Tackley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Tackley Church of England Primary School St John’s Road, Tackley, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 3AP

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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 Karen Ward. This school is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools 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), Anne Dellar, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathy Winrow. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and pupils describe Tackley as a place ‘where staff have unconditional positive regard for all pupils’. The school has ensured that two communities have become one after merging with another local school in 2023. Staff have created a highly inclusive environment. Pupils are happy and achieve well. Children make a strong start to their school life in the Reception class. This high level of care and support continues throughout the school. Both pupils and staff live by the school’s values of curiosity, responsibility and kindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers know pupils well. They have high expectations of what pupils can learn and how they need to behave. The youngest pupils settle quickly. They learn in a secure and safe environment, gaining confidence and making friends easily. Pupils enjoy their learning, behave well and work hard in lessons. Pupils have many opportunities to discuss their learning. They say this helps them to think for themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make effective and positive contributions to the school community. These include fundraising for local, national and global charities. Pupils also benefit from taking part in at least one sporting competition during their time at the school. These events include indoor football and cricket. These opportunities develop pupils’ resilience and aspiration.

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

The school’s curriculum ensures that teachers deliver learning in a sensible order. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to develop their language and mathematical skills. Staff teach pupils valuable knowledge, skills and vocabulary across the curriculum. As a result, pupils enjoy learning and achieve well. They take pride and care in their work. Staff model new ideas to pupils clearly. However, in some sequences of work, staff do not always check carefully whether pupils have understood the learning. As a result, some pupils’ mistakes and misunderstandings are not identified as quickly as they could be.

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

Pupils learn to read well. Staff teach early reading and phonics effectively. Leaders have established thorough, efficient approaches that support all pupils in developing the knowledge they need. Staff track how well pupils have learned the sounds taught. If any pupils need further practice, they receive support and catch up quickly. Staff promote reading for pleasure across the school, and this starts in Nursery. Staff choose books to read to pupils that inspire and help to develop a love of reading.

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

The school has worked hard and effectively to develop pupils’ language and writing skills. Staff prioritise these areas. This begins in the Reception class. Pupils practise their spoken vocabulary using accurate language about many aspects of their learning such as numbers. Across the school, there has been a focus on improving the accuracy of pupils’ spelling and handwriting. Dedicated time each day is helping more and more pupils become proficient writers. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils achieve well. Staff adapt the curriculum and are sensitive to individuals’ needs. Staff work with professionals outside the school and create highly personalised programmes where needed. Pupils with complex needs are well supported and make progress through the curriculum.

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Staff teach pupils how to behave well using the school’s values. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently and are responsive to pupils’ individual needs. Pupils show high levels of respect and confidence. There are very strong, positive relationships between pupils and staff. The school works closely with families and makes sure they understand the reasons behind any absence. As a result, attendance has improved for all groups of pupils.

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The school supports pupils’ wider development and well-being effectively. Pupils flourish in their various roles and responsibilities such as house captains and members of the pupil parliament. The school ensures pupils understand ways to have positive mental health, and these are revisited regularly. Consequently, pupils develop a strong knowledge of how to manage their mental health effectively. Pupils are respectful of people from a range of cultural backgrounds. Pupils are taught fundamental British values. However, pupils struggle to recall and use these values to deepen their understanding of life in modern Britain.

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Leaders are highly ambitious for all pupils, staff and the community they serve. A well- structured programme of training supports effective teaching. The school considers staff workload and well-being diligently. Tailored collaborative approaches for staff to work across schools within the trust help staff feel valued. The trust and local governing board fulfil their statutory duties effectively. They ensure there is a strong and ever-developing partnership across the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not yet used well enough to check pupils have remembered the most important knowledge taught. This means pupils have gaps in their knowledge and so do not achieve as well as they do in other subjects. The school must ensure pupils’ understanding is checked and addressed so any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are closed.

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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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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in January 2023.  This is a below-average-size primary school.  This school is a part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Oxford. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in September 2024. The next section 48 inspection will be within five years of the previous section 48 inspection.

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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 11 and 12 March 2025

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management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the local governing board and the chair of trustees. Inspectors also met with the trust’s CEO.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art and design and science. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff

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survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  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 reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of local governing board meetings and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Neil Pilsworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Brinkley Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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