Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Church Road, Tattingstone, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2NA

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including governors, have not ensured that the outstanding quality of education identified at the last inspection has been maintained.  In recent years, pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been broadly in line with, or above, national averages. Progress at key stage 2 in reading and writing has typically been in line with national averages. However, progress in mathematics dropped to below average in 2018.  The headteacher provides clear, effective and strong leadership. She has led the school well through a recent period of staffing instability. She accurately assesses the school’s successes and is taking appropriate action to ensure its further improvement.  Teaching is typically good and it is improving. Consequently, most pupils make good overall progress as they move through the school.  Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They provide senior and subject leaders with

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

effective support and challenge.  Leaders and governors ensure that pupils enjoy a broad, balanced and effective range of curricular and extra-curricular activities.  Pupils are welcoming and respectful. They look after each other and behave well. Pupils attend school regularly.  Leadership of the early years is good. This ensures that children get off to a positive start in their education.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. They make strong and increasingly better progress.  Although the pupil premium grant has been used to support improvements in pupils’ progress, the impact of different initiatives is not reviewed closely enough.  Learning activities and teachers’ questioning do not always provide appropriate challenge to all pupils, including in subjects other than English and mathematics (foundation subjects).  The progress of a small number of pupils is not

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

currently meeting leaders’ high expectations, especially in mathematics. 11–12 June 2019

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the rigour of planning for the allocation of the pupil premium grant by including clear and measurable outcomes that enable leaders and governors to evaluate the impact of individual initiatives more effectively.  Further improve teaching, learning and assessment, including in the foundation subjects, by ensuring that teachers: – plan learning activities that consistently challenge pupils – question larger groups of pupils more effectively to ascertain, and respond to, what they know and understand.  Improve the rates of progress of the small number of pupils who are currently not meeting leaders’ high expectations, especially in mathematics. 11–12 June 2019

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders, including governors, have not ensured that the outstanding quality of education identified at the last inspection has been maintained. However, the headteacher has led the school well through significant staffing changes since its previous inspection. She has created a culture of high expectation and ambition for pupils and staff. Consequently, pupils receive a good quality of education and leaders have the capacity to improve the school further.  The headteacher, ably assisted by her new senior teacher, accurately evaluates the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their priorities for improvement are appropriate and they review progress against their plans routinely.  Staff morale is high. Staff said they are valued, supported and trusted to make important decisions. They said that they are looked after well and that leaders are effective at taking their workload into account when making decisions. Communication

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

in the school is strong and staff receive high-quality training. New leaders are particularly well supported.  Parents and carers who spoke with the inspector are very supportive of the school. Parents said that the staff are friendly and welcoming and that their children enjoy learning at Tattingstone.  Leaders are accurate in their evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching, learning and assessment. This enables them to provide teachers with helpful feedback to improve their practice. Teachers support most current pupils to make good and improving progress across the school from their different starting points.  The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Philosophy lessons provide pupils with routine opportunities to reflect on ‘big questions’, while links with a partner school in Ghana provide younger pupils with opportunities to develop their understanding of different cultures. The school’s strong

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

values are used well to enable pupils to develop important characteristics, such as compassion, forgiveness and understanding. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Leaders have a clear understanding of the barriers to learning that are faced by pupils with SEND. They understand their needs, check their progress closely and provide them with additional support when needed. The headteacher holds teachers and teaching assistants robustly to account for the progress of pupils with SEND. Consequently, these pupils make good overall progress from their starting points.  Pupils’ experience at school is enhanced by the range of extra-curricular activities that leaders provide. Activities such as dance club, multi-sports club and skiing sessions are popular with pupils.  The primary physical education and sport premium is spent effectively. Pupils benefit from a wide range of sporting clubs, tuition and new equipment. Participation in clubs

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and competitions is high and increasing.  Leaders are committed to ensuring that the study of English and mathematics is 11–12 June 2019 supplemented by a wide range of subjects, such as geography, history and art. Although pupils value and enjoy these subjects, expectations of pupils are not as consistently high in these areas as they are in English and mathematics.  The pupil premium grant has been used effectively to provide disadvantaged pupils with high-quality support, access to extra-curricular activities and additional tutoring. Leaders monitor disadvantaged pupils’ progress particularly closely and modify the support offered to individual pupils as and when necessary. Consequently, there has been a marked improvement in the overall progress of disadvantaged pupils. However, leaders do not review the impact of the individual initiatives in their plans closely enough to evaluate their effectiveness. It is not clear whether all initiatives have the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

same level of impact or if some are more effective than others.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are well trained. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses through their participation in governing body meetings and committee meetings and through their routine visits to the school. Governors have worked effectively alongside the headteacher to bring improvements to the school site, to strengthen leadership and to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Governors provide leaders with effective challenge and support.  Governors ensure that their legal duties, especially in safeguarding pupils’ welfare, are fully met. The link safeguarding governor checks safeguarding arrangements, including the record of pre-employment checks, routinely. Governors also undertake routine safeguarding audits. Governors receive valuable training that helps them to understand their responsibilities regarding keeping pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff at all levels receive routine safeguarding training and they know how to identify pupils who are potentially at risk. Staff understand, and follow, leaders’ clear procedures for the reporting of any safeguarding concerns.  School leaders ensure that safeguarding concerns are logged appropriately and that child protection referrals are dealt with effectively. The maintenance of child protection files is effective and leaders work well with representatives from other agencies to ensure that pupils quickly get the support they need.  All required checks are carried out when recruiting new staff to work with pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 As a result of leaders’ actions, the overall quality of teaching across early years, key stage 1 and key stage 2 is good and improving. Parents who met with the inspector said that pupils enjoy their lessons and that they make good progress. Pupils who met 11–12 June 2019 with the inspector agreed.  Relationships between teachers and pupils are strong. Teachers establish clear routines and have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respect their teachers and have positive attitudes to learning. As a result, pupils are keen to get involved in activities and they are not afraid to take risks and make mistakes.  Teachers provide pupils with effective opportunities to undertake individual, paired and group tasks. Pupils are skilled at discussing and sharing ideas with their ‘talk partner’. They use this opportunity well to debate issues and think of questions that they would like to ask.  Teachers plan interesting and engaging learning activities that capture pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

imaginations. Pupils in lower key stage 2 enjoyed a practical science activity where they experienced the loss of different senses. In key stage 1, pupils embedded their understanding of mathematics by completing and comparing calculations that they had written on the surface of the school playground. Although pupils enjoy learning, activities are not always focused enough on what they already know and understand.  Teaching assistants provide effective support to pupils. They work closely with teachers and they understand the needs of the pupils that they are supporting. Their explanations of tasks and their questioning support pupils with SEND to make good overall progress.  The teaching of phonics is particularly effective. Sessions include a variety of different activities that encourage pupils to be confident, take risks and enjoy their language development. Staff are adept at routinely assessing what pupils know and understand.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

This enables them to focus their teaching on the right things at the right time. The teaching of pupils’ early reading and writing is strong.  Teachers’ questioning of larger groups of pupils is less effective than when they work with pupils individually. They do not always use questioning rigorously enough to check the extent of pupils’ knowledge and understanding before moving on to new tasks.  Teaching in the foundation subjects allows pupils to study a wide range of new topics. Pupils enjoy the activities that their teachers devise for them. However, learning activities do not always take pupils’ starting points sufficiently into account or provide an appropriate level of challenge. Consequently, pupils’ progress is less consistent in these subjects than in English and mathematics.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils understand how to stay safe in a variety of situations, including when using the internet. Pupils say that they are safe at school. They say that bullying is very rare and that they know who to talk to if they have any worries. Pupils say that staff deal with any concerns quickly.  Pupils are taught to stay safe, for example through lessons, assemblies and visiting speakers. Topics covered include bullying, internet safety, feelings, emotions and 11–12 June 2019 relationships.  Pupils’ personal development is enhanced by the strong relationships that they develop with other pupils of all ages. The bonds developed between pupils in upper key stage 2 and their ‘buddies’ in Reception are impressive. The ‘buddy’ scheme allows older pupils to develop a keen sense of responsibility. It also supports children in Reception to

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Personal development and welfare

settle in quickly to the school community.  Pupils’ self-confidence and personal development are supported by the many different positions of responsibility that they hold. These include junior road safety officer, school council representative and internet safety officer.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour in and out of lessons is positive. They are friendly, polite and well mannered. They follow their teachers’ instructions and they have strong attitudes to learning.  Pupils behave well at lunch and breaktimes, where they are well supervised. Pupils enjoy socialising and playing sensibly in the outside areas.  Leaders and staff have mutually high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. As a result, good behaviour is the norm. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare, and there have been no fixed-period exclusions in recent years.  Pupils enjoy school and very few are persistently absent.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils typically enter Year 1 having reached a good level of development at the end of Reception.  Current pupils’ overall progress is in line with, and sometimes above, leaders’ expectations. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 are making particularly strong progress in reading. Progress in mathematics has improved. It is now broadly in line with the good overall progress that pupils make in writing.  Pupils in Year 1 acquire phonics knowledge well and make good progress in the development of their reading skills.  Pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged currently make good progress from their starting points. Their different needs are quickly identified by staff and they are supported effectively in their learning.  The strong overall progress that current pupils make across reading, writing and mathematics is not always replicated in the foundation subjects. This is because pupils are not consistently challenged to develop subject-specific skills, knowledge and

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Outcomes for pupils Good

understanding to the same extent as they are in English and mathematics.  Historically, pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 has been inconsistent. In 2018, pupils’ progress at key stage 2 was below average in mathematics, although published 11–12 June 2019 data needs to be treated with caution in schools with such small cohorts of pupils. Progress in reading and writing was in line with national averages in 2018.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been more positive. In 2018, at the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment at the expected standard in reading was above the national average, while attainment in writing and mathematics was in line with national averages. Attainment at greater depth was in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders organise a variety of transition activities so that pupils are well prepared, both academically and personally, for their transition to secondary school.

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Early years provision Good

 Most children join Reception with skills, knowledge and understanding that are broadly typical for their age. As a result of effective early assessment, leaders ensure that children’s individual needs are identified quickly and that learning activities support their progress. Consequently, children make good overall progress across early years and are prepared for Year 1 effectively.  The proportion of children attaining a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year was above the national average in 2018. Leaders’ assessments, evidence in children’s workbooks and observations of teaching all demonstrate that children this year are currently making good overall progress.  Adults’ work to support children as they join the provision is effective. They work closely with families and pre-school providers to ensure that children make a smooth start to their education. Parents appreciate the effective transition arrangements.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years curriculum provides children with a wide range of opportunities to develop their academic, social and emotional skills. Adults are effective in linking interesting topics through the curriculum. For example, children enjoyed selecting high- quality tasks, inspired by the ‘Gruffalo’ stories, that included painting, writing and making Gruffalo crumble. These tasks linked to children’s prior learning from earlier in the day and allowed them to develop their skills well across the different areas of learning.  Children’s learning opportunities are enhanced by an attractive learning environment that stimulates their curiosity, where they benefit from individual, small-group and whole-class support.  Adults ensure that children behave well and that they are safe. Children collaborate well and they support each other effectively. They are confident, friendly and resilient. The environment is safe, and adults are well trained to care for and protect the

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Early years provision Good

children. Safeguarding arrangements are secure.  Teaching in early years is effective. Children benefit from a range of well-planned activities that interest them and allow them to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. Adults question children effectively. They observe them closely and ensure that learning activities are sufficiently challenging. 11–12 June 2019

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.tattingstonecevcpschool.co.uk

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School details

Email address admin@tattingstone.suffolk.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 June 2009

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils with SEND support is above average.  The proportions of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, who speak English as an additional language or who have an education, health and care plan are below average.  The school is designated as having a religious character. It belongs to the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. Its most recent section 48 inspection for Anglican and Methodist schools was in October 2014. 11–12 June 2019

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was initially scheduled as a one-day inspection, following concerns about the school’s performance. The inspection converted to a full inspection and was completed by the inspector.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the senior teacher, subject leaders, the early years leaders, teachers and governors. The inspector also held a telephone interview with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. The inspector observed teaching and learning in all classes, jointly with the headteacher.  A wide range of pupils’ workbooks were looked at by the inspector throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke to pupils informally in class and around the school at breaktimes and lunchtimes to seek their views about the school.  The inspector met with a group of pupils more formally to discuss many aspects of

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Information about this inspection

school life.  The inspector heard pupils read and discuss their reading habits.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s website and a range of school documents, including assessment information and the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness. The inspector also scrutinised leaders’ improvement plans and their behaviour, safeguarding and attendance records.  The inspector spoke to parents before the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Daniel Gee, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11–12 June 2019 guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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