Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School

Inspection of Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School Hospital Lane, Blaby, Leicester, Leicestershire LE8 4FE

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an aspirational school. The school’s rich curriculum is highly ambitious. Pupils are encouraged to become independent learners who question, debate and reflect on what they are taught. The school’s focus on pupils’ wider development prepares them exceptionally well for their next stages in education and their future lives. Pupils achieve well across all areas of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly proud of their school’s welcoming and nurturing ethos. Pupils are happy. They are safe and cared for. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported. They achieve their best possible outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They show a mature commitment to their studies. Pupils enjoy all aspects of their learning. They show resilience and determination to do their very best, explaining that, ‘Some points in your life will be tough but there will always be a meadow at the end.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are right to be proud of their various leadership roles. Their ideas and opinions are highly valued. Their roles have a positive and tangible impact on both their school and local community. School councillors lead assemblies and organise local fundraising events, and school librarians record their views about different books on the school’s ‘chatterbooks’ podcast.

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

The school is passionate about pupils learning to read quickly. This journey starts for children immediately upon arrival in the Reception Year. Staff are experts in teaching phonics. Staff carefully select high-quality texts and use these across all areas of the curriculum. Staff quickly identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind with the phonics programme. These pupils access meticulously well-planned and tailored extra sessions. This means that pupils catch up quickly. The school encourages pupils to develop a deep love of reading for pleasure. Pupils relish the daily opportunity to listen to their teachers read to them.

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

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Staff establish clear routines and expectations. This leads to children developing positive attitudes to learning very early on. Children learn through play and enjoy taking risks. Activities offered in the outdoor provision do not always have the same ambition as those provided in the classroom. Children do not consistently have the chance to embed their knowledge and skills outside like they do when they are in the classroom.

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

Across all areas of the curriculum, pupils have daily opportunities to reflect on what they already know. They consider how new learning links to their existing knowledge. The use of ‘exit’ and ‘entry’ tickets is highly effective. This process helps pupils to remember. As a result, pupils successfully embed their knowledge into their long-term memory. Pupils’ 3 and 4 June 2025

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understanding and use of key vocabulary is consistently secure. In lessons, pupils listen intently. Those pupils who struggle with their concentration receive highly effective support from skilled staff. This ensures that all pupils experience success in their learning.

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Staff present learning exceptionally well. For example, in mathematics lessons, staff model new concepts with precision so that pupils have clear examples to follow. Staff demonstrate extremely secure subject knowledge across all subject areas. This is because they access high-quality training and receive regular coaching. Staff appreciate the school’s committed approach to their professional development. They particularly value the opportunity to network and share best practice with other schools in the local area.

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Pupils with SEND access the same highly ambitious curriculum as their peers. The school works proactively with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND are swiftly identified. The school uses expert advice to ensure that the best support for pupils with SEND is consistently implemented. Staff skilfully adapt their teaching to meet individual pupils’ learning needs. As a result, pupils with SEND produce work of a high quality across the curriculum. They achieve very well.

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The school’s personal development offer is exceptional. There is a wide range of extra- curricular opportunities available, including unique outdoor learning. Pupils are particularly proud of the school’s beehives. Pupils take their beekeeping and ‘harvesting of honey’ responsibilities very seriously. Pupils demonstrate a mature understanding of tolerance and mutual respect. They explain that, ‘Tolerance means acceptance of difference. We celebrate differences such as different religions.’

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The school is extremely well led and managed. Staff are happy and united in their common goal to support pupils to achieve well. Everyone is proud to work at the school. The school thinks about the impact on staff workload in all decision making. As a result, staff’s well-being prioritised and supported well. Governors are passionate and knowledgeable about the school. They fulfil their statutory duties. Parents and carers are immensely positive about the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Outdoor learning opportunities in the early years limit learning for some children. As a result, children do not consistently develop their knowledge and skills as well as they could. The school should ensure that the outdoor area provides opportunities across all seven areas of learning so that children can explore their interests and fully embed their learning. 3 and 4 June 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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Colin Bowpitt (Executive headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 January 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The headteacher is the executive headteacher of two schools: Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School and Greenfield Primary School.

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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. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in: reading, mathematics, history and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for behaviour, personal development, early years and SEND.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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 Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The lead inspector spoke with the local authority school effectiveness partner and met with members of the governing body.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments, as well as the results of Ofsted’s survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Luella Dhoore, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Mace Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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