Tivetshall Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Tivetshall Community Primary School School Road, Tivetshall St Mary, Norwich, Norfolk NR15 2BP

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Outcome

Tivetshall Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of this small, rural school. They enjoy coming to school to learn and to be with their friends. There is rarely any issue of disagreement or bullying. If there were, pupils say that staff would sort it out, stopping it from happening again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Across the school, pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous. Teachers expect pupils to work hard in lessons. Learning is hardly ever disrupted. Pupils listen to teachers and each other. They respect how others may be different from themselves. As one pupil said, ‘Everyone is different. We need to look after everyone.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a range of activities alongside their usual lessons. Pupils are taught about how to keep active. A variety of physical education activities at lunch and after school are available to all. Pupils learn how to keep healthy and look after themselves. In science, for instance, pupils learn about nutritious diets and the impact of this on their teeth. Pupils’ social and emotional development are supported well.

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

The headteacher joined the school in September 2021. She has quickly identified what the school does well and what needs to improve. The headteacher and her leaders work closely with the Sapienta Education Trust (the trust) to give pupils the same opportunities they would experience in a larger school. Leaders want this school to be the best it can be.

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

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils access a wide range of subjects. Many of the curriculum plans are well laid out, particularly for the older year groups. In these subjects, learning is sequenced logically so that pupils build new knowledge on what they already know. Pupils then practise this learning regularly. In mathematics, for example, older pupils revisit and remember their times tables. They then use this knowledge to solve other mathematics problems. Pupils get better at mathematics. 14 October 2021

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While much of the curriculum is well planned, leaders have recently changed some of the subject plans, such as in music. These new curriculum plans are well thought-out and designed but new subject leaders have only just put them in place. They have not had time to make a difference to pupils’ experience and learning.

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School leaders have made reading a top priority. There is a sharp focus on reading in the early years. For the children in Reception Year, adults have generally chosen learning activities which support children with their reading. Children are prepared well for the next stage of development.

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Across the school, teachers share engaging and challenging books with their class. This helps pupils meet and understand the meaning of new words. Pupils visit the library regularly and read a wide selection of texts. For pupils who struggle to read, staff quickly identify what help they need. Pupils are given appropriate books suited to their needs. Staff are trained well to help pupils catch up with their reading knowledge if they fall behind.

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Leaders have made some clear links between the new early years curriculum and subjects pupils will study in later years. However, this is not the case for all curriculum areas. Leaders have only recently begun to address this issue. They have now started to design a curriculum which better supports children across all areas of learning.

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Leaders use the partnership with the federated school and the trust well to provide teachers with a wide range of high-quality, professional training. Curriculum expertise is shared across schools. Teachers benefit from working with each other and other subject experts to share ideas and improve the school’s curriculum. As a result, teachers have good subject knowledge and choose activities that support pupils’ learning well. Teachers use accurate assessment effectively and know where pupils have misunderstandings or need extra support. Teachers spot quickly where pupils fall behind, particularly as a result of the pandemic. They use appropriate activities to help pupils catch up with their learning.

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Leaders want all pupils to be successful in their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff effectively identify what support pupils with SEND need. They make helpful adjustments to work so that pupils with SEND do not fall behind.

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Leaders and teachers make effective use of assemblies, ‘circle time’ and personal, social and health education to reinforce the values of teamwork and responsibility. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils work well together in class. They enjoy raising money for charity and contributing to society. The school wants pupils to be well- rounded British citizens. Leaders and the trust have created a positive climate where pupils and staff feel valued and supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 October 2021

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Staff are trained well to spot signs that pupils may be at risk from harm. There is a clear process in place for staff to report their concerns to the designated safeguarding lead. Systems that track safeguarding concerns are well maintained. Records have appropriate detail and show timely responses to concerns or worries. Leaders work closely with external agencies to support pupils with their needs.

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Staff teach pupils how to keep safe. For example, pupils have a good knowledge of the risks of being online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all curriculum plans have clear links to the start of a pupil’s learning journey in early years. As a result, teachers are not fully aware of how their curriculum builds from the new early years foundation stage. Leaders need to ensure they design all curriculum plans to clearly outline the key knowledge and skills for pupils to learn throughout their time in school.  Some subject plans have recently changed and are not well established. Additionally, some curriculum leads are new to their positions and have only just got to grips with how the plans work. Pupils’ learning in these subjects is not as well supported as subjects whose plans are well established. New subject leaders should be trained so they can check the effectiveness of curriculum design and plans in their area of responsibility, taking appropriate steps to improve them where necessary.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Tivetshall Primary School, to be good in March 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 14 October 2021

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 14 October 2021

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 5 to 11

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with another local school. The headteacher leads both schools.  The federated schools are part of the Sapienta Education Trust.  In September 2020, an interim executive board (IEB) replaced the governing body of the federated schools.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders (including those from the trust), the chief executive officer and the chair of the IEB.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and music. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, spoke with pupils and listened to pupils read. Inspectors also considered curriculum plans and pupils’ work in history and science. 14 October 2021

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 To assess the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors checked a range of safeguarding records, policies and procedures. The lead inspector met with the headteacher to discuss her work as the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors also talked to staff about how they keep pupils safe.  Inspectors spoke to parents after school and considered the 12 responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire, including nine free-text responses.  Inspectors also considered the four responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Damian Loneragan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Cloke Ofsted Inspector 14 October 2021

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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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