Thrunscoe Primary and Nursery Academy

Inspection of Thrunscoe Primary and Nursery Academy Trinity Road, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire DN35 8UL

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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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

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The headteacher of this school is Simon Bate. This school is a single academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The headteacher is the executive leader of the trust board. There is also a governing body with responsibility for the school, which is chaired by Rolf Sperr. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this welcoming school. The school’s motto, ‘Let Children Shine’, is evident in all aspects of the school’s work. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and learning. Staff build warm and trusting relationships with pupils through clear routines and lots of praise. Pupils appreciate this encouragement and are keen to learn. They treat one another with care and respect, both in lessons and at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is carefully thought through. Pupils develop the knowledge and skills they need. Disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn well. Parents and carers can see pupils ‘shine’ during exhibitions at the school, where pupils showcase their work and discuss their learning. Most parents are extremely positive about the school. They value its welcoming atmosphere.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a broad range of activities beyond the curriculum. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 enjoy residential trips to develop their resilience. Some pupils have leadership roles. For example, well-being champions support their peers to stay healthy and play well together. There are regular opportunities to take part in different sports. The school is highly inclusive of all pupils. Sports such as boccia and curling form part of their offer.

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

Across the curriculum, the knowledge pupils need to learn is broken down into manageable steps that make the learning journey clear. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well. However, pupils remember some aspects of the wider curriculum better than others. In response to this, the school has introduced a new approach to help pupils remember important knowledge. This is already having a positive impact. Staff know their subjects well and challenge misconceptions effectively. Pupils with SEND, including those with severe needs, are very well supported. They receive additional support where needed, including speech and language therapy and mental health counselling.

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

Reading is prioritised. Pupils soon learn to sound out and read individual words. Almost every pupil is a confident reader by the end of key stage 1. Pupils take home decodable books. However, pupils are sometimes unable to read the decodable books well enough to become fluent quickly. Most pupils like reading. They appreciate visits to the newly refurbished library, which is thoughtfully laid out. Pupils can easily find books suitable to their reading level that they enjoy.

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

The early years environment is calm and safe. Children play well together and enjoy coming to school. The curriculum for children in the early years is highly effective in preparing children for Year 1. Staff in the early years know the children well. Purposeful activities help children practise skills and learn new words. For example, staff carefully show children how to hold and use scissors and other equipment, which supports children with their physical development. 14 and 15 January 2025

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The school has developed its behaviour policy with input from pupils and staff. Pupils recognise the contributions they and others make to school life. Pupils who might struggle to meet expectations get the right support. For example, well-trained staff help pupils stay on track in lessons.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education prepares pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about different faiths, online safety and keeping healthy. Regular debates develop pupils’ understanding of issues in society. There are rich and varied experiences to develop pupils’ knowledge of the curriculum. For example, local artists deliver workshops to pupils of all ages. A planetarium is brought into school to help pupils learn aspects of science.

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School leaders have a clear strategy for continually improving the school. Staff morale is extremely high. Staff value the training opportunities provided and the support they receive from leaders. Subject leadership is developing well. However, there are occasions when leaders’ intentions are not consistently realised across the school. Where this happens, the curriculum is less effective. The governing body is committed to the school community. It receives ongoing training to support its oversight of the school’s strengths and next steps.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The books that some key stage 1 pupils read are not as well matched to their reading knowledge as they could be. This means that some pupils do not become confident, fluent readers as quickly as they could. The school should strengthen how it supports pupils to build fluency in reading.  Occasionally, leaders’ intentions for the curriculum are not implemented consistently across the school. Where this happens, pupils’ knowledge is less secure. The school should ensure that leaders’ intentions are consistently well implemented, enabling pupils to learn and remember well across the whole curriculum.

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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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority Chair of governors

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a single academy trust.  There is a new headteacher in post since the previous inspection.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.

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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 a school’s education provision. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 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 met with senior staff in the school. This included the headteacher and assistant headteachers. The lead inspector also met with six members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, religious education and art. 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 discussed and reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and their

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experiences at school. An inspector also spoke to parents as they dropped their children off at the school gate.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during breakfast club, during lesson visits and at breaktime. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour at the school.  Inspectors reviewed the parental responses received through the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the responses received through Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Adrian Fearn Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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