Tanners Brook Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Tanners Brook Primary School Elmes Drive, Millbrook, Southampton, Hampshire SO15 4PF

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The head of school is Ingrid Dowse. This school is part of HISP Multi-Academy Trust Ltd, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim chief executive officer, David Pike, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Shirley Ann Langran. There is also an executive headteacher, Jess Paul, who is responsible for this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school’s values in this kind and caring school. Staff make sure that all pupils, beginning with children in the Reception Year, receive a warm welcome each day. They are keen to hear pupils’ views and take prompt action to resolve any concerns. This ensures that pupils feel happy and safe. Parents appreciate the care given to their children and rightly recognise this is a strength of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ conduct around school is calm and polite. Staff show and teach pupils how to meet their high expectations for behaviour. This begins with carefully embedded routines in the early years. Pupils behave respectfully towards each other. They work hard in lessons and they are keen to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

While the school is keen for all pupils to achieve well, some aspects of the quality of education need to improve swiftly. The school has prioritised some areas of the curriculum. This is having an impact in some subjects. However, weaknesses in other parts of the curriculum mean that pupils have developed gaps in their learning. Consequently, pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be. 20 and 21 February 2024

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

Early reading is taught well. The phonics and early reading curriculum defines precisely what the school wants pupils to know and by when. Staff start to teach phonics as soon as children join the Reception Year. Pupils read regularly, and leaders design support carefully to help those who struggle to become more fluent readers. Because of this, pupils draw upon prior knowledge and remember their learning well. They are well prepared for the next stages of their learning.

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

The school has a broad curriculum. In some subjects, such as mathematics, the school has identified the knowledge that pupils should learn precisely. However, in some other subjects the school has not sequenced the curriculum sufficiently well. It is not set out in a logical order, building on the early years, so that pupils can acquire knowledge securely over time. This means that teachers are not always clear about what to teach and when. Furthermore, as the content of learning is not clear, teachers cannot check what pupils know and remember effectively. Therefore, teachers do not always recognise and address gaps in pupils’ learning. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects.

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

There are effective systems to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work well with parents and a range of professionals to support pupils with education, health and care plans. However, for other pupils with SEND, the school does not adapt teaching consistently well to meet their needs. Therefore, sometimes staff do not know how to support pupils effectively and this means these pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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

Pupils’ attendance is improving. This is because the school emphasises the importance of regular and punctual attendance at school. Staff and parents work together to ensure that pupils are given the appropriate support to improve their attendance. The school provides a range of opportunities to develop pupils’ character and prepare them for their next steps. Pupils enjoy developing their talents and interests in a number of activities, including choir practice, sports and gardening clubs. They are eager to take on responsibilities in school and in the local community such as helping with the Tanners Brook ‘tidy up’.

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

A broad range of trips and experiences reinforces pupils’ cultural and spiritual understanding. Pupils, from Reception Year onwards, receive an appropriate programme of personal, social and health education. Pupils have a keen understanding of fundamental British values and know how to keep themselves safe outside and online. They experience democracy through the leadership opportunities the school offers pupils such as serving as school prefects. The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils are a priority in accessing the wide range of clubs. Staff build the resilience of pupils through adventurous activities on a range of residential trips.

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

The school has a clear understanding of its strengths and areas for development. It recognises the improvements that are needed in the quality of education. The trust supports the school and fulfils its statutory duties effectively. Staff recognise and 20 and 21 February 2024

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appreciate the high levels of support that the school offers them to help them manage their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not designed or sequenced sufficiently well in some subjects. This means that teachers are not always clear about what to teach and when. Sometimes, pupils’ learning in Year 1 does not build on the early years effectively. The school must ensure that the curriculum is designed and implemented in a way that helps pupils achieve well across all subjects.  Teachers do not gather and use assessment information consistently well. In some subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge because teachers are unaware of what pupils know and understand. The school should ensure that teachers understand fully what pupils have learned so that they can adapt subsequent lessons to meet pupils’ needs effectively.  The needs of some pupils with SEND are not yet met well enough. As a result, these pupils do not develop their knowledge well enough across the curriculum. The school must ensure learning is adapted effectively for all pupils with SEND so that they

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2018.

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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 20 and 21 February 2024

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

CEO of the trust David Pike (Interim CEO)

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School details

Headteacher Jess Paul (Executive Headteacher) Ingrid Dowse (Head of School) Website www.tannersbrookpri.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2018 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has been part of the HISP Multi-Academy Trust since July 2020.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school offers a before- and after-school club, managed by the governing body.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the deputy headteachers, other leaders, teachers (including early career teachers), trust directors and governors, including the chair of governors. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, including early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also met with leaders to evaluate pupils’ work in geography and religious education.  The inspector listened to a range of pupils read. The inspector observed interventions to learn how staff provide extra support to pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.  The inspector spoke to a range of staff and pupils about their views of the school.

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 The inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Clare Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 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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