Tiverton School

Inspection of a good school: Tiverton School Ashington Grove, Coventry, West Midlands CV3 4DE

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Outcome

Tiverton School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for at Tiverton School. The school welcomes pupils with smiles and warm greetings. Staff work closely with families. They know their pupils very well. Pupils’ individual needs are supported effectively, as a result.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are given a wide range of responsibilities, such as being library assistants and school council members. Older pupils read books to younger pupils. They are taught how to create shopping lists before going on trips to the supermarket.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Most pupils achieve very well. Pupils are given a wide range of experiences beyond the academic. The school prepares pupils to be as independent as possible. This helps pupils to prepare for life beyond school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff demonstrate their school motto of ‘Kind, Safe, Happy’ to each other. This means relationships across school are positive and respectful. Staff understand that behaviour is a form of communication for pupils. Pupils are taught what good behaviour looks like. Pupils behave very well in classrooms and across school, as a result.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ safety is prioritised. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Pupils are safe and happy. They know that all adults in school will help them. Pupils are taught a wide range of ways to communicate their experiences.

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

The school has a well-sequenced curriculum. This is carefully planned to meet the wide- ranging and complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) of its pupils. The curriculum covers the breadth of the national curriculum subject areas. The school clearly identifies the knowledge and skills they want pupils to know, including in the early years. In most subjects, how knowledge and skills progress over time is ambitious for most pupils. 13 and 14 September 2023

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Staff mostly plan effective activities which closely match pupils’ SEND and academic needs. Assessment is used to adapt work and help pupils progress with their learning. However, staff have not yet received sufficient support to ensure that their subject knowledge is secure in all curriculum areas. Where this happens, some pupils do not develop a deep enough understanding of the subject. Resources for pupils are used to support learning very well in most areas. However, in the early years, some areas in the outdoor environment are not resourced as effectively as they might be to deliver the school’s ambitious curriculum.

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Reading is a high priority across school. The school assesses all pupils’ reading and pre- reading knowledge and skills. Most staff teach reading very well. Staff plan activities to support pupils’ different developmental needs. This supports their reading and phonic knowledge effectively. All classrooms have a wide range of books. Pupils talk about their favourite stories with enthusiasm. Pupils say they enjoy reading and taking books home.

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Pupils are taught how to communicate using a broad range of strategies. This is a strength of the school. A wide variety of communication aids are used to support pupils’ individual needs. Staff are well trained in this area. Every pupil has a voice as a result. Pupils who do not use verbal language to communicate are well understood by staff and visitors. They can communicate their learning, their opinions and when they need help.

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Behaviour in classrooms is very well managed. Pupils are well engaged in their learning. Staff understand the behavioural needs of each child. Classrooms are calm as a result. At lunchtime, pupils eat and happily chat with their friends. They clear their own plates and politely ask for dessert. Pupils are taught about good manners at the dinner table.

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The school provides a wide range of interesting activities for pupils. These are carefully planned to support pupils’ wider development. Pupils take part in local sporting events. They engage with pupils from other schools. This helps pupils to build their social skills. Pupils enjoy a range of lunchtime clubs, such as the popular online safety club.

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Governors are highly supportive of the school and offer an appropriate degree of challenge. However, the school does not have an accurate view of how well all subjects are being implemented across school, but support is developing this area.

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Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about their children’s experiences. They speak highly of the care and support provided.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that all staff’s subject-specific knowledge is secure across all subjects. As a result, a small number of pupils do not develop a deep enough understanding of these subjects. The school needs to make sure that all staff are given the required support to improve their subject knowledge in some subject areas.  The school does not have an accurate view of how well all subjects are being implemented. Leaders should support subject leaders to develop their roles and to know how to evaluate the implementation of the curriculum in their subject area.  The resources in some areas of the early years outdoor environment are not fully developed to effectively deliver the early years curriculum. This slows children’s progress. The school should ensure that the outdoor environment is used effectively to support children’s learning.

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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 September 2012.

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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. 13 and 14 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been several changes to leadership since the last inspection.  All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan for a broad range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. These are mostly autism spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, and severe learning difficulties. Pupils also have additional needs, such as profound and multiple learning disabilities, sensory and medical needs.  The school does not use any registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the chair of governors, governors, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also 13 and 14 September 2023

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talked informally with parents, carers, transport escorts, drivers, staff and pupils to gather general information about school life.  The lead inspector met a representative of the local authority via telephone.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, communication, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with the areas of learning leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at additional areas of learning.  Inspectors looked at individual pupils’ EHC plans, and checked these against the school’s provision.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school.  Inspectors observed informal times to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.

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 Safeguarding documents were reviewed, including the checks that leaders make on staff’s suitability to work with children. The inspectors examined how staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively across the school. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text responses received during the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school policies, curriculum documents and SEND records.

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Spilsbury Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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