Two Rivers Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Two Rivers Primary School Quince, Amington, Tamworth, Staffordshire B77 4EN

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Outcome

Two Rivers Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Laura Slinn, who is responsible for this school and one other school. This school is part of Endeavour 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, Heather Phillips, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Simon Kibble.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Two Rivers Primary School. They are happy and achieve extremely well in their learning. The individual needs of all pupils are understood and catered for exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The whole school community, including the trust, have high ambition for all pupils. They have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. The school uses their expertise to understand pupils’ individual barriers to learning. They are highly skilled in knowing how to put in the right support for pupils. All this prepares pupils exceptionally well for the next stages of their education and development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Enabling pupils to communicate their thoughts and feelings is a high priority here. Staff are well trained to use a range of communication systems to help pupils. This gives pupils a voice and allows them to be heard. Staff are caring and patient, and they allow time for pupils to use their voice. As a result, behaviour in classrooms and across school is calm and purposeful. This is because pupils are well understood and feel valued and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school listens to their pupils’ future aspirations. For example, pupils who have expressed an interest in animals, care for the school guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens. Consequently, this also demonstrates the school values of ‘kindness, ambition, perseverance, collaboration’. 16 and 17 April 2024

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

The curriculum is ambitious, well designed and sequenced, including in the early years. What pupils will learn and in what order is logical and clear. There are many opportunities for pupils to revisit key learning. Pupils are building their knowledge and skills successfully over time. The school pays careful attention to the key vocabulary they want pupils to learn in each subject. Staff help pupils to remember their learning by using many different strategies. These include communication boards, well-designed classroom environments and teaching that is expertly adapted to help pupils. The school has designed curriculum pathways to support pupils learn alongside others with similar needs. All this means that pupils learn the curriculum very well and in a specialised way.

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

Staff deliver lessons clearly and their subject knowledge is secure. In the early years, the environment, both indoors and outdoors, is well organised and resourced. Children can access the high-quality resources independently. Assessment across school is used to support pupils’ next steps in learning. Pupils are given additional opportunities to practise key concepts daily. For example, in mathematics and English, the 20/20 approach is used where pupils can work practically on their current area of learning. Using money is a crucial part of the maths curriculum. This prepares pupils for their future lives into adulthood.

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

All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. These cover a broad range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works very closely with external agencies. They continuously seek ways to support pupils so that they can flourish in all areas of their development and learning. Pupils receive a wide range of therapies to support their physical needs as well as their social and emotional needs. Staff have a wide range of specialised skills to help pupils, including support for their communication and interaction. Consequently, the way the needs of pupils with SEND are identified and supported at Two Rivers Primary School is exceptional.

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

Learning to read is very important here. All pupils access either a phonics or a pre-phonics programme. Pupils not yet using spoken language are taught to read through a range of assisted technology. The reading curriculum helps pupils to access the world around them. For example, all pupils enjoy using the school library. Pupils have their own library card and learn how to scan their books in and out of the library.

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

The curriculum to support pupils’ wider development is impressive. The school has carefully thought about what pupils need to broaden their development. This is meticulously planned in a clear and coherent way. Pupils access a wealth of wider experiences, including educational visits and extra-curricular clubs. This includes visiting local cafés and shops where pupils put into practice how to handle money. Pupils’ mental health is taken seriously. Pupils are supported in understanding how to keep a healthy mind as well as a healthy body.

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

Staff feel highly valued and supported by the school and the trust. There is a high focus on staff professional development. Leaders understand how this in turn impacts positively on pupils. Governors and trustees fulfil their duties very well. They provide exceptional 16 and 17 April 2024

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support in continuing to move the school forward. The school is held in high regard with the parents and carers, the local community, the local authority and the external partners.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 predecessor school, Two Rivers Primary School, to be outstanding in January 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). 16 and 17 April 2024

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School details

Headteacher Laura Slinn (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a deputy headteacher and an assistant headteacher have been appointed from within the school. A new designated safeguarding lead has also been appointed.  Two Rivers Primary School is part of Endeavour Multi-Academy Trust. The headteacher is the executive headteacher across two schools within the trust.  The school shares its site with a primary school. The early years provision is based on the same site as a high school.  All pupils have an EHC plan. These cover a broad range of SEND. These include communication and interaction, autism spectrum disorder, physical disabilities, severe learning difficulties, and other complex needs. Pupils also have additional needs, such sensory and medical needs.  There were no two-year-olds on roll during this inspection.  The school offers an outreach service to local mainstream schools.  The school does not currently use any form of 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. 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 executive headteacher, senior leaders, chair of trustees, chair of governors, additional representatives from the governing board, subject coordinators, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally with passenger assistants, drivers and staff. ◼ The lead inspector spoke with a trust school improvement partner and a behaviour consultant.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority. ◼ Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, communication, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held

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Information about this inspection

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 inspectors also looked at additional subjects, including science and art and design. ◼ The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. ◼ To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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. ◼ Inspectors considered responses to the online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. Inspectors also looked at responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey. ◼ Inspectors looked at a range of documents that were provided by the school, including 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

Jo Evans Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 April 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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