Thurston Church of England Primary Academy

Inspection of Thurston Church of England Primary Academy Pond Field Road, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 3FT

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Good

The headteacher of this school is John Bayes. This school is part of The Thedwastre 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 (CEO), Phillip Mackay, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gary MacDonald. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning in this friendly, inclusive school. They speak confidently about the ‘Thurston Way’ and how it underpins the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. Pupils typically behave well and work hard. They know the importance of making the right choices. Pupils’ achievement is improving across most subjects. In the early years, children follow adult guidance enthusiastically as they learn to read and to use their early mathematics skills. They play cooperatively together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Ensuring that all pupils read well is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils enjoy sharing stories with their teachers in every class. Parents appreciate the guidance that they get to help their child with reading at home. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well alongside their peers. Extra, effective help is on hand when required. This includes for some pupils who need more time to build confidence in smaller ‘nurture’ groups.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is made to feel welcome. New pupils settle in quickly, including those who join the school at a later stage in their education. Pupils feel safe. They can explain how they are taught to stay safe in different situations. The pupil collective worship leads play an active role in celebrating the school’s values.

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

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious. This is implemented successfully alongside the backdrop of a rapidly expanding pupil roll. Pupils’ learning builds progressively from the early years through to the end of Year 6. A more consistent approach to teaching writing, with a stronger focus on spelling and grammar, is raising expectations of pupils’ achievement across subjects. This improvement is increasingly reflected in the improved quality of pupils’ work. Younger children follow teachers’ instructions closely as they hold their pencils carefully to write accurate letters to form simple words.

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

Reading is an important part of daily life in school. In the Reception class, children practise their letters and sounds with pride. They gain confidence, building fluency and accuracy, as they read with adults. The playground ‘book nook’ is a popular reading place at break and lunchtimes. Any pupils who struggle with reading get the help they need to catch up.

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

Teachers check on pupils’ learning regularly. They help with corrections when pupils get something wrong. In a few subjects, the recent changes to curriculum design are still embedding. Where this is the case, occasionally, pupils who could achieve more are not set sufficiently demanding tasks. Also, occasionally, gaps in learning are not closed quickly enough. In these instances, teachers’ checks on learning are not used as effectively as they could be to match activities to meet pupils’ needs. As a result, some pupils do not learn as deeply as they could. 12 and 13 November 2024

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Pupils with SEND typically settle well into learning. The school provides teachers with helpful guidance. They use this to amend the curriculum, such as in setting appropriate steps and giving fewer instructions. Consequently, pupils with SEND learn successfully together with their classmates.

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The ‘Thurston Way’ helps to secure pupils’ typically good behaviour, both in and out of lessons. Pupils understand the school’s expectations. When, occasionally, behaviour falls short of these expectations, pupils are supported to improve their behaviour. They enjoy the rewards for their positive behaviour. This is especially so when they are invited for special breaktime snacks with the headteacher. Most pupils attend school frequently. However, a few, including some disadvantaged pupils, are persistently absent. This means that they fall further behind with their learning. They miss the opportunities on offer to help them to thrive.

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British values, including tolerance and respect, are embedded in the school’s values. The diversity of different faiths is celebrated. Pupils know the importance of kindness. In the early years, children learn to share and take turns with others. Older pupils act as lunchtime monitors. They show care and empathy as they help younger children in the dining hall. The ‘pupil playground working party’ has introduced different outdoor activities at breaktimes. Pupils like these opportunities, for example to play table football or to draw. The reflective garden offers a peaceful environment for pupils who want time in a quiet space.

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Governors and the trust are aware of the challenges ahead as the school continues to grow. Together, they create the structures to underpin ongoing improvements. Working closely with other leaders, the trust supports ongoing training for all staff. These opportunities are appreciated. Staff value the attention given to their workload and well- being. Relationships with parents are typically positive and productive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some curriculum changes are still embedding. In a few subjects there is a mismatch between the intended learning and the activities that pupils are expected to complete. This means that, occasionally, those who could achieve more are not given demanding enough tasks. For others, gaps in learning are not addressed quickly enough. Consequently, pupils do not learn as much, or as deeply, as they could. The school and the trust should ensure that staff are consistent in using assessment information effectively, so that pupils receive demanding work, have their gaps in learning addressed and therefore achieve as well as possible. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 A few pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, they fall behind with their learning and miss many of the opportunities that the school’s broad curriculum provides. Working closely with the trust, the school should identify any further barriers to attendance, while accelerating actions to remove them, so that persistent absence continues to reduce.

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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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school became part of the Thedwastre Education Trust in January 2016.  The school uses three registered alternative providers of education.  The most recent inspection of the school’s denominational education and collective worship, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, took place in November 2019. The next section 48 inspection will be in eight years of this date.

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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 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 conducted deep dives in the following subjects: English, including reading; humanities; physical education; mathematics and science. To complete each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, and spoke with teachers. They also spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  A wider sample of curriculum plans were considered beyond the deep dives, across a range of other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors looked at safeguarding policies, the school’s record of pre-employment checks on new staff and a sample of

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child protection files. They 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 lead inspector spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. She met separately with the CEO of the Thedwastre Education Trust and the vice chair of the board of trustees. The lead inspector held a telephone meeting with a school improvement partner and with representatives from three alternative provisions.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the school’s other leaders, school staff and groups of pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised behaviour logs, attendance records, minutes of governors’ meetings, school improvement plans and school policies.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. These were considered alongside the free-text responses from parents. Inspectors took

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account of responses to Ofsted’s questionnaires for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Christine Dick, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Cassandra Williams 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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