Turvey Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Turvey Primary School May Road, Turvey, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 8DY

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Outcome

Turvey Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Turvey Primary School is a happy community. Pupils praise the nurturing ethos. Parents and carers typically comment on the ‘family atmosphere’ and ‘caring and listening’ culture. This helps pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from leaders’ high expectations of what they will learn. As a result, pupils develop positive attitudes to their learning. They become curious and articulate. Pupils participate well in lessons and are keen to share their experiences and ideas. For example, they carry out debates and listen to what each other has to say.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is orderly. From the moment they start school in Reception, children learn to manage their behaviour successfully. When pupils are upset, adults help them think about why, and what they can do to help resolve the situation. This helps pupils to be calm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is little bullying. Any issues get resolved quickly. Pupils learn about respect. They build their understanding of what it means to be different from others. Pupils say how important it is that everyone is treated fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of wider opportunities. For instance, they go to clubs such as those for gymnastics, dance and choir, and learn yoga. These help them deepen their knowledge of what they learn in class.

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

Leaders have reviewed the curriculum and put in place one that is ambitious and well designed. Leaders have identified what they want pupils to know so that pupils are ready for secondary school. Leaders break down into detail what pupils should learn at each stage along the way. Leaders ensure that pupils’ learning builds on prior knowledge so that they build up what they know and can do over time. This clear thinking in curriculum design helps teachers know how to deliver the curriculum effectively, including if they are new to the school. 2 November 2022

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Teachers are knowledgeable in all subject areas. They model clearly to pupils what they want them to learn. Teachers make sure that pupils have opportunities to practise and apply what they know. This helps pupils understand and remember their learning. Teachers spot and correct misconceptions. They plan activities that adapt the learning so that it meets pupils’ needs. This supports pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well.

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Reading is prioritised. Leaders have considered carefully the most appropriate phonics scheme for the school. They ensure that staff are well trained and know how to deliver phonics effectively. Pupils’ reading knowledge is assessed regularly, and leaders ensure that pupils get help to catch up if needed. Because of this, pupils quickly become fluent readers, including those with SEND. Pupils in all year groups talk enthusiastically about the books they read for pleasure. They build up their vocabulary, writing skills and wider knowledge through their reading. This helps them access the ambitious learning they experience in other areas of the curriculum.

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Leaders have carefully considered the curriculum for early years. They have set out the intended learning across all areas of the early years curriculum. In reading and mathematics, children are well prepared for learning in key stage 1. Staff help children secure their knowledge of number and their understanding of phonics through focused practice. Children play well together. However, staff do not interact purposefully to provide appropriate guidance and support to ensure that, when children are playing, this contributes effectively to the children’s learning experience. Occasionally, staff’s input does not support children to develop their language and extend their learning as well as they could. Leaders recognise that there is work to do to strengthen the early years provision so that children are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Leaders have high expectations of behaviour. They have put in place a clear behaviour policy, which staff and pupils understand. Staff apply it consistently. This means that there is very little disruption to learning.

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Leaders support pupils effectively with their well-being. Leaders have identified that the COVID-19 pandemic has made pupils more prone to anxiety. They have adapted the curriculum to ensure that it builds pupils’ knowledge about resilience. Pupils say that this helps them understand the importance of physical and mental health. They praise the support they get with their well-being. For example, leaders check regularly on pupils’ feelings and put in support quickly if needed.

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Staff feel that leaders consider their workload. Staff value the collaborative culture. Staff are proud to work for the school.

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Governors know the school well. They have a clear vision for the school’s ethos. Governors check on leaders’ work, such as the reading curriculum, and ask probing questions where needed. They use the information they get to check further how well leaders are improving this aspect of their work. 2 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are vigilant in safeguarding pupils. Leaders ensure that staff have regular training and check that they understand and remember it. Consequently, staff know how to identify and report concerns, such as the signs of potential abuse. Staff know local risks and recognise that ‘it could happen here’.

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Safeguarding

Leaders respond to cases with prompt and appropriate actions, such as making referrals to agencies if needed. However, in a few cases, there were some minor gaps in the recording of safeguarding information.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they understand a lot about online safety and how to stay safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that the well-considered early years curriculum is implemented consistently well. As a result, children are not achieving quite as well as they might in the early years curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the guidance and training they need to develop high-quality interactions with children to help children to develop their communication and deepen their understanding.  Leaders have implemented a culture of safeguarding that supports effective arrangements to identify, help and support pupils at risk of harm. However, there are minor gaps in the recording of safeguarding information. This has the potential to hinder the effectiveness of actions in response to safeguarding concerns. Leaders should make sure that they record and organise, in sufficient detail, all safeguarding information so they can be assured that they are making the best possible decisions to

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2013. 2 November 2022

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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.

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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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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. 2 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

20 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 When Turvey Primary School was previously inspected in 2017, it was a lower school. It became a primary school in September 2017.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, staff and pupils.  The lead inspector held a virtual meeting with the chair of governors and the governor responsible for safeguarding to discuss governance.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. In early reading, this took the form of listening to pupils read to a familiar adult. 2 November 2022

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 As part of the evaluation of the school’s safeguarding processes, inspectors reviewed the school’s single central record, met with the designated safeguarding lead and looked at the recording of safeguarding information.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school self-evaluation form and improvement plan, curriculum plans and school policies.  Inspectors reviewed the 37 responses that were submitted by parents and carers to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and also considered the 25 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered 18 responses to the Ofsted staff survey, and the 16 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katherine Douglas His Majesty’s Inspector 2 November 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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