pupils is good

writing and mathematics is much higher than last year. All pupils in Year 6 have already made expected progress in reading.  An above average proportion of pupils reach the standard required in phonics. Pupils’ reading skills are developed well and teachers listen to pupils regularly and organise activities which check their understanding of text. This prepares them well for independent reading.  Writing continues to be a focus in the school and pupils get ample opportunity to practise to write in a variety of styles in different subjects. This allows them to develop their skills and make good progress. The school is aware that some pupils underachieved in the past and have placed a strong focus on writing. This has been successful in helping them catch up and achieve well.  The pupils’ achievement in mathematics has improved and is good. The lessons focus strongly on developing their number skills and depth of understanding. The pupils are confident in applying a range of

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The achievement of pupils is good

strategies to solve problems.  The disadvantaged pupils make good progress across the school and generally gaps in performance are closing. The additional funding is used effectively to provide tailored support for their needs and opportunities to widen their experience and for improving their confidence. There were too few pupils in Year 6 to make a comparison with national data.  This year, a greater proportion of pupils are on track to achieve the higher levels in Years 2 and 6. The school has done much to improve provision for the most able pupils. There is increased challenge in the majority of lessons and the school organises a number of small group sessions in which pupils are stretched further. This ensures that now these pupils make at least good progress and achieve well.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress through the one-to-one help they receive and the guidance from teaching assistants in lessons. Adults make sure they understand what

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The achievement of pupils is good

they have to do and pay close attention to their progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership and management are good, resulting in children making good progress from their different starting points. This is because the different learning areas such as numeracy, literacy and social development are well planned to engage them and meet their needs. Provision is good because it is well organised, with a strong focus on children’s achievement.  The staff make well-considered decisions for individual children’s learning, based on accurate and detailed assessment information. As a result, progress accelerates and an above average proportion of children reach a good level of development for their age. They are well prepared for Year 1. The proportion of pupils reaching a good level of development has improved over three years.  Children were seen to be ‘busy’ playing and learning in the range of exciting and interesting activities, both indoors and outdoors. In one area, children were measuring and discussing whose container had the

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The early years provision is good

most water, using words such as ‘bigger’ and ‘smaller’.  The teaching in early years is consistently good. Adults understand how children learn and organise well- thought-out activities. For example, children were able to count in twos because they were given pictures of items which come in pairs, such as the wheels on a bicycle and shoes.  Behaviour in early years is good. Routines are well established and children know what to do. They all work and play amicably together in groups and pairs. As enthusiastic learners, the children listen very carefully to instructions and try hard.  Good relations have been established with the parents, who praised the provision. Parents felt that their children were safe and well known to staff. They felt that the school took account of their children’s individual needs and planned activities around this, so engaging them with their learning.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 462464

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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 320 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jim Lott Headteacher Ashley Yates Date of previous school inspection 19–20 June 2013 Telephone number 01454 866525 Fax 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 and 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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