Tadworth Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Tadworth Primary School Heathcote, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 5RR

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Outcome

Tadworth Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school because it is a happy and friendly place to learn. One pupil said, ‘Everyone is so nice, and we never feel lonely.’ There are caring and respectful relationships between adults and pupils. Staff know pupils well. Pupils are confident that they have trusted adults to share any concerns that they may have. This helps pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s core aim, ‘Enjoy and Achieve’, encourages pupils to aspire to the high expectations the school has for them. Pupils behave well in school. They work hard in lessons, eager and enthusiastic to learn. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Pupils enjoy the enrichment opportunities on offer. A range of clubs, such as drama, art and chess, develop pupils’ interests and talents. Carefully chosen experiences, such as a Second World War evacuation day in Year 3, help to make the curriculum memorable for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil leaders make a positive contribution to the school community. For example, the ‘Tadworth Team’ is very proud to have selected the school’s new uniform that pupils will wear in their physical education lessons. The team was also instrumental in writing the school’s anti-bullying policy.

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

The school has recently undertaken work to improve the curriculum further. As a result, it is carefully designed and ambitious for all pupils. The school routinely checks that the curriculum enables pupils to achieve well. Leaders are not afraid to question and make changes where they feel it will benefit pupils. For example, the school is currently working on broadening the way in which pupils record their knowledge in foundation subjects. These deliberate actions enable pupils to learn the curriculum in a way that helps them achieve the highest standards. 19 and 20 March 2024

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The curriculum is designed well, and learning is carefully ordered so that teachers know what to teach and when. From Reception onwards, pupils learn the important knowledge that they need. This prepares them well for secondary school.

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The school prioritises reading. Teachers read aloud to children from Reception onwards, which helps pupils to develop a love of reading. Children get off to a strong start in early years. Most children quickly learn to blend sounds together to read simple words. Teachers check pupils’ reading and ensure that the books that pupils read include the sounds that they know and need to practise. Older pupils read high-quality texts that enrich the curriculum. Pupils are encouraged and supported to read widely. As a result, most pupils become fluent and accurate readers.

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In most cases, pupils’ understanding of letters and sounds leads to strong fluency and comprehension. However, a very small number of pupils do not learn to read fluently and with understanding because teachers’ adaptations are not effective enough. Work is already underway to ensure that teachers have the knowledge that they need to adapt phonics and reading activities so that gaps in pupils’ understanding are swiftly addressed.

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The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Additional adults are deployed effectively to ensure that these pupils are supported well. Teachers and staff adapt learning so that pupils with SEND understand important learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils use a range of resources to support their learning, such as multiplication grids, to help them problem solve and multiply. This helps pupils with SEND embed and build on their mathematical knowledge over time.

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Pupils behave very well. Low level disruption is not tolerated. All areas of the school are calm and purposeful. Pupils listen to their teachers and are eager to learn. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. The school practices effective systems to reduce pupils’ absence.

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Pupils’ broader development is carefully considered and planned for. All pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe. For example, in a recent focus on road traffic safety, pupils worked closely with road traffic officers to check that drivers were keeping to the speed limit. Equality and diversity are celebrated. Pupils understand fundamental British values, such as democracy. They link this understanding to the voting system in place for roles such as house captains and play leaders. Pupils of all ages develop their character by raising awareness and money for a range of local and national charities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teachers’ reading activities are not implemented with enough precision to adapt learning so that pupils improve their phonics understanding, fluency and 19 and 20 March 2024

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comprehension. As a result, a very small number of pupils do not learn to read with confidence quickly enough. The school should ensure that learning is adapted when necessary to enable all pupils to progress as well as possible in phonics and reading.

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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 April 2014.

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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.

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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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club on site, run by external providers.

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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 headteacher and extended leadership team, including leaders responsible for SEND, pastoral development and safeguarding.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. The inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 The inspector observed pupils reading, visited phonics and reading lessons and spoke to pupils about their reading opportunities in school.  A wide variety of school documents, including the school improvement plan, were reviewed by the inspector.  The inspector held discussions with governors and met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and parents’ free-text responses. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector considered the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record and checked the school’s procedures for the safer recruitment of staff. The inspector spoke with safeguarding leaders, pupils and staff and sampled safeguarding records.

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Inspection team

Luisa Gould, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 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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