St Thomas à Becket Church of England Aided Primary School

Inspection of St Thomas à Becket Church of England Aided Primary School High Street, Tilshead, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 4RZ

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Nicki Boast. This school is part of EQUA Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Skipp, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Roger Townsend. 6 and 7 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to St Thomas à Becket Church of England Aided Primary School. The school is a friendly and nurturing place to learn. Pupils say, ‘The best thing about this school is that it’s small so you know everybody.’ They trust adults to listen to them and help them with any worries they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They are encouraged to develop their independence and curiosity. Pupils of all ages play well together. They show care and consideration towards each other. As a result, playtimes and lunchtimes are enjoyable for all. Relationships are strong between adults and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for its pupils. The school’s vision runs through the curriculum, which is driven by the three ‘R’s. The curriculum is ‘relevant’ for pupils and promotes the importance of ‘reading’. Pupils have opportunities to ‘revisit’ and build on their prior learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on leadership responsibilities across the school. The ‘head pupils’ say that these roles make them feel proud and help them to set a positive example to others. Pupils understand people are different. They say that everyone is unique and treated equally. Pupils live out this belief in this inclusive school.

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better?

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Learning is well sequenced, so pupils build on their knowledge over time. The curriculum is designed to develop pupils’ curiosity about the world. It makes links to the local area. The curriculum starts in the early years. Children learn well, both in the classroom and in the outdoor setting. The school has considered what pupils should know by the time they leave primary school.

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better?

Pupils progress well through the curriculum. They can recall their prior learning. For example, pupils develop a sense of time and learn a chronology of important events through the history curriculum. The school recognises that the curriculum needs further embedding. Learning is not always adapted sufficiently in relation to what pupils know and can do. This makes it harder for pupils to deepen their knowledge as well as they could. In some subjects, assessment is not always used with enough precision to check what all pupils know and remember. This makes it harder for pupils to build on what they already know.

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better?

The school prioritises pupils learning to read. Children in the early years make a very strong start. They start learning phonics straight away. Children quickly learn how to be able to blend sounds together to read simple words. The books they read match the sounds they have learned. Staff are supported to teach phonics well. They use assessment effectively to check pupils’ phonics progress. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them catch up quickly. 6 and 7 February 2024

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Pupils’ enthusiasm for reading continues as they move through the school. As they gain confidence, pupils read books to improve their fluency. Texts become longer and more complex as pupils get older. They enjoy listening to adults read. The school encourages pupils to recommend different books and authors to each other. Pupils learn about diversity and different cultures through the reading curriculum.

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The school has developed a nurturing and inclusive environment. The school swiftly identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND are supported well. Staff have the expertise to adapt learning for pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils learn and progress through the curriculum as well as their peers.

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Pupils learn a well-devised personal development programme. They know how to stay safe online and how to keep themselves healthy. Reception children explain the importance of brushing their teeth and eating healthy snacks. Pupils treat each other equally and with respect. They state that at St Thomas à Becket ‘everyone is different and unique with different personalities – it’s very nice to be different’. Pupils know that a good friend needs to be caring and trusting. They enjoy the many extra-curricular clubs, trips and enrichment opportunities on offer.

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Staff are positive about the school. They work closely together and support each other well. They are reflective and thoughtful about their work. Trustees and governors have a secure understanding of the school. They have established clear lines of accountability that ensure school leaders are held to account for the quality of education at the school. The trust values the importance in developing staff expertise. Staff feel well supported by school leaders and the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects the curriculum is not implemented with enough precision to adapt learning and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could. The trust needs to ensure that learning is adapted when necessary to enable all pupils to progress as well as possible through the curriculum.  Assessment is still being developed in some subjects. It is not yet used well enough to check that pupils have remembered the knowledge they have been taught. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge well enough over time. The trust needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively across all subjects and use this information to inform future learning. 6 and 7 February 2024

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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’ 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). 6 and 7 February 2024

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School details

School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4 to 11

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School details

Website www.st-thomas-a-becket.wilts.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Thomas à Becket Church of England Aided Primary School converted to become an academy in January 2023. When its predecessor school, St Thomas à Becket Church of England Aided Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the EQUA Multi Academy Trust.  Its most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in June 2016.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s 6 and 7 February 2024

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education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued 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, senior teachers and special educational needs coordinator for the school. Inspectors also met with a range of teaching and support staff.  The lead inspector held meetings with the chief executive officer from the trust and representatives from the board of trustees.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing board.  The lead inspector held a phone conversation with the alternative provider.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The inspectors also discussed the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspectors listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspectors gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents before and after school. The inspectors also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Matt Fletcher, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Randall Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

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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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