Tollerton Primary School

Inspection of Tollerton Primary School Burnside Grove, Tollerton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG12 4ET

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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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 Outstanding Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Tollerton Primary School as an academy school under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection of the predecessor school. 22 and 23 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an ambitious school. Leaders have high expectations for all to succeed, especially the most disadvantaged and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Senior leaders have a clear vision for the school. Driving all the school does are its values: ‘take care, respect, kindness, perseverance, and aspiration’. When explaining the importance of these values, one pupil said, ‘They make sure our teachers and friends always help us to keep going, to make sure we try, to make us even better.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel happy in school. Pupils behave well in and around school. There is a calm and orderly atmosphere. Pupils value the help they receive from staff, especially lunchtime supervisors, to resolve problems if these happen. The ‘anti-bullying councillors’ are proud of their roles. However, they state that bullying rarely happens and so they are not often needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at Tollerton. As one parent said, ‘My daughter is thriving at Tollerton – it feels like an inclusive, warm and friendly community.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are tolerant and respectful of difference. This is because, as one pupil said, ‘Staff encourage us to respect others’ beliefs and be tolerant of everyone’s difference.’

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better?

Pupils learn to read as soon as they join the school. There is a consistent approach to teaching phonics. Staff quickly identify if pupils fall behind. Appropriate support ensures that pupils catch up. The reading books given to pupils are appropriate to their stage of development in phonics and reading. Beyond phonics, there is a sequenced reading curriculum. Extensive investment by leaders has ensured that pupils can access a wide range of books. They explore topics such as race, gender, refugees, diversity, religion, difference and empathy. Class story time helps pupils develop a love of reading. One pupil stated, ‘Reading helps improve your imagination; books take you to another world.’

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better?

Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum. Subject leaders are ambitious for pupils to succeed in their subjects, including pupils with SEND. For example, they aspire to have a school full of ‘little geographers and scientists’. Teaching subjects well has rightly been a priority for leaders. Staff have sound subject knowledge. Teachers revisit learning to help pupils remember. Nevertheless, approaches to assessment in a few subjects do not consistently establish what children know and remember.

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better?

In the early years foundation stage, children get off to a strong start. There is an extremely well-designed curriculum. Thoughtfully engineered tasks create opportunities to challenge children’s thinking. Children quickly learn to be independent and can talk with clarity about their learning. Children collaborate to 22 and 23 February 2023

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solve problems and challenge each other’s thinking. Highly trained staff generate good-quality interactions. There is a clear focus on developing a rich and varied vocabulary. Children use words such as ‘cultivate’, ‘stunned’, ‘arable’ and ‘livestock’ to explain their work. Staff are highly ambitious for children with SEND. Skilful adults adapt learning for these children. They achieve well. Relationships between adults and children – and their peers – throughout early years are strong. There is a high degree of mutual respect. As a consequence, children develop into resilient and committed learners.

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Pupils with SEND achieve well. Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Detailed plans ensure that these pupils get the help they need. When pupils with SEND achieve their goals, well-trained staff adapt plans to set more challenging targets. One parent of a child with SEND said, ‘The school is a great environment for my child. He is supported and encouraged and really enjoys going.’

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Leaders’ expectations for behaviour are high. Routines are quickly established. The school’s values underpin the approach to behaviour. Pupils say that teachers support them to manage any potential conflict. Pupils learn to resolve issues together through discussion. Parents and carers are positive about the leadership’s management of behaviour. Pupils enjoy coming to school. There are rigorous systems to make sure that pupils attend regularly.

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There is a real sense of community in the school. Pupils learn to celebrate difference. Books exploring diversity broaden this sense of community. One pupil said, ‘The things we learn in school show us we are all connected but all different at the same time.’ Pupils learn to explore their own views and opinions. They relish the chance to debate respectfully. There are many opportunities for pupils to become leaders, for example school councillors, sports leaders and librarians.

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Senior leaders have a clear understanding of the needs of the school. The trust has supported the development of subject leaders. However, subject leaders have not yet had the time to check fully on the implementation of their curriculum and to evaluate its impact. Senior leaders have established a team united in its resolve to make improvements. Senior leaders and governors consider staff workload. One teacher said of the headteacher, ‘He puts the person before the teacher.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make safeguarding the highest priority. Rigorous pre-employment checks ensure that only appropriate adults work in school. Effective induction provides staff with the key knowledge they need to keep pupils safe. Leaders regularly check that staff know how to recognise signs of concern and what action to take. Leaders are tenacious in obtaining the support that vulnerable pupils need. Leaders challenge agencies should this support not become available. 22 and 23 February 2023

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Pupils feel safe. If worried, pupils know whom they can talk to. Pupils know that adults will deal with bullying should it happen. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Senior leaders have undertaken much work to ensure that there is a cohesive curriculum and to provide subject leaders with the expertise to drive improvements in their subject. However, subject leaders have not yet had enough opportunity to check on the implementation of their intended curriculum and to evaluate its impact. As a consequence, there are inconsistencies in delivery and ambition in some subjects. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the time to make these checks to ensure that their subjects have maximum impact.  Approaches to assessment in some subjects do not consistently establish what children know and remember. As a consequence, information gathered is not used effectively to inform how teachers respond to what they know about pupils’ learning. Leaders should ensure that assessment consistently assists teachers in determining the next learning steps, in all subjects, without causing unnecessary

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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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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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of Equals Trust.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.  When the predecessor school, Tollerton Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in November 2010, it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders and the leader of the early years foundation stage. 22 and 23 February 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science, geography and physical education. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read, and met with teachers and pupils. They also looked at plans for religious education.  The lead inspector met with the chair of trustees and two representatives of the local governing board.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer and the school improvement lead of Equals Trust.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, the pupil survey and the staff survey, along with written comments from parents. Inspectors spoke informally to parents outside the school.  Attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding records were scrutinised. This included the school’s single central record. Inspectors also conducted meetings with leaders to discuss the safeguarding of pupils.

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 Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Azemia Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 February 2023

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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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