Townfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Townfield Primary School Townfield Lane, Prenton, Wirral, Merseyside CH43 2LH

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Outcome

Townfield Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils run into the yard at the start of the school day and are warmly welcomed by staff. Pupils say they are well cared for by adults and each other in the school. If they have worries or problems, they trust staff will sort them out. Pupils say that they enjoy school and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard and take pride in their work. They behave well in lessons, when moving around the school and at breaktimes. They enjoy the weekly opportunity to be awarded a golden tie as a reward for their hard work and positive attitudes. Pupils say that if bullying should occur, it is dealt with quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are motivated by the curriculum and talk enthusiastically about their learning. They enjoy their lessons. Leaders have high aspirations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils across the school achieve well. Pupils enjoy the visits that support the curriculum and the opportunities to learn in the school’s extensive grounds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their responsibilities as class helpers, prefects and members of the pupils’ leadership team. Pupils who are trained as ‘Wellbeing Workers’ help others who feel sad or need someone to play with. They contribute to enjoyable breaktimes, where pupils have lots to do.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils read widely and often. Children in the early years enjoy the rhymes they learn. Pupils enjoy the books read to them by teachers and discussing the stories they have read.

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

Staff deliver a carefully sequenced phonics curriculum with confidence. They receive 25 and 26 April 2023

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regular training and guidance to help them meet the needs of pupils. Teachers make regular checks of the sounds pupils remember. They use this to make adaptions to the delivery of the curriculum. If pupils fall behind, they are given support to catch up. As a result, pupils become confident readers who can access learning across the curriculum.

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Leaders are ambitious for what pupils should achieve. They have clearly defined the knowledge pupils should learn and when it should be taught. This includes the development of vocabulary in each subject. Pupils often use subject-specific vocabulary when talking about their learning. They have a secure knowledge of most of the content taught in the subjects they learn. However, in a small number of subjects, they find it hard to use subject-specific knowledge to make links between what they already know and new learning.

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Where in the past the standards achieved by pupils needed to improve, leaders have taken decisive action. They have made adaptions to the curriculum and provided training for teachers so that changes to the curriculum are delivered effectively.

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Staff provide opportunities for pupils to practise and consolidate what they have learned. This starts in the early years, where children, for example, revisit their knowledge of number in mathematics in taught sessions and through carefully planned opportunities for play. Teachers make frequent checks on pupils’ learning. They use this information to identify those pupils who need more help or guidance.

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Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified when they join the school in the early years or other year groups. Leaders have designed adaptions to the delivery of learning, which are consistently used across the curriculum. This enables pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Leaders have prioritised pupils’ wider development. Pupils enjoy learning about different cultures and religions. Older pupils understand concepts such as equality. They can talk about protected characteristics. Pupils have a strong understanding of fundamental British values. For example, they can talk about democracy and how it is used inside and outside of school. Pupils can explain how to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. They enjoy the clubs offered by the school.

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All staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils say that their learning is never disrupted by the behaviour of their peers. Leaders’ actions to ensure pupils have high levels of attendance are effective and ensure that pupils do not miss important learning.

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Staff say that leaders help them to manage their workload and well-being. They appreciate the opportunities to give their opinions about proposed changes in the school. They say that changes to the use of assessment have reduced their workload and improved the quality of the information about pupils’ learning. Staff value the training they receive. This enables them to develop a deep understanding of the subjects they teach.

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Governors play an active part in the life of the school. They know the school well. They 25 and 26 April 2023

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use the detailed information they receive from leaders and their own monitoring to provide challenge and support. Governors complete regular training so that they can carry out their responsibilities effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders, including governors, ensure that safeguarding is prioritised by all staff in the school. Staff receive comprehensive training. They understand how to respond if they have any concerns about pupils’ safety or welfare. Leaders keep detailed records. They are alert to signs that may indicate that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with the families of pupils and help them to access support, if needed. Pupils are taught about the risks they might face, both in the wider community and when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, pupils find it difficult to make links between what they already know and new learning. As a result, pupils’ knowledge in these subjects is not as deep as it should be. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects provides pupils with knowledge and skills to make links between new learning and what they already know.

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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 predecessor school, Townfield Primary School, to be good in December 2010. 25 and 26 April 2023

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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. 25 and 26 April 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10240772 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.townfieldprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Governors provide a breakfast club and after-school club.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body and the interim chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust. The inspector also spoke with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, other staff and parents and carers.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, when moving around the school and at breaktimes. He spoke with pupils about behaviour and bullying.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. The inspector spoke with members of the governing body, leaders, staff and pupils to 25 and 26 April 2023

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evaluate the culture of safeguarding in the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. The inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke to staff. He also looked at pupils’ work in other subjects.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their learning and their experiences of the school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also spoke with parents at the start of the school day. The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Keith Pullen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 April 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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