Thorn Grove Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Thorn Grove Primary School Woodstock Avenue, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 7LD

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Outcome

Thorn Grove Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a positive start to their education at this school. This stems from the high levels of ambition that the school has for pupils’ learning and development. Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across much of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is committed to promoting pupils’ well-being. It expects pupils to treat one another in a way that they would like to be treated themselves. Pupils are keen to live up to this expectation. From the Nursery class onwards, pupils are well mannered and considerate towards others. Pupils benefit from positive relationships with staff. They trust that staff will help them with any concerns that they may have. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular activities that the school provides for them. These include rounders, ukelele and British Sign Language clubs. Pupils also learn how they can influence change for the greater good of others. For example, pupils raise money for charities that are special to them. They do this through activities such as cake sales and sponsored events. The school actively seeks the views of pupils when making changes. For instance, their opinions helped to inform the recently revised school values.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. In most subjects, the school has determined the important knowledge that pupils should learn from the Nursery Year through to Year 6. However, there are one or two subjects where the school has not set out the key content that pupils should learn. This makes it difficult for teachers to know what knowledge to prioritise when designing lessons. Consequently, in these subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could. 23 and 24 July 2024

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This school has effective systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. These pupils benefit from well-chosen resources that help them to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Teachers access a range of high-quality training. In many subjects, this helps them to design activities that deepen pupils’ knowledge and connects earlier learning with new content. In most subjects, teachers use assessment information effectively to identify and address any gaps in knowledge that pupils have. Overall, pupils, including those with SEND, are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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The school places a high priority on children in the Reception Year and pupils in key stage 1 developing a secure knowledge of phonics. Staff teach the phonics programme consistently. The school uses assessment information accurately to identify and support any pupils who need additional help. Any pupils who join the school and/or are new to learning English as an additional language, quickly begin to understand the different sounds that letters represent. Carefully selected books help pupils to experience success and enjoyment when reading. Many pupils become fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.

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The school’s clear rules and routines help to create calm classrooms, where pupils can focus on their learning. This begins in the early years, where children learn to take turns and to share resources with others. Across the school, pupils display positive attitudes. Learning is rarely interrupted by any incidents of poor behaviour. The school’s systems and procedures to promote high attendance are effective. Any attendance concerns are quickly identified and addressed. Many pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils experience many opportunities that prepare them well for life in modern Britain. The school ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils understand the importance of having a healthy diet. For example, they know that too much sugar can cause tooth decay. Pupils enjoy the range of trips that the school provides. These include visiting galleries, museums and taking part in residential trips.

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Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for further improvement. They provide effective support and challenge to ensure that the school provides pupils with a high-quality education. Staff are positive about the steps that the school has taken to further support their workload and well-being. This includes changes to the marking policy and ensuring that staff have the time to carry out their different roles and responsibilities effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In one or two subjects, the school has not finalised its curriculum thinking. This hinders teachers from designing learning that helps pupils to build up a deep body of knowledge. The school should ensure that it refines its thinking in these curriculums so that it is clear what pupils should learn and when this knowledge should be taught.

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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 May 2015.

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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). 23 and 24 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 and 31 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  The sensory support service has a base in the school. This service supports pupils who are deaf or who have a hearing impairment. This is not a specially resourced provision but the pupils who attend are on the school’s roll. Pupils are placed at the school by the local authority. Pupils spend the majority of their time learning alongside their peers in class. At the time of the inspection, there were nine pupils being supported by the sensory support service.  The school makes use of two registered alternative provisions.  The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school 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.  The inspector discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the school and has taken this into account in his evaluation. 23 and 24 July 2024

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 The inspector completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. As part of the deep dives, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, met with teachers and looked at pupils’ work. The inspector also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The inspector observed some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. He also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. He spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. He also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. He also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspector spoke with some parents and carers. He also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 23 and 24 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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