Tintwistle CofE (Aided) Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Tintwistle C of E (Aided) Primary School South Close, Tintwistle, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 1LY

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Outcome

Tintwistle C of E (Aided) Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Tintwistle C of E Primary School sits at the heart of its community. Pupils enjoy attending this friendly, caring school. Staff and pupils welcome visitors and treat each other with respect and kindness. Pupils certainly ‘learn and grow together, surrounded by encouragement and love’. There are warm and supportive relationships between staff and pupils. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They strive to earn ‘gold cards’ for trying their best. Pupils say that bullying is rare, but if it happens, staff are quick to deal with it. Pupils enjoy the opportunities to be active during breaktime and lunchtime. They engage in games that develop their teamwork skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the wide range of activities that leaders provide after school. They can develop their talents in cheerleading and sing in the school choir. Pupils are proud of the many trophies that they have achieved in competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, with comments that were typical of many, said, ‘The school really values all the children who attend there. There is a strong sense of community.’

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

Leaders have made improvements to the curriculum. Pupils learn from an exciting and ambitious curriculum that covers a broad range of subjects. All pupils learn this curriculum from the early years to Year 6. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have identified the essential knowledge that they want pupils to learn by the time they leave the school. This key knowledge has been broken down into smaller steps that pupils learn in a logical order. In a small number of subjects, this knowledge is not as precise, including in the early years. Some subject leaders have only 2 February 2023 recently developed their subject leadership roles. They have not made checks on whether the curriculum is delivered as intended.

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

Leaders have made reading a top priority. Right from the start, children in the early years begin to learn to read. They build up their knowledge of letters and sounds quickly. Phonics is taught well so that children in the early stages of learning to read become fluent and confident readers. Support is in place to ensure that pupils soon catch up if they fall behind. Leaders make sure that pupils experience a wide range of texts that link to the topics they are learning. Teachers share their love of stories. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the stories to which they have listened. They can name their favourite authors and the books that they are currently reading in school. Pupils love to take home a story sack so that they can share a book and a hot chocolate with their parents.

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

Teachers know how to make learning engaging for pupils. They provide a ‘learning hook’ to capture pupils’ interests. This helps pupils to enjoy their lessons and stay focused. Pupils do not disturb each other in lessons. Their positive attitudes contribute well to their learning. Staff are fair and consistent in the way that they manage behaviour. Pupils value earning marbles for a class treat.

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

Staff make regular checks in lessons to make sure that pupils’ understanding is secure. They provide extra help if pupils find anything difficult. Pupils have opportunities to revisit earlier learning, so that they do not forget it over time. Staff work together to make any necessary adjustments for pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND access the curriculum with their classmates. Leaders work well with a range of professionals. This ensures that pupils receive expert support if it is needed. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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

The pastoral support offered to pupils is a strength of the school. Leaders know pupils well. Pupils can access nurture support which helps them to deal with their emotions. Pupils value the time that they can spend talking to adults about their feelings. Throughout the curriculum, leaders have identified opportunities to promote pupils’ broader development. In outdoor learning activities, pupils build their resilience and knowledge of the natural world. Pupils relish the opportunities to develop their leadership roles as part of the school council. The council play an active part in looking after the school environment. They help to make decisions on how to improve the school.

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

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the consideration leaders give to manage their workload and well-being. Governors share leaders’ determination for all to succeed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a culture of vigilance. Regular training ensures that all staff know how to identify and report any concerns about a pupil. Record-keeping is thorough and well organised. Staff work well with other agencies to support pupils and families when necessary. Systems for checking that staff are suitable to work with children are effective. Governors make regular checks to ensure that safeguarding records are robust. 2 February 2023 Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when they use the internet. Pupils know who to speak to if they encounter anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders are still developing some aspects of their leadership roles, particularly how well the curriculum is being implemented, including in the early years. As a result, they are not yet identifying precisely what is going well and what actions are needed to improve the delivery of the curriculum further. Senior leaders should provide subject leaders with support and training to improve their skills in monitoring the implementation of the curriculum so they can identify how it could be developed further.

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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 January 2013.

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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. 2 February 2023 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 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10254947 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.tintwistle.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 December 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-aided Church of England school in the Diocese of Chester. Its last section 48 inspection took place in March 2022. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher and a range of staff, including an early career teacher.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the vice-chair of the governing body. She spoke with a representative from the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed school policies, procedures and records. The inspectors met with 2 February 2023 the designated safeguarding lead and spoke with staff, governors and pupils about the school’s approach to keeping pupils safe.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art. For each

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Information about this inspection

deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, spoke with teachers, and spoke with pupils about their learning. The inspectors visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. They considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector met with groups of staff and pupils and considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Norbury, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain His Majesty’s Inspector 2 February 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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