Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy

Inspection of Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy Southfield Lane, Tockwith, York, North Yorkshire YO26 7RP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 27 and 28 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy embrace the school’s Christian values of perseverance, friendship and creativity. These values underpin leaders’ ethos of ‘living life in all its fulness’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for. Relationships between adults and pupils are a strength of the school. There is a sharp focus on the well-being of the Tockwith school community. Pupils and staff benefit from exceptional pastoral support. Parents and carers are also grateful for the support that they receive from the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and feel safe. There is a culture of respect and acceptance, where differences are celebrated. Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Positive praise underpins the values of the school. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is and are clear that it does not happen. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a genuine commitment to ensuring that pupils get a wide set of experiences during their time at school. Educational visits are a priority and are carefully planned. These are closely linked to topics and enhance pupils’ learning opportunities. Pupils’ interests and talents are nurtured.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious and meets the needs of pupils. Leaders have identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. Leaders have introduced strategies in most subjects to help pupils revisit and recall previous learning. This helps pupils to remember important content from the curriculum. However, in some foundation subjects, some teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils to learn the intended knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not develop the depth of understanding that they could. For example, sometimes, pupils talk about the activities they complete rather than the learning that has taken place. Staff check what pupils have remembered from what they have been taught. Leaders use this information to review the effectiveness of the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of early phonics and reading. They ensure that pupils develop the knowledge that they need in order to become confident and fluent readers. This helps them to access the full curriculum. Pupils who need extra help with reading receive support from well-trained staff. Pupils are enthusiastic about the books that they read and were keen to talk about authors such as Michael Morpurgo and Onjali Q Raúf.

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better?

Behaviour across the school is exceptional. Relationships are strong. Children are taught about behaviour expectations as soon as they start in early years. Staff have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils are confident and polite. Pupils show independence and resilience when they find work challenging. The buddy system in 27 and 28 June 2023

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school means that pupils from Years 5 and 6 support younger children with reading and during social times.

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Leaders provide high-quality opportunities for pupils’ personal development. Clubs, both at lunchtime and after school, enhance the curriculum and develop pupils’ interests and talents. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is designed to ensure that pupils receive age-appropriate information about healthy friendships and relationships. Pupils are empowered to be themselves. This breeds confidence and true acceptance of others. Pupils learn about fundamental British values, which are purposefully integrated into PSHE lessons, the wider curriculum and through the daily life of the school. For example, pupils consider both democracy and the rule of law in their annual representations to be members of the school council. Leaders have ensured that the school is an integral part of the village. For example, school councillors presented information about the school to the local parish council.

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Staff have excellent knowledge of pupils, their needs and their families. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from support both in school and from external agencies. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well by carefully adapting the curriculum when needed. There is a clear sense of inclusivity and of meaningful, effective communication with parents and carers.

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Children in Reception settle well to school life due to the caring and supportive staff who work with them. Children develop positive attitudes towards learning. The curriculum is ambitious, with talk and vocabulary development at the centre of everything that staff do. As a result, children are confident to talk about their learning.

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Leaders have created a sense of community in the school. Staff workload and well- being are at the forefront of leaders’ thoughts. Staff receive regular professional development targeted to their specific needs. Staff are proud to work at the school. Most parents and carers feel well supported and would recommend the school to others, describing Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy as ‘a wonderful school with teaching staff that go above and beyond!’.

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Those responsible for leading the school know their school well. There is a comprehensive programme in place where governors and trustees challenge and hold leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that the culture of safeguarding at the school is strong. Staff are well trained. Referrals to external agencies are made in a timely manner. This ensures that pupils receive the support they need. Pupils feel safe in school and know how to report any concerns that they may have. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Teachers help pupils to recognise online risks. Leaders have put in place appropriate filtering systems to ensure that pupils can use the internet safely in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Currently, leaders’ ambitious curriculum intent is not fully embedded for a small number of foundation subjects. In some subjects, the activities that teachers choose do not fully support pupils in learning the intended knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not develop a depth of understanding in all subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers’ activity choices enable pupils to learn the intended knowledge.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 and 9 February 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy converted to become an academy in November 2017.  Tockwith Primary Academy is a Church of England school. The most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in February 2017. The next inspection should take place within the prescribed period. Section 48 inspections (or the equivalent inspection of an academy) are usually carried out every three to five years (and usually within two to three years of a new voluntary-aided school or academy or free school opening). Section 48 inspections were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and restarted in September 2021. The first inspection will be within eight years of the previous one, rather than within the usual three to five years.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history and art. Further evidence was gathered for physical education and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked to pupils and teachers.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders and looked at curriculum plans for PSHE.  Inspectors held a meeting with the headteacher and school business manager to discuss attendance and behaviour in school.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record, spoke to leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and spoke to staff and pupils about safeguarding. Inspectors also examined safeguarding records.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils, including single-sex groups of pupils.

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 The lead inspector spoke to four members of the local governing board (including the chair), a member of the board of trustees, a representative from the Diocese of York and leaders from Ebor Academy Trust. Inspectors also looked at minutes of meetings of the governing body.  Inspectors observed breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors also visited daily story time and visited extra-curricular activities that were on at the time of the inspection.  Inspectors spoke with early career teachers and their mentors.

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Inspection team

Kate Longstaff, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Marcus Newby His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 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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