Tilney St Lawrence Community Primary School

Inspection of Tilney St Lawrence Community Primary School School Road, Tilney St Lawrence, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE34 4QZ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 23 and 24 April 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate being part of a small village school where everyone is known and cared for.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Recent changes to the way behaviour is managed are working well. Pupils show each other kindness and respect. They are polite and courteous. In lessons, pupils are calm and follow instructions. Pupils appreciate the points they receive for positive behaviour as part of the ‘rainbow reward system’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the pastoral support offered. Trusted adults help pupils to feel happy, secure and ready to learn. Pupils know they will be listened to and supported if they have any problems.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Opportunities for pupils to broaden their horizons beyond the local community are in place. Pupils’ aspirations are encouraged through, for example, the annual careers fair. Pupils experience different cultures through trips to France and revel in the chance to sing at national concerts.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of education pupils receive is not helping pupils do as well as they could. Expectations of how well pupils achieve are not high enough. Pupils’ learning is not checked regularly enough to ensure pupils build on what they have learned before.

p.2

better?

Since the previous inspection, the school has not maintained a good quality of education for pupils. This is due mostly to significant challenges in terms of leadership. During this unsettled period, the school’s curriculum has not improved. This has hindered how well pupils achieve throughout the curriculum.

p.2

better?

However, the necessary changes are being made. The new leadership team is taking action, for example a new positive behaviour policy is working well. This ensures learning now proceeds without disruption. Pupils are ready and able to learn. While this is the case, leaders are only now setting about the task of refining and developing the curriculum. The implementation and delivery of the curriculum are not consistently effective in all subject areas.

p.2

better?

Children settle in well to early years. They quickly learn the routines and collaborate happily. However, the early years curriculum is not clearly planned across all areas. In reading and mathematics, children receive planned teaching sessions and, as a result, achieve well. Other parts of the curriculum are less precise. Children’s steps in learning are not clear. The activities provided do not ensure children achieve well in their learning. As a result, children in early years do not learn key knowledge securely. They are not fully prepared for Year 1.

p.2

better?

Pupils enjoy reading. They value the books they read and those read to them. There is an established early reading programme in place. Trained staff consistently deliver 23 and 24 April 2024

p.2

3

the lessons as described. As a result, most pupils learn to read fluently. However, some pupils fall behind as the teaching of reading does not always meet pupils’ needs. Pupils who find reading difficult are not supported as quickly as they should be. They do not catch up in a timely manner.

p.3

3

Across the school, the curriculum is not consistently taught well. When delivered well, teachers teach the planned knowledge clearly and pupils achieve well. They learn and remember the key knowledge as intended. On other occasions, staff lack the necessary subject knowledge to move learning on effectively. They have not been trained to teach the curriculum as intended. Pupils do not learn the planned curriculum well. This means pupils’ learning is not secure. Consequently, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.

p.3

3

Recent improvements in the identification of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been positive. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Tasks in class are adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils typically access the curriculum in line with their peers.

p.3

3

Pupils benefit from a well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum. The planned programme enriches their understanding of faith and the wider world. They have a strong understanding of differences and the importance of equality. Pupils enjoy a range of leadership opportunities. They are proud of these roles, such as head boy/girl, school councillors and reading mentors. Pupils said they have a voice in the school and their voice matters.

p.3

3

Teachers value the consideration of their well-being taken by school leaders. They feel well supported in terms of their workload and the different aspects of their role.

p.3

3

During the unsettled period in the school, governors have not held school leaders fully to account for the quality of education provided. They have not challenged school leaders with enough rigour to ensure the school makes the necessary improvements for pupils at this school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders at all levels, including governors, have not held people to account with enough rigour over a period of time. This means the school has not performed as well as it should have. Leaders need to monitor and challenge more robustly to ensure the school is making the necessary improvements to secure a better quality of education for all pupils. 23 and 24 April 2024

p.3

4

 Leaders have not provided the necessary support and training to staff to ensure they have the necessary subject knowledge and expertise to teach the planned curriculum well. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders, including governors, must prioritise subject-specific training for staff to ensure the curriculum is delivered well across the school.  The early years curriculum lacks the necessary precision and clarity to ensure children secure key foundational knowledge. This means they often lack the knowledge to be successful in their learning both in early years and as they move into Year 1. The school must consider the early years curriculum carefully to ensure it clearly identifies the steps in learning pupils make through this part of the school.  The school does not provide the necessary support for pupils who fall behind in their early reading in a timely manner. This means pupils who need help to catch

p.4

4

up are not supported quickly to become fluent readers. The school must prioritise support for those pupils not reading at an age-appropriate level so they can catch up with their peers as quickly as possible.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 23 and 24 April 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Malcolm Clements

p.5

School details

Website http://www.windmillfederation.org.uk/ tilney-st-lawrence-primary-school/ Date of previous inspection 17 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of The Windmill Primary Federation.  There is one governing body across the four schools in the federation.  The executive headteacher joined the federation in January 2024. She is the executive headteacher of all four schools.  Subject leaders lead their subjects across all four schools in the federation.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school currently makes use of one registered provider of alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 23 and 24 April 2024

p.5

6

 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the heads of school, subject leaders, staff, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read with a familiar member of staff.  Inspectors also considered curriculum documentation and spoke to pupils about their learning in history.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

p.6

6

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 reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, pupil records, records of governor meetings, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View and speaking to parents during the inspection.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Jonny Wallace, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Bryony Surtees Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7