Tadley Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Tadley Community Primary School The Green, Tadley, Hampshire RG26 3PB

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Outcome

Tadley Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like this school. They feel happy and safe here. Pupils know that their teachers care about them and want them to achieve their very best. Pupils and staff get on well together. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to each other and to their teachers. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave appropriately at Tadley. Bullying is rare. Pupils understand the school’s straightforward rules of ‘ready, respect, safe’. Pupils move sensibly around the school, with a cheery smile to greet adults and pupils on their way. Classrooms are calm, and lessons are interesting. Pupils work hard and told me how they ‘never give up’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and pupils value the wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities the school provides. Pupils have had a say in the type of activities they would like to do. As a result, most pupils take part in a school club. Pupils eagerly told me about the magic club, samba band and learning to play the ukulele. The school choir is particularly popular. Members of the choir proudly told me about the impressive variety of community events they have performed at. This includes a prestigious performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Determined leadership ensures that the school continues to provide a good quality of education. Leaders have high expectations for pupils to achieve well and be successful in later life. Pupils study a wide range of subjects linked closely to the national curriculum. Pleasingly, over the last two years, standards in national tests at the end of key stage 2 have improved. In mathematics, where results remained just below the national average in 2019, leaders are continuing to boost pupils’ achievement across the school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Subject plans for English, mathematics and science are well developed. These plans organise the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn in a logical sequence. Staff are well trained. They carefully plan a series of lessons to help pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), know more and remember more. 5–6 November 2019

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Work is underway to ensure that other subjects are organised with equal precision.

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In some subjects, such as English and mathematics, teachers use assessment well. They check pupils’ understanding and use this information to plan future learning skilfully. For example, in mathematics, pupils in key stage 2 were working on methods of multiplication because teachers had spotted that some pupils had specific gaps in their knowledge. However, assessment in other subjects, such as geography, is not as effective.

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Leaders’ work to overhaul the school’s approach to the teaching of reading is having a positive impact. Consequently, pupils’ achievement in reading is improving securely. Throughout the school, pupils read a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books. The library has been thoughtfully relocated to the middle of the school, reflecting the high priority that reading now has. Younger pupils learn phonics swiftly. The school’s programme is clear and taught well. Pupils read books that match closely to the sounds they are learning. Pupils with SEND, and those who need to catch up, receive helpful support. Most pupils now achieve well in the national phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.

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Children enjoy their learning in the early years. During my visit, children were industriously learning about measurement, comparing the lengths of woollen scarves. Relationships between adults and children are positive. Both the indoor and outdoor areas are inviting and well organised. Resources encourage children to explore and investigate. For example, children were busily using torches to discover which materials reflect light.

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The school’s expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attendance are clear. Leaders ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Teachers are well trained in the school’s behaviour policy, promoting pupils’ positive behaviour consistently. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies. Pupils receive helpful support to understand and regulate their emotions. As a result, exclusions are reducing.

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The school’s work to support pupils’ personal development is strong. Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are sensitively supported. They are fully included in the school’s programme of clubs and activities. Pupils are personally invited to join a club. The allotment project gives pupils a chance to grow vegetables and meet people in the community. The programme changes in response to requests from parents and pupils. For example, a first-aid course is currently being organised following parents’ suggestions.

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Staff are proud to work at Tadley. They say that leaders care about their well-being and listen to their views. Assessment reporting systems have been streamlined to help reduce teachers’ workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and knowledgeable. They keep a close eye on vulnerable pupils. Staff report any concerns promptly, following the school’s clear safeguarding procedures. Leaders are vigilant, following up any concerns in a timely and appropriate manner. Staff 5–6 November 2019

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work closely with parents and other professionals to help keep pupils safe.

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Staff understand the risks that pupils may face when they are not at school. Pupils learn how to protect themselves from harm when they are out and about in the community, or when using the internet. Parents are also supported to recognise online risks to their children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subjects are carefully planned and sequenced, such as reading, mathematics and science. However, this is not the case in all subjects. Leaders need to continue to improve the planning of foundation subjects so that knowledge and skills are coherently planned and sequenced in these subjects as well. It is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to develop the curriculum further and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about.  In English and mathematics teachers and leaders use assessment well to check pupils’ understanding of knowledge and skills. They use this information to plan future learning successfully. However, assessment in the foundation subjects is not used as well. Leaders need to ensure that assessment of knowledge and skills in the foundation subjects is used effectively so that pupils know more and remember more over time.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Tadley Community Primary School to be good on 4–5 May 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 5–6 November 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111372 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–5 May 2016

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in 2017.  Tadley Community Primary School provides a breakfast club, managed by the school.  Tree Tops after-school club operates on the school site.

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Information about this inspection

 I held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders and teachers.  I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and science. I discussed the curriculum design with subject leaders, carried out a series of lesson visits, scrutinised pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers about the curriculum.  I evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. The school’s single central record was reviewed. I met with the designated safeguarding lead, scrutinised documentation, including a sample of case files, and spoke to pupils and staff.  I met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body.  I met with pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally about the school. There were 51 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey. 5–6 November 2019

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 I took account of the 41 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, and 22 additional free-text responses.  I considered the views of 30 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey.  I had a telephone discussion with a representative of the local authority.

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Inspection team

Claire Prince, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 5–6 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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