Thompson Primary School

Inspection of Thompson Primary School School Road, Thompson, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 1PY

p.1

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

p.1

The headteacher of this school is Lisa Heath. This school is part of the Co-operative Education East multi-academy 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), Paul Bunn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Julie Fletcher. 20 and 21 May 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They love playing together, whether searching for minibeasts or inventing their own games. Older pupils have a strong sense of responsibility and really look out for the younger ones. They organise games for them and ensure that the resources they have are well looked after. The school also makes sure there is plenty to enrich the curriculum, with clubs such as gymnastics. Pupils benefit from visitors to the school, for example firefighters or visitors who talk to the pupils about living in China.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants pupils to do well. Pupils’ learning is strongest in English and mathematics, although expectations for some pupils could be higher. Pupils enjoy reading and talk with enthusiasm about popular books in their class. The youngest children make a strong start to their education in Reception, but this is not maintained up to the end of the school. Across the broader curriculum, pupils are sometimes not taught as well as they should be. This means that pupils do not have strong recall of what they have been taught in these subjects.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well behaved and polite. They know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils have trusted adults who they are happy to talk to if they are worried about anything.

p.2

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

Since the previous inspection, most teaching staff are new to the school. The school has focused teachers’ professional development on English and mathematics. This has left the implementation of the wider curriculum less developed.

p.2

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

Staff typically teach reading, writing and mathematics well. Most pupils work at the standards expected for their age in English and mathematics. Staff use examples to show pupils what good writing looks like. Pupils get many opportunities to practise their reading, and they enjoy the variety of books on offer. Phonics is taught well. The school uses many ways to help pupils who find reading harder. However, many pupils should be achieving more than they do. Staff do not routinely move pupils on as rapidly as they need to when pupils have already mastered core learning.

p.2

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

When pupils are taught well, they have excellent recall of what they have been taught. This is, however, mixed. The activities given to pupils, beyond English and mathematics, are sometimes not effective in enabling pupils to really understand their learning. As a result, some pupils do not recall important knowledge in the wider curriculum.

p.2

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

There are also gaps in what pupils have been taught, with many parts of the curriculum and catch-up sessions missed. This means that pupils have not been taught all of what they need to know before the next stage of learning.

p.2

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

Children make a good start to their education in the early years. They complete independent challenges each day to practise and develop core skills, such as writing and mathematics. There is a strong emphasis on spoken language and correct vocabulary. 20 and 21 May 2025

p.2

3

Children enjoy applying their learning through purposeful play, such as drawing a map to show the journey of a ‘lion’ hunt. Children learn well across all areas of learning. They are well prepared for learning in Year 1.

p.3

3

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified accurately and supported well. They access the same learning as others, with adaptations and adult help. As with other pupils, they are not always taught as well as they should be beyond English and mathematics.

p.3

3

Pupils learn about different cultures and ways of life. They are rightly proud that everyone is welcome at their school and that prejudicial behaviour is not acceptable. Pupils are encouraged to look after the wider world. They are knowledgeable about how humans harm the world and what they can do to help prevent this.

p.3

3

The expectations for behaviour are clear. Pupils understand and follow these. As a result, the school is a calm and focused place. Pupils work hard. They value the different rewards and secret praise notes that celebrate showing the school’s values. Pupils persist with activities, even when they are difficult.

p.3

3

The school has developed strong links with parents and carers. The school provides many opportunities for parents to find out about the school’s work and to celebrate pupils’ achievements. This all contributes to most pupils having good attendance.

p.3

3

The trust is going through a restructure of senior leadership. This has slowed the school’s improvements to the quality of education. The trust has identified areas needed for improvement. The school has not done enough to implement and embed these changes. Trust leaders have spent time with staff and parents to help them understand the need for change and to reassure them about systems moving forward. Staff feel well supported.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not consistently identify when pupils are ready to move on to learning more complex knowledge. This means that pupils do not have the opportunities that they need to achieve as highly as possible. The school needs to ensure that staff can use assessment strategies to understand when pupils are ready to move on to new learning so that they can achieve as well as they can.  The activities that pupils are given to complete in foundation subjects do not provide sufficient opportunities to practise using and applying the knowledge they have been taught. This means pupils do not remember the important knowledge that they need to 20 and 21 May 2025

p.3

4

know. They do not achieve as well as they should in these subjects. The school needs to ensure that the activities teachers provide are highly effective at helping pupils understand and remember their new learning.  Staff do not ensure that pupils are taught the entire curriculum. This means that pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school needs to ensure that staff teach the curriculum coherently and in the agreed order so that pupils build knowledge securely over time.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 20 and 21 May 2025

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 December 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school works closely with the other two schools in the trust. A small number of staff work across all three schools.  The school has its own breakfast and after-school clubs.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.5

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. 20 and 21 May 2025

p.5

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, trust deputy headteacher and other leaders. They met with the chair of the local governing body, the chair of trustees and the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 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, visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

p.6

6

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 spoke to parents and carers and considered the views on the Ofsted parent survey, Ofsted Parent View.

p.6

Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Jonny Wallace His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 May 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7