Thringstone Primary School

Inspection of Thringstone Primary School Hensons Lane, Thringstone, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 8LJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff ‘believe and achieve together’ at this inclusive school. Pupils say that they are happy and safe here. They behave well. Low-level disruption is extremely rare. Staff deal swiftly with any bullying or falling-out between pupils. Pupils have positive attitudes to school. They work hard. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and positive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are encouraged to have ‘character muscles’. They learn to be, for example, resilient, compassionate, patient and respectful. Pupils particularly enjoy learning musical instruments, like the ukulele and djembe drums. There are a variety of activities that help to develop pupils’ talents and interests. These include swimming, cooking, singing and various sports clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on different roles and responsibilities, including as house captains, lunchtime monitors and members of the democratically elected school council. Pupils enjoy these roles and take them seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of parents have positive views of the school. One comment, typical of many, was: ‘This school is a lovely place for my children to be. I only wish they could stay here for longer!’

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced a new curriculum. In a small number of subjects, leaders have not precisely identified the exact knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn across all year groups. In these subjects, it is not always exactly clear what leaders want to pupils to learn and when.

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better?

There is a consistent approach to the teaching of mathematics. Teachers recap previously taught material at the start of lessons. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned before. End-of-unit tests help teachers to understand which mathematical aspects need to be taught again. The majority of pupils say that they like mathematics and that ‘it needs to be hard to help us learn’. For example, pupils in Year 5 enjoyed the challenge of multiplying and dividing fractions.

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better?

The recently introduced phonics and early reading programme is working well. Staff have received effective phonics training. There is a consistent approach to teaching phonics that starts in the early years. Pupils are learning new letter sounds in a logical order. They read texts that closely match the letter sounds that they are learning. This helps to improve their fluency and confidence. There are daily opportunities for pupils to practise writing these letter sounds in words and in longer sentences. Accurate assessments mean that a pupil who might be falling behind is spotted quickly. They then receive effective support to help them to catch up. Pupils 29 and 30 March 2022

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in Year 5 and Year 6 say that they enjoy reading and that the library has suitably challenging books.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff plan a range of appropriate activities across the seven areas of learning. Children in ‘Little Acorns’ have recently grown cress seeds. This prepares them well for when they are in the Reception class. Here, they grow seeds in different conditions and study the resulting differences. Parents are kept well informed of their child’s progress. Transition arrangements prepare children well for the Reception class and then again for Year 1. Relationships between adults and children are warm and positive.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength. There are opportunities for residential trips and educational visits. Pupils also perform in productions and sing in the local community. These events help to improve their self-confidence and self-esteem. Staff are considerate of pupils’ mental health and well-being. Pupils use the ‘good to talk’ boxes should they have a concern. Pupils say that staff are good at sorting out these worries. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships and health education. However, pupils’ knowledge of faiths and cultures that are different to their own is not as strong. They are not being as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be.

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There is a clear system in place for the identification and extra help given to pupils with SEND. Staff know and meet the needs of these pupils very well. Staff have received appropriate training. There are strong links with outside agencies. These include the speech and language and autism outreach teams.

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Leaders have a clear, shared vision, and have a high ambition for all pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the training opportunities that are provided. The well-organised and knowledgeable governing body is a strength. Governors make frequent visits to the school and write useful and detailed reports. The governing body is holding leaders fully to account for their actions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have received effective safeguarding training. This reflects the latest statutory guidance. Staff know the potential signs of abuse and neglect to look out for. They know about the dangers of county lines drug trafficking, and know what to do should they be concerned about the actions of an adult. Leaders keep detailed safeguarding records. They are quick to seek the support of outside agencies where necessary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to stay safe when they are online. Older pupils know about the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse. 29 and 30 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the precise knowledge and vocabulary that leaders want pupils to learn, and by when, is not as clear as it could be. Leaders should ensure that there is a clarity and preciseness around the knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to learn, and by when, across these subjects, from the early years through to Year 6.  Pupils’ knowledge of faiths and cultures that are different to their own is not as strong as it should be. Pupils are therefore not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. Leaders should ensure that pupils have an appropriate understanding of faiths and cultures that are different to their own, therefore being better prepared for life in modern Britain.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 29 and 30 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school opened the ‘Little Acorns’ pre-school for children aged two to four in September 2019. The pre-school is on the same site as the school.  The chair of the governing body took up the role in September 2021.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held various meetings with the headteacher and other leaders. The lead inspector met with five members of the governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: phonics and early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to 29 and 30 March 2022

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teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum plans and spoke with leaders about some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to pupils from key stage 1 and Years 3 and 4 read.  To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector checked the single central record. Inspectors checked staff’s knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding records were scrutinised.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent and staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jamie Nairn Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 March 2022

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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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