Thorpe CofE Aided Primary School

Inspection of Thorpe CofE Aided Primary School The Bence, Rosemary Lane, Thorpe, Egham, Surrey TW20 8QD

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are caring and thoughtful at this nurturing village school. They feel safe and know that teachers will deal with any concerns they have. Pupils know the school’s rules, and teachers apply them consistently well. This helps pupils to behave well and encourage others to behave well too. This begins in early years, where children quickly learn school routines. The school is a calm and happy place, where pupils have a clear love of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), work hard to meet the high expectations of teachers. Classrooms are busy and purposeful. They are alive with the sound of learning. Pupils listen thoughtfully to their teachers and work together cooperatively. As a result, pupils learn the skills and knowledge they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage pupils to set ambitious future goals. Pupils enjoy visits from a range of adults who discuss their jobs. The school enhances this with a range of activities. For example, pupils enjoy engineering days at local theme parks. They learn about a range of careers at annual citizenship events. The school also offers specific sessions on aspiration for pupils from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Consequently, pupils have high ambitions they are keen to share.

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

The school has responded swiftly to low national test results for the end of key stage 2 in 2023. It has worked with a range of external partners to develop its expertise. As a result, the school has refined its ambitious curriculum further so that it meets the needs of all pupils. The curriculum sets out precisely the skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn . This begins with the important foundational knowledge children learn in early years.

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

The school knows its pupils very well. As a result, staff understand pupils’ barriers to learning. Teachers help pupils to overcome these by adapting their teaching or by providing additional support. This helps all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well.

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

The work that the majority of pupils produce shows that they achieve well. This is also reflected in improved national test results in 2024. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. This begins in early years, where children leave with fluent knowledge of number facts up to 10 and can recall the stories and rhymes they learn.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge which helps them to deliver the planned curriculum well. They design tasks and activities carefully. This enables pupils to practise the skills and knowledge they need consistently well. Teachers model vocabulary and explain what pupils need to do clearly. The school has developed a variety of ways to check pupils’ learning. In the most effective lessons, teachers use questions skilfully to address any misconceptions. However, teachers do not always use these checks effectively to inform their future teaching. As a result, they do not always address gaps in pupils’ learning. 22 and 23 October 2024

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The school has rightly prioritised reading in recent years. Well-trained staff teach the chosen phonics scheme effectively. They identify pupils who are falling behind and offer appropriate support to help them to catch up swiftly. The majority of pupils become fluent readers by the time they enter key stage 2. Older pupils read confidently and discuss the high-quality texts they read excitedly. Pupils in the early stages of reading read books that are matched closely to the sounds and letters they know. This enables them to practise their reading independently.

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Pupils act as excellent role models. They move calmly through corridors and show positive attitudes to learning in class. Breaktimes are exciting and joyful. Pupils enjoy the wide range of games and activities that staff plan for them. The school has worked hard to improve attendance. It tracks pupils’ absence carefully and offers support and guidance to families who require it. As a result, attendance has improved for all pupils over time. However, a small number of pupils do not yet attend frequently enough.

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The school provides staff with training that builds their confidence and subject expertise. Staff feel well supported by leaders. Governors ensure they are well informed. They support the school’s ambitions effectively.

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The school recognises the importance of pupils’ personal development. It offers a broad range of opportunities that enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils visit local historical sites and experience history through hands-on activities. Pupils learn to share their views confidently. They approach views that differ from their own sensitively. Pupils develop mature attitudes to diversity. They celebrate the different cultures and beliefs in the school happily. Pupils also develop their skills and talents through the various clubs the school offers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some lessons, teachers do not use assessment effectively to identify pupils’ gaps in learning. As a result, teachers cannot always plan activities or interventions that fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge or improve specific skills swiftly. The school must ensure that assessment for all pupils identifies gaps in learning accurately and allows teachers to plan activities that help pupils catch up quickly.

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How can I feed back my views?

You can use to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school, 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. 22 and 23 October 2024

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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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Andy West and Linda Gillham (Co-Chairs)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school has a religious character. Its most recent section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools took place in July 2019. The school’s next section 48 inspection will take place within eight school years from that date.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school manages wraparound breakfast and after-school clubs for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic 22 and 23 October 2024

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began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher, as well as with other leaders and staff. The lead inspector met with governors. He also held telephone conversations with representatives from the diocese and the local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, design technology and history. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspection team also sampled pupils work in English.  The inspection team considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors spoke to staff and

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pupils during the inspection and took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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Inspection team

Gavin Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gillian Lovatt-Young Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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