Dame Tipping Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Dame Tipping Church of England Primary School North Road, Havering-atte-Bower, Romford, Essex, RM4 1PS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding 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 head of school of this school is Stella McCarthy. This school is part of LIFE Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Julian Dutnall, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Louise Douglas. There is also an executive headteacher, Alice Larkman, who is responsible for this school and one other. 3 and 4 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This small school community is friendly and welcoming. Pupils are polite and kind to each other. They love to learn and try hard in their lessons. Some older pupils become peer mediators. They help other pupils at break time to play together and make friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The trust has supported the school to develop a new curriculum in recent years. This curriculum is broad and ambitious. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum with confidence. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well-supported to access the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school supports pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development exceptionally well. Pupils are encouraged to become active citizens who make a difference in their community. They organise fundraising events for a local hospice and visit residents to sing songs. Eco-ambassadors organise ecology projects within the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils of all ages are encouraged to take on different leadership roles. Through these opportunities they gain confidence in public speaking and develop their leadership skills. For example, reading ambassadors in Years 5 and 6 help to organise the school library and classroom book corners. They often read to younger pupils.

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better?

The school’s curriculum has been constructed to be ambitious for pupils. As a result, learning now builds up coherently over time. Pupils apply their learning to increasingly challenging tasks as their knowledge grows. For example, in science, pupils build up their knowledge of plants and reproduction from the early years into Years 1 and 2. In Reception, children learn about seeds and seed growth. In Years 1 and 2 they learn in more detail about the life cycle of different plants and animals such as amphibians.

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better?

Teachers know the school’s curriculum well. They have a clear understanding of what they want pupils to learn. They use strategies to assess what pupils know at the start of topics. They re-assess pupils to see how well they have learned new content by the end. When teaching some content, teachers could do more to ensure that all pupils in the classroom are being challenged suitably. At times, teachers do not recognise when pupils have only a superficial understanding of new ideas. As a result, some pupils who have knowledge gaps go unnoticed.

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better?

Reading has been prioritised across the school. Pupils of all ages read widely and often from a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. The school has increased the resourcing of books to give pupils a wider range of authors and genres to choose from than was previously the case. In the early years, the stories that children learn are incorporated into the wider activities around the early years indoor and outdoor 3 and 4 July 2024

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spaces. Adults encourage children in Reception to take part in creative art projects that further explore the themes they are learning about.

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Staff have received recent training in the school’s chosen phonics scheme. They model sounds and the blending of sounds into words clearly. As a result, pupils make swift progress in the reading programme. The books that pupils read match the sounds they know. Pupils who fall behind the reading programme are quickly identified. Teachers offer effective additional support to help these pupils to improve their fluency and accuracy so that they catch up with their peers.

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Staff enjoy working in this school. They appreciate leaders’ efforts to reduce their workload and support their wellbeing. The trust has provided effective additional support to leaders to increase their capacity to manage school development.

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In this small school, staff know the pupils exceptionally well. There is a range of wider educational trips and enrichment activities. Leaders ensure there is something for everyone. In class, all staff know and understand the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure these pupils receive the support they need to flourish in the classroom alongside their peers.

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Attendance in the school is below the national average. Leaders have identified pupils who have the most significant barriers to good attendance. They provide effective support for these pupils and their families so that their attendance improves over time. However, leaders could do more to develop a stronger culture of good attendance for all pupils.

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From Reception, children are encouraged to develop positive habits and routines. The school has high expectations for the behaviour of pupils. Lessons are focused and pupils try their best. Pupils enjoy educational outings linked to their learning. They visit museums, galleries and local parks. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 attend a residential journey.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teaching of subject content lacks precision. Adults in the classroom are not fully clear on the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. They are not routinely and systematically checking that pupils have secured new knowledge before moving on. As a result, some pupils do not have a secure and deep understanding of the concepts they have been taught. Leaders must ensure 3 and 4 July 2024

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that all staff have the depth of pedagogical understanding to deliver the curriculum.  Attendance in the school is not high. Leaders should ensure they work with all families to improve the attendance of pupils over time.

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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). 3 and 4 July 2024

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School details

Headteacher Alice Larkman (executive headteacher), Stella McCarthy (head of school) Website www.dametipping.com

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 31 January 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act for schools of a religious character in May 2024.  The school does not use alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection the inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school and chief executive officer. They met with representatives of the local governing body including the chair of governors. Inspectors also met with a representative of the diocese and the school improvement partner. 3 and 4 July 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. Inspectors also visited lessons in mathematics and design and technology.  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 reviewed a range of school documents, including school policies, records of behaviour, school improvement documents and a sample of provision documents for pupils with SEND. Inspectors also reviewed data relating to school attendance for this and previous years.

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 Inspectors spoke to parents and considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also took into account the views of staff and pupils through the Ofsted staff and pupil online surveys.

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Maureen Okoye Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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