Tynsel Parkes CofE Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Tynsel Parkes CofE Primary Academy School Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 7HE

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Outcome

Tynsel Parkes CofE Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Rachel Chandler. This school is part of The Staffordshire University Academies 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), James Capper, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mary Walker.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of this caring, inclusive, and welcoming school. The school is ambitious for pupils. In lessons, pupils focus on their learning and develop a sound understanding of the things they have been taught.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, build strong positive relationships with their teachers and each other. These relationships are firmly rooted in the school’s ethos. This helps pupils to settle quickly when they first join, and they learn to behave well. The warmth of these relationships means that children are happy at school, feel safe and attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Increasingly, pupils embody the mantra of ‘loving and learning together’ in all that they do. A typical comment from pupils was, ‘We’re one big family here. We look out for each other.’ Pupils from ‘think team Tynsel’ and well-trained staff are on hand to support pupils if they have any problems. Pupils are confident that any issues will be resolved swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad curriculum that extends well beyond the academic. For example, many pupils take up leadership positions in the school, such as ‘reading ambassadors, ‘playground buddies’ and as representatives on the school council. These roles help pupils to develop their understanding of social and moral responsibilities to their community and beyond. 25 and 26 March 2025

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

Leaders, supported by the trust, have steered the school well through a period of considerable instability. In recent years, prolonged staffing vacancies have hampered the school’s work. However, the quality of the school’s work is now improving rapidly. Staff are united behind the school’s ambitious vision. Leaders and staff share a deep sense of pride in being part of the community that has flourished here. The school engages with staff well, supporting them to manage their workload successfully.

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

Recently, the school has rejuvenated its academic curriculum. In recognising shortcomings in how it previously supported pupils’ reading and writing, the school has reordered the knowledge that pupils should learn, making sure that new learning builds sensibly on the things pupils have already been taught. This work is helping pupils to make strong progress in their subject knowledge.

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

A culture of reading has been reignited here. Pupils, including children in the early years, are frequently exposed to a range of texts that spark their imagination. These books have been carefully curated to support pupils’ wider understanding of themselves and their place in the world. High-quality fiction and non-fiction texts have become the bedrock of the school’s curriculum, exposing pupils to a broad range of ambitious vocabulary.

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

The new phonics curriculum is delivered well by knowledgeable staff. This is helping pupils learn to read in a timely manner. Overall, pupils who fall behind in their reading receive helpful, targeted support. However, sometimes, staff do not make sure that pupils have understood the sounds they need to know before moving on in their phonics teaching. Consequently, teachers do not always adapt their teaching to bridge gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This holds pupils back.

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

In the main, teachers check carefully that pupils have understood the things they have been taught. For example, in the early years, teachers use well-crafted opportunities to develop children’s communication and language, checking that they have understood important concepts such as ‘camouflage’ and ‘symmetrical’. Staff quickly adjust their teaching if needed. This stops children from falling behind.

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

The school has seen a recent rise in the number of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works in close partnership with a range of external agencies to carefully assess and understand the increasingly broad range of pupils’ needs. Staff meet pupils’ individual needs well. Consequently, pupils with SEND make sound progress through the school’s curriculum.

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

Most pupils behave very well in lessons. However, on occasion, some staff do not make sure all pupils focus on their learning or produce their best work. Where this happens, this hinders learning for some pupils. In spite of this, when pupils struggle to manage their own behaviour, the school makes smart use of restorative conversations and targeted support that helps pupils to manage their own emotions more effectively. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Leaders are rightly proud of their work to promote pupils’ wider personal development. This is a strength of the school. During their time at Tynsel, pupils quickly develop a sense of advocacy for those less fortunate. For example, pupils have recently supported a local food bank and raised funds to support displaced communities around the world. Pupils take part in a growing range of extra-curricular activities, such as laser tag and a games club. Pupils value these opportunities.

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Parents and carers value the work of the school and are very supportive. They are grateful for leaders’ and staff’s dedication to their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, the school does not make sure that staff check pupils’ phonics knowledge carefully enough. Consequently, staff do not spot and resolve some misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This limits the progress pupils make in learning to read. Leaders should ensure that staff assess which phonics pupils understand and use this information effectively to adapt their teaching.  On occasion, the school does not ensure that its high expectations for pupils’ behaviour are promoted well by staff. Where this happens, pupils do not pay enough attention to their learning or produce their best work. This holds back pupils’ learning. The school should make sure that staff help all pupils to behave well and produce their best work.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, 25 and 26 March 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is one of 21 schools that comprise the Staffordshire University Academies Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the CEO, the chair of trustees, members of the governing body and other senior staff. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break and lunchtime.  The inspector met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspector took account of the views expressed from parents through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Alexander Laney, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 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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