Thomas Barnes Primary School

Inspection of Thomas Barnes Primary School School Lane, Hopwas, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3AD

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of Thomas Barnes Primary. Everyone is made to feel welcome. One pupil, reflecting the views of many, said, ‘We are one big friendship group.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between both staff and pupils are positive and friendly. Pupils of all ages understand and demonstrate the school’s ‘Marvellous Manners’ and ‘Respectful Routines’ at all times. Breaktimes are harmonious with pupils playing together well. Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. They talk about their needs and seek help when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils come to school with a positive mindset and ready to learn. In the morning, pupils cross the school gates with a cheery smile as they look forward to the day ahead. Expectations for pupils’ achievements are high. Pupils rise to these expectations. By the end of Year 6 most pupils are well prepared for their future education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that all pupils have the chance to develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy taking part in a wide range of sporting opportunities. Many pupils achieve success in competitive games, tournaments and galas and they win national awards. They also learn to sing and play instruments, such as the drums and the flute.

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

The school has carefully considered what children from Reception to Year 6 need to learn and experience in different subjects. The school ensures pupils learn the right things in the right order. This includes pupils in mixed-age classes. Most pupils achieve well by the time they leave. In subjects such as history, learning is brought to life through visits to Tamworth Castle and a local transport museum. In Reception, children look for fossils in the excavation area. They learn to use ambitious vocabulary, such as ‘archaeologist’.

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

Teachers use a range of ways to check what pupils know and remember across the curriculum. Any gaps or misconceptions are addressed well through direct teacher input. In a few subjects, teachers do not help pupils to make connections between previous and current learning. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge of the important concepts in these subjects over time.

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

Staff teach reading expertly. They check pupils’ phonics knowledge regularly. Staff support effectively any pupil who is at risk of falling behind. The youngest children learn to read and write sounds with accuracy. Older pupils read with expression and confidence. Pupils love reading, listening to teachers reading aloud, and using the school library. Year 6 pupils enjoy ‘buddy’ reading with the children in Reception. They encourage them to develop good reading habits.

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

Adaptations in lessons for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are carefully tailored in reading and mathematics. This helps pupils to achieve well over time in these subjects. However, occasionally writing activities are not fully accessible for 21 and 22 January 2025

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pupils with SEND. This prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could in their writing.

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The school provides pupils with extensive leadership opportunities. For example, members of the ‘shield’ team lead health and safety assemblies for the school. The head boy and girl proudly represent their school at events. Sports leaders encourage pupils to play together by organising games, such as musical chairs. Older pupils enjoy outdoor residential experiences. Pupils learn to build resilience and work as a team. Pupils speak confidently about how to keep themselves safe in different contexts, for instance near water, when online and when on the roads.

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Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are excellent. From the start of Reception, pupils learn about and embrace the school’s ‘5 Cs’, meaning that in lessons and around school pupils are cheerful, curious, cooperative, caring and confident. Pupils value the help they receive from the staff in the ‘Nurture Nook’. They learn to talk about and manage their feelings and emotions. Pupils speak maturely about the importance of treating everyone equally and respectfully. They have a strong sense of right and wrong.

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Leaders have a secure understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to improve. Actions leaders have taken continue to benefit pupils. Governors use their expertise appropriately to support and challenge the work of the school. Staff appreciate the steps the school has taken to manage their workload and well-being. Continuing to invest in high-quality continued professional development opportunities for staff remains a priority for the school.

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Relationships between staff, parents and carers are strong. Many parents appreciate the commitment and hard work of the school team. To further strengthen its work with parents, the school has recently established a parents’ forum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, opportunities to support pupils to make connections between current learning and what they already know are missed. This hinders pupils from extending their knowledge and developing a depth of understanding. The school should ensure opportunities are in place to support pupils to make strong connections with prior learning and therefore build on their knowledge.  Occasionally, the school does not adapt some writing activities well enough. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could when writing. The school should make sure teachers have the knowledge and skills to implement a broad range of strategies to help pupils with SEND write more effectively. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteachers Emma Tibbitts and Chris Reilly

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 March 2014, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are taught in mixed-age classes.  The school does not use 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.

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Information about this inspection

 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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 Inspectors met with the headteachers and the teachers.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the governing body and two other governors. The lead inspector also had a telephone conversation with a local authority representative.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. 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 also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.

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 Inspectors spoke with a range of pupils on both days of inspection. Inspectors also observed pupils’ interactions during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They also talked to pupils about their experiences of the school.  Inspectors considered free-text responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. An inspector also spoke with parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors gathered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey, as well as discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  A range of school documents were reviewed, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.

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Inspection team

Usha Devi, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gill Turner Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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