Tadley Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Tadley Community Primary School The Green, Tadley, Hampshire RG26 3PB

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Outcome

Tadley Community Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this caring and inclusive community. The school has high expectations for pupils, setting them on the path for ‘learning for life’. Pupils typically achieve and behave well. They are enthusiastic about learning and try hard to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school promotes its values of ‘pride, kindness, diversity and community’ well. These values help pupils successfully learn how to treat others. Pupils demonstrate an excellent understanding of equality and equity. They are inclusive of each other and respectful of difference. They ensure that everyone feels valued. Pupils show empathy and understanding in how they support each other. Pupils take great care of their environment. They love winning the ‘shiny shovel’ award for the tidiest classroom. Pupils look forward to the celebration barbecue for the winning classes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children settle quickly into the early years, building confidence and independence. They benefit from thoughtful support from staff who know them well. Pupils know staff will listen to them if they have a worry. They appreciate access to the ‘well-being hub’ when they need a bit of extra help. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are highly complimentary about the school, with comments such as ‘we love Tadley School’ being typical of many.

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

The school provides a broad and ambitious curriculum. This is sequenced carefully from the early years to Year 6. On the whole, the school has identified the important knowledge pupils should learn and remember over time. Pupils revisit knowledge. They make effective links between subjects, which deepens their understanding. In the main, 29 and 30 April 2025

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teachers make successful adaptations to their teaching for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school swiftly and accurately identifies pupils who need extra help. Staff know the individual needs of pupils with SEND well.

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain new content clearly. However, some of the tasks pupils undertake do not always help pupils learn the intended subject-specific knowledge. This hinders pupils’ learning.

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Children in the early years get off to a flying start to their educational journey. They are eager to explore new ideas. They engage in stimulating activities that build focus and resilience. They learn to work together well.

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In the wider curriculum, the school has trialled different ways of checking accurately what pupils remember. This is in its infancy. Sometimes, these checks do not tell teachers what they need to know. Misconceptions are not identified and addressed swiftly enough. This means that, in these subjects, pupils are not learning as well as they could.

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A love of reading permeates throughout the school. Pupils talk about their favourite books and authors enthusiastically. The well-structured phonics programme helps pupils learn to read swiftly. Staff teach phonics expertly. Pupils who need extra support to catch up in reading benefit from well-considered interventions.

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Lunchtimes are a joy to behold. The school has worked successfully in providing pupils with a wide range of activities that support high-quality play, creativity and social skills. Pupils love building dens, dressing up, making loom bands and sledging down the mud hill. They understand risks and ensure that they use equipment appropriately. Pupils behave well in the classrooms as well as in the playgrounds. They know how to behave like a ‘star learner’, asking and answering questions and being ready to listen. Clear routines and expectations support pupils to be successful.

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The school helps pupils grow into kind, respectful and active young people who care about their community and the wider world. Pupils value their leadership roles such as ‘well- being ambassadors’, prefects and the ‘eco-team’. This strengthens their sense of togetherness and helps them grow as confident, capable leaders. The school actively encourages pupils to care for others. Pupils take pride in supporting their class charities, organising activities such as bake sales and a pet food bank.

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Absence from school has been too high in the past. The school has introduced new and more rigorous approaches to ensure pupils attend school. There has been a vast improvement.

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Staff feel valued in this supportive and close-knit school community. They appreciate the considered approach leaders have taken to manage workload effectively while implementing a range of successful changes in recent years. Governors know the school well. They provide a well-balanced mix of challenge and support. They are overseeing the transition in leadership effectively. This is helping the school maintain its high standards during this period of change. 29 and 30 April 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, in some foundation subjects, the activities pupils are given do not focus well enough on subject-specific content they need to learn and remember. This means that, in those subjects, pupils are not learning as well as they could. The school should ensure that learning focuses on the intended knowledge and skills so pupils learn and remember more.  In some wider curriculum subjects, the checks on what pupils are learning are not clear and precise enough. As a result, some gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified or closed quickly enough. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively in the foundation subjects to check pupils’ understanding and secure the right knowledge in their long-term memory.

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

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2016.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Louise Bleathman

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School details

Headteacher Rebekah Alsey Amelia Mohain (Acting Headteacher) Website www.tadleyprimary.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 At the time of the inspection, the acting headteacher had been in post for one week. The headteacher was not in school.  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 their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the acting headteacher and staff. The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority. She also met with three members of the governing body, including the chair.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and 29 and 30 April 2025

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looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  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’ interest first.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff.

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Inspection team

Lea Hannam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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