Tunbury Primary School

Inspection of Tunbury Primary School Tunbury Avenue, Walderslade, Chatham, Kent ME5 9HY

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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 7 and 8 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone at this school is part of ‘Team Tunbury’. Leaders have created a collaborative community. There is a real spirit of togetherness and inclusion. Leaders want pupils to receive a well-rounded education through a broad range of experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high ambition for every pupil at the school. It does not matter what a pupil’s need is, as leaders make sure that the right provision is in place for them. The curriculum is well planned. It engages pupils in learning and seeks to develop a wide range of interests. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy. They talk with enthusiasm about their learning. Pupils feel safe here, and parents agree. Behaviour is calm and orderly in all classes. On the playground, pupils generally play and cooperate well together. However, when this does not happen, pupils know that staff will help them to sort things out. Leaders deal with rare incidents of bullying effectively. Pupils are confident that staff manage bullying well, often through the use of their ‘STOP boxes’, where pupils can report incidents that are ‘Several Times On Purpose’ so they can ‘Start Telling Other People’.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have identified the important knowledge that all pupils must learn, and the way in which they wish their pupils to learn it. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Right from the start of early years to the end of Year 6, teachers know exactly what to teach and when to teach it. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge ensures that they design tasks that develop pupils’ understanding effectively. For example, in Reception, highly knowledgeable staff ensure that children apply their learning through carefully designed independent activities.

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better?

Generally, pupils achieve well. Teachers check pupils’ understanding routinely and identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge swiftly. However, teachers do not always ensure that these gaps have been addressed effectively before moving pupils on to new learning. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not always remember what they have learned over time securely.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. From Reception, pupils learn phonics using a well- structured programme. This ensures that all pupils who are learning to read learn phonic knowledge securely. Staff swiftly identify pupils who are struggling to keep up with the programme. These pupils receive effective support to keep up with their peers. All pupils, including pupils with SEND, learn to read fluently and with confidence. Leaders encourage pupils to read widely and to be adventurous in their choice of books and authors. 7 and 8 June 2023

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Behaviour around the school, in the dining hall and in playgrounds is good. Pupils are courteous and polite to each other and to adults. Classrooms are calm, learning environments. Pupils recognise that there are rare times when behaviour is not as good as it should be. This is managed well by staff. However, sometimes leaders’ communication about how they have addressed behaviour incidents has not been agreed with or fully understood. This can lead to a perception that incidents have not been dealt with effectively.

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Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ personal development is highly effective. Carefully planned opportunities within the curriculum enable pupils to consider a range of moral dilemmas. Pupils are clear that discrimination is not acceptable. They have an age-appropriate understanding of equalities. Leaders have developed a way to help pupils understand how to develop their character. Pupils have many opportunities to attend a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. They also develop leadership skills through opportunities such as the subject ambassador scheme, which pupils apply and are interviewed for, and other roles in school, such as house captains.

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Leaders are keen to promote a highly inclusive culture. They use a variety of strategies to identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately and swiftly. Leaders ensure that all pupils access the same broad, ambitious curriculum. Teachers make careful adaptations to learning for pupils who need additional support.

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Leaders have worked tirelessly together to continue to improve the school. Parents and carers speak highly of the improvements made in the school since the last inspection. Leaders ensure high-quality professional development for all staff, which is informed by current research. Governance is strong. Governors hold leaders to account effectively and support the continuing development of the school well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff are trained fully and continually to identify if a pupil may be at risk of harm. Leaders take appropriate action to ensure that pupils’ needs are met well. This includes working closely with outside agencies when necessary. Staff are very aware of local safeguarding issues and how these pose risks to pupils. Leaders ensure that all appropriate checks are carried out to ensure that adults are safe to work in school.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They also learn where to find help if they have a worry or concern. 7 and 8 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils do not always remember what they have learned well enough. This means that they are not secure in their learning before they move on to the next step. Leaders need to ensure that staff are confident with strategies to enable pupils to know and remember more in the long term in all subjects.  While pupils’ behaviour is good, there is sometimes a perception that incidents are not properly dealt with. This detracts attention from other work and causes unease among a minority of stakeholders. Leaders need to ensure that their policies, procedures and communications are fully understood by all stakeholders.

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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. 7 and 8 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant staffing changes since the last inspection, with a new headteacher, senior team and chair of governors.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provision.  The school offers a breakfast and after-school club, run by an external provider.

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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 headteachers, the assistant headteacher, subject leaders, the learning mentor and the special educational needs coordinator. They met with members of the governing body. They also met with an officer from the local authority. 7 and 8 June 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, design and technology, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum 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. They also listened to some pupils read.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding, attendance, pupils’ personal development and behaviour. The views of parents and staff were also considered, including through Ofsted’s surveys and by speaking with parents and carers at the school gate. Pupils’ views were also considered, and pupils were spoken to throughout the inspection.  Inspectors considered the effectiveness of safeguarding through discussions with leaders, teachers, support staff and pupils. They looked at records relating to

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safeguarding, including pre-employment checks on staff.

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Inspection team

Kate Owbridge, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Hacker Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 June 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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