Tower Hill Primary School

Inspection of Tower Hill Primary School Fowler Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 0BW

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2011. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to Tower Hill. They know their teachers care about them. They benefit greatly from a range of initiatives that help to support their social and emotional needs. This makes them happy and feel safe. Pupils behave impeccably, both in and out of lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years thrive. They build very secure foundations for their future learning. The school ensures a very strong transition into the Reception Year, which parents and carers value greatly. Children quickly rise to meet the incredibly high expectations that the school has for them. Pupils then make strong progress through much of the school’s curriculum as they go through the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish as a result of the school’s commitment to supporting their wider personal development. They hone their talents through the extra-curricular offer available to them, which includes a wide variety of clubs and visits. Disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully included in school life. Pupils really understand and believe in the school’s values. For example, one Year 6 pupil said, ‘If you follow the values you will be a better a person and will become successful in life.’

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

As soon as children start in the Reception Year, they benefit from a well-designed curriculum that engages their interests. This continues throughout the school. Staff have strong subject knowledge of the topics that they teach. They explain concepts with enthusiasm and clarity. They usually design learning activities that focus precisely on the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Teachers regularly revisit previous learning so it can embed in pupils’ long-term memory. This enables staff to pick up on and address common mistakes that might be lingering, which helps deepen pupils’ learning.

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

The school has rightly prioritised early reading. Staff deliver the phonics curriculum expertly. They use effective strategies, which enable pupils to learn and apply their phonics skills when reading books. Pupils who struggle a little more with phonics are identified at the earliest opportunity. They receive effective support and catch up quickly. As a result, the vast majority of pupils are reading fluently for their age by the end of key stage 1.

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

Pupils continue to read and listen to books for pleasure into key stage 2. The books they choose are matched to their current ability due to the direction teachers give them. However, a minority of teaching does not enable pupils to develop their knowledge and skills for fluency or deepen their understanding of what they read. As a result, a minority of pupils do not progress through the reading curriculum up to Year 6 as well as they could.

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

In many other subjects, pupils achieve very well. In mathematics, pupils explain the learning that they build day by day confidently. In physical education, history and art and 12 and 13 November 2024

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design, pupils engage effectively in well-considered lessons. The more established the subject curriculum is, the more pupils remember. For example, pupils recall much of what they have learned in history. This is not quite as strong in some other subjects, where the curriculum has been revised more recently.

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A highly inclusive ethos permeates the school. The vast majority of the school’s provision for pupils with SEND is very strong. Staff work with a range of agencies to identify pupils’ needs with precision and meet them effectively. When support is not available elsewhere, the school provides the right support and ensures that pupils’ complex needs are met.

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Pupils’ conduct is exceptional. They focus very well on their work and there is minimal disruption to learning. They develop empathy and show high levels of respect for the lives and beliefs of others. For example, one Year 6 pupil commented, ‘I don’t have a belief but I support my friends who do.’ As a result, pupils are prepared very well to become responsible members of the community. Pupils’ attendance is high. Where individual pupils cause concern, for either behaviour or attendance, the school takes the right decisive, supportive action to work with families to encourage improvements.

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Governors have the knowledge and expertise to provide effective support and challenge to the school. They are passionate and ambitious about ensuring that pupils receive the very best education. The school provides well-considered professional development opportunities to develop effective leadership and teaching. Staff are very proud to work at the school. They appreciate the consideration the school shows for their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A minority of teaching does not enable pupils to develop their reading knowledge and understanding sufficiently well. As a result, pupils do not always develop their reading skills sufficiently well as they get older. The school should ensure that teaching develops all pupils’ achievement in reading effectively.

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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. 12 and 13 November 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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 October 2011, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has grown in pupil number considerably, from 195 in 2011 to 418.  The headteacher took up post in September 2019.  The school runs its own breakfast club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school has 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, history and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders within the school. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing board, including the chair, and an educational representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View and inspectors also spoke with parents on both days of the inspection.  The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection, as well as the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through the classroom visits, group discussions, the pupil survey as well as at playtimes and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Parker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Catherine Cottingham Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 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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